Friday around the planet: A roundup of news and inspiration for the week ending March 25

Welcome to Friday Around the Planet, a roundup of some of the travel-related news and inspiration you might have missed over the past week.

It’s hard to believe there are just a few days left in March. With the shift in seasons upon us, you might feel a bit restless to plan a long holiday weekend. To fuel your wanderlust, here’s some inspiration of where to go during the upcoming month of April.

For some springtime floral inspiration, check out some of the most incredible flower displays in Europe.

The most recent COVID-19 rollbacks

The Canary Islands are among the latest destinations to roll back some of their COVID-19 restrictions ahead of what should be a busy travel period for the Easter holiday period. Capacity has returned to 100% at bars, restaurants and other indoor establishments. This comes on the heels of the Balearic islands performing similar rollbacks of requirements. Both places still require masks indoors, so tuck some in your bags. Meanwhile, if you need some booking inspiration, check out this list of the best beaches in Ibiza.

Other places with notable changes this week:

Singapore reconnects with the rest of the world as travel curbs are rolled back
Visiting Thailand will get a bit easier on April 1
Italy to phase out all COVID-19 rules by summer 2022
South Korea to ease travel restrictions in April

By the way, the rollbacks of travel restrictions in New Zealand has opened the door for the fourth-longest flight in the world to launch between Auckland and New York.

News for those who want to get outside

If hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a travel dream of yours, this might be the time to finally book that trip. Check out Barbara Noe Kennedy's story about how the pandemic impacted people who make their livelihoods off the trail and what you can expect if you book a tour this year.

In the United States, the Florida Keys' historic Seven Mile Bridge has reopened to cyclists and walkers after a $44 million dollar renovation. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden signed the Amache National Historic Site act which will make a former site of a Japanese internment camp part of the US National Parks system.

Here are some other stories our writers published this week that might inspire you to get outside:
A glimpse at Europe’s best national parks
Best National Parks in Ghana
Best hikes in Egypt
Best hikes in Georgia (USA)
Best parks in Seville

Inspiration of where to stay

Sweden's Treehotel has a new room that is made up of 359 bird boxes. The boxes are meant to help increase the bird population while also giving guests a chance to observe the winged creatures from the comfort of their room. That bird’s eye view does come with a pricetag. It’s $1,200 a night to stay in the unique resort.

If you’d rather have a plunge pool outside your door, check out this list of 11 of the world’s best hotel rooms with private plunge pools

Can’t go anywhere right now? Take a grand tour of some of the world’s most amazing architecture

Art and pop culture

Washington, D.C.'s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden will open its long-awaited Yayoi Kusama exhibit on April 1. If you can't get to the US capital, perhaps check out one of the 29 other spots you can see the artist's colorfully immersive artwork around the world.

And, on March 25, Netflix releases its newest season of Bridgerton. If binging the series puts you in the mood to book a flight to London, we don't judge. And maybe this list of England's most beautiful castles will help as you craft your travel plans.