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Located in the midst of a raucous university district, BAR d.still is a haven for cocktail connoisseurs. The swanky spot, consistently at the forefront of Seoul’s mixology scene, boasts several awards for being one of the top bars in the city—and Asia at large. Hidden in an unmarked space down a Hongdae alley, it’s well worth the effort to find it. Inside, skilled bartenders make drinks with seasonal ingredients and will customize libations to patrons’ requests. The bar also stocks an extensive selection of whiskeys from around the world and is known for its mean martini.

Brandywine is just one of half-a-dozen provincial parks that surround the Sea to Sky Highway like a fir wrap. A trailhead located just 12 miles south of Whistler leads to a 15-minute walk through the mixed hemlock forest to a 200-foot cascade. The falls overview is merely a picturesque appetizer for the fantastic wilderness beyond. The Lava Lake trail provides a marvelous meander through the forest, and if it’s a hot day, you might want to hike all the way to Swim Lake. You can also access the Sea to Sky Trail and head north to the Whistler Train Wreck then hike to the Valley Trail through Whistler and beyond. The park tripled in size in 2010 to fully enclose the habitat of the endangered red-legged frog, so keep an eye peeled for peepers.

A Cape Town favorite Italian restaurant that is always packed, with families, lovers on a special date, friends, even though it’s not cheap Italian food by any means. The pastas are divided into long and short varieties – corta and lunga – and you will find the standard dishes plus many variations. Take a table on the verandah on balmy summer evenings.

A short drive south of Da Nang, Hoi An is a spellbinding UNESCO World Heritage site, with intact 16th-century architecture that celebrates its origins as a trading port that long welcomed merchant ships from China, Japan, and Europe. The Old Town on the Thu Bon River has a number of sights that visitors must check off their lists. These include the covered bridge, also known as the Japanese Bridge; gorgeous riverside French-colonial buildings; traditional merchant shop-houses; historic pagodas and temples; ornate assembly halls where Chinese immigrants would congregate; and the town’s tailors, for custom garments. But the greatest joy of Hoi An comes from wandering round its quiet streets—the town center is car-free and a blissfully pleasant place to walk, especially at night, when it’s lit by red lanterns strung on the exteriors of buildings.

If you’ve been to the Louvre, one of the city’s top attractions, you know that most of the restaurants and bars in the near vicinity are mediocre tourist traps. Fortunately, Le Fumoir is an exception, a restaurant-bar-café-tearoom that serves a good meal and a better martini in a sophisticated setting. Despite its name, you can no longer smoke inside this Art Deco spot, but it retains a clubby feel, with a majestic wood bar, leather seating and book-filled shelves at the back.

This isn’t your local Walgreens—the edgy glass-and-steel facade should tell you that. And while you can buy aspirin at its pharmacy or Le Figaro at its newsagent, Publicis is really about upmarket retail: Petrossian caviar, Acqua di Parma cologne, Harmon Kardon speakers, an 1,100 euro handbag from Jerome Dreyfuss. You can also pick up a fine cigar from its humidor or a fine Bordeaux from its wine cave. The two-story “drugstore” also houses a cinema, brasserie and two gourmet restaurants.

Pidgin may be known for their deceptively simple East-meets-West Asian-inspired menu with a decidedly French edge, but their cocktails are all kinds of fantastic too, and in a casual but cool spot like this, it’s most fun to combine the two. Try their addictive chicken wings finished with a gochujang-based BBQ sauce with a bourbon-based Van Horne, and the plate-lickingly wonderful smoked taramasalata with an onsen egg with their much-loved carbonated sake and gin-based Mary Ellen Smith. For dessert? Try the beautiful watermelon-infused tequila One Eye Samurai as it comes served with a spoon of silky granita.

The Power and the Glory is a cool bistro in the center of Cape Town that has attracted a cult following among locals. The relaxed style, the bearded staff, the folding chairs, and the sidewalk stools may remind you of a Brooklyn cafe. If you can snag a chair, it makes for a great place to work or to have a meeting over a light breakfast. In the evening, the place is usually packed with revelers. Try the quiche in the morning, the pretzel bun hot dog in the evening, and the Nutella cheesecake for dessert.

The Ravoux Inn (also known as the Maison de Van Gogh) is located in the town of Auvers-sur-Oise, just north of Paris. When Vincent van Gogh lived there for just 3.50 francs a day, Auvers-sur-Oise was already a picturesque village attracting impressionist artists. He spent the last months of his life here, and prolifically and feverishly produced more than 80 paintings in just 70 days. Today there’s a walk [link] around town, with signs showing reproductions of many of his final paintings right in front of the still existing subject matters (churches, walkways, landscapes, etc). The Ravoux Inn has kept its original feel, and and although its a short visit (including a brief film), it’s fascinating to find yourself in Mr. Vincent’s room (as he was known to the inn keepers). OPEN (2017): March 1st – October 29th Wed – Sun 10am - 6pm FEES Adults: - 6€ (no preferential rate) - 4€ (handicapped) Children: - 12 to 17 years: 4€ - Under 12: free Lunch and dinner is served as well, from 1st March to 26 November: Lunch: Wednesday – Sunday: 12:00pm to 14:15pm Dinner: Fridays and Saturdays only 7:30 to 9:00pm >>>Warm thanks to my lovely friends at AmaWaterways for an unforgettable river cruise on the Seine from Paris to Normandy. My visit to Auvers–sur–Oise and the Maison de Van Gogh was one of many excursions available daily at no additional cost. Great concept, AmaWaterways!

No matter where you are staying in the UAE, you can’t leave without visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The mosque, the third-largest in the world, is the final resting place of Sheikh Zayed, the nation’s founder. Even on the hottest summer day, the white marble floors—inlaid with mosaic flowers and vines—remain cool underfoot, and the scale of the space will impress even the most casual observer: The main hall can hold about 7,000 people. Take a tour and learn about the iconography of the intricate tiles and mosaics. Marvel at the huge rug that covers the floor in the main worship space; it’s the largest handmade rug in the world. If you happen to be visiting during Ramadan, you could consider joining one of the community iftar dinners, which sometimes serve as many as a thousand people in an evening.

California’s original Holiday Inn has come a long way. After several iterations—former owners include singer Gene Autry and producer Merv Griffin—the property reopened as Parker Palm Springs in 2004. The hotel underwent a major refresh in 2017, with designer Jonathan Adler combining an electric color palette with irreverent, stylish details like an antique DRUGS pharmacy sign and a full wall of macramé owls. Couples love the rooms featuring private outdoor patios and hammocks that hang above their own sandpits. The 12 stand-alone villas work best for families. But the many shared spaces are what make this a Palm Springs playground for all ages: Wandering around the 13-acre grounds, you’ll encounter a life-sized chess set, a labyrinth of bougainvillea-lined garden paths, three pools (one is adults only), and hanging rattan chairs aplenty. The food ranges from breakfast all day at the upscale diner Norma’s to escargot and steak au poivre at the hushed French restaurant Mister Parker’s. Escape the activity on the ground at the Palm Springs Yacht Club spa, where every treatment is customized and you can easily spend an entire day.

Located just off Main Street, the Washington School House Hotel eschews Park City’s typical rustic style for a pared-down, flea-market–chic aesthetic. Before being reimagined as a design-oriented inn in 2011, the 1889 building served as a schoolhouse for miners’ children and a dancehall for the local outpost of Veterans of Foreign Wars. Today, the interior is anything but traditional, from the whitewashed living room with 16-foot ceilings to the antique mirror and the white, lacquered antler chandelier. Outside, a heated pool sits on the hillside surrounded by aspens and boulders. There’s also a fire pit, fashioned from a steel Olympic torch from the 2002 Winter Games.

Each of the guestrooms and suites is unique, though all feature reclaimed wood floors, crystal chandeliers, and tall windows. An artful collection of European antiques and vintage paintings adds a bohemian vibe, while white marble bathrooms offer heated floors, walk-in showers, clawfoot tubs, and period fixtures. Guests can also look forward to plush hooded robes and top-notch toiletries from Molton Brown.

This iconic landmark in London is popular for a reason...it’s breathtaking! Did you know that Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the tower, not the clock? While you are there, check out the Houses of Parliament (if they are in session). Afterwards, stroll across the lovely bridge and rise the London Eye!

Singapore is the home of many super-modern, high-end shopping malls but sometimes you prefer to browse $2 mugs, faux-silk robes and t-shirts instead of luxury brands. If that’s the case, head to the street markets on Pagoda Street, Trengganu Street and Sago Street in Chinatown. Stalls there are open every day from 11am to 11pm and you’ll find plenty of fun Singapore-themed items to bring home for friends and family. Unlike street markets in other parts of Southeast Asia, prices are usually fixed and clearly marked although you may be able to get a deal when buying multiple things from the same seller. There are some electronics stalls as well selling camera and phone accessories like the ubiquitous selfie-stick (you laugh but they’re so much fun...). You’ll find another street market that is even bigger and more local (and therefore often has better prices than the Chinatown vendors) across from the Bugis MRT (subway) station.

We admit, it’s not the easiest place to find—the entrance is through an unmarked door on a bland residential street in Menilmontant. But once you do (hint: look for the velvet rope) and take the elevator seven floors up, you’ll be rewarded with 360-degree views of Paris from the sprawling rooftop. You can sit at communal picnic tables or lounge on comfy sofas, but get there early (it opens at 6 p.m. weekdays) or late to ensure a seat. Beer and wine are your best bets. There is also a restaurant one floor below.