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From Bali to Texas, these new canvas lodgings prove that the glamping trend is here to stay.

New Perspectives on Traveling Abroad

Cathay Pacific Airways, No Barriers, and Learning AFAR are helping students from Oakland, CA, experience life-changing travel this fall. Here’s what’s in store.

Somewhere off the well-worn track between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, photographer Francesco Lastrucci met a group of dedicated conservationists trying to salvage the stunning, hikeable Cambodian rain forests. And they’re not playing nice.

The best way for wandering bookworms to pass the cold months of winter.

For the ultimate grand tour of Southeast Asia, sail down this iconic waterway on one of a growing number of boutique river cruises.

AFAR chose a destination at random and sent writer Alexander Chee, with 24 hours’ notice, to a Southeast Asian country where he encountered headless Buddhas and naked hotel guests.

From the mountains of Iran and the backstreets of Yogyakarta to war-torn Addis Ababa and a hillside roost in Taiwan, this is the riveting story of a wanderer whose thirst for travel was never-ending.

Embrace a rustic, woodsy vibe at these timber lodges such as the Fairmont Le Château Montebello in Quebec.

Overview

Overview

From a hip up-and-coming art and architecture scene to iconic, tile-covered monuments, Porto has a lot more on offer than port and bacalhau. So take a day or two to explore Northern Portugal’s charming unofficial capital.

It may seem unbelievable now, given the pace of Siem Reap’s evolution, but reliably great coffee and other deli and bakery staples were tough to find before Blue Pumpkin set up shop near the turn of the millennium. Success may have changed the venture—it now has a number of outlets in Siem Reap, and several more in Phnom Penh—but the philosophy of serving simple but high-quality Asian and Western dishes remains intact. Menu highlights include generously proportioned breakfasts and sandwiches, decadent cakes, famous yogurt shakes, and a wide selection of homemade ice creams and sorbets.

Unlike some of the other places you will visit throughout Asia, the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh actually has a King living in it. Constructed in the 1860’s, the palace has been the home to all royalty since, with exception to the time around the reign of the Khmer Rouge. The King’s living area takes up over half of the palace grounds, but visitors are free to roam around the Silver Pagoda compound, the main area containing the Chan Chhaya Pavilion, and Throne Hall, which is pictured above. Throne Hall is still in use today as a meeting place for the King to receive dignitaries, and is also used for ceremonies and coronations. I found this to be one of the more approachable and serene palaces that I have ever visited. Admission: $3.00 per person, $2.00 per camera, $5.00 per video camera. The palace is open everyday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and again from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Launched in 1929 with a glamorous opening party attended by royalty, this grande dame has long been the most elegant hotel in the Cambodian capital, hosting everyone from Charlie Chaplin to foreign journalists covering the civil war. Part of the Raffles group since 1997, the meticulously restored building—a mix of Art Deco, French Colonial, and Khmer styles—is replete with artisan-crafted decorative touches. Outside, tropical gardens, courtyards, and striking sculptures surround two swimming pools. Hand-woven carpets, polished wood floors, claw-foot tubs, and silk accents—from the throws to the robes—set the scene in the 175 rooms, suites, and apartments.

Khmer culture comes alive at fine-dining restaurant Le Royal (serving Royal Khmer cuisine) and the Apsara dinner-dance show (offered weekly from November–March in the gardens), while international dishes are on the menu at the indoor-outdoor Café Monivong and poolside terrace. The retro-chic Elephant Bar—a city institution, like its counterpart at the Raffles in Siem Reap—is a favorite for afternoon tea and evening cocktails; don’t miss the “Femme Fatale,” created in honor of Jackie O’s visit in 1967. Signature massages using local herbs and traditional healing techniques can be enjoyed at the boutique spa.