Search results for

The boat heads out into the silver-green water. I haven’t brought the right jacket, so Susanne Magee, the co-owner of Dolphin Watch, brings me a thick, cozy one. We had out into the area where the Shannon River meets the Atlantic, to see some of the 160 bottle-nosed dolphins that live in the Shannon Estuary. Susanne and her husband Geoff named their boat Draiocht (magic) to be able to bring the magic of dolphin spotting to the public. Whenever one of the dolphin’s gray backs are spotted, a cry of happiness rises up from the people in the boat. Tours are two hours and cost 25 Euro for adults, 12.50 Euro for children 5 to 16, and 5 Euro for children 5 and under. Phone: 353 659058156 for reservations.

The lush green forest, soaring trees and various lakes are reason enough to spend the day meandering along Stanley Park’s well kept, well posted trails. Turns out the city has given you another reason: the Stanley Park Environmental Art Project. Six artists have installed ecologically sensitive art projects throughout the park, and we were lucky enough to stumble upon this massive sphere of ancient wood sitting peacefully between two ends of its former self. “We wanted to construct something that works within the missing section to accentuate the mass, the length and the essence of the entire ancient tree.” Keep your eyes open though, as some of these installations are set back and off the trail. This particular piece was discovered on the Lovers Walk trail somewhere near the intersection of the Tatlow Walk trail.

Take in views of a hot spring–fed waterfall, a dramatic ravine, and the Dead Sea from a resort that sits more than 800 feet below sea level. A cliff-top outdoor restaurant serves organic greens from the garden. Evason Ma’In, (800) 591-7480, from $300. This appeared in the December/January 2010 issue.

Casa Vicente is an institution in this desert city—Tucson’s outpost for tapas a la española. Just south of the downtown core, a couple of blocks from the neo-Baroque façade of the Cathedral of San Agustín, this restaurant also features live music on weeknights: classical guitar, flamenco, and even tango lessons. This particular evening, we tried chipirones rellenos, a trio of baby calamari skewered and stuffed with green tomatoes and spices. In a town more known for its tacos and burros (a.k.a. ‘burritos’ elsewhere), it’s appropriate, if somewhat uncommon, to find Iberian fare. Tucson was founded in 1775 as an outpost of the Spanish empire, decades before it became Mexican, and then in the mid-19th century, it finally became part of a U.S. territory. (And, by the way, the sangría here rocks.)

Pass through the iconic arched doorway at College Green and enter the elegant quads, handsome architecture and verdant lawns of Trinity College, one of Ireland‘s most prestigious universities. Among its many attributes is the atmospheric 18th-century Old Library, whose most precious tome is the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells, a priceless illuminated manuscript. Also worth a visit are the college’s Douglas Hyde Gallery, devoted to contemporary art, and the thought-provoking Science Gallery.

My Irish friend, Aedín, and I were driving from Galway to Westport when suddenly she veered off the main road. “There’s a great beach down this way, I think,” she said to me. I was up for anything, seeing her country for the first time. We came upon one beach, “This isn’t the one,” she said. I thought it was beautiful, but she knew what she was looking for. Then we arrived at this beach, which I nicknamed “Aedín’s Beach”. We were the only ones on that beach. As my friend walked down the beach, I watched her as she got lost in the beauty of the landscape: the feel of the warm sun on our skin, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the smell of the salty air, the taste of salt and sand on our lips and the sight of a desolate beach against the green pasture land dotted with white sheep. I took this one shot of her. It is one of my favorites from this trip.

The three-towered, blue-and-green glass property is remarkable for its connecting, undulating tiered design inspired by terraced Balinese rice paddies and the elevated gardens that seem to hang from above. Designed by Singapore starchitects WOHA, the Parkroyal on Pickering is almost an extension of the green space in front of it—Hong Lim Park—with 160,000 square feet of gardens, reflecting pools, waterfalls, planter terraces, and vertical landscaping. Eco-mindfulness is evident elsewhere: photo sensors monitor light usage, showers are low-flow, sheets are changed on alternate days (less frequently if requested), and rooms have refillable glass water bottles. The property’s most striking space is the fifth-floor wellness area, where cabanas are shaped like giant bird cages, and the infinity pool looks out above the park with a view of the shophouses across the way. The generally compact rooms espouse the Scandinavian-sleek look.

Wood and ferns, creping vines, and abundant natural light abound in this new outing from the owners of Galanga Thai Kitchen. The menu features Thai classics like tom kha gai soup and green papaya salad, as well as Vietnamese favorites like rice noodles and beef broth with galangal ginger and lemongrass, pok-pok wings, and bahn mi. The gastronomy is notable not just for proven comforts, or even because of freshly harvested ingredients from the garden they maintain in the town of Hidalgo, Morelos; you’ve also got Chef Somri “Anna” Raksamra’s hand when it comes to seasonings. Start out with chicken, beef, pork, and shrimp skewers that you charcoal-roast on a colorful, open-air cart (an homage to food carts that abound along Thai streets). For dessert you’ve got a sweet potato tart—something you won’t find anyplace, anywhere in Mexico City.

Bermuda waited 45 years for a new-build hotel, but the Loren has proved worth it. Situated on eight acres fronting the turquoise sea near the center of the archipelago, the architecturally sleek luxury property eschews standard tropical patterns and pastel palettes in favor of warm modernism, with world-class art, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a sculptural glass staircase off the lobby. Each suite provides a plush landing thanks to marble baths with freestanding tubs and private terraces with ocean views, plus sumptuous Sferra towels and bath products by Malin + Goetz. For those who don’t want to drive the 20 minutes to Hamilton, the elegant seasonal cuisine at Marée (Bermudan baby greens with goat cheese croquettes and wild strawberries, local snapper with fava bean puree) exceeds expectations, and the botanical-infused treatments at the beachside spa will make the real world seem like a distant memory.

The Maya name for Laguna Bacalar means the Lake of Seven Colors, and spending a little time here will show you why it’s such an apt moniker: from turquoise to cobalt blue to jade green and everything in between, the colors of this fresh-water lake seem to shift and change against its white-sand bottom. When you’re ready to do something else besides admire the breathtaking view, you can go swimming or kayaking, enjoy spa treatments and yoga, or adventure off to a nearby cenote and fort. And there are plenty of comfortable hotels and good eats in the town of Bacalar. This oasis in the middle of the jungles of Quintana Roo is the perfect off-the-beaten-track destination for travelers ready to escape the touristy Riviera Maya madness. It is also a refreshing rest stop on the way to the ancient Maya ruins of Dzibanché, Kinichná, and Kohunlich.

As the only hotel inside the city’s famed 19^th-century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (the oldest shopping mall in the world), the place is in a league of its own, from the building’s hand-painted vaulted ceilings and original frescoes to touches like grand pianos in the rooms and the racing-green Bentley Continental Flying Spur that whisks guests around the city in style.

There are 24 rooms in total, though the tall ceilings and mezzanine levels make them feel much more like private apartments than rooms. Designer furnishings and high-tech amenities complement the building’s original features and antiques, and guests get their own professional butler-concierge (all languages catered for), a choice of bed linen and pillow type, and as much vintage wine and champagne as they can handle. Personal laptops and shopping trolleys from the best luxury brands are also available on request.

There’s only one thing better than driving or cycling through the drenched Siem Reap countryside after a month of monsoon rains and that’s seeing the sodden landscapes from the air. Sure, you’ll get a short glimpse on your plane’s descent into Siem Reap, however, there’s nothing quite like an exhilarating helicopter flight over Angkor Archaeological Park, and Angkor Wat in particular, and seeing the moat full and the lime-green manicured lawns (kept trim from the resident horses, not lawnmowers). You can do a 15-minute flight for as little as US$60 with Helistar. The pilot flies you over a handful of temples, including iconic Angkor Wat (not once, but twice!) as well as lesser visited temples that appear all the more alluring from the air. The experience has been one of my most memorable since moving to Siem Reap.

The building in which the Museo del Palacio is housed was the main building of the Oaxaca state government until it was converted into a museum in 2008. Located on the south side of Oaxaca’s Zocalo, the green quarry stone building itself is quite lovely. There’s a mural on the main staircase that was painted by Arturo Garcia Bustos that depicts three phases of Mexican history, with the prehispanic period depicted on the far left, the colonial period on the right and independent Mexico in the central panel. Benito Juarez and his wife Margarita Maza figure prominently in the central panel, and other important figures in Mexican history are depicted below them. The museum has many interactive exhibits that are good for kids, as well as some interesting displays about Oaxaca’s natural and cultural diversity.

The Shanghai Race Club, built by the British in the 1800s, is a lingering reminder that horseraces were once held here, just south of Nanjing Road. Opened to the public in the 1950s, this green refuge charms with landscaped traditional gardens and a reflecting pond with fish and pink lotus blossoms. It’s also a prime spot for people watching. Locals turn up to do tai chi exercises, play cards, and scope out the Marriage Market. Parents hoping to attract a suitable spouse wait under colorful umbrellas pinned with notes listing each child’s age, occupation, family values, and even zodiac sign. Photo by Ira Smirnova.

This isn’t your grandmother’s version of tea-time. The interior of each smith&hsu tea shop (there are various locations all over the city) is an ode to minimalist design, with brightly colored tins of tea providing the only pops of color. The Ximending outpost, housed in a cavernous brick-and-cement space, is more “warehouse party” than “afternoon tea”. Equally unique are the 40-plus bottles of tea leaves brought out on a tray for you to preview smith&hsu’s tea selection, which range from traditional black, green, and oolong teas to more contemporary blended and fruit teas. The shop gives a nod to the Western afternoon tea tradition with unbelievably delicious scones, served with Devonshire clotted cream and farm-made jams on the side. Reservations are recommended, particularly at the intimate storefront across from the W Hotel/Taipei City Hall MRT. 886/(0)2-2747-4857