By April Daniels Hussar, SELF magazine

The sun! The pool! The sexy waiters serving fruity drinks with umbrellas! Yes, after a long, weird winter, spring is on its way at last, and with it, the time-honored tradition of heading to warmer climates for a break from school or work. But before you book your flight and pack your bikini, make sure that you not only have a total blast, but a safe and healthy trip.

Of course, it should go without saying that if your spring break plans include getting hot and heavy, being safe is a must. If you need some motivation to pack protection, consider this -- Yahoo! reports that along with a spike in searches for "spring break destinations" (up 149 percent this week!), they're also seeing a sharp increase in STD-related searches like "STD symptoms." No fun, right?

Marybeth Bond, founder of the online travel magazine GutsyTraveler.com, has visited over 90 countries and written 11 travel books with National Geographic and Travelers Tales,

Stylish stars
Whoever said it's about the journey and not the destination clearly doesn't fly on airplanes. With spring and summer fast approaching and resort season in full gear, we can't help but have a little travel fever as we sit at our desks. However, whether you want to stroll through museums in little ol' Paris, or lounge on a beach, you likely have to first suffer through a plane ride. Take it from style-savvy celebs, and copy their go-to travel uniform: skinny jeans, boots, scarves and large sunglasses to hide those tired eyes.

The Ray and The Ro are well-versed in what to bring to the airport, and what you might consider keeping on you as you jet off on your next adventure.

10 Best Travel Sized Treasures

Ray's Survival Essentials: While it's not easy to get off a long-haul flight feeling beautiful, it's key to remember a few tips that will make the trip more enjoyable, and keep you looking as fresh as possible. I pack a good sized carry-on and stock it with cozy socks,

The first step to an excellent vacation is to take everything you need - and make sure it's wearable once you arrive. Check out GH's wrinkle-free packing plan below. Have trouble remembering what to bring? Take a look at our print-and-go packing list.

More from Good Housekeeping:

• 12 Makeup Mistakes That Make You Look Old
• 8 Steps To A Successful Marriage
  
• Best Anti-Aging Beauty Products
  
• 30 Best Drugstore Beauty Buys Under $25
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Try a hiking excursion in Hawaii!
Can't picture yourself lounging on a beach on your honeymoon? Try one of these new ideas to celebrate your new marriage, from adventuring to commmunity service.

1. Adventure Travel

Hiking, kayaking and canyoneering-oh my! According to the Adventure Travel Report, half of all American adults have taken an adventure trip in the last five years. Of those, nearly 32 million did some "hard-core" activities like scuba diving and whitewater rafting. Resorts are increasing their offerings to include adventure amenities, and a number of mountain resorts, like Snake River Lodge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Utah's Red Mountain Resort & Spa, offer guided hikes. At many island resorts, including some on Maui, Bermuda and St. John U.S.V.I., you can join cycling trips, and all Sandals Resorts in the Caribbean offer free scuba.

It's never been easier to find an earth-friendly-and luxe-vacation destination. To be considered green, a resort should offer locally sourced cuisine,

It doesn't matter if you stay in a cheap motel or at an uber-luxe hotel overlooking Central Park -- if the mattress isn't comfortable, it can ruin your entire vacation. And as you know, you can't return a bad vacation. So we at Oyster.com sleep on the job. You've read that correctly; we test out hotel mattresses around the globe so we can give you the low-down on which mattresses will help you catch some serious zzz's. No more counting sheep! These hotel mattresses will have you sleeping like a baby in no time.

The Mattress: Tempur-Pedic

The Regular King Room at the Hotel On Rivington; New York City, NY

• Find 'em at: Hotel on Rivington - New York City

• You'll love it because: Tempur-Pedic mattresses -- in every room at the Hotel on Rivington -- are like form-fitting, weight-distributing sponges created just for you. Not only are these mattresses designed to adjust with your movement -- whether you sleep on your side, stomach, back, or all three -- in order to maintain proper spinal alignment, but they are also designed to relieve pain at key

By Aarti Sanan, REDBOOK

My recent trip to India made me realize how hard it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle while traveling. I did try to stick to my healthy eating plan and avoid carbs, but more often than not the non-carb dishes were more unhealthy than the ones with carbohydrates. I needed to create some sort of survival travel pack that would fend off the lure of fried food and stale airport croissants. I turned to super nutritionist Stephanie Middleberg for some tips.

1. Snack Mixes: These mixes travel well, but be warned: They can have a surprisingly high caloric value. Unless you're planning to scale energy, consider an option from The Good Bean or Sheffa Foods. Both use chickpeas as a key ingredient, which means nonperishable proteins without all the carbs.

Related: 50 Under $50 Frugal Finds for Spring

2. Protein Bars: I lived on these in India, which is why I probably ran out in two days. Maybe you shouldn't follow my lead and eat five protein bars a day,

It's that time of year: We all can sense that springtime is just around the corner, which makes us start imagining extravagant getaways. For those of us who love to travel to exotic and intriguing destinations to experience the local cuisine, this means finding places that even seasoned gastro-tourists like Anthony Bourdain would find enticing. Places like Madrid, which has recently supplanted Barcelona as Spain's culinary center, with exciting new restaurants like the five listed below.

But don't stop there! Young, inventive chefs and artfully designed restaurants and bars are dotting the landscapes of cities from San Diego to Singapore. Book a flight, start that diet, then let loose and explore some of the most exciting food and drink scenes in the world!

Related: All travel coverage on Food Republic »

Madrid, Spain
Barcelona and the Costa Brava dominated Spain's food scene for a decade, thanks to Ferran Adria and elBulli, among other hotspots. But the action has moved inland to

SELF magazine

In a perfect world, when you head off on vacation, you leave your worries behind. In reality, a SELF.com poll finds that travel comes with tensions-primarily about all those holiday expenses! Bid bon voyage to that anxiety with this guide to satisfying your wanderlust without scrimping.

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