Working early morning from a ryokan. Photos: Kelsey Wilking
Can’t Sleep? Here’s How to Beat Jet Lag
Hi from Nagasaki 👋
As I adjust to a 14-hour time difference over steaming bowls of ramen and plates of fresh sashimi, I’ve been referencing our Editorial Director’s list of ways to beat jet lag since 3 this morning.
Japanese onsen culture makes tip No. 12 especially easy to follow. But being in Japan makes No. 5 almost impossible. And a few of these I’ve never tried before, though I’d be curious to try them all to see which ones work best.
Check out the full list, then send me your tried-and-true method for beating jet lag. I’ll put it to the test and report back.
-Kelsey Wilking, newsletter editor
G U I D E
How to Spend the Perfect Long Weekend in Portland, Maine
Photo: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Set on Maine's nearly 3,500 miles of coastline, Portland pairs its historic fishing heritage with Victorian streets, a strong arts scene, and more breweries per capita than any other US city, all about an hour's flight from New York.
Here’s how to explore it.
S T A Y S
Hotels We're Putting on Our Wish List
No affiliate links. Just solid finds.
Photo: NEST Los Cabos
NEST Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas): Just opened, a tented retreat on a lake about an hour inland from the coast, set in a secluded pocket of Baja's desert oasis.
Sugar House Hotel (Winooski, VT): Marriott's first all-electric, net-zero, LEED Platinum hotel, opening fall 2026 with 115 rooms and two on-site eateries.
Baoase Luxury Resort (Curaçao): This award-winning Caribbean resort is adding 14 private plunge-pool suites in a major renovation coming later this year.
RiverPlace Hotel (Portland, OR): An iconic downtown waterfront property on Portland's Willamette River.
Sand Castle on the Beach (St. Croix): A late-summer steal, stay four nights and pay for three at this intimate beachfront hotel near Frederiksted.
T R A V E L
The Galápagos Islands: All You Need to Know About the Archipelago
Photo: npavlov/Shutterstock
There's only one place on Earth to see swimming iguanas, lava lizards, and giant tortoises together. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978, this Ecuadorian archipelago protects 97 percent of its land as national park and more than 51,000 square miles of surrounding ocean, so a visit puts you face-to-face with wildlife found nowhere else.
S T A Y S
This Alaska Wilderness Lodge Throws Out the Schedule and Asks What You Want to Do Instead
Photos: Jessica Devnani
The Lodge at Whale Pass in Southeast Alaska runs on whatever nature serves up: owner Kevin Ryter wakes guests for only two things, the northern lights or whales. Beyond that, days unfold on their own, maybe a boat ride out to surfacing orcas, with no schedule and no crowds, just the pod and the quiet bay.
G I V E A W A Y
Enter to Win a Getaway to Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas
Enter to win a 4-day/3-night stay for two at The Cove, Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas, with private round-trip airport transportation from Nassau Airport to Atlantis and a daily food and beverage credit.
Travel Well
The Matador Editorial Team
Hey, it’s me, your newsletter editor. Have feedback? If you’ve got thoughts or ideas, just hit reply and send them my way. I’m all ears.