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A former military base for the Yugoslav National Army, the island of Vis was closed to foreigners for decades. Today, however, it’s one of Croatia’s best-kept secrets, mainly for its beaches, food, and history. Book a tour with Vis Special and explore the island’s old military sites, abandoned when the army left suddenly in 1992. The tours take in everything from rocket shelters and bunkers to weapon-storage halls and “parking lots” (read: tunnels) for submarines. They also stop at the former communications headquarters for the Yugoslavian secret service (which are dug into a mountain) and Tito’s Cave (where the erstwhile Yugoslav president hid during World War II). Lest this all sound grim, know that these sites occupy some of the most gorgeous spots on the island.

There is a fado song proclaiming that all artists and fado singers come to A Tendinha, here in one of the oldest areas in Lisbon, founded in 1840.


At Rossio, between the old cafes like Suiça and Nicola and on the other side of the D. Maria II National Theatre, next to Arco da Bandeira, you will find this little tasca. Here you can eat ham or fresh cheese sandwiches, bifana (pork sandwich) or some fried petiscos (snacks) like the Pastel de Bacalhau, a codfish cake, and shrimp croquettes. Ask for a beer or red wine from the house to accompany.

Build in the XV century, Convento do Espinheiro was since early fascinating because its history, charm and rare beauty. Through centuries was one spot of election by the royal family whenever they moved to Évora. Luxuriously redecorated, the Convento do Espinheiro is today considered a national monument, that works with renown brand Luxury Collection of companyStarwood Hotels & Resorts. This Hotel is inserted in a sumptuous garden of 8 hectares and its interior was brilliantly decor, keeping its character. By booking accommodation in Convento do Espinheiro you begin a collection of unique experiences with a guided tour to the history of this place, as well, a tasting of its magnificent wines from Alentejo that can be found in the Gothic Cellar, escorted by the sommelier.

Located a quick drive north from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the WinStar offers a world-class casino practically at our doorstep. Among the largest casinos in the world (yes!), the theme at this Oklahoma complex is, well ... the world. Different nations are represented through festive decor in various corners of the facility, giving the place a welcoming global feel. Dining options abound from pizza to steaks, as well as the requisite casino buffet. One super-big draw to this place -- besides the bingo, poker room and slot machines -- is the world-class entertainers who perform here. From Bob Dylan and Toni Braxton to Keith Urban, a concert in the on-site music venue adds an extra level of pizzazz to any visit. Don’t forget to make time to visit the Spa Habitat for treatments or a massage. Pro tip: You should definitely shell out for the $30 Friday night seafood buffet, and fill your belly with mounds of King crab, fried shrimp, fried catfish and so much more.

Selecting the perfect Turkish carpet or kilim can be like finding the perfect partner—there are plenty to choose from, and patience is often required. With this in mind, you need a carpet seller who will listen to your needs, appreciate your tastes, and avoid pressuring you to choose the wrong one. Noah’s Ark Carpets in Sultanahmet are the sellers I trust. Yusuf and Hamza make the whole buying experience hassle-free and fun and because of this, I’ve bought three carpets from them for myself and for friends in Australia. Noah’s Ark can also arrange door to door international post if you’re concerned about the weight of your luggage. The store is recommended by National Geographic Traveler and Vogue (so don’t just take my word for it). Drop in and see the guys and enjoy a glass of çay while browsing their beautiful collection of carpets and kilims from Turkey and surrounding countries. Before leaving, ask to see their magic flying carpet—it will impress.

This Romanesque Revival landmark has become Nashville’s crown jewel. The city’s main train station from 1900 until the 1970s, when railway service was discontinued, the building sat vacant for decades until it was restored to its former glory and reopened as a boutique hotel in 2016. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel retains pieces of the past—including its iconic clock tower, an original arrivals and departures board, and the solid wood staircases—while providing all the comforts of the present. The 125 guest rooms skew contemporary, with soothing tones of gray and neutral walnut, as well as cowhide headboards and custom ironwork lights. By contrast, public spaces veer on the nostalgic: The atrium lobby has painted barrel-vaulted ceilings, 100-year-old stained-glass skylights, bas-relief moldings, and ornate crystal chandeliers. It’s an atmospheric backdrop for the hotel’s “Riffs on the Rails,” a weekly series of live music performances.

I have eaten a lot of pizza in my time, but Kesté is different. It’s been been firing up serious, foodie-level delicious pizza on Bleecker Street since 2009. Owner Roberto Caporuscio was born and raised outside Naples, Italy, where he studied the art of pizza making with the masters. His pizzeria has won accolades from national food critics, as well as pizza lovers. The 950-degree oven turns out perfectly-cooked pizzas—with bubbling, chewy, slightly burned crusts—in less than two minutes. The wide-ranging menu covers traditional pizzas, gluten-free options, panini (lunch only), and creative pies, including: Pistacchio e Salsiccia (pistachio pesto, sausage, pecorino romano, homemade buffalo mozzarella, basil); Pizza del Papa (butternut squash cream, red and yellow peppers, zucchini, imported smoked buffalo mozzarella); and Sorrentina (imported smoked buffalo mozzarella, sliced lemons, basil). My favorite is Salciccia e Friarielli (broccoli rabe and sausage with imported smoked mozzarella). The slight bitterness of the greens, the hearty sausage, and the smoky, creamy cheese on their trademark crust smells, looks, and tastes heavenly.

Every year from the weekend after Thanksgiving until New Years’ Eve, the typically quiet street of 34th street in Hampden transforms into an over-the-top Christmas light display, affectionately called “Miracle on 34th Street.” Folks moving into the neighborhood know what they’re signing up for as each house on 34th street between Keswick St and Chestnut St in Hampden participates enthusiastically. In the neighborhood, Hampden, which inspired many John Waters favorites (think Hairspray!), the decorations are not your typical suburban light display. You’ll find hubcap Christmas trees, nativity scenes made of old records, and of course the light displays that pay homage to Baltimore pride (crabs, National Bohemian - aka Natty Boh, the Utz girl, and of course, the Ravens). On some nights, a few houses open up their homes - one of which showcases his amazing metal art. This is an excellent activity for kids both young and old and you can always follow it up with a delicious meal from one of the many great restaurants on the nearby “Avenue” (36th St).

Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is revered as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The temple is located on the grounds of the Grand Palace at the historic center of Bangkok, and it is a highly important site to the Thai national identity. The Emerald Buddha itself is a 26-inch-high statue hewn from a single piece of deep-green jade stone, and no one but the Thai King is allowed to touch it. Visit the shrine to understand an intimate piece of Thai culture, but be sure to exercise the utmost respect!

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.)

When Southern Ocean Lodge, the flagship property of Australian hotel brand Baillie Lodges, opened in 2008, it was Kangaroo Island’s first true luxury lodge, known for its cinematic spot atop grass-covered limestone cliffs, with curved guest suites facing the namesake seas. Surrounded on three sides by national parks, Southern Ocean Lodge connected travelers with Australia’s powerful natural landscapes. Then in early January 2020, wildfires consumed more than half of Kangaroo Island, reducing the ecological paradise to sandy hills and blackened branches. Southern Ocean Lodge was a casualty of the blaze.


As AFAR’s Katherine LaGrave reported in her feature on the island, rebuilding began in earnest in February 2022, with the goal of becoming more sustainable: “The new lodge will use 25 percent less energy than the original lodge, and diesel fuel consumption will be halved. There will be rainwater harvesting, reliance on a hybrid solar-and-battery system, and elevated boardwalks to minimize impact on the health of coastal plants. Smart landscaping will create a sort of buffer around the lodge.”



Along with the new sustainable choices, the lodge has replicated the footprint of the original property, with 25 guest rooms slightly reoriented to optimize sea views. A new ultra-premium suite, the Ocean Pavilion, has up to four bedrooms and bathrooms (or two separate suites) with an outdoor terrace and private pool. And the ever-popular main lodge still has a Great Room with a suspended fireplace and a deck with a plunge pool that juts toward the sea.

Occupying 28 ocean-front acres on the northwest coast of the Bay of Culebra, Andaz Peninsual Papagayo evokes its natural surroundings at every turn. Costa Rican architect Ronald Zürcher took an organic approach to the design of the buildings, modeling rooflines on shapes found in the shells and cocoons that appear on local shores and in the jungle canopy.

Even standard rooms—which are sprinkled over a hillside that’s bookended with beaches—elicit a strong sense of place with hand-carved artifacts, forest views, and walk-in rain showers that open to large balconies, blurring the line between indoors and outside. (Luxury seekers can upgrade to a suite to take advantage of soaking tubs and private plunge pools.)

For the actively inclined, there’s a golf course, tennis course, and access to nearby zip-lining, though no one would blame you for kicking your feet up by a pool overlooking the bay; there’s an adults-only infinity pool as well. Ostra serves fresh seafood caught in local waters, while Chao Pescao offers the ultimate expression of pura vida with tapas and small plates, a first-rate mixologist, and live music and dancing on Saturday nights.

Established in 1800, the Library of Congress is the oldest federal institution in the United States. The library was destroyed by British troops just 14 years after its conception, and Congress used Thomas Jefferson’s collection of 6,487 volumes to replace it. Today, the collection of the Library of Congress—housed across three buildings—grows by approximately 12,000 items a day and is the second largest library in the world with 164 million items and 838 miles of shelves (that’s farther than the distance from Washington, D.C. to Chicago!). The library holds the world’s largest collection of comic books and one of only three remaining Gutenberg bibles. The Library of Congress offers daily guided tours to explore its historic collection and famous Beaux-Arts architecture.—Miranda Smith

At Brussels Bistro, best friends Thomas and Nicolas bring a taste of Belgium to Laguna with everything from Belgian beers on tap to large pots of mussels and fries double-cooked in beef fat. Also on the menu is a hearty beef stew served in a traditional Le Creuset pot, and a divine roasted salmon with sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and Belgian stoemp (a type of mashed potato). Stop by on a Tuesday night and you can get all-you-can-eat mussels and fries for just $29, meaning you’ll have money left over to sample Belgian brews like Bavik, Houblon Chouffe, and Hoegaarden.

Deemed the second-smallest Catholic church in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1983, St. Francis by the Sea clocks in at just 1,008 square feet, with room for just 42 people at Sunday mass. While it’s certainly diminutive, it more than makes up for its size in charm. In addition to hosting regular services, the church is home to the National “Sick Call” Set Museum, which features kits from as far back as the 1880s that were used to perform last rites. In the choir loft, visitors can peruse everything from crucifixes and bowls for holy water to devotional items like statues, then head downstairs to ogle the church’s beautiful stained-glass windows and wood-beamed ceilings. Though St. Francis doesn’t hold regular hours, guests are welcome following Sunday mass or during larger Laguna Beach tours.