Search results for

Though few tourists venture to Kingston, the capital and hub on the eastern coast of Jamaica, music fans should make the day trip to visit Bob Marley’s former home, now a museum dedicated to Marley’s life and impact on the world. A guided tour of this museum takes about an hour and a half and includes a 20-minute video presentation. Even devoted reggae fans will likely learn more about Bob than they ever knew. Exhibits include multiple awards, guitars, and his bed with an engraved headboard depicting a lion.

An often overlooked fishing village located just 10 miles south of Negril, Little Bay’s small, crescent-shaped shores and white sands will tug at your inner beach bum. There are a couple of local guesthouse options in these parts, and not much else happening within walking distance—except a slice of daily Jamaican life and some sea activities such as kayaking and snorkeling off the nearby reef. Bob Marley loved Little Bay so much, he had a house here and wrote lyrics from this beach. It’s an easy day trip from Negril and a nice spot for shutterbugs.

Never heard of Esben Holmboe Bang? Experience a night at Maaemo and you’ll never forget his name. The Danish chef is the culinary genius behind Norway‘s prime Michelin-starred foodie destination. The restaurant’s interior is deliberately sparse to keep your focus on the seasonal menu, which blends ingredients sourced from biodynamic farms and foraging trips in the Norwegian mountains to create an unforgettable series of courses. You’ve got to book months in advance to snap up a table, but parties of more than two can lock down a reservation sooner.

Hangzhou is an easy day trip from Shanghai, just 45 minutes by bullet train from Hongqiao Station. Hangzhou is the home of China’s prized Longjing green tea, which you can taste at the China National Tea Museum. The city is also known for its temples and for beautiful West Lake, captured in countless photos and classical Chinese paintings. Lingyin Temple is one of China’s largest Buddhist temples, which dates back to the 4th century (although most of the buildings that visitors see today are contemporary reconstructions of Qing Dynasty structures). In front of the temple is the Feilai Feng grotto, with more than 300 rock reliefs of Buddha, some dating from the 10th century.

Set tight in the jungles around Hotel Casa Chameleon, at Las Catalinas, the restaurant Sentido Norte is 45 minutes from the Guanacaste provincial capital, Liberia. A hilltop restaurant helmed by Costa Rican chef José López, it showcases a mix of local tastes and other modern classics, from sunrise until sunset daily. French toast with plantains, and ceviche punta penca (shrimp, octopus, and avocado) are current top orders; don’t miss the liquid enchantment on offer at the bar, perfect for sunsets, and aguas de sapo, a sweet, spiky pop made with guaro aguardiente.

Reachable only by boat, Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa has incredible views of virgin forest, mountains, and water. The Aysén region is one of the least accessible, less touristy areas of Chile, and it’s really worth going the extra mile. The hotel was created by businessman Eberhard Kossmann, who in 1986 sailed with his family through the fjords south of Puerto Montt. He fell in love with this spot and by a stroke of luck was offered to buy the plot of land a few years later—and so began his first venture into tourism.

Built from local wood, Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa sits alongside the Termas de Puyuhuapi (Puyuhuapi Hot Springs), and all the hotel’s hot water and heating is sourced from the thermal waters. Guests spend days exploring this beautiful part of Chile on excursions that range from hiking and kayaking to bird-watching and trips to glaciers. Evenings are spent soaking in the hot springs and relaxing in this picture-perfect wooden lodge on the waterfront.

Stylish, secluded Likya Gardens is a hideaway amid the cliffs of Kalkan, a humble old fishing town on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast. Each of the seven suites has its own pool and a patio set on stilts, offering views of a crystal-blue bay and brightly colored fishing boats. Guests can sun on nearby beaches such as Patara or Kaputaş, or enjoy the privacy of the hotel’s beach club, where Moroccan-style cabanas are tricked out with minibars, laptops, and Wi-Fi. Personal butlers can deliver breakfast and book tables at the town’s rooftop restaurants; they’ll even arrange day trips to the Hidden Canyon, with its Indiana Jones–style swinging bridge. From $450. This appeared in the June/July 2014 issue.

You haven’t quite experienced the most authentic Reggae concert in Jamaica until you’ve been to Rebel Salute. While Sumfest gets all the press and is more commercialized, Rebel Salute—held every January—is Jamaica’s largest strictly-Reggae all-night show, headlining every single big Reggae music name you can think of. Now held on the north coast, on the picturesque grounds of Grizzly’s Plantation Cove, this well organized, alcohol-free event welcomes everyone from families to couples. Camp out by bringing your lawn chairs and blankets to indulge in the best of Reggae all night long, under the starry nights of the south. Food and soft drink vendors are present, of course, as are souvenir sellers. Tour operators do arrange group round trips to the event—inquire with Clive’s Transport--and hotels near the venue offer deals.

I’ve always dreamed of exploring the Amazon and I couldn’t imagine a better way than setting sail aboard the MV Aria. The second ship in Aqua Expeditions Amazon fleet, the MV Aria launched in 2011 and holds just 32 guests. Peruvian architect Jordi Puigi is responsible for the striking design. Each of the 16 cabins has floor to ceiling windows so guests can wake up to see the sunrise over the Amazon and if they are lucky, pink dolphins popping out of the water. The top deck has a bar that makes a great pisco sour, plus a hot tub where you can take in the bright stars at night. Guests can choose from three, four, or seven-night trips. The itinerary and the wildlife you will spot changes depending on the season and the water levels.

No trip to Belgium is complete without experiencing the Belgian beer culture. The best place in Brussels to take a look at beer history is the Cantillon Brewery. Even as a non beer drinker, it’s a fascinating place to visit. One of the things that makes Cantillon so special, is that it has hardly changed since it opened its doors in 1900, (including the dust and cobweds!) The second unique aspect of Cantillon, is the spontaneous fermentation of its tart Lambic beers. Beer really is in the air around Brussels! Cantillon beers are 100% organic and come in a variety of styles and flavours, from traditional Lambic and Faro beer to the tart cherry beer, Kriek. Tours take place every day in multiple languages and, if you’re lucky, your visit could coincide with brewing or bottling days.

This Hawkesbury river boathouse looks like it’s come straight from a shoot with Vogue. Elegant and casual, fun and cheery, it’s worth taking a day trip to Palm Beach for. Red-and-white awnings hang over charcoal-painted tables where the white umbrellas don’t reach. Tin pots of orchids and tulips sit on stools. It’s lazy, albeit very busy (be prepared to queue), and linen, jeans and flip-flop clad diners order from a large blackboard. The signature beer battered flathead and chips are light and crispy, served in a little wooden box. The pot of herby Boston Bay mussels are small and sweet. For breakfast, the fluffy French toast, piled up with mixed berries and drizzled with maple syrup and mascarpone, and the Boathouse baked beans are hard to beat.

Tis the season to be jolly! If you’re feeling festive around the holidays or perhaps you want to keep Christmas going all year long, then a visit to the Coach House should be on your holiday wish list. When the holiday season approaches, Scottsdale locals make a trip to their favorite local watering hole to experience a festive spirit unlike anywhere else. Staffers shut down the joint for a few days in order to deck the bar from head to toe with wrapping paper, tinsel, ornaments and twinkle lights that overtake you with Christmas cheer. The bartenders and staff are laid back, friendly and really love what they do. Note: This place can get packed during the holiday season on a late Friday or Saturday night. And, the lights stay up all year!

Located about an hour northeast from Reykjavík and part of the famed Golden Circle tour (along with Gullfoss), the Geysir hot springs area consists of around a dozen hot water blowholes, including the eponymous Geysir. The Strokkur blowhole is the most popular, principally because it regularly (every few minutes, usually) spouts its boiling water up to 100 feet into the air. It’s still worth looking around at the other pools, even if they haven’t erupted for years or even decades, since they usually offer interesting colors and bubbling geothermal activity. The site also has a hotel, souvenir shop, café, and a related exhibition.

What’s not to like about Museumplein? In summer, it’s as chill as Vondelpark, with picnickers playing instruments and getting high on the lawn. Add more grass and the field becomes stoners’ heaven as well as a magnet for art aficionados. The latter come for Amsterdam’s trio of world-class museums, all re-opened in 2013 after lengthy renovations—the stately Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art, and the Van Gogh Museum. Tucked south of Leidseplein amidst upscale hotels and cafés, Museumplein is both a culture vulture’s paradise and an open space for those who want to escape the city buzz. In addition to repositories of priceless paintings, it’s home to the Concertgebouw at its southern end.

Siem Reap’s emergence as a somewhat unlikely destination for fashion lovers is largely due to the efforts of one individual: Madagascar-born Eric Raisina. Inspired by the Khmer artisanal silk weaving he witnessed on a trip to Cambodia back in 1996, Raisina decided to base himself in the country and hasn’t looked back since. He opened his original haute couture outlet in 2005, and his daring designs, colorful and often inspired by ancient Cambodian culture, have earned acclaim worldwide. Admirers of his work can find it for sale at two locations in Siem Reap: at his couture house on Charles de Gaulle Avenue and at the FCC Angkor hotel.