Search results for

I have two words for you. Butter Chicken. Gulati is an unassuming, casual spot near India Gate serving unforgettable butter chicken. Lines can be long but just the thought of the gravy will keep you happily waiting. Don’t want to venture out? Stay in your PJ’s and opt for delivery service. Another bonus: Gulati’s is open until midnight, so grab some drinks and then indulge in the mughlai fare.

There is perhaps no landmark of San Francisco, and perhaps even the entire state of California, more iconic than the Golden Gate Bridge. This much-photographed bridge spans the Golden Gate, the strait separating San Francisco (to the south) and Marin County (to the north). The 2.7-kilometer-long (1.7-mile-long) bridge was completed in 1937 in one of the most remarkable engineering feats of its time. Although the idea of traversing the Golden Gate by way of a bridge had been discussed for decades, the fear that fog and wind would make the project nearly impossible discouraged planners. In the end, the bridge was completed in four years at the cost of $35 million as well as the lives of 10 construction workers. A pedestrian path along the bridge offers stunning views of the bay and San Francisco as well as an up-close look at this Art Deco wonder.

Welcome to Middle Earth in the South Pacific, and an ideal stop for traveling fans of the author J.R.R. Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie trilogies. Near the rural town of Matamata—itself a destination for its LOTR-inspired visitor center and a selfie-ready statue of Gollum along the main street—the re-created sets of Hobbiton offer a detailed and fascinating glimpse of the hobbit holes, meadows, and gardens of Bilbo and Frodo. An essential conclusion to the tour is quaffing an only-available-in-Hobbiton Oatbarton Ale at the leafy lakeside Green Dragon Inn.

Souq Al Deira, located next to Souq Waqif on Al Ahmed Street, is a favorite among luxury fabric lovers. It is not a fancy place, but if you are looking for pure Indian silk, high-grade embroidery, or authentic cashmere pashminas, Souq Al-Deira has every imaginable type of fabric, and then some. It is slightly pricier than the nearby souqs but the quality is higher. Haggle to your heart’s content, for it is expected and therefore acceptable. The souq also has fantastic tailors, so you could walk in looking for fabric and walk out with a beautifully tailored outfit.

Only a block from the beach on the south end of Ocean Drive, this local, family-owned shop offers some of the best treats under the Florida sun. Generous samples are provided as well as palm-shaded benches to enjoy them. Offerings include citrus, citrus products and snowballs, but the signature treats are the soft-serve and slushies made with the sweet juice of oranges and grapefruit sourced from the Banak family’s 2,000-acre grove in Indian River County. The soft-serve is soy-based and lactose-free--making it a treat that’s less than 100 calories. For a refreshing delight, swirl the icy orange slushie and creamy orange soft-serve. It’s creamsicle heaven. Coffee die-hards are accommodated with a special coffee slushie--perfect morning, afternoon or night.

Weekend mornings are typically sleepy in Amsterdam. The town barely wakes up by noon, and many stores and restaurants are closed Sunday morning. Which leaves few options beyond local bakeries and venues serving touristy “English Breakfasts” to satisfy the urge for hearty morning fare. Enter G’s West, possibly the coziest spot in Amsterdam West for weekend brunch. Open Friday–Sunday, the former “bruin café” sits on a quiet street in Amsterdam’s Jordaan. Self-described as “an eclectic hot mess of love, lust, hunger & thirst,” the interior features whitewashed wood, funky furnishings, tablecloths printed with old comic strips, and a bar stocked with antique apothecary bottles and Bloody Mary fixin’s. Order from a sassy menu shaped like an old LP, featuring Foreplay, The Main Act, Happy Endings and Tipsy. Start with oysters on the half-shell or G’s Brunch Dip on Crack, washed down with a Bloody Bacon, Passion in the Morning or Morning Wood cocktail. The Main Act stars classic Eggs Benedict, Challah French Toast and other breakfast dishes, as well as a Chicken Waffle Burger featuring fried chicken sandwiched between sugar waffles. The same fare is offered on a Brunch Cruise that sails every Saturday and Sunday, with pick-up and drop-off at the Homomonument on Keizersgracht. As one of the only spots that serves weekend brunch in Amsterdam, G’s lives up to its URL: http://reallyniceplace.com/. Both the Jordaan venue are available for private parties and corporate events.

Tangier is full of history, with every turn holding an ancient secret to the city. The port is a popular place for locals to take in the ocean views, but all the action takes place in the winding streets of the Old Medina. My favorite stop was at the fruit stands. The tangerines are less than fifty cents and the best purchase you can make while in Morocco.

Wholesale Market, located off the Salwa Road on the way to Mamoura, this is the equivalent to a Farmer’s Market with a few cultural twists: a section devoted to fish with its own subsection for crabs, lobsters, crayfish, prawns, squid, locally-caught whole fish, and a non-air-conditioned fish cleaning section; an animal/meat section where butchered meat is available as well as live goats, sheep and cows which are taken to the slaughter house next door; a Vegetable Souq, where locals and international chefs barter for imported and locally-grown fruits and vegetables. There is no place like the wholesale market to observe true Qatari life, see porters carrying peoples’ buys in a wheelbarrow to their cars, or spot a few camels ready to be slaughtered.

The public market stalls are the best place to hear Yanito, the regional dialect, as the locals barter for the freshest fish, meat and produce. A visit to this 1929 covered market, located just outside Casemates Square, provides insight into language and traditional Gibraltar cuisine as well as a great opportunity to find edible souvenirs.

The Inca Trail is perhaps the most famous trek in Peru. This is the road to Machu Picchu, an ancient route that leads from the Sacred Valley into the heart of the Andes. You must obtain a permit and hire an official guide in order to hike the Inca Trail proper. There are plenty of tour operators in Cusco that offer trips up to Machu Picchu, so you should definitely look at reviews before you choose. For better or for worse, the tours are all-inclusive. The local tour operators employ porters to carry your packs and set up a camp. A team of local chefs will prepare three meals a day, and many hikers come back raving about the delicious meals. Keep in mind that the trek can be tough, especially in the first few days. The trail is often narrow, and it flirts with formidable heights. The mountains in this part of the Andes can rise well over 13,000 feet, and many hikers find themselves suffering from altitude sickness. Make sure to take a few days (in Cusco or the Sacred Valley) to acclimatize before you begin the journey. Finally: make sure to plan ahead! The Peruvian government limits trail access to 500 people per day, including porters. This regulation protects the local ecosystem and the delicate ruins, and it ensures that the trail won’t be too crowded. However, it also means that permits for the peak summer season sell out months in advance. If you aren’t able to get a permit for the classic Inca Trail, never fear: there are various other trails that lead to Machu Picchu.

There’s only one way to make this journey--by narrow gauge railroad, pulled by a vintage steam locomotive. This is a truly iconic experience in the southwest of the state, and one of the ways to feel the full grandeur of the San Juan Mountains. You board the train in the morning at the depot in Durango, just as passengers have been doing since 1882! The trip takes about 3.5 hours and you can either ride the same train back, or opt for the one-hour bus ride down Highway 550. There are a number of cars and classes to choose from, from standard coach to the Knight Sky, an all-glass carriage in First Class that allows views up the stunning canyons (and not just their passing walls). Tickets start at $85.

Vero Beach is somewhat off the tourism radar. (Those in the know may like to keep it so.) Vero attracts travelers with its golf courses, beaches and a luxury vibe, coupled with an Old Florida feel. Spend a few days at the Vero Beach Hotel & Spa, and its understated elegance and sense of community will begin to lull you in more deeply. The friendly staff—from the concierge to the desk, valet and housekeeping—offers professional service with genuine warmth. Their local tips and knowledge are gold. The hotel is luxurious yet cozy, from the refined pool to the beachfront fire pit to the comfy “living room,” where guests are invited to enjoy morning coffee or tea and a wine happy hour. Get social--chat with the staff, and share stories with other guests. This same character is found in the spacious suites, with details like robes with zebra stripping, a yoga mat, and Caribbean-style wooden sliders that open to large balconies overlooking the beach or pool. In the morning, wake up to a sunrise amidst a pink and periwinkle sky. At night, fall asleep to the rhythmic lapping of ocean waves on the shore. Hotel amenities include the well-appointed White Orchid Spa, Heaton’s Reef poolside bar, the stylish Cobalt restaurant, as well as a secluded hot tub, a gym, a boutique and a fountain-rimmed, azure pool. The hotel’s location on Ocean Drive is steps away from the beach, shops and restaurants. The hotel is perfect for travelers seeking a winter getaway, a weekend escape or a romantic destination.

There is something truly distinctive yet quirky about staying in a former fine department store. Situated in a plum spot on West Broad Street, a convenient 30-minute ride from the Richmond airport, is the Quirk hotel, which is part of the Destinations Hotel Group. This is the labor of love of owners Katie and Ted Ukrop, who spent more than 10 years transforming a 100-year-old department store into a 75-room hotel with a rip-roaring rooftop bar scene, arguably the finest in the city. You’ll sleep on cushy beds made with joists salvaged from the former store, and bathe in the Barbie-like aura of the “love and happiness” rooms (incidentally, Sherwin Williams has a paint swatch by that same name). Rooms have lovely details like scallop-patterned nightstands, Tivoli radios, generously sized bay windows, and well-worn floors that look vintage. You can slake your caffeine addiction at the chic coffee bar in the lobby, or do a bit of retail therapy in the “Gallery” boutique off the lobby. It sells branded pink-and-white plaid pajamas and items like custom Na Nin hand-poured double-wick candles, crafted by Richmond resident Kate Jennings. The coffee for sale comes in brightly patterned signature rose tins that won a packaging award. “There’s no decade or theme to this gallery,” one employee assured me, but the vibe is decidedly mod-chic and whimsical, befitting the hotel’s name. The communal-style restaurant, Maple & Pine, is situated right in the middle of the lobby and is truly convivial. The culinary program is headed by chef David Dunlap, who was formerly with the Ashby Inn. Room rates from $225.

Visitors to Santa Fe come in search of art and culture, and it’s hard to trump the cultural experience at the Hotel Santa Fe, the Hacienda and Spa. In addition to being a high-end hotel in the hip, recently revitalized Railyard District, this pueblo-style compound is the first of its kind, the only luxury stay to be owned and run primarily by a local Native American tribe—the Picaris Pueblo.

No top-tier amenity has been left out—the spa is one of the best in town, the restaurant and lounge is one of Santa Fe’s most acclaimed, the gym offers yoga classes, there’s a free shuttle into town—and the guest experience is unlike that anywhere else, thanks to the extensive private Native American art collection that adorns the walls, the handmade local furniture that fills the rooms, and the responsible presence of traditional Native American culture throughout.

The hotel’s gift shop is Santa Fe’s only tribally owned store, selling traditional local handicrafts and art, and events are held throughout the year for guests to learn about Picaris Pueblo culture. And, as if this all weren’t impressive enough, the hotel has a rigorous environmental policy, and its rooms are completely powered by solar energy.

As Santa Fe’s only Native American-owned hotel, the Hacienda & Spa draws on a range of modalities from Swedish, sports, cranial-sacral, and energy work, and it hosts a menu of treatments aptly titled “This Wind and Mountain” and the “Land of Enchantment.” Outside, find three acres of Native American sculptures and gardens to relax in after your day of rest.

Fushimi Inari Taisha on Inariyama mountain is dedicated to the Shinto gods of rice and sake, but Inari is also the god of merchants and that brings a lot of businesspeople to worship here. Everyone else stops by to see the thousands of vermilion torii, or gates (each of which is funded by a Japanese company). They lead to the main shrine, which was built in 1499. Walking underneath the gates is like passing through a fiery tangerine tunnel, and visitors leave behind tiny torii replicas as part of their prayer.