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The Old Town’s main street, Stradun, also known as Placa, can’t be missed—it’s the biggest and widest of all the thoroughfares, and you will probably walk it several times during your stay here. It’s especially nice in the late afternoon, when the angle of the sun makes the pavement shine and the swallows soar overhead. Continue down to the old port and along the waterfront to the far end. Porporela Pier, built courtesy of the Austrian administration’s rule in Dubrovnik during the 19th century, is today somewhat of a lovers’ rendezvous. After your stroll, the benches along the pier provide a simple relaxing moment to take in the views of Lokrum island and Cavtat in the distance.

Co-owned by French-Cambodians Nathalie Saphon-Ridel and Romyda Keth, the elegant Khmer Attitude was the first concept store in Siem Reap when it was opened way back in 2000 in Raffles Arcade. The women’s aim with Khmer Attitude (and Saphon-Ridel’s Galerie Cambodge in the same arcade) was to showcase quality Cambodian-made fashion, jewelry, accessories, silverware, silk, gifts, and objects that weren’t available anywhere else. The women work closely with Khmer designers, master craftsmen and artists to source and produce beautiful things that are luxurious in their materials used and excellent in their workmanship. Other than Romyda Keth’s Ambre, Eric Raisina, Garden of Desire, Jasmine, Theam’s House, and a handful of other boutiques, you won’t find exquisite things of this quality elsewhere in Siem Reap.

This classic Galveston seafood restaurant has been open since 1911! Gaido’s serves fresh Gulf seafood in a traditional atmosphere. Menu highlights include the bisque, snapper, and pecan pie. Photo via Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant Facebook page

A cooking school by day (Wednesdays and Sundays, to be specific), Black Sesame Kitchen hosts a 10-course family-style meal on Tuesday and Friday nights that allows visitors to sample Chinese dishes from a variety of regional cuisines. Most who arrive at Black Sesame Kitchen are strangers before the meal—but it isn’t uncommon to make friends over good food and generous pours of wine. ¥300 per person; advance bookings only.

It doesn’t get more quintessentially Australian than this: waking up to a symphony of kookaburras and the heady scent of eucalyptus, the sight of kangaroos roaming freely about the 7,000-acre nature reserve. You might be tricked into thinking you’d slept under the stars—if it weren’t for the four-poster bed, flicker of a warm fire, and sunrise reflected from the glittering private pool. A three hours’ drive west of Sydney, this luxury ecolodge feels worlds away, surrounded by sandstone bluffs and sweeping plains filled with leafy gumtrees and Wollemi pines. It has 40 homestead-style villas that are as eco-friendly as they are indulgent: materials sourced within a 60-mile radius, solar panels for hot water and lighting. Highlights include the Aussie cuisine, mostly grown and sourced within 100 miles of the resort (and included in the all-inclusive rate, along with a premium minibar). A fruit orchard and edible garden supplies organic herbs, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.


The most intriguing aspect of the property is an original farmhouse, built around 1832, that hosted Charles Darwin in 1836. Today, the homestead functions as a museum that highlights the Indigenous, settler, and agricultural history of the valley. The comprehensive program of activities gets guests off the homestead: There are peaks to climb, glowworms to ogle, and horses to ride. Following a landslide in 2022, Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley has faced access issues. It is temporarily closed.

In a city built on dreams, Chateau Marmont is the place where imaginations run wild. Opened in 1929 as luxury apartments in the style of a French château, the building became a hotel in 1930 and, over the decades, has hosted an exhaustive list of some of Hollywood’s biggest names—Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger, Johnny Depp, and many more. Celebrity hotelier Andre Balazs renovated the hotel from top to bottom in the early 1990s, maintaining its signature Old World elegance (crushed velvet armchairs, wrought-iron chandeliers, columns galore) while outfitting it with all the requisite modern luxuries.


From its secluded 1950s bungalows to its signature pool surrounded by gardens, the chateau is the kind of place where anyone can be somebody, and no secret will be spilled. Cameras are forbidden in the restaurant—a favorite spot for industry types and guests alike—and the famously solicitous staff won’t blink an eye if guests are misbehaving or just lounging all day by the pool.

For something different from Laguna’s typical California fare, head to Starfish, where you can get dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Korea, and India. The menu ranges from sushi and satays to dumplings, noodle dishes, whole fish, and more—all perfect for pairing with signature cocktails like the Whiskey Blossom, with bourbon, orange bitters, clover honey, and egg whites. Beyond the delicious food, Starfish is known for its upbeat atmosphere. DJs spin well into the night, while guests linger on the outdoor patio, sipping drinks amid tropical foliage.

In colloquial Arabic, an avid traveler is jokingly dubbed Ibn Battuta in honor of the medieval globe-trotter by the same name. Battuta set off on a legendary adventure in 1325 that took him from modern-day Morocco all the way to Somalia, China, and Spain. The Ibn Battuta Mall honors this journey with epic architecture divided into several “courts” symbolic of each place he visited. Ready for more? The mall balances its historical themes with hundreds of modern shops—you can even grab a Starbucks coffee or catch a movie in the majestic Chinese court.

The Xi’an Banpo Museum preserves artifacts excavated from the neolithic site of Banpo, settled 5,600 to 6,700 years ago. The museum provides access to the excavated buildings and has several houses reconstructed in the style of the prehistoric settlement. It’s well worth a stop when you’re traveling to or from the Terracotta Warriors.

The main royal residence for emperors during the Tang Dynasty (from the 600s to the 900s), Daming Palace was discovered in 1957. After excavations and restoration work, the palace, also known as the Palace of Great Brilliance, opened to the public. Visitors learn about the Tang Dynasty and can admire the palace’s cultural relics and elegant architecture.

Brussels is a city filled with fabulous dining experiences, but for brunch aficionados, the options are sparse. Enter Chef Alex Weston, who runs the popular catering company, La Britannique. Chef Alex has revamped the French table d’hote (or host’s table) concept, for Sunday Brunch lovers. Each week he welcomes a handful of lucky guests into his home, to dine on a multi-course menu of international goodies. The Sunday we attended the offerings included: pumpkin filled pastries (pictured), poached eggs with iberico-wrapped chicory, pistachio and pomegranate pilaf with shredded chicken, and a casserole of roasted Mediterranean vegetables. Oh, and dessert, and drinks, all for a reasonable suggested donation. A steal. It’s a great way to meet locals and travellers alike. And you get to watch a chef in action. Reservations are mandatory.

My wife and two friends were tired of “museums” so they mistakenly decided to go shopping while I went to the Rodin Museum alone. It was breathtaking, the flowers were all in full bloom, the art on display inside was rare and beautiful, but the sculptures outside were displayed the way art should be seen. Here in three planes is the original design by Eiffel for the Tower, Rodin’s Thinker, and mid ground with the Eiffel Tower in the background. The gardens were just perfect, and I was sorry for my friends who’d decided to go into a department store to shop instead.

The Rosedeer Hotel is one of the first buildings you see in Wayne, sitting squat on a narrow piece of land between the railroad tracks and the hills behind. It looks like a movie set, and has been. Running Brave, Shanghai Noon, and In Cold Blood were shot here along with numerous commercials and music videos. A ten-gallon hat riddled with bullet holes wouldn’t look out of place. Don’t expect fancy cuisine—burgers are the norm, and if you want a steak, you’ll be delivered the meat and instructions on how to use the BBQ out back. But people don’t come for the food. Wayne is an authentic Western outpost, built before the road and at one time a thriving town, thanks to the nearby Rosedeer Coal Mine. People come in now for photo ops, for a chance to see one of the few remaining holdouts of the Wild West, and because the 100-year-old hotel and adjacent saloon are said to be haunted. But owner Fred Dayman, who was born and raised in the hotel, won’t talk about it. Book a room, if you dare, and find out for yourself.

Hernán Cortés built a summer home here on top of the ruins of a pyramid. Over the next few centuries, Mexico City‘s political and economic elite and movie stars--and even the Shah of Iran--took up residence in this town. Cuernavaca--with its stately mansions and haciendas and blooming gardens--became known as Mexico City’s more glamorous and beautiful sister. Nowadays, an ever-increasing population means Cuernavaca has lost some of the mystique from its heyday, but its lovely gardens and Spring-like climate (and the fact that it is only an hour south of Mexico City) still make it a perfect getaway from that bustling megalopolis. Be sure to check out the Palacio de Cortés and Jardin Borda while you’re there. The former is Cortés’ old digs, and it now houses the Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac, which, over two floors covers Mexican history from pre-Columbian times to present. The latter is a grand Versailles-inspired mansion and garden which will give you a wonderful view into how Mexico’s aristocracy lived in the 18th century.

This busy restaurant sits on Rue Saint-Paul, a street in Lower Town that’s lined with antique shops, hence the name. Buffet de L’Antiquaire is a classic diner—but with a Québecois twist—that has been a mainstay of the city’s dining scene for more than 40 years. The reasonably priced menu lists traditional dishes like boudin (blood sausage) and pork stew among the entrées and sugar pie and crepes among the desserts. (You can also order more typical diner fare, from burgers to omelettes.) It is open early to late, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, adding to its popularity.