Search results for

A longtime cook at the venerable Café Pasqual’s, chef Jesus Rivera now operates this friendly, funky, and cheerful rustic storefront serving delicious breakfast of Huevos El Salvadoreños (scrambled eggs with green onions and tomato) and the Salvadoran tamale (wrapped in banana leaf). There’s also a hearty lunch and dinner, with a nice selection of beer.

The Monsignor Romero Center, located on the grounds of the Central American University, has a museum that honors the victims and heroes of the Salvadoran civil war. While much of the material—including albums full of disturbing photos—may not be appropriate for children, the center, when considered alongside other historical sites that remember this era, helps adult visitors understand part of the bigger picture of El Salvador’s recent past.

The sky above Jasper National Park comes alive at night. Celebrated as a Dark Sky Preserve, the national park is one of the best places in the world to stargaze. Light pollution is that orange hue often seen above cities, which is caused by the large amount of iridescent light omnipresent in populated areas. Jasper, home to only 5,000 people in a 10,000-square-kilometer area, is essentially light-pollution free. Because of this, the skies are darker—the area around Columbia Icefield is one of the darkest places in North America—so it’s possible to clearly see more stars than nearly anywhere else. Although the dark skies are best viewed in autumn and winter, from September to March, the best time to learn about the stars is during Jasper’s annual Dark Sky Festival that takes place at the end of October. The best part? It’s absolutely free.

The Atlantis Hotel is the focal point of Dubai‘s giant cluster of man-made isthmuses that jut out into the Persian Gulf. Even if you can’t afford to stay at this spectacular hotel, you can still go see what the decadent expat lifestyle feels like for the day by swimming with dolphins in Dolphin Bay or splashing about in the rivers, slides, and pools of Dubai‘s largest water park: Aquaventure. If that doesn’t float your boat (sorry), there’s Atlantis’s dive center, in which you can go diving in a nearly 3 million–gallon tank. You’ll literally be swimming with the sharks (and stingrays) this time. In Atlantis, don’t be surprised to find yourself feeding the rays next to a celebrity—this is one of the places they stay in Dubai.

Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar may be a global tourist trap, but isn’t nearly as rage-inducing as the squawking group tours inside the Grand Bazaar. Here, a remnant of authenticity lives on in this 17th century building, created by commission for Sultana Turhan Hatice. Visually-arresting piles of spices and Turkish delight, and rows of pushy men, make for a wild afternoon of souvenir shopping and colorful conversation. Inside the Ucuzcular stall the sellers are friendly and happy to let you browse. A bag of “love tea” ensures romance in a pot. In that vein, on my way through the bazaar, a man trotted up to me and said, “Excuse me. I think you dropped something...” I looked puzzled. He smiled and theatrically clutched his chest, "...my heart.” He probably does that for all the Westerners, but I pretended it was as real as the magic in the spices.

Color, shape, and naked geology: Northern Arizona appeals to the senses in the most elemental ways. Agnostic hikers, secular scientists, souls searching for spiritual energy — all end up in Sedona, seeking and finding. Mid-week in this red-rock country, we found a few days of calm: early morning trails around town, and afternoons in galleries seeking shelter from summer thunderstorms. Weekends bring crowds from Phoenix, just two hours to the south, but away from pavement, you can still get away into the elements.

Surrounded by 40 pristine sand- and grass-topped acres, endless water views, and the sound of crashing waves, Bekal Fort—the largest fort in Kerala—feels like it rose up from the sea. In fact, it was built some three centuries ago as a defense post, lingering evidence of which includes the old ammunition storage areas and the cannon windows lining the outer walls. Today, visitors can wander around the complex, climbing up the observation tower, strolling around parts of the original walls, venturing out to the waterside walkways, and picnicking on the main lawns. (Along with the history and scenic beauty, the filming of some hit movies here has made the fort even more popular with domestic tourists.) After exploring the site, head down to the beach for some sea air and views of the fort from a different vantage point.

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.

With almost 20 years at the helm of a dining room that’s jammed every afternoon, Gabriela Cámara at Contramar must be doing something right. For one, the seafood on offer—traditional, even homey recipes, impeccably prepared—is among the freshest available. Service is quick, yet warm and enjoyable. It brings in a well-dressed, deliberately coiffed crowd that loves table-hopping, seeing and being seen, and air-kissing; but most of all, they relish digging into house specialties like the fish carnitas, the legendary tuna tostadas, and the grilled pescado a la talla (ordered by weight, and served in a red adobo or a parsley rub). Some afternoons (especially Fridays) you can’t believe the waiters have actually squeezed one more person in, yet everyone is very glad they came. Desserts are especially recommended. Open for lunch only—which may explain the sense of urgency at the door.

One of the more jarring building styles you’ll find in the city’s architectural mishmash is brutalism, and Argentina’s National Library is an iconic example of the movement. The imposing structure rises like a mammoth tree in the park that surrounds it, and its design seeks to suggest expansion: A root-like system of underground book depositories can be enlarged without changing the building’s intended aspect. When readers request titles, these come up through the building’s central trunk to a fifth-floor reading room, open to the public and featuring an unobstructed view of the Recoleta neighborhood and the river. Check the library’s website for information on talks, concerts, and events.

Liwan Furniture, located on the second floor of Al Watan Center, on Grand Hamad Street, is a favorite among those who love authentic Indian Art. This shop, with a production house based out of India, offers its shoppers a collection of artifacts big and small, from elaborate antique chests and doors to small signatures pieces handpicked from different parts of India, such as candle holders, jewelry boxes, mirrors, and home accessories. It’s the place to find finely handcrafted Indian objects without actually having to go to India. The prices are moderate and the owner is also the shop attendant, a rarity in Qatar. 974-55811294

Turneffe Atoll’s sprawling central lagoon is a beautiful natural playground marked by thick mangrove islands and littoral forest, and hosts dozens of remarkable marine species – including crocodiles. Yes, the central lagoon is pretty to look at and one of the best places in Belize to watch the sun rise, but I wouldn’t recommend you go for a dip. Crocodiles spend their days escaping the heat in the thick mangroves, then swim out into the open ocean at dusk to feed. I saw two crocs during my time on the island; a very young juvenile whose curiosity had brought him right up to the sandy patch of beach behind the Blackbird Caye Resort, and a suspicious adult who kept his distance (thankfully). Still, the lagoon is a great place to spy on the aforementioned crocodiles, photograph marine birds, and more. Photo Finish: Nikon D800 | 24-70mm f/2.8 lens | Aperture f/6.3 | ISO-400 | Shutter 1/60 sec.

If you had to choose one place to symbolize Rio’s Belle Époque, it would be this sumptuous café, a must-do for every downtown visitor. Built by a Portuguese family in 1894—when Rio still evinced the splendor of a former imperial capital—its art nouveau–inspired refinements like huge mirrors, imported from Europe, wood furnishings, immense chandeliers, and stained-glass transoms welcome patrons. Colombo is all so terribly majestic you could be at one of the Continent’s grand salons or even the Tortoni in Buenos Aires. Perfect for afternoons over a pastelzinho de Belém, Lisbon’s traditional sweet egg tart.

In 1923, the artist Jacques Majorelle acquired a four-acre plot of land just outside the center of Marrakech. Inspired by numerous travels around the country to paint scenes of village life, and funded by painting more illustrious portraits such as that of Pasha Thami el Glaoui, Majorelle was able to build a small studio and house, with enough land to indulge his other passion: ethnobotany. As his career grew, he added a splendid villa, and the garden took on a life of its own, featuring innumerable exotic species from around the world; he added pools and fountains, and, of course, the now iconic, eye-popping Majorelle blue that was lavished on the architecture. The property became so expensive to maintain that the artist was forced to open it to the public until his death in Paris in 1962. The garden gradually fell into a state of disrepair and was slated for development by a hotel chain until French designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé happened upon it during one of their many trips to the Red City. In 1980, they decided to buy it and restore it to its former glory, adding irrigation and doubling the number of plants and gardeners to look after it. They moved into the villa and set about transforming other buildings into what is now the legendary Berber Museum and a boutique. The latter is especially noteworthy for creative director Stephen di Renza’s commitment to reflecting Majorelle’s lesser-known passion for the decorative arts (which is manifest in the exquisite artisanal pieces, leather goods, and jewelry) and Saint Laurent’s inspired use of traditional Moroccan dress, such as the kaftan and djellaba, in haute couture fashion.

Shopping at local markets is always a highlight of travel in Latin America, where you can often learn about the crafts and items for sale from the vendors—many of whom are the same artisans or craftspeople who made those objects. At the National Handcrafts Market in San Salvador, textiles, pottery, paintings, and musical instruments are just some of the items for sale, reflecting the typical arts and crafts of El Salvador and neighboring countries.