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Manhattan is full of boutique and luxury hotels, but Kimpton hotels are known for bringing both experiences together. Ink48, a hotel in Hell’s Kitchen, is no exception. Set in a former printing house, the hotel is close to everything without being too close. It’s accessible by both bus and subway and within walking distance of area restaurants, Times Square and the Javits Convention Center. Rooms are sleek and modern with flat screen televisions, animal print bathrobes and, of course, windows with views of the city. The hotel offers WiFi for loyalty program members and rents out bicycles to guests. The in-house gym and spa also help to keep you fit during your stay. The lobby has tea and coffee in the morning, flavored water in the afternoon, and wine at night. Print. Restaurant and The Press Lounge are the hotel’s highly acclaimed restaurant and bar that are both worth your time.

With its domed greenhouses of epic proportions dotted across some 100 hectares (250 acres), the sustainable Gardens by the Bay are educational and fun. The Cloud Forest is a misty, 42-meter-high (138-foot-high) “mountain” that re-creates tropical highlands; visitors use ramps to explore around and through them. A biosphere of Mediterranean and desert plants, including huge baobab trees, makes up the Flower Dome. Outdoors, guests walk on suspended walkways between steel-frame “Supertrees” that are covered in solar-powered lights.

A recent refurbishment has brought larger tents, Moroccan rugs, and four-poster campaign beds to this woodland property near the Makgadikgadi salt pans. A visit to the nearby meerkat conservation project is a must.


From $430. 27/(0) 11-447- 1605. This appeared in the August/September 2013 issue. Image courtesy of Uncharted Africa Safari Co.

This treasure trove of curiosities by Susanne Schmid and Simon Wirth in Kreis 4 sells all sorts of vintage objects and upcycled items, including Indian Mrinmaya statues, a mango- and teakwood art deco locker from a colonial hotel in Sri Lanka, and stuffed animals made in Chile from classic men’s handkerchiefs. You’ll also find Fiona Caulfield’s exquisite fabric-covered Love Travel Guides.

The fashionista’s drinking place of choice, Roberto Cavalli’s chic café makes a perfect pit stop on the designer boutique trail. Perch on a leopard skin pouffe for an excellent cappuccino, decadent pastries and cakes, and savory dishes at lunchtime. Foodie gifts to-go include delicious handmade chocolates, panettone at Christmastime (wrapped in Cavalli’s trademark animal-print paper), and award-winning wines made by Cavalli’s son, Tommaso.

The Hyderabad Botanical Garden sits on 120 acres of land in the Kothaguda Reserve Forest. The site was created to serve multiple purposes including education, ecotourism, conservation, awareness, and scientific research. In addition to the over 600 species of plants that include fruit trees, aquatic plants, and medicinal plants, there are rock formations and water features. Paved walkways take you through the 19 sections or “vanams” organized by species and purpose. The gardens also organize interactive sessions, nature camps, and guided tours.

With more than 250 acres of grounds, the New York Botanical Garden manages to fit a number of different landscapes and experiences into its garden walls. The garden was established in 1891, the inspiration of Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife, Elizabeth, who returned from a trip to England determined that New York should have its own equivalent to London‘s Kew Gardens. They found backing among New York society and created one of the country’s leading research institutions that also happens to be an ideal place to commune with nature right in the city. The rose garden designed by Beatrix Farrand is a highlight, while an abundance of azaleas reaches their peak in May. In all there are some 20 different gardens, including one dedicated to native plants, a rock garden, and a wetlands trail. The conservatory, constructed in 1902, is the largest in the country and includes 11 different climatic zones. When the last of the fall foliage has fallen from the trees, the conservatory hosts the popular annual Holiday Train Show (from the end of November to mid-January).

A three-day safari in Kruger National Park is a must for anyone visiting South Africa. Entering the gates is like Jurassic Park and you feel transported back in time to the creation of Earth where the wild animals, especially the elephants, are dinosaurs filled with ancient knowledge of the land’s beginning. Although you may not see anything like the infamous “Battle at Kruger” YouTube video, you will certainly witness some interesting animal behavior like hippos bathing, monkeys mating, giraffes snacking or even two elephants flirting in the brush.

A 15-minute walk from Langkawi’s beaches, the Temple Tree resort redefines “home-stay.” Guests sleep in authentic Malaysian heritage houses—including a century-old Chinese farmhouse, a colonial-style bungalow, and a 1940s-era Malay home—that were disassembled at their original sites and rebuilt on the hotel grounds. Now updated with modern amenities, the structures are appointed with local antiques such as money boxes and birdcages. Don’t miss the resort’s lagoon or its eponymous Chinese temple, built around a tree tied with colored ribbons. As a feel-good bonus, some profits from the hotel benefit owner Narelle McMurtrie’s animal rescue organization.

This appeared in the March/April 2010 issue.

Travelers should visit Taronga Zoo as much for its harbor views as for the 4,000 resident animals (who get to see them all day long). Ferry 15 minutes from Circular Quay and take an optional Sky Safari cable car, included in the ticket price, and you’re in an exotic land of giraffes, elephants, and bongos as well as native echidnas, wombats, and Tasmanian devils. Wildlife tours, zookeeper talks (including impressive bird shows), and special events such as the Twilight at Taronga summer concert series are on the calendar, and a tented camp accommodates overnight guests who help feed select animals before a sunset dinner set against the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Tent cabins feature decks that lure campers out of bed for sunrise.

Located in a historic Art Deco building inside Volunteer Park, the Asian Art Museum contains a permanent collection of jades and ceramics, sculpture, textiles, and Chinese painting and calligraphy, as well as temporary exhibitions featuring everything from illuminated Persian manuscripts to modern Japanese anime. The Gardner Center offers public programs such as talks, author events, and artistic performances to introduce visitors to new cultural perspectives.

During the late 19th and most of the 20th centuries, the Testaccio district hummed with activity from the sprawling slaughterhouse. Thought animal slaughter was moved away from Testaccio in 1975, most of the building has been preserved. In recent decades, areas have been slowly transformed for new functions. The place houses a contemporary art exhibition space called the MACRO, a university campus, and even an organic supermarket (open Tuesday to Sunday).

Within an hour, travelers can transport themselves from the lights and sounds of Central, Hong Kong, to the green hills and deserted beaches of Lantau Island. Opened in 2012, the Tai O Heritage Hotel encourages guests to immerse themselves in the natural beauty and history of Tai O, a colorful fishing village where stilted houses line the waterways of western Lantau Island. A collaboration between the government and the Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation, Tai O Heritage Hotel was built in the former Tai O marine police station, from which officers defended Hong Kong from pirates for more than 100 years. Three buildings were transformed into nine guest rooms, an interpretation center, and a glass-roofed restaurant, earning the project a UNESCO award for cultural heritage conservation. Historic features such as cannons, guard towers, searchlights, and holding cells, as well as original architectural details like French windows, Victorian granite steps, a Chinese-tiled roof, and century-old fireplaces, were all restored in the process. The hotel also serves regional foods, employs villagers, and gives back to the Tai O community, demonstrating its commitment to celebrating the local culture. Beyond the historic walls of the hotel is a mystical landscape with dozens of butterfly species, Chinese white dolphins, and Hong Kong’s best sunsets.

Marino Las Baulas National Park is a protected area compising Playa Grande, Ventana and Langosta. Together they are the stage for one of the most magical occurrences in the animal kingdom: the nesting of the gigantic baula (leatherback turtle), an endangered species. The hatching of these turtles is a remarkable highlight each year as they make their way out to sea. The egg-laying season goes from October-November.

Uniqlo is the affordable and stylish brand of Japan. They sell men’s and women’s clothing and they excel at the basics: cotton tees, plaid shirts, underwear, sundresses, and jeans. The Uniqlo flagship store is located on Ginza’s Chuo Dori amidst luxury brand giant towers. This twelve story Uniqlo has some specialty Tokyo bags and shirts made only for the flagship store. On the top floors you’ll find a gallery of t-shirts decorated with anime favorites, Disney characters, and Star Wars scenes.