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The Insider's Guide to Palermo, Sicily's Capital of Culture and Hidden Architectural Gems

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  Just a few years ago, you might have been forgiven for thinking that Palermo’s main attraction was its collection of Mafia hot spots. Sure, the city’s tangled history with Godfather-esque organized crime dons will continue to lure its fair share of tourists to the capital of Sicily. But nowadays, Italy’s fifth-largest city is drawing an increasingly cosmopolitan crowd eager to explore not just its 2,700-year-old cultural heritage but also its newfound verve. Palermo was in fact named the Italian Capital of Culture for 2018 and is currently playing host to Manifesta, the roving European art biennial that changes location every two years. With 50 artists participating, the event has been an ideal showcase for Palermo’s recently refurbished architectural treasures, like the 18th-century Palazzo Butera, which is being reopened as a museum; the Teatro Garibaldi, where Wim Wenders shot parts of his 2008 film Palermo Shooting; and the Oratorio di San Lorenzo, famous for its Caravaggi
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Travel deals: Icelandair sale to Europe and free flights to a Jamaican resort

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This week’s best travel bargains around the globe. Land For National Hammock Day, Mahekal Beach Resort, in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen , is offering 50 percent off rates and a resort credit . The “Swing in the Sun” special starts at $195 a night (down from $390) and includes accommodations in a palapa-style bungalow; breakfast and lunch or dinner daily; a $200 resort credit; and early check-in and late checkout. Five-night minimum required. Add 19 percent tax. Book by July 28 and travel through June 28, 2019. Info: 877-235-4452, mahekalbeachresort.com . Receive a resort credit of up to $100 , based on length of stay, at the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. The Summer Escape package starts at $299 per night and includes a $25 daily resort credit, with a maximum of $100 (for four nights). Credit is valid on massages, food and drinks at any of the resort’s nine restaurants and bars, and more. Book through July 31; travel through Sept 30. Add 26 percent
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Should You Travel To Tokyo Or Osaka?

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Though the Tokyo Summer Games are still two years away, there’s still plenty of competition around Japan right now. Tokyo, the host city for the 2020 Games, and Osaka, a beautiful destination where a number of athletes will train, are both vying to win you over. With high-end hotels, diverse culinary scenes and tireless activity calendars, each dynamic place stakes its claim for your attention. But Forbes Travel Guide takes a closer look and see how the two cities match up head-to-head for your traveling dollars. HOTELS The Imperial Hotel brand has managed to do something that only a select group has: create a genuine niche in the country’s saturated hospitality market. The Imperial trio — there’s a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star address in Tokyo, a Forbes Travel Guide Recommended getaway in Osaka and the breathtaking Kamikochi Imperial Hotel in the Japanese Alps — has a regality to it. All are prominent properties without a pinch of pomp. Legendary American architect Frank L
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