Search results for

Wong Kei is a place all Londoners know. It’s the go-to restaurant in Chinatown when you want a big plate of noodles or sweet-and-sour pork, and you don’t want to pay a lot for it. The service was legendarily rude. In the old days you would arrive at the door and be barked at: “Upstairs!” The multi-level restaurant is always busy, so you’re sent to whichever level currently has space. Then you sit at a table with others, and you order your food, which will be brought to you when the waiters can be bothered. Disappointingly, the service is now thoroughly civil; I can only hope it’s a temporary blip. Either way, this is a must-have London experience, and you’ll easily come away with leftovers.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Roman Theater of Orange is the most well-preserved ancient Roman theater in Europe, complete with a magnificent stage wall and an imposing 340-foot facade that Louis XIV once called “the finest wall in my kingdom.” With seating for up to 10,000, the theater continues to host shows to this day, including the Chorégies d’Orange opera festival every summer. Sure, you could skip the entry free and sneak a peek of the theater from the adjacent hill, but this testament to the glory of the Roman Empire really merits an in-person visit, especially with the new 360-degree, virtual-reality headsets. Get a discounted rate one hour before the site closes, or buy a ticket that also includes access to the Art and History Museum of Orange.

The royal family has made this intimate hotel their home-away-from-home since Otto Goring first opened its doors in 1910—which is why it’s the only hotel to hold an official Royal Warrant for hospitality services, bestowed in 2013 by Queen Elizabeth II, who has been enjoying lunches and teas here since she was a child. Set on a quiet Belgravia side street, just a few blocks from Buckingham Palace, the elegant hotel also hosted nobility, both foreign and domestic, during the coronations of King George VI and the current queen, and—as the first hotel in the U.K. with en suite bathrooms—often served as a convenient place for dignitaries to freshen up prior to an audience at the Palace.

Today, the 69-room spot—which is still owned by the same family—caters to a devoted (and primarily American) clientele, who love the intimate feel, central location, and excellent service, not to mention the rare perks like a back garden. Rooms are cushy and comfortable, with traditionally English décor (silk wallpaper, vintage-inspired headboards, Italian linens, and oversized armchairs) and playful details (pops of color, giant stuffed sheep mascots peeking around corners, and an in-room lighting switch with choices like “Bright,” “Cozy,” and “Oooh”). Upgrade to a suite to enjoy more room and dedicated service from one of the legendary footmen, identifiable by their gold-embroidered scarlet coats. (For even more perks, check in to the gorgeous, two-bedroom Royal Suite, which boasts four-poster beds, a grand piano, a six-seat dining room, antique glassware, and a life-sized portrait of Queen Victoria in the shower.) A steady stream of locals of all ages join hotel guests for lunch on the garden terrace, drinks around the gleaming wood bar or in the fireplace lounge, and the famous Afternoon Tea—just book early for the latter, as there can be a months-long wait list.

Located at the end of the town pier in Fort William, on the historic Road to the Isles, Crannog Restaurant is purely of its place. Local fisherman Finlay Finlayson opened the restaurant after converting his bait shed—which served as a lookout point during World War II—into this beautiful, red-roofed building, choosing the name “Crannog” as a reference to his concept of catching, curing, and cooking the finest West Highland seafood. Over the past 26 years, the eatery has become synonymous with relaxed fine dining, drawing diners with a regularly changing menu of local catches like West Coast mussels, Loch Creran oysters, and hake, which comes crusted in herbs and topped with basil-walnut pesto.

Good luck if you’ve come here to witness the eponymous monster—though, given the dark, brooding waters of Loch Ness, seemingly anything is possible. At the very least, you’re bound to enjoy some beautiful scenery, from verdant shores to snowcapped peaks. One of the best ways to experience the loch is by boat tour, several of which leave daily from the Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition in Inverness. Alternatively, you can drive up the A82 highway along the lake’s western shore, stopping at such spots as Castle Urquhart, a romantic stone ruin that’s some 1,000 years old.

Fancy trying to get a gander at the Loch Ness Monster? There’s only one way and that is on a boat trip out onto the deep and foreboding waters of Loch Ness. “Nessie” has certainly defied many a scientific attempt at location. The earliest mention of the serpentine beast with a snakelike head dates back to Adomnán’s account of the life of St. Columba, completed in the late 7th century. Cruises leave from just south of Inverness and feature interpretive guides who can tell much more than monster stories.

Ah, The Langham for tea? Excellent choice. You’ve dressed up, of course, and the top-hatted gentleman nods his approval before opening the door to a most glamorous afternoon tea. Tea in the Palm Court is an elegant affair. A jazz pianist provides perfect accompaniment to the clinking champagne glasses and china teacups. The discrete, well-trained staff floats among the tables delivering tray after tray of delectable sandwiches, cakes and scones. A tea sommelier stands at the ready to help you choose the perfect blend. You while away the afternoon piling feathery scones with clotted cream and preserves, sipping tea from Wedgwood cups and enjoying the the relaxed luxury of afternoon tea in Palm Court. Just when you think you can’t eat another bite, the dessert tray arrives bearing sweets almost too beautiful to eat. Almost.

Even Londoners need to escape the city every now and then. Kew Gardens offers a perfect day out...spectacular gardens, hidden meadows, glorious glass houses and lush forests. With over 300 acres to roam, it’s a great place for the kids to roam and adults to wander. Bring a book, find a bench and plan on spending a lazy afternoon lounging in the sun or shade. Kew has so many hidden corners, it’s also a perfect place for a blanket, two lovers and a bottle of wine (or two). Stop at Oliver’s Whole Foods or the market stands to pick up some wine and lunch before heading to the Gardens.

Hampstead Heath is a legend: 800 acres of wide-open space dotted with ponds, woods, walking tracks, and the odd stately home. North Londoners take pride in this place, where you will find dog walkers, picnickers, Saturday soccer players, and hardy outdoor swimmers at all times of the year. It brings a touch of true wilderness to the city, and it’s also home to a lido, a stately home with an unrivalled art collection (at Kenwood House), and the famous bathing ponds established by the Victorians (and thus separate for gentlemen and ladies). Parliament Hill also offers one of the best views in London.

Don’t be deceived by its West London locale. Notting Hill may be one of the city’s poshest neighborhoods but all that is forgotten when it comes to its outdoor flea market. Portobello Market is mainly known for its impressive collection of antiques but you can also shop for fresh food and score some unbeatable deals on clothing. I walked away with £5 dresses on more than one occasion. To get here, take the Tube to Notting Hill Gate, which is on the District, Circle, and Central lines.

Sopot is one of Poland’s favorite leisure destinations, and Sopot Pier (Molo w Sopocie in Polish) is its center. An extension of lively Monte Cassino Street—Sopot’s entertainment, dining, and shopping promenade—the pier stretches over a third of a mile into the Bay of Gdańsk. Built in 1827 as part of the local harbor, it was reconstructed after the wars and renovated several times since, gradually becoming the fashionable leisure facility it is today. Since the very beginning, the pier has featured an international dimension—it was conceived by a Frenchman on Polish land belonging to the Kingdom of Prussia; became a popular destination for Europeans during the 19th and 20th centuries, thanks to railway and sea links; and continues to draw travelers from all over the world. When visiting today, you’ll hear several different languages being spoken, and see flags from various countries on the yachts moored on the side deck, which serves as the marina.

Spanning three city blocks in downtown Salt Lake City, the $1.5 billion commercial area opened in 2012 and blends high-end shopping with business offices, residential units, and tree-lined walkways centered on a simulated creek complete with fountains. The open-air architecture fills the walkways with natural light during the day and is well illuminated at night. A 15,000-square-foot retractable roof provides part of the area with some protection from precipitation. The mall includes more than 500,000 square feet of retail space anchored by a Nordstrom and Macy’s, and surrounded by more than 100 specialty shops.

Reporting live from Upper Mustang: We’ve successfully hiked in and out of this remote, inaccessible region in north-central Nepal over terrain that was variously bleak and spectacular. We traversed rocky, sandy trails (I use that word loosely) through shale and limestone cliffs with only the occasional, teasing glimpse of a snow-covered peak. On the 7th day of walking 6-7 hours per day, the weather turned against us and we battled howling winds and freezing rain for the better part of an afternoon. Over the past week your faithful reporter has endured blisters, sunburn, intestinal parasites, an upper respiratory infection and a mild concussion (damn monastery door frames built for short people). Despite the aforementioned maladies there were some really bright moments along the way and the Tibetan/Nepali families we stayed with welcomed us into their humble kitchens and homes. I return to modern city life with a renewed appreciation for the simple comforts of indoor plumbing and reliable electricity. [Pictured: a herd of goats grazes at 4010 meters over Nyi La Pass - the highest point in the Kingdom of Mustang.]

Not everyone gets to live across the street from the White House. Before the current Italian-Renaissance hotel was constructed in 1927, the prime real estate was occupied by the homes of two little-known American icons: John Hay—personal secretary to Abraham Lincoln, ambassador to the United Kingdom, and Secretary of State under both William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt—and Henry Adams, Harvard professor and great-grandson of John Adams. Their houses were hubs of D.C. culture for decades at the turn of the last century, and so, when the Hay-Adams opened, it was only logical that the hotel would continue that tradition. Washingtonians play at the sultry bar scene, everyone from Amelia Earhart to the Obamas has stayed in its elegantly Old World rooms overlooking historic Lafayette Square and the White House beyond, and the hotel is known for its discreet and comprehensive, no-questions-asked service. Should guests need a ride to one of the District’s many important meetings, the house Mercedes drops off anywhere downtown, guaranteeing a first impression worthy of a luminary. Though if you insisted on the meeting coming to you, no Beltway insider would mind.

This hotel is on our list of the best hotels in Washington D.C.

Along with South Africa’s winelands, the Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve falls within the Cape Floral Kingdom—a small but incredibly diverse area that’s home to 5,000 plant species that can’t be found anywhere else on earth. In the reserve, walking and hiking trails wind past the myriad flora and fauna, leading up to some of the best vantage points for admiring the beauty of the Franschhoek Valley and beyond. The Breakfast Trail is a relatively flat, 1.2-mile walk that can be completed in under an hour or used as a jumping off point for other, more strenuous hikes, like the Vista Trail and Dutoitskop. If you make it to the top of the Vista Trail on a clear day, you might catch a glimpse of Lion’s Head and Table Mountain.

Permits for entering the reserve must be purchased online in advance. If you’re planning a full-day excursion, swing by De Warenmarkt Deli in Stellenbosch or the Franschhoek Market (Saturdays only) and pick up some snacks to keep you energized while you hike.

Bold. Innovative. The food of modern Jerusalem bang in the middle of Soho. Customers sit along the long, chrome bar chatting with the chefs in the open kitchen. Pots clank and cocktail shakers keep time with the funky soundtrack as customers line up outside the door. Palomar’s small plate menu is a fusion of flavors from North Africa, Southern Spain and the Levant. Thankfully, sharing plates is encouraged so you can sample a little bit of almost everything, but don’t leave without trying the Polenta Jerusalem! Make sure to book ahead. There is a small dining room if sitting at a bar isn’t your thing. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself on your phone, booking another table before the bill arrives.