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There are plenty of flamenco places in Granada, from the 35 euro tourist cave to the 6 euro wine cellar. My love for flamenco has drawn me to each one. I think the best deal especially if you are only in Granada for a week or a weekend is to splurge and go out for a great meal, the best sangria I’ve tasted in Spain, and some very talented and passionate flamenco. For almost the same price as the tourist filled sacramonte flamenco caves you can have a three-course delicious meal and see top quality flamenco at “Restaurante Jardines de Zoraya, tablao Flamenco.” Located in the Albaycin this restaurant has flamenco shows twice a night and a third matinee show on Saturday and Sunday. Come early so you give yourself time to find it in the hilly small alleys of the Albaycin and also to get a seat and order before the show starts.

Nearly 1,000 years after the once-powerful central Mexican city of Cacaxtla was abandoned, would-be looters of the hilltop palace ruins came across fantastically well-preserved and still colorful murals painted in a somewhat puzzling Mayan style. Excavation continues today under an enormous protective shed roof. The Mural del Templo Rojo, pictured, adjoins a stairway leading to the Governor’s Room. The huge nearby Mural de la Batalla, dating from 700 CE or earlier, is a grisly blood-and-guts depiction of a fierce battle between “jaguar” and “bird” warriors. The relatively un-touristed site is a short drive from Tlaxcala, slighting longer from Puebla. You come away from a slow stroll through the labyrinthine ruins with the feeling that centuries of mysterious history have seeped into your heart and bones.

To stay at the Verana, an eco-lodge outside Puerto Vallarta, guests take a 30-minute boat ride to the village of Yelapa. (Dolphins accompanied me on the journey.) Scattered on a jungle hillside are eight variegated cottages and stand-alone rooms. My cottage, Palapa, had no walls, which maximized the views of the Bay of Banderas. A gang of chatty wild parakeets provided my wake-up call. The hotel spa offers facials and massages, and you can relax by the pool, which is crafted from concrete tinted in the hues of the local trees, rocks, and clouds. —Karen Catchpole

Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, a Seven Mile Beach favorite on Grand Cayman, combines luxury with sustainability. Here, a 143,000-watt solar array (among the largest in the Cayman Islands) generates electricity. The hotel also harvests rainwater for landscaping and uses aluminum water bottles instead of plastic.

In addition to being family friendly—it has a great kids camp—Seafire is animal friendly. For example, it has special outdoor lighting to prevent distractions for the local turtle population, who use moonlight to guide them to the sea. The property also has trained a group of local divers, deemed “Seafire Guardians,” to help with local coral reef regeneration. The resort’s commitment to the area’s wildlife makes it ideal for travelers looking to support the island in a responsible way.

Disneyland in Hong Kong is ideal for families with young kiddos. As the smallest of Disney’s worldwide parks, it’s easily walkable, and the tram service can get you where you want to go. Character meet-and-greet photo sessions are scheduled throughout the day and so are parades and shows like the 30-minute Festival of the Lion King, with acrobats and fire dancers playing the roles of Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa. The park is divided into themed sections: In Grizzly Gulch, rides and shows follow a Wild West frontier theme; in Fantasyland, the gentler mood focuses on Cinderella, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White; Tomorrowland looks to the future with Buzz Lightyear, Iron Man, and Star Wars characters taking center stage; and Adventureland offers a jungle river cruise and Tarzan’s tree house. The park makes a great day out.

The Salt Cellar is perched at the top of Gold Hill in Shaftesbury with sweeping views across the Blackmore Vale. This very picturesque hill is really steep and has been used in films. This is a very popular cafe with locals and sits underneath the town clock in Shaftesbury.When visitors come to look at Gold Hill they often walk by without noticing the cafe. If only they turned around. There are benches outdoors and highly sought after window seats indoors with views to enjoy. And then the food. Delicious locally produced salads, sandwiches, daily specials and coffee and cakes. Worried about the calorific value of any of this food? Just walk up and down that hill a few times.

Acquired by Vail Resorts in 2014 and combined with Canyons in 2015, Park City Mountain now boasts 7,300 skiable acres with 324 runs accessed by 41 lifts. That includes four gondolas and 32 chairlifts. Those lifts also provide access to eight terrain parks, including six half-pipes. There’s even a lift right from the middle of town. And the fun doesn’t end when the sun goes down, with night skiing on three runs open until 9 p.m. Child care is available, too, for babies as young as six weeks old, while two- to six-year-olds can add on the Ripperoo kids ski lesson. For experts, there’s great tree skiing and off-piste options to explore and enjoy.

Twelve years after Ace Hotel transformed Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood into a destination worth visiting, the brand opened its second NYC property on the edge of Brooklyn’s residential Boerum Hill neighborhood and Downtown Brooklyn in the summer of 2021. Built from the ground up, the 13-story building features a concrete Brutalist facade designed by Roman and Williams. Inside, organic elements like green leather couches, wooden walls, and textile and fiber art pieces add warmth to raw concrete pillars and ceilings in the expansive lobby and throughout the 287 rooms.

A Carib chief and national hero, Joseph Chatoyer led revolts against British colonists in 1772 and again in 1795. During the latter revolt, his soldiers and their French allies were planning to attack Kingstown from Dorsetshire Hill, but British soldiers marched up from the city and attacked first, killing Chatoyer. Today, he’s memorialized in a monument on that very hill, overlooking the city he fought so hard to regain.

There’s a lot that makes Shutters on the Beach special, starting with its location—it’s one of only two Santa Monica hotels right on the beach (the other is Mediterranean-inspired Casa del Mar, the sister property next door). Shutter’s waterfront spot gives it a palpable sense of place—especially when you’re sipping something sparkling in the hotel’s updated courtyard, listening to the waves or the Saturday brunch jazz ensemble. The design by White House decorator Michael S. Smith takes its cues from Cape Cod, with blue and white interiors and floor-to-ceiling shutters opening up to ocean views.


The 198 guest rooms and suites—many with balconies—and all feature sunken Jacuzzi tubs. In the summer, life revolves around the beach here, and an activity center is well-stocked with boogie boards, beach cruisers, and umbrellas. The pool is heated year-round, with curtained cabanas and superb guacamole served at the pool bar. Come winter, the main lounge is the beating heart of the resort. The fireplaces crackle as bartenders serve up drinks from a hearty whisky, wine, and cocktail menu; the couches are so comfy, the kiddos might curl up and fall asleep as the folksy duo on duty plays an acoustic nightcap. This is laid-back luxury at its best.



Don’t forget to spend some downtime at the serene ONE Spa, or dine on blue crab and hamachi crudo at the higher-end, coastal California restaurant, 1 Pico. Pro tip: You don’t need to step far from your room to soak in some culture. The hotel has a noteworthy art collection, with pieces by Ellsworth Kelly, John Baldessari, and William Wegman, among others, on display throughout the property.

Spend some time on Museum Hill visiting the Museum of International Folk Art with its awesome Alexander Girard collection, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian and its stocked basement trading post of Native American wares, and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Unlike museum gift shops that sell replicas of artworks or mass-produced souvenirs, the museum shops here often carry original works of art for sale, so buying here can make you a collector, too. After all that culture, you’ll be famished, so swing by the Museum Hill Cafe for a light snack.

The end to a perfect day in Bozeman is waiting for you somewhere on the doorstep of the beautiful Lehrkind Mansion Bed & Breakfast, quite possibly the most picturesque building in all of Montana. The Victorian marvel is a perfect base for a few days of exploring Bozeman, with a great library filled with inspiring tomes and photography books that will stir your Montana wanderlust further. Each of the mansion’s nine rooms has its own unique character, though The Muir Room is where you want to stay if you’re a writer looking for a spark.

Set tight in the jungles around Hotel Casa Chameleon, at Las Catalinas, the restaurant Sentido Norte is 45 minutes from the Guanacaste provincial capital, Liberia. A hilltop restaurant helmed by Costa Rican chef José López, it showcases a mix of local tastes and other modern classics, from sunrise until sunset daily. French toast with plantains, and ceviche punta penca (shrimp, octopus, and avocado) are current top orders; don’t miss the liquid enchantment on offer at the bar, perfect for sunsets, and aguas de sapo, a sweet, spiky pop made with guaro aguardiente.

One look at this hilltop fort, perched over the Port of Kingstown, and you know the British built it to fight the locals rather than to meet any threats coming by sea—all the cannons face the island’s rugged interior, where the Caribs lived. Inside the fort, you’ll find a series of murals depicting the bloody Carib wars. Kids will love exploring the old buildings, and everyone will enjoy the views.

I arrived in Sorrento on a hot Summer day. The sun was shining and the Bay of Naples sparkled under the clear blue sky. In the distance, I could see and Mt. Vesuvius on my right and to my left I could make out the Isle of Capri. After I checked into my hotel which stood high atop a cliff, I decided to check out this charming little medieval town, the sites, and the marina. Sorrento used to be a little resort that was a favorite of princes and aristocrats. Since the mid- 20th century, the town has grown and now visitors enjoy its charm and beauty. Sorrento is best known for its yummy limoncello -there are lemon trees all over. Almost every home in town has even a small lemon tree, and the lemon theme is on pottery and tablecloths. Walnuts, olive oil, and ricotta cheese in traditional handmade baskets are very popular items. Sorrento specializes in wood inlay and marquetry items. Then there is the lacework of Sorrento - intricate and very beautiful. The Piazza Tasso is the main square of the town. Make sure to stop and visit the Duomo. While in Sorrento, a trip to the Isle of Capri by ferry or hydrofoil is recommended. Don’t forget the Amalfi Coast. The drive down the coast is awesome. The beauty is stunning -the view around each bend is more gorgeous than the last! Sorrento is so Italy of 50 years ago. Very different from say, Rome or Venice. I’m glad that I didn’t skip this town. Hopefully, I will return. A good guide to Italy will give you info and web sites.