Search results for

Dilli Haat is an open-air market with 62 stalls that features both permanent and transitional vendors, allowing original items to be introduced regularly. The space, designed to resemble a traditional village market, was created to showcase products from across India. There is an application process to determine the temporary vendors who generally stay for 15 days. Items include textiles, crafts, clothing, shoes, beads, gems, and art, as well as a food court with specialty items from across the country. The small entrance fee and gated exterior keep unwanted panhandlers at bay, allowing for a leisurely shopping experience. Though prices are reasonable, bargaining is still encouraged. Dilli Haat is a favorite jaunt for locals and tourists, adding to the diversity of the experience.

A classic fish house in the sleepy village of Savaneta, Zeerover is all about fresh, Aruban-style seafood. Cooled by ocean breezes, the spot may feel like a bit of a dive to some, but its fish comes straight from the sea—in fact, you can watch from the restaurant’s perch on the pier as fishermen pull in their catch. The menu reflects whatever the boats bring in that day, often snapper, wahoo, or even barracuda, and includes savory sides like banana hasa (plantains), pan bati (corn bread pancakes), and funchi (fritters). Be sure to also try the shrimp; the peel-and-eat delicacies are always cooked to perfection. Note: The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

Welcome to the vagina island, no joke (the rough English translation of the word Huahine is vagina). And although no one knows exactly where the name originated, historians think it has to do with the important role women played in the island’s history. Comprised of two islands – the more developed Huahine Nui (Big Huahine) to the north, and Huahine Iti (Little Huahine) to the south – there isn’t a lot to do here, but the unpretentious and relatively sleepy vibe appeals to budget travelers and surfers, as Huahine has some of the cheapest beds and best breaks in all of French Polynesia. It is also home to untouched beaches, isolated coves, enchanted azure lagoons and the most extensive complex of pre-European marae in French Polynesia. It also has a noticeable lack of luxury resorts, making it still feel like a Robinson Crusoe style getaway. Some of the most consistent and best surf in French Polynesia is found off Huahine’s shores, but local surfers can be very possessive, so make sure you check with them before hitting up their turn. This is also not the place for novices, as the left and right reef breaks can chew you up pretty badly. Huahine is also home to some great dive spots, including a canyon where you can see barracuda, jackfish, rays and sharks. For snorkeling head to Fare, which has a pretty sand beach just north of town and a wide, translucent lagoon that drops off quickly for excellent snorkeling around coral and through schools of multi-hued fish.

The Curacao Marriott is currently closed for renovations. It is slated to reopen in late 2018.

The Curacao Marriott Beach Resort may be one of the best located hotels I’ve ever been to. Situated on a private beach in Piscadera Bay, the resort feels like the height of secluded and elegant resorts. It’s also a short three-mile drive from the capital of Curacao, Willemstad; the free shuttle delivering guests to the heart of this colorful city. Whether or not you’re looking to just lounge by the pool or get out and explore the island, the Marriott makes it easy to do it all.

This hotel has changed ownership and is now The Whitley, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Atlanta, Buckhead.

Located in one of the swankiest areas of Atlanta, this Ritz-Carlton property epitomizes Southern sophistication and class. From its large luxury spa and stunning pool to its suites with bay windows that frame city views, the hotel has all the major amenities and small touches you would expect from a four-star property. No matter what room you stay in, you’ll rest on 400-thread-count sheets and down pillows and get pampered with Asprey bath products from England. Club Level accommodations also include special access to the Club Lounge, where you can enjoy breakfast, snacks, and hors d’oeuvres while taking in panoramas of Atlanta.

During your stay, you don’t have to be an anonymous face. Get to know the hotel a little better at the manager’s reception every Wednesday evening in the lobby, where you can help yourself to wine and cheese, and the sommelier-led wine tasting in the Café every Friday evening. Both events are free for guests. Kids get special time, too: On Friday nights a family-friendly “dive-in” movie is projected at the pool and comes with popcorn.

Turtle Inn is one of two upscale resort properties in Belize owned by American movie director Francis Ford Coppola. (The other is Blancaneaux.) This inn is in the town of Placencia, but despite its proximity to the town’s services, the privacy afforded by the resort makes guests feel insulated and more isolated than they actually are. The cabana-style accommodations are luxurious and spacious, with high ceilings and exceptional attention to design detail. The architecture blends in with the environment, but inside the cabanas and villas, guests will feel as if they’ve been transported to another part of the world. The decor is inspired by Bali, with hand-carved wooden wardrobes and trunks and richly embroidered textiles and tapestries. These sit alongside ultramodern amenities and conveniences, such as Delonghi espresso machines and iPod docking stations. Common areas include a triangle-shaped, infinity-edge pool and a gift shop with pricey luxury goods, including handbags and clothing.

Soak up the endless horizon on this 15k tramp alongside Lake Wanaka. Why is this worth your Kiwi time? The rolling and winding track that follows the lake’s edge provides an unobstructed and ridiculous view of the snowcapped mountain tops (head over in spring for sunny skies and cool winds). Park your car in one of the lakefront car parks in town and head clockwise along the lake. You’ll pass Waterfall Creek and the small Damper Bay before you reach Glendhu Bay. The only thing that is missing here are sculptures of hobbits, dwarves, and trolls (just saying).

An epic canyon, Wadi Mujib serves as the last gasp of the Great Rift Valley. Where one of its many mouths opens to the Dead Sea, you’ll find the Mujib Biosphere Reserve—the lowest nature reserve in the world. Within the park, there are a series of marked trails that lead through the canyon or over the hills from the reception center, as well as stylish chalets overlooking the water that guests can book for longer stays. Winter is a particularly good time to visit for bird-watching, as flocks stop here on their migration between Europe and Africa. That being said, most people come for the chance to walk, or wade, up the canyon along the Siq Trail, a nearly two-mile path that ends at a spectacular waterfall. Don’t bring anything that can’t get wet, and know that the Siq Trail is closed in winter and early spring due to the risk of flash floods.

Bermuda waited 45 years for a new-build hotel, but the Loren has proved worth it. Situated on eight acres fronting the turquoise sea near the center of the archipelago, the architecturally sleek luxury property eschews standard tropical patterns and pastel palettes in favor of warm modernism, with world-class art, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a sculptural glass staircase off the lobby. Each suite provides a plush landing thanks to marble baths with freestanding tubs and private terraces with ocean views, plus sumptuous Sferra towels and bath products by Malin + Goetz. For those who don’t want to drive the 20 minutes to Hamilton, the elegant seasonal cuisine at Marée (Bermudan baby greens with goat cheese croquettes and wild strawberries, local snapper with fava bean puree) exceeds expectations, and the botanical-infused treatments at the beachside spa will make the real world seem like a distant memory.

Shopping is a hobby for some of the incredibly rich and maybe famous who sail into Monaco‘s harbor. The Pavillons Monte Carlo is an otherworldly shopping center where Madame can dress from head to toe starting with a tiara! More down to earth luxury budgets may be satisfied at Le Dressing consignment shop. Très design souvenirs can be found in the gift shops at the Nouveau Musée Nationale de Monaco contemporary art museums and the Monaco Yacht Club. Foodies will find their pleasure with the Pavé du Rocher, a sweet available at the official supplier to the Prince, bakery Mullot. Check your change as you go, you may be one of the lucky few to receive a rare Monaco-designed euro. The most modest budgets can have their passport stamped at the tourist office as a free keepsake of their visit. Photo (tiara) : Sylvia Sabes Photo (pavillons) : Palais Princier/ Monte Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

Lambityeco rose to prominence around the time of the decline the great Zapotec capital Monte Alban, roughly 700 A.D. The site was originally excavated in the 1960s, although some restoration work has been done since that time. Among the buildings to visit there are two important palaces, some temples and a patio, as well as a temazcal steam bath. This is just a small part of what was a much larger city. Evidently, Lambityeco was a salt production center (obtained through distillation of saline groundwater) and was an important stop in the Prehispanic trade route. This site has some examples of elaborate stucco work that are not common in ancient sites in Oaxaca. Besides the figure of Cocijo, the Zapotec rain god, pictured, there are also depictions of Zapotec rulers. This small archaeological site is often overlooked, but it is easy to visit. It is located right by the side of the highway, in the eastern valley of Oaxaca, just before Tlacolula.

This handicraft shop in the center of Oaxaca is run by a group of women artisans. It’s one of the best places in town to purchase well-priced handicrafts, and it’s satisfying to know that the profits go to the women who produce the pieces. Walk through the various rooms—don’t forget to look on the second floor—and make your selections, then make your way to the front of the shop to pay. The little tin magnets near the entrance always catch my eye. There’s a huge variety of designs, and they’re so inexpensive. What better way to keep the memories of your trip alive than with a fridge magnet? But there’s so much more to choose from—lovely embroidered blouses, rebozos, leather huaraches, woven handbags, pottery, rugs, tin work, and jewelry... they’ve got it all.

The Harris Farms retail center that began openings in 2013 has a few additions for 2014, the first being the highly-anticipated Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta owned by Iceberg’s Maurice Terzini. Terzini hired a pizza chef from Naples, who cooks fluffy, stretchy, and perfectly charred pies in a wood-fired, brick oven. You can’t go wrong with the margherita-like Reginella, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, try the Prosciutto, the Diavoletta (topped with hot salami), or the vegetarian Caponatina (with zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper). Since porchetta is also in the restaurant’s name, you have to order some pig; your options are a pork platter served with lemon wedges or the Focaccia Con Porchetta sandwich. Desserts are Italian classics plus a cleansing dish of watermelon. Judging by the noise and the crowds, the pizza here will be tough to beat.

What is more romantic than an intricate and well-used Spanish fan? Fans are a highly personal item, and like perfume, one should only use the best they can find (or so my mother always said). For the royal minded there is only one choice, Casa de Diego. Founded in 1858, this a business steeped in international approval, and the generations have been privileged to create masterpiece shawls, umbrellas, and of course fans for royal families all over the world. Proudly facing the Puerta del Sol is the window display of fans, giving only a glimmer into the magic on the other side of the doors. Right outside is the hustle and bustle of city center, but inside the shop you are transported to a haven of beauty. Take home a piece of Spanish tradition with you, and smile every time you fan yourself, remembering Madrid.

With shops offering enough pumps, boots, spike heels, designer clothes, cosmetics, suitcases and specialty foods to satisfy the fussiest shopper, Leidsestraat attracts droves of tourists, locals and fashionistas. Whether you’re searching for high style, camp shoes, Dutch cheese or soft drugs, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for in the boutiques, high-end department stores, specialty shops and coffeeshops on this busy passenger byway and the small streets shooting off from it. Running from Koningsplein to Leidseplein, Leidsestraat continues the shopping adventure where Kalverstraat (Amsterdam‘s other pedestrian shopping street) leaves off. Walking south, you’ll know you’ve reached it when you come to the flower stands at the Bloemenmarkt. Popular draws include Sissy Boy, Replay, Abercrombie & Fitch, Metz & Co., Cora Kemperman, V & D, Eicholtz and a Henri Willig Cheese & More shop. As you approach Leideseplein, one of Amsterdam’s entertainment squares, more souvenir shops, fast food options and money changing outlets appear. Watch out for trams running down the center of the pedestrian byway!