Search results for

From mid-May through early October, an Asian-inspired street market springs up in the Lower Mainland on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights—and holiday Mondays, too. Just steps from the Canada Line’s Bridgeport station, the market also offers more than 1,000 free parking spots. Adventurous eaters can graze from 100-plus food stalls, serving everything from poutine and spiral-cut “potato tornado” on a stick to creamy octopus takoyaki (a circular-shaped Japanese snack). Finish with Mango Yummy’s shaved ice desserts or a box of Dragon Beard candy—similar to floss halva and spun sugar—to take home. Then, shop over 200 retail stalls or hit the carnival rides and live entertainment.

While most of the Grenadines’ most luxurious hotels cater to the one percent, Salt Whistle Bay, on Mayreau, offers a blissfully pared back—though no less exclusive—experience. You’ll feel like a modern-day Robinson Crusoe when holed up in one of the 22-acre property’s eco-friendly bell tents or stone bungalows, each outfitted with colorful rugs, fans, and plush linens, and positioned to capture ocean breezes. By day, swim with sea turtles, sting rays, and tropical fish in the surrounding reef-filled waters—snorkeling masks are free to guests, as are stand-up paddleboards—or try kiteboarding on the resort’s designated beach. By night, share those adventures over a dinner of grilled lobster at the on-site restaurant and bar.

A detour to the centrally located yet way-off-the-tourist-track neighborhood known as Buenavista leads to one of Mexico City’s most dazzling 21st-century landmarks, the Biblioteca Vasconcelos, a gorgeous public library. The structure, by Alberto Kalach and Juan Palomar, has the public entering a pyramid-style form, on an almost subterranean level, that opens up, cathedral-like, into a soaring space lined on either side by cantilevered book stacks that float nobly above it all. Dramatic artworks contribute to the overall temple-of-knowledge feeling that is, in fact, quite moving. More beautiful yet could be just how busy the library is, filled with eager students and bookworm families alongside (no joke) groups of teens always practicing pop-music dance routines in the library’s lateral gardens.

A multipurpose contemporary art center that opened in November 2011 in the Ottoman Bank building, Salt has a library with thousands of shelves of art publications—the most important, impressive collection in the city.—Sylvia Kouvali

Cape Town’s Table Mountain National Park, which hugs the perimeter of the city, is so popular that the line for the cable car to the top can be longer than a queue for a Disneyland ride. But why stand in line when you can put your feet to use? There are several routes that lead to the top of the 3,562-foot, flat-topped mountain, including the two-mile Platteklip Gorge trail. Yes, it’s steep, but startling views of the city and the Atlantic await. Trek, get hungry, then picnic on local provisions—crackers, Dutch-style Gouda, and biltong, the thick-sliced South African jerky—before riding the cable car back down.

The white-bricked Embassy Row Hotel has been catering to visiting dignitaries and diplomats since 1970, and a massive renovation in 2015 brought refreshed retro rooms, a rooftop pool, and a new lobby-level restaurant and coffee shop. Cheerful rooms are done up in deep blue and bright yellow and in-room massages and spa treatments can be arranged. Dogs are welcomed with no fee and optional curated treats from BarkBox. Station Kitchen & Cocktails (named for the nearby Dupont Circle streetcar station, now a subterranean art space) aims to be an all-day hangout spot, from morning coffee by Swing’s Coffee Roasters—a D.C. fixture for a century—to evening bottled cocktails and burgers. In summer, there’s no hotter spot in Dupont Circle than the rooftop pool and lounge with panoramic city views and an innovative aqua-cycling fitness class that puts a new spin on spinning. The hotel is rooted in the community, regularly supporting local charities and arranging behind-the-scenes tours of the consulate neighbors.

How a complex of German-built factories became one of East Asia’s hottest art destinations is also the story of modern China. When construction on a number of electronics factories began in Dashanzi in 1956, the area was farmland. Joint Factory 718 was built and a decade later divided into smaller factories, including Factory 798. By the mid-’90s, the factories had shut down and Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts, lured by cheap space, had moved out to Dashanzi. Interest snowballed, and soon more artists were setting up shop in these abandoned industrial spaces. Today, 798 is a powerhouse of contemporary Chinese art, with major galleries like UCCA, Long March Space, and Pace Beijing, as well as a few restaurants, shops, and even hotels.

After laying abandoned for more than 20 years, a historic Art Deco swimming pool and health club in the 16th Arrondissement has been reborn as one of the most unique hotels in Paris—one that even locals check in to when they want a quick getaway. Now part of the MGallery by Sofitel collection, the property feels much like an urban resort thanks to its location—while the city center and typical tourist sites are a metro ride away, the block-long hotel sits right in the middle of attractions like the Jean Boulin stadium, Parc de Prince, the Roland Garros tennis center (home of the French Open), the Auteuil racetrack, and Bois de Boulogne Park. Design-hounds also love the place for its eye-catching, very Insta-worthy spaces, including the vibrant reception area (with its graffitied Rolls Royce installation) and the lobby-level brasserie and bar (done up in restored Art Deco elements, a mix of contemporary and flea-market furnishings, street-art-inspired murals, and colorful modern artwork).

About an hour’s drive south of Barcelona, past scruffy beach towns along the Costa Dorada, Le Meridien Ra Resort and Spa stands out from its neighbors on a beautiful length of the Mediterranean. Inside the resort gates, an elegant central building, buffed out for the 21st century, does not fail to impress. Originally built as a tuberculosis hospital for children, the hotel has turned its focus from illness to wellness: A three-story modern addition contains the Explore spa, with treatments ranging from all sorts of massages and facials to ayurvedic experiences and thalasso body masks with iodine-rich algae. After treatment, clients are encouraged to prolong the self-care vibe with a visit to the roof, where an indoor-outdoor complex offers glamorous sun beds on a deck, steam and sauna rooms, as well as a pool with stations for bubble jets of varying intensities as well as shoulder-massaging water spouts and soothing currents. Guest rooms are spacious and cleanly modern with midcentury design touches (an angular sconce beside the bed, a curvy Hans Wegner-inspired chair and stool) and a mild color palette. Generous cabinet space speaks to the resort’s summer season—many repeat guests come for a week or two. (For additional space, families can opt to rent one of the on-site apartments.) The resort’s kitchen, which draws inspiration from Catalan traditions, is inventive and playful, employing some molecular gastronomy techniques without any fussiness. Small dishes—accompanied by tiny pearls filled with local vinegar or topped with foam or served in paper cones—are perfect for summer appetites (and can be augmented by more traditional seafood, fish, and ham dishes). The beach itself is a wide, sandy stretch planted with a few palm trees and several rows of beach loungers and umbrellas. Beach servers ferry food and drink from the airy dining pavilion, and a masseuse offers complimentary chair massages. The Mediterranean here, a vivid blue, contains 10% more iodine than elsewhere—a health benefit espoused both by the religious order who ran the sanitarium and by the resort now. As a brand, Le Meridien supports local arts and culture and this hotel is a bright example of that ethos: among many offerings, it hosts literary festivals, visits to the nearby studio of a ceramic artist, cooking lessons on the nuances of Catalan rice dishes, winery tours, live music in the gardens, and is home to four grand bronze sculptures by Salvador Dali. But for all these options, days can pass lazily, too, with a lunch under the grape arbor, or a round of backgammon on the shady terrace facing the beach, accompanied by a glass of rosé. ¡Salud!

Medellín’s urban renewal, following decades as one of the world’s murder capitals, has drawn international attention. Perhaps nothing symbolizes the revival more than the Metrocable, a system of cable cars that connect the city center to steep hillside neighborhoods that were once reckoned to be the city’s most dangerous. Grab a ride on Line K up to Santo Domingo and treat yourself to spectacular views. Once on the ground again, take a short wander around the neighborhood for a taste of the real Medellín and its friendly residents (known as Paisas), and see the small shops and the beautiful library whose original benefactor was the government of Spain. From Santo Domingo, another cable car continues to Parque Arví, an expansive nature reserve and weekend escape favored by overheated locals.

My idea of a good time is getting lost in the woods all so I can spend a few days finding my way home, but I can’t deny the allure of glamping – especially when it comes packaged up in the form of the Kings Canyon Wilderness Lodge, the Northern Territory’s answer to rustic chic. The luxury eco-cabins – fully heated and air conditioned – are wonderful, but there’s little reason to tuck yourself away inside when you can sip Aussie wine by the fire, or enjoy a gourmet meal under starry skies (or in the lodge restaurant on chilly winter nights). The last thing I expected to tuck into in the Outback was a spicy prawn curry, but I shouldn’t have been surprised – the Northern Territory has plenty of tricks up her sleeve.

La Piazza is regarded as one of the finest Italian eateries in New Delhi. And rightly so. It’s been highly ranked by various local magazines year after year. Every bite of every dish oozes with freshness and is cooked to perfection. It’s one of the few restaurants where I found that they offered healthy substitutes such as whole wheat pasta. The ambiance is dimly-lit and romantic, mimicking somewhat of a sidewalk Italian cafe with cascading white pillars, stone tiles, and wooden louvres. Top off your experience with scrumptious desserts and crisp Italian wine…and VOILA, you’re in Italian heaven! As expected, the dress code is upscale and classy. They will refuse service, so dress up! To try: the wood-fired pizzas!

Bike culture is a core part of the Copenhagen lifestyle. One way to experience this is to take advantage of Copenhagen’s relatively new tourist bikes. These are the white bikes located throughout the city (check the website for pickup points). You can pick up the bike, and rent it on the spot. The bikes have LCD screens with directions and electric engines to supplement your peddle power. When you’re done, you just return the bike to the nearest empty station and you’re all set!

Part of keeping Austin weird means you might end up eating a five-star meal in an old gas station and laundromat. The 10-foot paintings of speakers aren’t the only things that blow your mind. The food is delicious—especially the fried olives and pimento cheese to start. Brick chicken is a crispy and juicy specialty of the house, and anytime you throw a burger on challah we’re in. Don’t forget to pick up a six-pack of beer from the bodega that shares a parking lot: It offers a great selection and is open late!

Taking a trip to Fort Sumter gives visitors a chance to explore a little Civil War history (the first shot of that long bloody war was fired here in 1861) through an orientation in town at the education center, followed by a ferry ride out to the fort itself, built on an island at the mouth of the harbor, for a brief park ranger introduction and a self-guided tour. In addition to being a fascinating experience for the site’s historical significance, the excursion offers water views of Rainbow Row, the homes along The Battery, and the Holy City’s many steeples.