Search results for

Outside of Carnival time, you’ll find very little in the Caribbean that’s actually open 24/7. Major hotels and resorts are the exception, of course, though even they don’t usually offer much of anything to eat that doesn’t come by way of room service.

Not so at the Jamaica Pegasus. One of Kingston’s leading business hotels, the Pegasus is where I found the 24 Seven Cafe.

It was ungodly late... Saturday night... the jerk chicken I’d devoured earlier in the evening a distant memory.

24 Seven Cafe to the rescue! Sandwiches, muffins, sweets, and what must be some of Kingston’s finest ice cream are all on offer here anytime, day or night.

Drink selections range from coffee, tea, sodas headlined by the local fave Ting to Red Stripe and a few other beers for those who want to keep the party going. 24 Seven Cafe is located in the lobby of the Jamaica Pegasus hotel. Night owls won’t want to miss it.

Walk, cycle or people-watch along the shores of Elliott Bay, a downtown stretch known for its circusy flair and spectacular vistas. You can ride the Great Wheel or visit the beloved Seattle Aquarium, home to wolf eels, sea otters, and the world’s largest octopuses. Refuel with chowder from local favorite Ivar’s Acres of Clams, then hit the market’s 200 owner-operated shops, ranging from a radical book collection to the Northwest’s oldest magic store. Just don’t turn your back on the famous salmon-slinging fishmongers: They’ve been known to wallop selfie-photographers with a plastic decoy for yucks!

Cape Town’s Table Mountain National Park, which hugs the perimeter of the city, is so popular that the line for the cable car to the top can be longer than a queue for a Disneyland ride. But why stand in line when you can put your feet to use? There are several routes that lead to the top of the 3,562-foot, flat-topped mountain, including the two-mile Platteklip Gorge trail. Yes, it’s steep, but startling views of the city and the Atlantic await. Trek, get hungry, then picnic on local provisions—crackers, Dutch-style Gouda, and biltong, the thick-sliced South African jerky—before riding the cable car back down.

This refined 28-acre resort set in the rolling hills between downtown Sonoma and downtown Napa makes guests feel relaxed the moment they check in. The vistas are unobstructed from the resort’s pool areas, and many of the property’s 94 stand-alone cottages with private balconies and six private homes offer views of the open space, too. By day, lawn games are usually underway on the grassy expanse called the Town Square, while in the evenings, a pavilion provides an unparalleled backdrop for stargazing. This is a hotel that values fresh air, as evidenced by the walls in the common areas, which retract to bring the outdoors in. There are other reasons to fall in love with Carneros—namely, the on-site restaurants. The casual Boon Fly Café is famous for breakfasts, with spicy bacon Bloody Mary drinks and tiny made-to-order doughnuts. FARM, on the other hand, is more formal, with menu items such as braised oxtail terrine and smoked Sonoma duck breast. While the hotel offers in-room massages, it will also reopen its spa after a full-scale renovation later in 2018.

We know that you love the DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies. But along with cookies, at the DoubleTree By Hilton Alana-Waikiki Beach you will also get a great room for a terrific price in a convenient location right in Waikiki. Sort of a secret known to some smart leisure guests and a score of business travelers, the DoubleTree Alana is a quick two-block walk to the most beautiful stretch of Waikiki Beach in front of sister hotel the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Here guests can book a spa day or arrange S.U.P. or surf lessons with beach services at the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon. You can enjoy a day of sun and fun playing in the gentle waves of Waikiki, or stay and frolic in the DoubleTree Alana‘s sparkling, heated pool. Check-in is a breeze here with a valet right out front to take care of your car. Some of the friendliest front desk personnel in Waikiki will greet you with their warm aloha spirit and there is even a desk to arrange any tours or excursions you might like. Up in your recently-refreshed room or suite, you can step out onto your private lanai for partial or peek-a-boo views of the Pacific Ocean or Oahus verdant mountains. We did mention convenience. If you like to shop, Ala Moana Shopping Center is a 10 minute walk and even faster by car. Also in center of Waikiki there are lots of high-end shopping, most notably is the new International Marketplace. If sightseeing is more your speed the hotel is right on Ala Moana Blvd. which can take you either towards Kalakaua Ave. and Diamond Head, the Honolulu Zoo or Waikiki Aquarium or in the Ewa direction to visit ‘Iolani Palace, Chinatown or out to the North Shore. Several packages are offered online to make this hotel an even greater value. Check out the breakfast packages too. The hotel has a lovely restaurant called Trees Restaurant & Bar so named because it is surrounded by palm trees. The morning buffet begins at 6 am and features local produce, fruit, a made-to-order omelet station, and island favorite baked goods like poi malasadas. Happy Hour heats up at 4:30 pm with tropical drink specials and local brews along with island-style pupu (nibbles) until 7pm. But you can stay and enjoy pizzas, Angus Rib Eye, Garlic Shrimp and burgers available for dinner until 10pm. Downstairs there is also a unique breakfast hot-spot called Hiking Hawaii Café. It‘s open from 7am to 5pm with local, organic items made from scratch and healthy raw energy juices made to order. What about the hiking? Well the owner loves to feed people healthy food and she loves to hike. So in addition to her café, she offers daily hikes to her favorite spots with a few secret spots thrown in. Sign up for a hike right there. For menu: www.hikinghawaii808.com Well why wait a minute longer to book? Your cookie is waiting, Aloha. For additional info on the island of Oahu visit : https://www.gohawaii.com/islands/oahu

To get on the Doha Bus, go to the Marriott Hotel located two miles from the Museum of Islamic Art and get your 24-hour ticket on the Doha Bus, the only open-top sightseeing tour of Doha. With its hop-on-and-off services, the Doha bus gives you the flexibility to explore at your pace everything the city has to offer. A bright yellow bus will take you from one end of the Corniche to the other, making 18 stops along the way, while an English speaking audio guide tells you the significance of each attraction, which includes The Sharq Village, The Museum of Islamic Art, the Dhow Wharf, The Sheraton and Rumailah Parks, and The Pearl. Hop on and hop off at your leisure. Tickets are 180 QA ($50) for adults and 90QR ($25) for children. The ticket includes complimentary chilled water on board.

Though his reputation is now arguably overshadowed by that of his former wife, painter and muralist Diego Rivera—commissioned by Mexico’s postrevolutionary governments starting in the late 1920s to adorn several national monuments in complex, pageantry- and allegory-laden wall paintings—was among the first Mexican artists to gain worldwide acclaim. Many of his finest works are on display in the Centro Histórico. Perhaps most spectacular are Rivera’s portrayals of Mexico’s millennia-long history, as seen in the Palacio Nacional on the Zócalo (Mexico City’s main square; take a state-issued ID for admission to the palace); a more contemporary depiction of socialist workers’ struggles (and one which includes a Frida Kahlo cameo) decorates a courtyard at the Secretariat of Public Education. One of the artist’s earliest pieces can be seen inside the amphitheater at the San Ildefonso museum. Additionally, the dazzling Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central, a surrealist who’s-who of Mexico’s turbulent fin de siècle, is the chief artwork on display at the nearby Museo Mural Diego Rivera.

While not as large as other ancient Mayan cities in the region, Tulum draws in visitors for its stunning setting of centuries-old temples perched on a cliff by the Caribbean Sea. You’ll pass a large market with souvenirs, a casual Mexican restaurant, and even a Starbucks before reaching the entrance, where a train can take you to the site if you’re not up for the 10-minute walk. It’s advisable to hire a guide to fully understand each structure’s significance and the history behind the ruins; informative signage is all but nonexistent. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit, as the site encompasses a white-sand beach with soothing waves and beautiful rock formations that’s reached by a long wooden staircase.

Quartier de Poterie – where I watched Moroccan artisans create plates, tiles, bowls, fountains etc. from clay to, man gauged wood fired kiln, to hand painting, and finished glazed products for sale in the shop.

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.

Barbuda’s most accessible beaches are located on its equally stunning southern shore. Here you’ll find the gorgeous Coral Group Bay and Access Beach, located about a half-mile north of Coco Point, which is where to head for excellent just offshore DIY snorkeling amid untouched coral reefs. There is more fantastic snorkeling in the unpolluted waters of Gravenor Bay, which is located between Coco and Spanish Points, and is home to thriving reef formations. Coco Point is where Barbuda’s leeward and windward sides meet. Make sure to walk out to this tip – it feels like walking the end of the world. The uninhabited peninsula that leads down to Spanish Point is also of note, as archaeologists believe it was once the location of a major Arawak settlement and today tours are offered to the caves where walls are adorned with ancient drawings. This area is also home to one of the island’s three resorts, the Coco Point Lodge.

I like hotels in general, but there’s a special place in my heart for national park lodges. The range of accommodations usually encompasses several levels of vacation budgets (Yay for patriotic inclusiveness!) and there’s nothing better than waking up surrounded by the very sights and sounds you’ve traveled to see. Denali National Park doesn’t have any NPS-owned lodges, but you can get pretty danged close in terms of atmosphere and location (the park is right on the other side of the roaring Nenana River) by staying at this sprawling Holland America-run resort. Recently renovated accommodations include deluxe rooms and suites in buildings strategically placed along the river and deluxe rooms in the Canyon Lodge building. All buildings are served by a shuttle service and linked by paths. Decorated with historic photographs and rustic-chic touches, my suite room was a dreamy blend of civilization and wild surroundings. Falling asleep to the soundtrack of a rushing river just feet from my window was perfect way to end a day spent in the park. [This photo is a view from my window just before midnight in late June. Midnight!]
Ann Shields traveled to Alaska and the Yukon with Holland America Line as part of AFAR’s partnership with the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), whose members provide travelers with unparalleled access, insider knowledge, and peace-of-mind to destinations across the globe. For more on Ann’s journey, visit the USTOA blog.

This “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven” was once the heart of Korea. It was the power center of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897), and was originally built in 1395—some new digs for a new dynasty. Like the Forbidden City in Beijing, the palace is a complex of buildings—a throne hall, the king’s living quarters and more—a sort of city inside a city, accented by gardens and pavilions. The Japanese flattened the place in the 1590s, and the site remained a ruin until a complete reconstruction in 1867 brought back more than 500 buildings. At the Gwanghwamun Gate, soldiers, beautifully costumed in red robes, still perform the changing of the guard. Seoul has other palaces, but this is the one to see if your time in town is limited.

A pilgrimage to this enchanting park is a must for any Antoni Gaudí fan. Located atop Carmel Hill to the north of the city, the park was inspired by English landscape gardens, but its fantastical elements make sure you know it was created by Catalonia’s most eccentric architect. Though there are multiple entrances, the most impressive is via a grand staircase guarded by an enormous, mosaic-tiled dragon. It leads to a sprawling plaza with a mosaic-covered cement bench stretching some 328 feet around the perimeter. Park Güell was originally designed as a gated residential development, but it failed; a show home built to lure buyers is now the Gaudí House Museum (not included with park admission). Visitors should reserve an online ticket to avoid lines.

What was in the mid-20th-century just an inexpensive area to build warehouses and showrooms along the Trinity River has evolved into a vibrant live/work community that’s home to noted restaurants, trendy hangouts, upscale apartment buildings, and—true to its name—a wide array of design-focused businesses. Whether you’re in the market for a French impressionist painting or an edgy installation, the galleries along Dragon Street have got you covered, while Slocum Street is the place for antiques, decorative pieces, and midcentury furnishings, and Howell Street is a treasure trove of vintage and thrift shops. Enjoy an upscale meal at Oak, a beer at the Meddlesome Moth or Texas Ale Project, a cold treat at Pop Star Handcrafted Popsicles, or a cooking class–meets–dinner party at The Cookery. Keep an eye out for Eagles co-founder Don Henley, who built a private recording studio in the area.