Search results for

A short hour’s drive from Santa Fe sits the sulfur-free mineral rich waters of Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa. Sit and soak in temperatures of 80-105 degrees, and let all tensions melt away. Shhh, keep conversations low, most of the areas are in “whisper” zones.

Full of wild scenery, fascinating history, and delicious local food, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park is a Scottish treasure. At the center of the park is Loch Lomond, the largest body of freshwater in the U.K., featuring ample recreation (everything from kayaking and canoeing to jet-skiing), 30 islands (visit Inchconnachan in spring to see a blanket of bluebells), and miles of bonnie banks (for strolling in the shadow of Ben Lomond). Beyond the lake, the park is packed with interesting corners to explore, from the lush landscapes of the southern section to the sprawling glens and rocky peaks in the north. For the best views, cycle the challenging Loch Eck Loop, or hike the craggy Cobbler. Also worth seeking out are villages like Balmaha, national scenic areas such as Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, and more off-the-beaten-track areas like the Cowal Peninsula and Breadalbane.

Old San Juan may look, at first glance, like a few other charming cities built during the height of Spanish colonialism—Havana or Santo Domingo, for example—but what sets it apart is the extent to which its architectural infrastructure from that era remains visible. It’s the only city that has its original colonial wall almost entirely intact, and both of its principal forts are in excellent condition, remain accessible to the public, and offer panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean (so bring your camera). Both El Morro and Fuerte San Cristobal are run by the National Park Service; guided tours will leave you with greater knowledge about the era, as well as the forts’ construction and their role in Puerto Rican history. (There are other, smaller forts in and around the capital, next to the Caribe Hilton, and in Luís Muñoz Rivera Park, plus Fort San Juan de la Crúz in the nearby town of Cataño.)

Built in 1928 by Asia’s oldest hotel brand, the Peninsula Hong Kong is one of the most historic properties on the Kowloon Peninsula, just across Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong Island. Designed originally as an upscale accommodation for passengers riding the adjacent Kowloon-Canton railway, the Peninsula has been a fixture of Hong Kong society throughout the region’s history. It was a magnet for Hollywood stars and dignitaries, the site of Hong Kong’s surrender to Japanese forces at the start of World War II, and temporary housing for residents following the war.

In 1994, a 30-story tower was added to house 135 additional rooms and suites as well as shops, a spa, a fitness center, twin rooftop helipads, and Felix—the hotel’s 28th-floor fine-dining restaurant, designed by Philippe Starck. The entire property was renovated in 2013 to update rooms with creamy colors, polished wood, and stitched leather and introduce high-tech extras that include a bedside control panel allowing guests to adjust the room’s light, sound, and temperature without getting out from under the covers. Today, the hotel is sleek and modern, but historic relics evoke the glory days that established the Peninsula as the “Grande Dame of the Far East.”

Its massive size, centrality to daily life in the capital, and easy accessibility (a Metro station opens up right onto the plaza) makes the Zócalo an ideal place for large-scale temporary exhibits. The government hosts occasional exhibits and makes entry free for residents and visitors alike. Past exhibits have included Gregory Colbert’s “Ashes and Snow,” a show of large-format photos of animals and people, and Willy Souza’s “Mexico en tus sentidos” (“Mexico in your senses”), lush, vivid photos of people and places around Mexico. To see if a show is planned during the time you’ll be visiting, check the website of the Secretary of Tourism.

An address won’t help you much on Burano. If you’re looking for a specific spot on this tiny archipelago off the Venetian coast, let color be your guide. According to legend, island homes were painted in vivid hues to help fishermen find their way in the fog as far back as the 6th century. While neon shades of blue, green, orange, and lavender may seem random, they’ve been determined by a regulated system for centuries. Even today, property owners must request permission and a selection of permissible colors from the Italian government before slapping a new coat of paint on their aging buildings. Visitors who make the 45-minute vaporetto ride from Venice to Burano are rewarded with a kaleidoscope of tropical hues and a serene island ambience that seems worlds away from the madding crowds in Piazza San Marco. While edible vestiges of its roots as a small fishing village remain in waterfront restaurants serving up heaping plates of frittura mista, seafood risotto, and spaghetti vongole, Burano is better known today for its hand-hewn lace and colorful homes. In the 15th century, its artistic prominence surged when island women began making the famed lace. Demand peaked after Leonardo da Vinci visited to shop for the Burano lace that covers the main altar of the Duomo in Milan. If you’re lucky enough to visit Burano during the pre-Lent Venice Carnevale, you may find new dimensions of color on its four canal-laced islands and picturesque footbridges. A multicolored palette of some 3,000 islanders provides a rainbow of backdrops for costumed revelers. Primping and posing, the fantasy personae inspire storms of clicks from photographers eager to capture the visual feast.

The home of St. John Brewers, among the leaders of the recent craft-beer revolution in the Caribbean, is a must-stop for all beer lovers visiting St. John. At the Tap Room, you can sample the brewery’s very latest beers, sometimes even while they’re in mid-development. Look for a plain black tap among the lineup of more colorfully ornate ones behind the bar. New beers in development are often available there. Feedback from customers goes into finalizing the brews.

Housed in a 1964 structure whose modern lines and central fountain greatly complement what’s on view, this anthropology museum is a repository of the most important pre-Hispanic treasures modern Mexico has discovered. The works are displayed in exhibits that trace the entire history of the Americas’ indigenous population, from the Bering migration to the present day. Exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) in scope, many visitors choose to jump ahead to “greatest-hits” galleries focusing on name brands like the Aztecs (to see their misnamed calendar stone); the Maya and their artifacts; or the Olmec culture, famed for its colossal (and quite sensual) head sculptures dating back to Mesoamerica’s earliest recorded eras.

Al Majles Al-Arabi restaurant has two locations: one, next to the Landmark Mall and the other tucked away in the busy streets of Doha’s Al Sadd - among the electronic and clothes shops. Al Majles Al Arabi Restaurant’s decor is simple and old-fashioned, yet inviting. Guests have the option to have their Arabic food either at a table or on the floor. For a true Arab experience, the option of eating on the floor and using one’s fingers rather than utensils is too appealing to decline. It’s an opportunity to have the kind of sensuous connection to the food and a feeling of sharing and community that many tourists don’t have in their homeland. The service is efficient and the menu promises cold and hot Arab mezzes, traditional salads, different rice-based regional dishes, and a modest, but fresh, selection of desserts. The restaurant offers take-away and home delivery services.

First, Brooklyn’s Coney Island is not, in fact, an island, having been attached to the rest of the borough by landfill since the 1920s. What the area is best known for, however, is its heyday from around the 1880s through World War II when it began as a posh seaside resort area and gradually became a beloved beach destination, thanks to a number of amusement parks. The appeals of Coney Island declined after the war (historians attribute this to the proliferation of both air-conditioning, which made escaping to the shore less important, and the automobile, which made it easier to reach nicer sandy stretches on Long Island). In recent decades it has increased in popularity again. Brooklyn residents, and visitors to New York, have embraced anew the retro charms of the boardwalk and the rides that are still operating, like the Cyclone roller coaster and the Wonder Wheel Ferris wheel. The towering Parachute Jump has been abandoned, but it still stands as an impossible-to-miss landmark. Brighton Beach sits next to Coney Island and is a largely Russian neighborhood where restaurants are happy to serve any diners who appreciate copious amounts of vodka and Russian specialties.

Kimball House is one of Atlanta‘s top rated restaurants and it doesn’t take long to learn why. Every detail is impeccable, from the excellent service to the carefully crafted cocktails to the meals themselves. Set in an old train depot in Decatur, dinner at Kimball House is a splurge you won’t soon forget. Start with a few oysters, their main attraction, and a cocktail in a vintage glass. If your group is feeling adventurous, try the bottled old fashioned, which serves 4, or the full absinthe service, complete with sugar cubes and all the fixings. Beer and wine are also options. The menu changes seasonally, but always offers some form of fish, meat and vegetables, as well as steak and caviar. They don’t take reservations, so you’ll have to be patient or go early. They also have outdoor seating for when the weather is nice. Named for the former Kimball House Hotel, the interior of the restaurant is the star, so don’t forget to look up from your meal.

After the evening call to prayer, several cafe trucks open up to people strolling along the stretch of Marina Island—across the water and parallel to the Abu Dhabi cityscape on the Corniche. From Arab coffee to karak (similar to chai tea), the drinks are the perfect way to end a day. On this particular evening, I enjoyed a piping hot Karak Zafron with a hint of saffron from the Street Bites Truck. With a park, a long jetty to a theatre, new restaurants, and some green park spaces, it is a local’s hot spot; yet the area remains mostly undiscovered by tourists and expats. The spit of land is perfect for long walks with a hot beverage from one of the trucks in the wintertime.

Though his reputation is now arguably overshadowed by that of his former wife, painter and muralist Diego Rivera—commissioned by Mexico’s postrevolutionary governments starting in the late 1920s to adorn several national monuments in complex, pageantry- and allegory-laden wall paintings—was among the first Mexican artists to gain worldwide acclaim. Many of his finest works are on display in the Centro Histórico. Perhaps most spectacular are Rivera’s portrayals of Mexico’s millennia-long history, as seen in the Palacio Nacional on the Zócalo (Mexico City’s main square; take a state-issued ID for admission to the palace); a more contemporary depiction of socialist workers’ struggles (and one which includes a Frida Kahlo cameo) decorates a courtyard at the Secretariat of Public Education. One of the artist’s earliest pieces can be seen inside the amphitheater at the San Ildefonso museum. Additionally, the dazzling Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central, a surrealist who’s-who of Mexico’s turbulent fin de siècle, is the chief artwork on display at the nearby Museo Mural Diego Rivera.

Aguas Calientes is packed with restaurants catering to tourists: the offerings are usually very similar, and the prices are often too high for the quality of the food. The Tree House, however, is worth a visit. This restaurant is known for using traditional and organic ingredients to fuse local flavors with an Asian and Italian influence. Imagine grilled alpaca served with a traditional Andean potato and regional cheese pie and organic salad, or a quinoa risotto topped with lamb meat in a reduction of Andean corn beer and cilantro. For around 40 PEN, you can buy a lunch box to take with you up to Machu Picchu.

While most tourist guides will tell you to visit the Montmorency Falls while in Quebec City, the hiking and natural splendor at Parc Mont Sainte Anne (just 30 minutes from downtown Quebec City) are significantly more pleasant. Give yourself a full day to enjoy this winter-ski-resort turned summer-outdoor-adventure spot. With miles upon miles of hiking trails, beautiful waterfall, and a gondola to help out when you get tired, it’s a great spot for a day away from sightseeing.