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If you’re looking for a great snorkel experience accessible to Waikiki, I found Hanauma Bay a great spot. Turtles and fish galore.

Like many of the hippest bars in town, Mary’s is intentionally hard to find. As you make your way down King Street, hang a right on Mary Street and look for a bar on the left with no sign and a rocker crowd. Inside the two-story tavern, a chalkboard menu lists enough craft beers (including the house-brewed Slayer Juice), wines, spirits, and cocktails to require a second chalkboard for fried chicken and burgers (known as the best in town). Get your birds by the half, whole, or “Larry style”—two whole birds deep fried with mash and gravy—and your burger with “trashcan bacon.” Mary’s also does a bacon Bloody Mary with American cheese melted over the rim of the glass that’s more than worth a try.

In an area rife with traditional, minimalist ryokans, the Four Seasons Kyoto is a spectacle of grandeur. The opulence is subtle, however, camouflaged by clean, Zen-like style. At the hotel’s heart is a beautiful, 800-year-old pond garden, which features a picturesque teahouse surrounded by cherry, maple, and willow trees. Inside, luxurious details abound, from the seasonal floral arrangements, to the iPads and in-mirror TVs in the guest rooms, to the plush cabanas and atmospheric lighting at the underground pool. For even greater indulgence, guests can head to the spa for such treatments as sake baths, bamboo-and-green-tea scrubs, and jade-stone massages, as well as facials from cult French brand Biologique Recherche. When hunger strikes, the Michelin-starred Sushi Wakon is waiting. Helmed by master chef Rei Masuda, the 10-seat restaurant serves fresh fish, flown in daily from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market.

It’s slightly unnerving when you’re seated too close to the next table in a jam-packed parrilla (steakhouse), the clatter of dishes and voices and the televised futbol game in the background, and your stoic waiter, a giant of a man in a stained white apron, approaches your table. As you tell him what you’d like to eat - steak, naturally, and papas fritas (french fries) and a pinguino (penguin-shaped pitcher) of the house Malbec, you notice that he’s not writing anything down - in fact, he’s not looking at you at all. He saunters off and you wonder if your dinner will ever arrive. A few minutes later, he’s back, plonking a basket of bread on the table, splashing the wine on the paper tablecloth as he pours your drink. And then, course by course, all the dishes you ask for arrive, simply presented on white plates, and the roar of the game and the conversation around you rises to a pitch.


This is Desnivel, a bare-bones San Telmo parrilla that’s nearly turned into a caricature of itself. Some days you’ll find more tourists than Argentinians. Other days, it’s a bunch of local guys sitting around digging into the restaurant’s famous deep-fried beef empanadas. Love it or hate it, it’s a Buenos Aires icon.

Poutine is the stuff of legends, much to the chagrin of many Canadians. It is the one food non-Canadians seem to know the most about, and a snack of this heavy dish is at the top of the list for most visitors to Montreal. Even though it can be found throughout Canada, poutine got its start in Quebec back in the 1950s and truly is a collage—some would say train wreck—of ingredients. The classic recipe is simple, really: french fries topped with brown gravy and curd cheese. But this simple explanation really doesn’t do it justice. Like many other comfort foods, poutine may not be the healthiest dish, but there is just something satisfying about the experience. I love sharing a big bowl amongst friends, each armed with a fork scouting out the best fries and melty cheese curds as the gravy drips drop by drop into the bowl below. There are a thousand varieties of poutine, including BBQ, lobster, and even foie gras, but there’s nothing like the simple original version.

In 2019, Tenaya Lodge became a particularly attractive option for families when it unveiled the Explorer Cabins, 50 two-bedroom cabins for groups of up to six people traveling together. The cabins include a living room with sleeper sofa and fireplace, a partial kitchen (with a fridge, microwave, and sink), and a private deck. Some have bunk beds, and some are pet-friendly as well. The Explorer Clubhouse is a common space for these cabins with grab-and-go breakfast and evening wine and charcuterie.


The cabins are about a half-mile from the main Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, a 353-room property near Yosemite’s South Gate. Families can also stay in the property’s collection of cottages, with the cottage suites featuring a bedroom with a queen-size bed and a separate living room with a sleeper sofa. Or they can opt for a room or suite in the main Tenaya Lodge.



Wherever they’re resting their heads, they will have access to the main lodge and its restaurant, and outdoor and indoor pools, the latter being key for colder weather. There’s also a family game room with air hockey, foosball, and Skee-Ball, plus a pool table, Pac-Man arcade game, and ball pit. On-site family-friendly activities include guided nature walks, ice skating (an outdoor ice rink opens on the property in late November for the winter season), and seasonal offerings like an Elf on the Shelf scavenger hunt, gingerbread-making workshop, and breakfast with Santa for the holidays. Tired parents can book a treatment at the on-site Ascent Spa for a bit of calm and stress relief.

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 the Van Gogh Museum. Sunflowers, The Bedroom, and The Potato Eaters are just a few of the masterpieces on display as part of the “Van Gogh at Work” exhibit.

I’ve discovered an affinity for ostrich meat - it’s lean and so tasty! Perfect for burgers. At Dukes Burgers in Greenside. This burger had fried rosemary-infused butternut squash and cucumbers as well.

Maison Premiere’s French influence invites you into another era around its marble horseshoe bar. If you come early, you can take your time here. We were lured by the $1 oyster special during happy hour. It all washed down well with a boozy sazerac and a sweet Pimm’s cup (as pictured). If your liver is craving more, MP has the largest collection of premium absinthe in New York City, centered around “the world’s most accurate working replica of an absinthe fountain,” according to their site. It’s a great place for your day drinking needs.

For many Charlestonians and tourists, every Saturday is spent in Marion Square at the farmers’ market. Students nursing hangovers wait in line for a crepe at Charleston Crepe Company while farmers from John’s and Edisto islands sell their fresh vegetables. Artists sell their work while children play on inflatable slides and a guitar player keeps the crowd entertained. Between the French, Greek, Cajun, Spanish, Italian, Southern, German, and Indian foods on offer, you really can’t go wrong. Grab an assortment of foods to try and find a nice spot in the shade to eat and people watch.

You’d think that having a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (a prestigious crafstman title) at the helm of a restaurant would imply steep prices, but at Semilla, you’re in for both a great meal and a great deal. The international influence is strong here, where Ferrandi-trained chefs serve up modern interpretations of classic French dishes from an open kitchen. The crowd is mixed, the service is smooth and attentive, and the bread, an important element to any meal in France, is rustic and hearty—baked fresh in the adjacent sandwich shop run by the same owners. But the most unique aspect to the menu at Semilla is the option of half-portions on a selection of dishes. The menu changes daily with meat, fish and veggie options available for every kind of eater. Open seven days a week but be sure to call ahead for a reservation.

The largest of Tanzania’s state-administrated national parks, Ruaha is home to the Great Ruaha River, imposing baobab trees, and one of the greatest populations of elephants in any African park. It has few lodges and therefore few tourists. It is also wilder than its close neighbor, the Selous Game Reserve, and boasts a truly authentic safari experience. Night driving is not permitted, nor are walking safaris, generally, due to the large number of elephants here. But hidden away on the Jongomero River in the remote southern area of the park is the Jongomero Camp, which is both fantastically luxurious as well as truly one with its surroundings. It is possibly the best camp in the whole of Tanzania, and its guides are second to none. In addition to the breathtaking campsite itself, it offers “fly-camping” trips on which the adventurous traveler can spend the night under the stars.

I forgave the service (slow as molasses) at Donald Link’s newest seafood spot, Peche, where highlights included crab-and-chilies capellini, fried bread, and fish sticks. Go with a crowd and order everything.

When you think of the word pub, chances are you picture something like this place. Housed in the old Cooperage of the Royal Navy Dockyard, this causal bar-slash-restaurant is all about cozy atmosphere; there’s even a fireplace that was originally a forge used to produce iron hoops for barrels. The menu showcases comfort food—fish-and-chips, savory pies, and brisket with Yorkshire puddings—not to mention some local touches like the pepper jam served with red-onion rings. Enjoy a pint or two of ale, pilsner, or porter from the onsite Dockyard Brewing Company (the most established of the breweries on the island). The hoppy offerings change regularly.

For travelers who appreciate folk art and crafts, there are a number of towns outside Oaxaca where artisans create beautiful pieces following age-old techniques. San Bartolo Coyotepec is a small Zapotec community just eight miles from Oaxaca. It is most famous for its prized black pottery, formed by hand using techniques that are believed to date back at least 2,000 years. While you are there, take a look at the city’s remarkable Baroque church, constructed in the 18th century by Dominican friars. Continue on to San Martín Tilcajete, another Zapotec town, famous for its alebrijes, wooden carvings of fantastic, multicolored animals. Next, visit the studio of Jacopo and María Angeles, two of the most famous artists creating these colorful sculptures.