Search results for

No matter how many times you visit New York City, there’s always something new to discover. Whether it’s a new show on Broadway, art exhibitions at the Met, or another jewel in the city’s culinary crown, you’ll find new favorites, every time.

Doha is not Disneyland, mainly because of its harsh weather. But this doesn’t mean that the city doesn’t have pockets of indoor and outdoor fun for the little ones. Gondolania, Megapolis, Circus Land, and Jungle Zone are just a few of the places visitors with children should visit. From ice rinks to bowling alleys to state-of-the-art simulators, Doha offers a great deal of indoor fun. For those wanting to soak up some sun, Aqua Park, Al-Khor Park, and Umm Bab Beach are children’s favorites.

Zurich’s locals are fanatical about swimming and the best way to join them is to take a plunge into one of the badis, or outdoor pools. Strandbad Mythenquai is popular, not only because it’s the only badi in Zurich with a beach, but because of its five-meter diving board. One of the most aesthetically pleasing badis is the art deco Frauenbad Stadthausquai, and the oldest in Zurich is the Männerbad Schanzengraben, a spot surrounded by an ivy-laden wall.

Welcome to Santa Fe’s fabled restorative and healing arts. For centuries, the inflicted and ill have sought healing in the dry climate, natural hot springs, and pristine air. Most wellness centers use scented elements of pinion, sage, and lavender in their treatments. Restorative techniques hail from ancient local remedies, as well as from Thai and Indonesian therapies. Yoga and mediation are here, too.

Genoa may get overlooked for more famous Italian cities such as Venice, Rome, and Florence, but it’s a hidden gem for those in the know. The art deco icon, Meliá Génova, makes for a great base for exploration or for a touch of nostalgia book a stay at the Excelsior Palace, home to Italy’s first casino. For a truly grand Italian seaside experience, a classic Ligurian villa overlooking the waters of the Riviera di Levante.

The museum’s collection and calendar of exhibits is a little more daring than you might imagine, but the permanent installation of James Turrell’s Knight Rise presents visitors with the biggest art jolt of all. The work, open to the public for free, consists of a circular bench beneath a luminous domed ceiling. An elliptical hole cut into the top of the dome contains a glimpse of sky. When observed in this manner, even the clearest desert sky seems to shift and pulse and fill the window with pure exuberant color. Come at dawn or sunset for the best (and often most solitary) viewing.

This hotel is on our list of The 10 Best Hotels in Canada.

Fogo Island Inn sits at the very edge of the north Atlantic on isolated Fogo Island in Newfoundland. Designed by internationally renowned architect Todd Saunders, the inn’s arresting modern appearance is suggests an iceberg from a distance, with its raised section representing the island’s traditional stilted fishing platforms. But when visitors get close, they see the wooden boards layered together, and it’s clear that everything is handmade. The by-hand ethos covers all the furniture and furnishings, created by local artisans who’ve worked with artists in residence to create contemporary versions of traditional objects.

Staying at the inn is admittedly expensive, but this is essentially a living art piece that supports the local community and aims to honor the island’s past while carrying it to the future. It feels like a grand home with attentive staff. A private 42-seat cinema, partnered with the National Film Board, carries a movie library for guests to enjoy at any time; there’s also an art gallery, a well-stocked library, and a supply of Gore-Tex hiking boots and other outdoor equipment to borrow. The inn shows off the dazzling landscape, and it’s easy to spend all day at the windows watching the sea while whales breech, icebergs float past, or storms dash on the rocks.

Established in 1837, Nasjonalgalleriet (The National Gallery) houses the country’s largest public collection of paintings, drawings, and sculptures. The focus is mainly on Norwegian art, featuring works by Munch (his perhaps most famous work, The Scream, is on display here), but the museum also displays works by international artists, such as several French Impressionists. There’s also a completely charming café and small gift shop inside. P.S. Nasjonalgalleriet is connected to several other museums and galleries in Oslo (like The Museum of Contemporary Art, The National Museum of Architecture, and The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design) and your entry ticket gives you access to all of them – not a bad deal at all!

Located one street back from the tram line in Sultanahmet, Tribal Art Home’s owner Nihat and his assistant Yekta will help you browse their extensive range of hand-crafted ceramics, mosaic lanterns, candle holders, waterpipes (nargile), and textiles—wall hangings, cushion covers, and handbags. The bargaining is minimal as the prices quoted are already reasonable. The guys here can pack and wrap your purchases for safe transportation home. If you’re concerned about the weight of your suitcase, door to door delivery via international post can be organized. Do know that parcel post from Turkey can be expensive, so check the prices by weight before committing.

The Te Papa museum combines New Zealand’s dramatic history with its high-tech present. Don’t miss the traditional greenstone and wood carvings or the 60-foot wall of constantly changing images, videos, and words manipulated by remote-control-wielding visitors. 55 Cable St., 64/(0) 4-381-7000. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.

It’s one of those buildings that you walk by all the time, yet have no idea what goes on inside. What does go on inside? Well, plenty. The Navarre Building was a bordello, fancy dining club, and jazz hot spot, and is now an art museum housing one of the best Western Art collections in the country. The Anschutz Collection is now open to the public three days a week. Go absorb some culture, and be sure to ask about the secret tunnels that used to shuttle “ladies of the night” to and from the Brown Palace hotel across the street.

Artesanías de Chile is a joint effort between the Chilean government and over 2,000 artisans from north to south to support their craft with three stores in Santiago now: Bellavista, Moneda Government Palace, and SCL Airport. The pieces are unique and made with first class quality ranging from hand-thrown clay pots (greda), ornaments made with “crin de caballo” (horse tail), Mapuche earrings and weavings, alpaca shawls, and wooden bowls among others. Every sale directly supports the artisans along with government initiatives to train them in their craft. Bellavista 357, Bellavista Phone: 56 (2) 2235 2014

It has been a decade since the major museums on the Museumplein—a grassy square connecting Amsterdam’s main art centers—have all been open at the same time. Here’s what to check out at Stedelijk Museum. The modern art gallery’s controversial new wing (the exterior looks like a giant bathtub) houses a restaurant, a gift store, and expanded exhibition spaces.

If you’re concerned about the provenance of handcrafts and whether your purchase will genuinely benefit the craftsperson or artist who made it, then confine your shopping to FONART. This government-sponsored project ensures that all of its products were made by Mexican artists and that creators receive a fair rate for their work. Prices here are higher than you’ll find for similar goods sold in the city’s markets, but you can rest easy knowing that the hand-painted wooden chest, embroidered blouse, or black pottery from Oaxaca was made by a legitimate artisan who will receive payment for their craft.

Many of the Mexico City markets, especially La Ciudadela, sell huipiles, the loose-fitting, hand-embroidered blouses that many Mexican women traditionally wore. Sometimes, though, you can’t be sure of their provenance and quality isn’t always consistent. At FONART, the National Fund for the Development of Artisans, however, you can be sure that the huipiles and other pieces of clothing you’re buying, such as scarves, are handmade by artisans who are from Mexico, and that they’re crafted from the finest traditional materials. FONART has several stores in Mexico City, including one centrally located on Avenida Reforma near the Fiestamericana Hotel and this one near the Alameda on Avenida Juárez.

Fete Paradiso, the much buzzed about traveling vintage French carnival that has taken over Governor’s Island for the summer, features an incredible collection of extremely rare artisan-crafted carousels, rides and games. Families and Francophiles have been lining up for the 5-minute ferry from downtown Manhattan since opening weekend, which coincided with Bastille Day, to check out this whimsical weekend fair. A few of Fete’s highlights include the late 19th century bicycle carousel (one of only 2 bicycle carousels left in the world — the other, featured in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, is in France), a Chinese Dragon Carousel with a misleading name (though our daredevil 2 year old didn’t mind being whipped around fast and then backwards) and a ball-toss game with life-size caricatures of Charlie Chaplin and Edith Piaf called the Music Hall Ball Guzzler. Set to run from now until September 29th, 2013