Search results for

Famous for being Southern Germany’s hub of the Enlightenment during the late 18th century (Hegel and Hoffmann both lived here), Bamberg is also home to a superbly preserved medieval town center, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. Here, visitors find an endless array of architectural styles, from Gothic and Renaissance to Baroque and neoclassical, all spread through three distinct areas: the episcopal town, the island town, and the market gardeners’ town.

The Romanesque-Gothic cathedral of St. Peter and St. George is Bamberg’s most prominent building (it’s home to the famous Bamberg Horseman statue, the tomb of Henry II and Cunigunde, and the only papal grave in Germany), but the New Palace and the Alte Hofhaltung Palace are also must-sees, as are the town hall, the tanners’ cottages, and “Little Venice,” a former fishermen’s village with half-timbered houses and tiny gardens. If you’re a suds fan, be sure to sample Bamberg’s famous smoked beer before leaving.

Would-be ghost-hunters will enjoy a tour of this abandoned village in Tarragona province a little over an hour’s drive from Barcelona. Left completely deserted after the end of the Spanish Civil War, crumbling homes, a church in ruins, and empty tombs are overgrown with weeds and brush in this isolated village located a half hour hike from the nearest paved road. While there have been rumors of strange goings-on for years, after a dead body turned up on the scene in the early nineties, Marmellar became an urban legend of sorts.

If you want to vacation like British royalty, visit the mosquito-shaped island of Mustique, which Naomi Campbell, Mick Jagger, and Princess Margaret have all called their home away from home. Once on land, there’s no better place to stay than the Cotton House, a private retreat that feels like the lap of luxury. Set on 13 acres of cerulean beachfront and gardens thick with jasmine and frangipani, the 20 rooms and suites are awash in neutral hues inspired by their surroundings, with wicker pendant lighting, ikat throw pillows, and breezy mosquito nets over the beds. Explore the coral reefs near the shoreline in a glass-bottom kayak, or improve your backhand with help from the resident tennis pro. After a day of sun-soaked adventure, dine on fresh-caught specialties (pan-seared barracuda, Caribbean-style sushi) at Veranda restaurant, then retire to the Great Room, a colonial-inspired lounge offering rare and local rums.

Whether you’re up for the adventure of a mobile tented camp, or would prefer a private house staffed with personal chefs, Singita Grumeti is the place for the ultimate safari experience and unbeatable Great Migration views. The 350,000-acre protected nature reserve is home to five distinct properties (plus an exclusive private villa option), ensuring there is an option for any traveler—though luxury, service, and attention to detail are constants across the board.

The five main Grumeti properties offer a singular setting and experience, along with the option to visit any of the others for meals, or to make use of their facilities. Choices include traditional tented-style camps like Sabora Tented Camp, with its plush, 1920s-explorer-inspired decor, and Explore Mobile Tented Camp, an eco-friendly setup that can be moved as the migration progresses. Faru Faru Lodge features contemporary interiors and boasts two striking pools, while Serengeti House is a four-suite private house favored by honeymooning celebs. The grande dame of the reserve, Sasakwa Lodge, boasts luxury cottages, a spa, a wine cellar, dining room, a bar and lounge, a billiards room, a conservatory, and even an equestrian center.

With all this to choose from—not to mention the endless panoramas, gourmet cuisine, and unforgettable wildlife viewing—Singita Grumeti has become known as the pinnacle of safari getaways. And with good reason: the experience here is so impeccable, it just might spoil you on safaris for life.

Driving down an old dusty dirt road near Vila Verde da Raia in the area of Tras-os-Montes in northern Portugal I could imagine the area in the 19th or 20th century.The region probably hasn’t changed very much. I have seen pictures of this road from the 1940’s and I can’t see any difference. The road was not paved then and still isn’t. There are no modern homes or strip malls. I loved the natural vegetation and the peaceful vista. After following the road for about 10 minutes, it curved to the right.There were huge sycamore trees on both sides of the road leading into a tiny tucked away village that dates back about 1,000 years or so. The village of Vilarinho had a small plaza and a well. There was a post office on one side of the square, a beautifully restored church ( I wished that I could have seen the original), and many whitewashed granite and concrete homes. I saw that most homes featured modernized interiors. Past the church was the cemetery and large fields of many crops. At first, the residents were very curious but warmed up and became very friendly offering stories of the village, the farming, and tales of the relatives buried in the cemetery. As I walked the village and farm grounds they kept their eyes on this “stranger”, but they were very happy when I expressed such interest in their lives, homes, and their lovely village. A side trip is always a travel bonus and is one of the rewards of going off on your own to mix with the locals.

The Dassenech are a nomadic tribe that live in the region where Ethiopia borders Kenya and Sudan. We visited one village situated along one of the banks of the Omo River. Getting there was not easy though. We started with a long, bumpy ride over dusty, unpaved road. At the riverbank, we crossed to the other side in very simple, hand hewn dugout canoes. We then trudged across a treeless sandy plain where the wind was blowing so hard I could barely see. I think I still have dust and sand in trapped crevices I never knew my body has. The village itself was not attractive at all – clusters of small flimsy domed huts fashioned from tree limbs and lined with corrugated tin dotted the desert floor. To compound the ugliness of it all, trash was flying about everywhere. The one bright spot in the harsh Dassanech world are the women who are known for wearing head pieces fashioned from bottle caps and any other small metal items that can be strung up. I saw zipper pulls, padlocks and even ball chains adorning many a woman’s head. Considering what little they have, I admire the Dassanech women for being so creative in coming up with ways to beautify themselves. Just as we were about to leave, I caught sight of this young girl whose face captivated me. It took me doing some silly antics to get her to warm up to me but in the end, her smiling eyes and toothy grin melted my heart. Surrounded by rubble, I found a small ray of loveliness.

Here’s a novel concept; markets that pop up around the island in different locations each day of the week. I shot this while wandering the Monday Market near Saladan Village (the main settlement) on the northern tip of Koh Lanta. Despite the market’s proximity to the island’s main tourist hub, it was surprisingly void of foreign visitors. The Monday Market is run by locals and caters to local tastes - which makes it a fantastic place to explore with a camera. I don’t often make images of children (I scare them, I guess), but I couldn’t resist firing a few frames of this girl in the fruit isle. It’s a departure from the grittier market fare I often come home with - perhaps that’s why I’m so fond of such a simple picture. Insider tip: a smile takes you a long way in a Thai market - and often leads to more free samples than you find at Costco on a Saturday. Be polite, and try anything your gracious host offers you, including roasted beetles and/or funky durian fruit.

A popular and new cultural attraction in Montego Bay, the Rastafari Indigenous Village offers a fun and insightful day of Rastafari history, music and food to anyone interested in immersing and learning about this unique group. The day begins with a hike to the village, reached by spelunking across a river, and a medicinal plant tour. It continues with various activities, including culinary demonstrations of Rasta “Ital” or organic, vegetarian dishes, drumming circles and stories on the evolution and struggles of Rastafari culture in Jamaica. It’s an easy reach—about 20 minutes from Montego Bay—and a good pick for those short on time.

People dream of European bakeries, lining the city streets, emitting delicious smells day in and day out. However, the truth is, in Spain a good bakery can be hard to find. Gogoko Goxuak is the newest addition to San Sebastián‘s café scene. They boast a great location for people watching, as well as artisan baked goods.

This frilly, century-old mosque, with its interesting mix of Victorian and Arabian architecture, is straight out of a Disney fairy tale. Its Corinthian columns, Doric pilasters, cinquefoil arches, and painted-glass cupolas will mesmerize you. When the green-and-cream-colored mosque was built, the surrounding neighborhood was called Kampong Kapor, or “Limestone Village.” The mosque’s staff is very welcoming and friendly to visitors who want to have a look around, and they even loan out robes to wear, as it’s considered respectful to dress modestly inside.

At the Hyatt Centric, luxury amenities meet front-door access to 7,300 acres of ski terrain, including the 314 trails, 40 chairlifts, and six natural half-pipes that make up the Park City Mountain area of Canyons Village. For even more adventure, the hotel’s in-house activities company, Wasatch Adventure Guide, can arrange for dogsledding, fly-fishing, heli-skiing, hot-air ballooning, and even ice-climbing excursions. If you’d rather soak up some culture, there’s complimentary seasonal transport to Park City’s charming Main Street and its dozens of galleries. After a long day of exploring, guests can unwind in the resort’s heated outdoor pool, or in front of their own stone fireplace. The 120 guest rooms and apartment-style residences offer a home-away-from-home feel, with even the standard rooms featuring a partial kitchen stocked with china for four. In case you don’t feel like entertaining, the on-site Escala Provisions Company Restaurant & Bar offers après-ski fare like classic fondue as well as a dinner menu with dishes like a grass-fed beef burger with tomato jam, pork belly, and pommes frites.

In Miami’s trendy Mary Brickell Village, Perricone’s Marketplace & Cafe is the kind of place you can just relax in. The indoor/outdoor patio keeps you out of the blazing Florida sun but still provides a romantic ambience. To start, tear into baked Brie cheese wrapped in puff pastry dough brushed with drawn butter and powdered brown sugar. The top is then sprinkled with shaved almonds and sticky apricot jam. The melty cheese combined with the sweet sugar and jam is a perfect introduction to an unforgettable meal. Continue to the bruschetta bread basket, the lobster ravioli in a pink vodka sauce, and the lamb chops seasoned with rosemary and served perfectly pink atop a bed of couscous and steamed asparagus. Other highlights include the salmon in a lemon-butter sauce. For dessert, sample the house cake, a combination of chocolate and hazelnuts. As rich as a brownie, it’s the kind of dessert that you want to savor and pairs nicely with vanilla bean gelato. There’s an awesome Italian market in the lobby to stock up on pesto, seafood dip, and plenty of to-go truffles. Be sure to try the peanut butter teardrop.

Puerto Princesa Underground River is set in a protected area of the St. Paul Mountain Range in Palawan. It’s a five-mile stretch of the Cabayugan River that runs through a huge limestone cave and directly into the West Philippine Sea near Sabang village (the bottom half of the river is tidal). Announced as one of the New7Wonders of Nature in 2012, it’s hard to fully envision unless you experience it for yourself. Reservations are required for the tours, which enter the underground river on a small boat. The boatman manually paddles you in as the light fades, the water becomes pitch-black, and you almost lose sight of the person beside you. The boatman will then start flashing his tiny light on the stalactites, stalagmites, and other rock formations you pass. The tour takes about 45 minutes and covers only a mile or so of the river (the inner portion is closed to the public).

On a hopping night, Noorderlicht (Northern Lights) blazes with colorful lights visible clear across the IJ River—hence its name. For those drinking and jamming to live music on a waterfront terrace warmed by a roaring bonfire, the setting is more intimate. We’ve reached Noorderlicht, a “cultural café” in Noord-Amsterdam, via free ferry from Central Station. Destination: NDSM yard, a revitalized shipyard that belies its maritime/industrial heritage with warehouses and shipping containers transformed into nightclubs, hotels and student housing. Dotted with fishing villages, condos and restaurants, the eclectic neighborhood calls itself “Art City.” With its airplane hangar shape and greenhouse-like architecture, Noorderlicht enhances the funky landscape. The popular café draws creative types who come for waterfront dining, drinking and dancing. Inside, warm-hued wall hangings, wooden flooring, tables ornamented with polished driftwood and a disco ball contribute to an inviting ambiance. Seasonal lunch and dinner menus feature organic and regional dishes, plus casual fare like frites and burgers. Noorderlicht’s grassy terrace offers a spectacular view of Amsterdam city center from the other side of the Ij River. Dine on wicker chairs, cushioned couches and picnic tables as musicians perform overlooking the waterfront. A roster of events ranges from campfires and poetry readings to DJ nights that usually inspire some pumping and grinding in a young, energetic crowd.

Another one of the buildings created for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the Pacific Science Center has a midcentury-space-age vintage-futuristic look from the outside. But inside, it’s all cutting-edge technology like the IMAX Theatre, laser dome and planetarium, and Live Science Stage demonstrations. The 4,000-square-foot tropical butterfly house is a favorite with visitors of all ages; we know of at least one wedding proposal that took place there. The dinosaur exhibit features seven animatronic, roaring dinos, while Professor Wellbody’s Academy of Health & Wellness is a kid-oriented tour of the human body, complete with gross-out fun facts. The Insect Village has plenty of creepy crawlies, and the saltwater tidepool exhibit features sea creatures that kids can touch. Outside, the Science Playground has gyroscopes, bicycle-powered fountains, and other hands-on fun. The Pacific Science Center also tends to get the high-profile touring exhibitions, like the 2012 Tutankhamen exhibit, so it’s worth checking in advance and booking tickets early if you plan a visit.