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The beaches at Mykonos are party beaches, where you swim in the day time and dance at the night time. During the day time, it’s sunny and calm, the water is crystal blue and clear. People usually sitting by the beach or swim. At the night, it’s a total opposite - the loud music and crowd, the dance and the drink. The beach never sleeps.

A quieter version of Uluru’s Sounds of Silence or Tali Waru desert dinner, this Kings Canyon spinoff offers a four-course meal in a rugged wilderness setting blanketed by the same southern night sky. The moon and flickering fire provide the only light, while soft music and rustling oak trees create a romantic background for intimate conversation. Sparkling wine and canapés are followed by a menu focusing on the fresh local produce of the Australian outback.

Though this restored 1740 mansion and historic landmark’s top billing is 20 guest rooms awash in tropical chintz and colonial-style furnishings, Graycliff is much more than a hotel. The restaurant has the feel of a residential dining room, albeit one that oozes traditional elegance and serves elevated takes on Bahamian specialties. You can pair dinner with a tasting in the property’s wine cellar, where the 250,000-bottle collection includes a rare (and expensive) 1865 Château Lafite and a 1727 Rüdesheimer Apostelwein, the world’s oldest. Prefer something stiffer? The cognateque offers tastings of its 9,000 varieties. The staff can arrange rolling lessons at the on-site cigar company, but if the way to your heart is through your stomach there’s also a culinary academy and a chocolatier. And while the hotel is located in the heart of Nassau, just across from the pink-and-white residence of the Bahamian Governor General, guests enjoy complimentary beach access at private Blue Lagoon Island.



The Graycliff Restaurant at the historic Graycliff Hotel was one of the first five-star restaurants in the Caribbean, and it’s the perfect place to go for an exceptional fine-dining experience, with a menu that combines Bahamian specialties with European cuisine. The restaurant has five dining areas, including a garden gazebo, plus private dining in the wine cellar and at the chef’s table. The chef’s secret recipes are masterfully prepared and take advantage of fresh local ingredients like conch and lobster. After the meal, you can take a cognac or a handmade cigar from the in-house cigar makers. Dinners at Graycliff have a dress code of no shorts or sandals, and jackets recommended for men.

“Oh my God, we have to take you into town to get a Coney. It’s a taste of pure Michigan,” exclaimed one of my friends who I visited for a summer weekend. Take a hot dog on a steamed bun from New York’s famed Coney Island, throw in a bunch of Greek and Macedonian immigrants and a booming auto industry, add meaty chili sauce, chopped onions, and mustard and you have a staple that has dominated the Motor City landscape for nearly a century. Although it is unclear who exactly brought the delicacy to Michigan, many credit the Keros Brothers, Gust and Bill, as the pioneers with their neighboring downtown Detroit spots, American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island. My friend and his family’s dedication to Lafayette runs so deep that I had to opt for the latter. At first blush, it may be more dingy and cramped than its counterpart, but the informal, homely service coupled with the simple menu has consistently made it a draw for diners. Order “one with everything” along with a side of their crispy fries and wash it down with a can of Labbatt Blue beer.

Spend the night nestled under the Golden Gate Bridge in the most dignified of accommodations: the former living quarters of high-ranking officers in the U.S. Army. Cavallo Point is the result of the luxurious reimagining of a cluster of military lodges located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just over the bridge in Marin County. Today, the 142-room hotel serves as a retreat for in-the-know travelers and locals looking for an easy, elevated escape from everyday city life. Original brick fireplaces and beamed ceilings mingle with modern finishes and furnishings, such as butter-soft leather sofas and whitewashed Adirondack chairs. The expansive grounds are meant to be explored on foot or bicycle. The Wellness Weekend package includes all meals, prepared with an emphasis on health at Murray Circle restaurant, morning yoga classes, guided hikes, a spa treatment, nightly wine receptions, and plenty of free moments to soak in the serene meditation pool—the very best kind of boot camp.

This beautiful Parisian cemetery is on the Boulevard de Menilmontant and next to the Metro station Philippe August, in the 20th arrondissement. Upon entrance to the main gate, grab a map so not to get too lost. The art work on the memorials and the stories behind the names on the headstones inspire a mood of great tragedy and romance. The locals call it the la cite des morts (the city of the dead). The cemetery makes the ideal place to explore if you’ve seen a lot of Paris before and want to dig a bit deeper. Seek out the tombs of 1) Oscar Wilde (for all of those declarations and kisses left behind); 2) Georges Rodenbach, a Belgian writer and poet of the 19th century with a breathtaking tomb; 3) Victor Noir, who became more famous in death (by duel) than life. Seek the answer to the riddle of why his tomb is seen as good luck for fertility You’ll also see the gravesite of Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas, buried side by side in a testament to their love. The list of the celebrity dead goes on and includes Gericault, Piaf, Chopin, Heloise and Abelard. Even Jim Morrison. An afternoon here is guaranteed to leave you grateful for the treasures you found but weren’t expecting.

Cape Town’s Table Mountain National Park, which hugs the perimeter of the city, is so popular that the line for the cable car to the top can be longer than a queue for a Disneyland ride. But why stand in line when you can put your feet to use? There are several routes that lead to the top of the 3,562-foot, flat-topped mountain, including the two-mile Platteklip Gorge trail. Yes, it’s steep, but startling views of the city and the Atlantic await. Trek, get hungry, then picnic on local provisions—crackers, Dutch-style Gouda, and biltong, the thick-sliced South African jerky—before riding the cable car back down.

The immense Gothic Cathedral of Seville was built on the site of an ancient Muslim mosque. It was completed in the early 16th century and was designated a Roman Catholic cathedral. Since 1987, this cathedral has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is said to be the third largest in Europe. The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Sea is also the final resting place of Christopher Columbus since 1898. His tomb is large and elaborate. The beauty and size of the cathedral is simply amazing. The exterior is ornate with extensive carvings, there are many doors, flying buttresses, and towers. There are several ornate doors to the cathedral. The one in the photo is the Puerta de Palos. The interior is incredible with extensive gilding. The central nave is lavishly decorated and carved. The main altarpiece is a stunning golden work of art. The floors are polished marble, the columns and arches tall and imposing. There are intricate 15th century stained glass windows. There are 80 chapels in Saint Mary of the Sea Cathedral there in Seville. The beauty and the sheer size of this historic, religious site was quite amazing. I could have spent four or five hours in this incredible monument. The history lesson learned was that of the story of Seville from the 12th century until modern times. You might want to tour with the audio guide. Plan at least two hours. For info: www.travelinginspain.com

Once a separate town, the leafy colonial neighborhood known as Coyoacán has long been absorbed into the city at large, but retains a separate, old-fashioned air that’s impossible to resist. Restaurants and ice cream parlors (plus some venerable, divey cantinas) cluster around the quarter’s two central plazas that fill daily with strolling families, bootblacks, balloon sellers, and organ grinders. Feeling noshy? Locals swear by the esquites (stewed and seasoned corn kernels) on offer at a street stall next to the Sanborns store, right on Plaza del Centenario. A walk down Calle Francisco Sosa takes you past some of the city’s most valuable (often colonial-era) residences and ends at adorable Plaza Santa Catarina, with its petite parish church and a handful of friendly watering holes when it’s time for a drink or a snack.

It’s easy to miss Garza Marfa’s showroom on a brief visit, because it is located a few blocks off the beaten path. Usually open by appointment (call (432) 729-1946 or email [email protected]), and sometimes–in typical Marfa fashion–just randomly open, it is a space that is definitely worth checking out.

Jamey and Constance are the husband and wife team behind the vibrant furniture line; pillows, blankets and home wares. Their interpretation of ‘Midcentury Modern meets Wild West’ will put a smile on your face and probably make you wish you’d taken an empty truck to Marfa with you to fill up. Their colorful pieces can be hard to find outside of Marfa, except for a limited selection at the Heath Showrooms in San Francisco and LA.

>>>Warmest thanks to the awesome team at El Cosmico for another unforgettable Trans Pecos Festival of Music and Love–an annual gathering of friends, music, art, camping, sandlot baseball and a night sky full of stars in Marfa, Texas. Love you guys.

Lamu, one of the most magical destinations in Kenya, is famed for being the oldest and best-preserved example of a Swahili settlement in East Africa. The Old Town has been inhabited for over 700 years and is made particularly beautiful by the assortment of Swahili, Arabic, Persian, Indian, and European architecture. Since 1370, different cultures have been lured to Lamu, making it an important trading port along the East Africa coast. Nowadays it enchants visitors with its narrow cobbled alleyways, wandering donkeys, weather-beaten stone buildings, hidden courtyards, and the sight of rustic wooden dhows sailing in the distance. Visit the local mosques, wander the streets of quaint Shela village, sail over to the luxurious Majlis Resort for a swim and a cocktail, or while away the hours on an ornate roof terrace.

This property is closed due to damage sustained during Hurriance Maria.

The W Vieques Island is a luxury boutique waterfront hotel located on pristine Vieques Island, located eight miles off the southeast coast of mainland Puerto Rico. What’s interesting about the island is that despite being so close to the mainland, it still has a very raw, untouched feel, with tourism weaving itself into the landscape instead of taking it over. Guests of the hotel can explore ecotourism on the island through kayaking tours of the bioluminescent bay, beach trips, scuba diving, mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding, outdoor yoga, farm-to-bar social hours at sunset, and visits to the the local farm to see where the restaurant’s ingredients are sourced and even to create a meal for themselves. There’s also a sumptuous spa. Inspired by the holistic nature of the surroundings, the spa seems to blend into the landscape, with rivulets and canals flowing throughout the space, front-row views of the Atlantic Ocean, vine-covered treatment rooms, a reflection pool, and a spa pavilion surrounded by lush gardens.

Without a doubt Versailles is the most luxurious palace in Europe, built to astound visitors and impress the king’s subjects into awed submission with crystal chandeliers, gilt, and fine art. This opulent monument is also attractive to those with simpler tastes: Visitors with green thumbs will love the king’s kitchen gardens while others may want to rent bicycles to pedal the lavish grounds, and animal lovers will enjoy the sheep, goats, and chickens receiving the royal treatment at the queen’s quaint hamlet. La Petite Venise, an excellent restaurant on the grounds, offers garden seating on sunny days.

Marfa is a place of outstanding artists and makers. One of them–no doubt–is Ginger Griffice. I’ve known Ginger since meeting her at Trans Pecos last year and I’ve been a frequent shopper at her Marfa Brands Store, where she sells her soaps, fun glassware and other neat items. This time, I finally caught her in action, making a brand new batch of her amazing artisanal soaps. Ginger takes much of her olfactory inspiration from the desert that surrounds Marfa. Her natural soaps are made from vegetable and essential oils, and she often adds tea (green, Earl Grey, Lapsang souchon) for added scent, color, and texture. If you’re looking to take a little bit of Marfa back home with you, this is the place.

Fun fact: one of Marfa Brands Soaps, Ranch Road, was specifically created for El Cosmico, to capture ‘the smell of rain, and the free spirit that El Cosmico is all about’.

Opening times are fluid, Marfa style. If Ginger’s store is closed, you can always swing by the ‘Get Go’ grocery, a short block away, and pick up a few bars there.

>>>Warmest thanks to the awesome team at El Cosmico for another unforgettable Trans Pecos Festival of Music and Love–an annual gathering of friends, music, art, camping, sandlot baseball and a night sky full of stars in Marfa, Texas. Love you guys.

Royal Street is to antiques and fine art what Bourbon Street is to booze. This elegant urban thoroughfare is not only home to some of the best examples of the city’s early-19th-century Creole town houses, but is also loaded with high-end antiques retailers. These feature mostly ornate 18th- and 19th-century European sculptures and paintings, early furniture, chandeliers, and dinnerware used by the upper crust. Most of the inventory has a decidedly Continental air to it. Among the better-known shops are Waldhorn and Adler (343 Royal St.); Ida Manheim Antiques (409 Royal St.), run by the same family since 1919; and haute-upscale M.S. Rau (630 Royal St.), with its warren of hidden back rooms open only to serious customers.