Skip to main content

Vacation Like a Local with Wonderful Italy

If you’re anything like us, you try your best to avoid looking, acting and sounding like a tourist when traveling. Because the true beauty of any unknown place always comes to light when you experience it like a local. As we’re always on the hunt for the latest guide that steers away from the mainstream tourist attractions and deep into the heart of places and experiences residents consider a normal part of daily life, we were thrilled when the good people at The Lifestyle Journal created Wonderful Italy. With a focus on slow living, The Lifestyle Journal is about surrounding yourself with simple, well-done objects, true friends and good cooking, fully aware and one step ahead in realizing these pleasures represent true modern luxury. Their guide to discovering Italy in the most authentic way possible is the epitome of this notion.

Divided into six sections – seas, mountains, lakes, islands, countryside and art cities – Wonderful Italy explores each destination’s most charming hotels, restaurants and sites, perfect for the adventurous traveler looking for an authentic experience that strays from the excessively touristic. Accompanied by the most beautiful photos that will make you weak in the knees, you will be temped to buy a plane ticket to the boot the second you open the cover. The guide also includes a section profiling a selection of brands that represent the best of Italian style: a mix of elegance, sophistication, luxury and love of craftsmanship.

Recommended Videos

Small enough to stash in your pocket, this incredible little guide is a great place to start when planning your Italian getaway. Add your own memos and mementos to the Travel Notes section in the back to truly make it your own. To learn more, visit thelifestylejournal.it.

Amanda Gabriele
Amanda Gabriele is a food and travel writer at The Manual and the former senior editor at Supercall. She can’t live without…
From yellow penguins to midnight art strolls: My stay at 21c Cincinnati
Part hotel, part interactive museum
21c Museum Hotel

If you’ve ever wanted to sleep in the middle of an art gallery, Cincinnati’s 21c Museum Hotel makes that dream come true. On my recent trip to the Queen City, I checked in and quickly realized this wasn’t your average boutique hotel. 

Housed in the historic Metropole building, 21c is equal parts contemporary art museum and chic 156-room hotel, complete with a gallery, larger-than-life installations, and even interactive pieces tucked into hallways and elevators. From the moment you walk in, it feels less like checking into a hotel and more like stepping into a living art experience.

Read more
I tried the viral Amalfi lemon sorbet and here’s what surprised me most
The TikTok-famous Amalfi lemon sorbet: worth the hype or just pretty?
Italy lemon sorbet

On TikTok, "foodtok" and "traveltok" often overlap—two of my biggest passions. Before my trip to Italy, my TikTok "for you" page was inundated with reels of Italian lemon sorbet, served inside the lemon itself instead of in a bowl. Suddenly, I found my entire feed taken over by this eye-catching Italian lemon dessert, originating from Italy's Amalfi Coast.

As I saw more videos of this treat, I assumed it would be one of those treats that gain popularity based on visual appeal alone and often lack flavor. After all, the presentation in the lemon itself is undeniably appetizing. When I arrived on the Amalfi Coast, it felt only right to try this famous treat in the very place it was born. Here's what surprised me most about this frozen sensation (and why you should never assume based on what you see on social media).

Read more
Meet the man behind Serenbe, America’s most inspiring wellness community
Inside the creation of Serenbe: A biophilic community reshaping how we live, eat, and connect
Aerial shot of Serenbe

Few people have reinvented their lives—and the lives of others—as radically and impactfully as Steve Nygren. From pioneering Atlanta’s casual fine dining scene in the 1970s to founding Serenbe, a biophilic wellness community nestled in the hills of Georgia, Nygren’s journey is one of vision, values, and a deep commitment to living in harmony with nature.

What began as a spontaneous weekend drive to show his children farm animals eventually led to the purchase of 60 rural acres and a complete lifestyle shift. That grew into what is now Serenbe: a 1,400-acre community designed around the principles of sustainability, human connection, and holistic well-being. It is home to more than 1,500 residents, 700-plus homes, a boutique hotel, and one of Georgia’s first certified organic farms.

Read more