Search results for

Both Tokyo‘s largest and oldest Buddhist temple, Senso-ji is one of the city’s must see sights. The streets leading to Senso-ji are filled with souvenir shops where you can find tapestries, kimonos, kitschy key chains, and finger foods. Surrounding the temple you’ll also find yatai (food stalls) selling Japanese favorites like yakisoba (fried buckwheat noodles) and okonomiyaki (savory pancakes with a mix of ingredients including eggs, noodles, beef, octopus, squid, and green onion). Inside Senso-ji receive your omikuji (fortune) and if it’s not to your liking leave it behind on the wall of bad fortunes. Take your time exploring the grounds around Senso-ji, which are rich in pristine Japanese landscape design.

With two hiking trails ascending 1,280 feet to its peak, Camelback Mountain is a great option for nature-fiends who like a challenge. Both the Echo Canyon and Cholla trails exceed a mile in length and are accented with steep grades. Average hiking times range from 1.5 to 3 hours round-trip, so pack accordingly and bring enough water.

• Neighborhood: Marina Bay
• Why we love it: Classic and glamorous accommodations with views of Marina Bay
• Loyalty program: I Prefer (Preferred Hotels & Resorts)
• From $545

What was once Clifford Pier, a landing point for immigrants arriving in Singapore, is now a snazzy hotel welcoming well-heeled travelers. Located right on the water and clad in glass and metal, the 100-room Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore feels glamorous with a heady scent of gardenias and lilies wafting through its dramatically arched hallways. The plush rooms designed by Andre Fu boast views of the Marina Bay Sands, Customs House, or Clifford Pier; the Premier Bay View rooms offer a private deck and Jacuzzi overlooking Marina Bay.





Come sunset, wind down with a cocktail at the rooftop bar Lantern—named in honor of the pier’s past moniker “Red Lantern Pier”. Order the tequila-spiked Red Lantern or Lime Garden Gin Fullerton Sling and sit back to enjoy the sparkling lights of the waterfront.

Bordered on the south by its eponymous deep-red cliffs, the national monument is home to broad plateaus, endangered California condors, and some of the oldest petroglyphs in the United States. But the area’s greatest hit is the Wave, a dramatic, undulant orange rock formation. There are trailheads, maps, and minimally marked checkpoints along the trail leading to the famous spot, but unless you opt to hire an authorized guide, you’ll have to pick your way carefully across relatively untouched desert—that is, if you manage to snag one of the 20 daily hiking permits. Apply online four months in advance or enter the daily lottery at the visitor center in Kenab, Utah. Didn’t make it? Grab a map, make sure you have a spare tire, and explore the monument’s lesser-known slot canyons and gulches, or head to the Grand Canyon or Zion National Park; both are within a two-to-three-hour drive. You can always try again the next day. Permits are $6 and $7.

The Great Wall of China runs more than 21,000 kilometers (over 13,000 miles), not as one continuous wall but rather as fortified wall sections. Some of the sections date back more than 2,500 years, though only 8.2 percent of the existing wall is original. The Mutianyu Great Wall is one of the more accessible portions. Hike (because that is what you’ll be doing, even on the wall itself) up the Great Wall, then slide down the side of the mountain on a toboggan. Alternatively, explore the Simatai Great Wall, which retains a more authentic feel—save, of course, for the fake water town at the bottom. Even more remote is the Jiankou section, which is largely unrestored, so book with an experienced group like Beijing Hikers or Wild Great Wall.

Spanning a massive 129,166 square feet, the Pinakothek der Moderne is really four different museums: the Sammlung Moderne Kunst, the Design Museum, the State Graphic Collection, and the Architekturmuseum. As such, it’s one of Europe’s biggest institutions for modern and contemporary art, design, and architecture, offering a sweeping overview of 20th- and 21st-century culture, from avant-garde sculpture to digital installations. Notable for its 82-foot glass dome, the building is bright and airy, with plenty of room for walking around and experiencing all that’s on display. Tour the permanent collections on the upper floors, then head down to the ground floor to see the graphic, architectural, and temporary exhibitions.

France is the world’s third-largest producer of lavender, with a 559-mile-long Lavender Route that passes directly through Provence. Driving the route—at least from Manosque to the Plateau de Valensole to see the most vivid patches of purple—is practically a must when visiting this part of the country, with stops along the way to walk through the fields, stock up on lavender products, and snap as many pictures as possible. Peak lavender season runs from the third week of June through July, although the annual lavender parade in Dignes-sur-Bain, known as Corso de la Lavande, takes place the first weekend in August, with the Lavender Fair following later that month. To really experience the season, time your drive to the various tours, workshops, and events offered at farms along the route.

Formerly Blue Sydney.

Carefully constructed around support beams and pipes from a 100-year-old wheat and wool wharf, this hotel offers a beautiful mix of old and new that juts out into the Woolloomooloo harbor. The Heritage Level is where you’ll find original wooden pier pilings, metal wheels, and conveyor belts that date to 1910, but classic touches such as early-20th-century photographs of Sydney are scattered throughout the property. Goose down bedding, plush furnishings, walk-in showers, and in-room iPads make modern travelers feel right at home, and the bar that runs the length of the central atrium—hanging Swarovski crystals shine pink and purple in the evening candlelight—often hosts fashion shows and cocktail events. Most rooms have sliding glass doors that take advantage of the hotel’s over-water location between the Royal Botanic Gardens and Rushcutters Bay; they open to either the city skyline or the Potts Point naval base. Maritime history buffs should book the latter and check out the site on the wharf from which sailors boarded ships for Gallipoli.

One of the most romantic drives in Jamaica takes you just outside Ocho Rios and onto the A3 highway, through “Fern Gully": a stunning three-mile gorge surrounded by sky-scraping, 30-foot fern trees. You’ll feel as if you’re on a completely different island as you pass through this natural, green tunnel, once a riverbed. Pull off to the side where possible to stop and take in the views, and even a walk. Because this is a road often taken by visitors and is one of Jamaica’s natural wonders, there are vendors lining up the road, but not so many that it spoils the view. Keep an eye on the road at all times—there might be a man on leaf-adorned stilts appearing before you. Never a dull moment in Jamaica.

Leb-i derya is one of those fabulous fancy restaurants perched high above the streets of Beyoğlu with amazing views of the Bosporus, Maiden’s Tower, Asia and old Istanbul’s peninsula. You could walk past the building so many times on its dimly lit street without realizing how magnificent the view from the top is. This light and bright sophisticated rooftop restaurant offers traditional Turkish flavors with a modern twist, as well as gourmet-style international favorites. In summer, management opens the doors to an open-air terrace ideal for sunset cocktails. It really is an iconic city rooftop for special occasions—or for saying good-bye to Istanbul on your last night in the city. Enter off the sloping Kumbaracı Yokuşu (street) which runs off Istiklal street near Tünel. Reservations are advised.

From the outside, San Giorgio looks like one of Greece’s ubiquitous whitewashed homes. Inside, traditional Greek textiles and locally made furniture adorn the 33 unfussy rooms. Most feature rough-hewn wooden dressers, large circular jute rugs, and beds canopied with mosquito netting. Some have terraces with views of the Aegean Sea. Guests can relax during the day in cocoonlike hanging swings near the pool or take a 10-minute walk to the popular beaches Paradise and Paranga. In the evenings, it’s not uncommon for DJs such as Bob Sinclar or David Guetta to make guest appearances in the hotel’s open-air lounge.

Fringe just oozes character. From the moment I walked past the racks of vintage clothing and battered cowboy boots outside the shop, I knew I had to go inside. The interior is like a hip warehouse of sorts—a large but cozy space full of vintage furniture, clothing, art, and lots of unclassifiable goodies. The owner also carries carefully selected body products such as Kai fragrances. The shop is best known for its vintage signs, many of which have been carefully restored and are alone worth a look. Fringe is located on a fun section of 21st Street at the south end of Midtown Sacramento. Next door is the lovely It’s All Yoga studio and a large antiques store. Around one corner is Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies and around the other is the Vietnamese Buddhist restaurant Andy Nguyen’s (all vegan).

For the past 10 years, Mario, the owner of VEBorange, has been selling DDR (East Germany) collectables and other German antiques. Most items in the shop on Oderberger Strasse are objects made and sold between 1950 and 1980, making this a great place to find kitschy and totally unique goods. When I visited on a sunny Saturday afternoon, Mario was tinkering with a Sputnik relic from the CCCP. Not everything that he collects or receives ends up on the shelves. Behind the counter are the things deemed interesting or noteworthy—things that might fit in a museum. If the nearby Mauer Park turns out to be too disappointing for you, head over to VEBorange (a short three-minute walk away) to find truly unique and special items. You can find everything from old Soviet war medals to clothes and furniture.

Many friendly squirrels will greet you while walking through the Company’s Garden, a park and heritage site located in the heart of Cape Town’s City Bowl. This garden, along with Kirstenbosch and Arderne, are the most beautiful green spaces with historical significance in the Western Cape. These particular gardens date back to the 1650’s, when the Dutch utilized the natural spring water running down from Table Mountain to establish a small area for agriculture. Now, City Parks is re-establishing part of the garden as an educational tool. You can bring a picnic or grab a bite at the small Garden Tea Room. There are several museums set on the periphery of the garden, including two of the best rainy day museums: the South African National Gallery and Iziko South Africa Museum & Planetarium.

Another hallowed Capitol Hill rock venue, Chop Suey is a short walk up the hill from the Pike/Pine intersection. The performers tend to skew toward local bands, electronic, and drag shows, but one of Seattle’s most unique dance parties is Talcum, featuring the best of Pacific Northwest soul and Motown music (the name refers to the practice of sprinkling talcum powder on the dance floor for better slipping and sliding). Talcum happens every fourth Saturday, and vintage/formal attire is strongly encouraged. Most Chop Suey shows are 21+, and there’s a full bar, but no kitchen; however, you’re allowed to bring your own food inside, oddly enough. Grab a Seattle Dog, slathered with sautéed onions and cream cheese, at the hot dog cart parked out in front. Cash only, if you buy tickets at the door.