Search results for

Souq Waqif is one of the top tourist destinations in Doha and one of the most traditional markets in the region. A hundred years ago, this was the place where the Bedouins traded livestock, spices and general goods, but now, the old souq has been restored and the new one looks like a 19th-century Qatari market, with mud shops, exposed wooden beams, antique shops, modern art galleries, a wide variety of restaurants, and divan-like outdoor cafes to smoke shisha and drink chai-karak, the local tea. This is the perfect place to look for traditional Qatari clothing for men and women, spices, antiques, pearls, and oud--an incense as well as a perfume made from agarwood. The market is patrolled by the Heritage Police Officers who wear uniforms from the 1940s and ride regal Arabian horses. As any traditional market, bargaining is expected. Most of the shops in the souq close around 1pm and reopen at 4pm, but the many cafes and restaurants remain open all day.

A few green acres of valuable Midtown Manhattan real estate affords office workers and visitors with valuable peace and space, two things that are hard to find in the surrounding streets. Bryant Park shares the block between Fifth and Sixth avenues and 41st and 42nd street with the main branch of the New York City Library (also worth a visit). The library runs an al fresco reading room along the north end of the park, and occasionally hosts readings and author events. In summer, a stage at the western edge of the vast green lawn runs a busy schedule of performances and films. In winter, the lawn becomes an ice skating rink and the site of a busy holiday market. All year round, the park is a popular destination for the bocce ball courts, ping pong tables, small carousel, food kiosks, open lawns, gravel paths, seasonal plantings, and a graceful fountain. It may be a challenge to find a seat at lunchtime, but it’s worth the wait. Take a break from your walk and enjoy some great people-watching, as well as shade and a measure of serenity in a green space bound on all sides by tall buildings.

Founded in 1859, this 79-acre oasis is the nation’s oldest continuously operating botanical garden and a National Historic Landmark. Built by Henry Shaw, whose estate still sits on the grounds, the garden boasts one of the world’s largest collections of rare and endangered orchids, as well as more than 48,000 trees, including a few specimens that date back to the 19th century. Also on-site are Japanese, Chinese, English Woodland, and Ottoman gardens, plus a Victorian district with a labyrinthine maze. After touring the grounds, guests can get their hands dirty with cooking and gardening classes, while senior citizens and those with special needs can take part in a therapeutic horticultural program that provides stimulating nature-based activities.

Waterfront Park runs a picturesque half-mile along the Cooper River, from an exuberant fountain at its north end (near the cruise ship terminal), to North Adgers Wharf at its southern border. There is much to recommend a stop in this small eight-acre space: a great path for running or strolling with expansive views of ships moving in and out of the harbor; a fountain topped with a pineapple sculpture that splashes water into a small wading pool where children are permitted to play; and, also welcome on hot Charleston afternoons, a tree-shaded promenade lined with benches for those in search of a sea breeze.

At this tranquil spot in Oranjestad, hundreds of species of butterflies flutter among tropical flowers, groomed gardens, and a Japanese pond, all set beneath gauzy netting. Docents lead tours past rushing waterfalls, crystal-clear pools, and native flowers, sharing their encyclopedic knowledge of the pretty critters. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to witness babies hatching—one of the farm’s biggest draws. For a perfect picture, wear bright colors like yellow and orange to attract the butterflies to your shoulders.

For more than 30 years, the Post Ranch Inn, which sits along a cliff 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean, has been a go-to retreat for devotees who believe well-being starts with a place that honors its natural environment—and treads lightly on it, too. Big Sur architect Mickey Muennig designed the 40 guest rooms that rely on solar power; all were fashioned out of recycled wood, and the structures blend in with the Santa Lucia Mountains. Views through enormous windows face either the Pacific Ocean or the mountains. Wellness plays a role in every experience on offer, whether it’s a reflexology treatment, a shaman healing session, a doctor-led sleep program, or a private guided hike or meditation session in the nearby ancient forests.

The Samaria Gorge is considered the “Grand Canyon” of Europe. This 16km trek is best started in the mid-morning to allow enough time to hike and to avoid the crowds that start the trek early. The gorge became a park in 1962, and is famous for the “Iron Gates” - a narrow spot where the walls of the gorge tower to over 1,000 feet, with a width of only 13 feet! You may even spot a kri-kri (a wild and rare Cretan goat)! This photograph was taken in October (late in the season) when I led a kayaking expedition in Crete.

Brooklyn Flea has enriched the city landscape with a contemporary spin to the traditional concept of a flea market. Find beauty in unexpected places at the Flea. With a range of vendors of antiques and vintage clothing, a selection of jewelry, art and crafts by local artisans, as well as food, there’s something for everyone. It is open to the public outdoors from April through November, on Saturdays in Fort Greene and on Sundays in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and indoors from Thanksgiving to March.

Tenaya is not only one of the most beautiful lakes in Yosemite, it’s one of the most accessible—when Tioga Road (the only road in the high country) is open, usually May through October. The fact that it’s easy to get to makes it one of the most popular sites in Yosemite, but because it’s located 8,150 feet about the valley floor, it’s still a lot less crowded than other attractions. The sandy swimming beach on the east end of the clear alpine lake is a favorite spot for sunbathing, with granite domes surrounding three sides. There’s also a smaller, typically less busy beach on the west end, but you’ll have to do a little wading to get there. For landlubbers, there’s an easy 2.5-mile hike around the lake.

As befits a town with 475 years of history, San Miguel supports a number of city tour guides. One of the most popular is the Patronato Pro Niños Historic Walking Tour—a fund-raiser for children’s health care—which leaves from the city center, the Jardín, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10 a.m., for a two-hour stroll through history. You’ll surely stop at the Chorro (a public patio lined by old, open-air laundry sinks), a popular photo spot. And for real down-to-earth insight (plus a couple of laughs) about San Miguel people, culture, and rituals, book a tour with local storyteller Joseph Toone.

Despite being so close to the harbor and the ocean, Reykjavík’s city lake has a charm and atmosphere all its own. Bordered by a main road on one side and a string of pretty, colorful residences on the other, the natural, stone-edged Tjörnin is home to a community of ducks, swans, and geese that hang out here even in winter. A popular strolling spot to clear the cobwebs after a night out, it’s also often busy with local families and visitors, who come armed with bread for the waterfowl (but beware of the seagulls—they can be aggressive). The nearby Reykjavík City Hall is also worth a look for its huge 3-D relief map of Iceland, featuring clearly marked glaciers, volcanoes, and fjords.

In a fantastic location just a few minutes walk from the Honky Tonks lining Broadway, Holston House Nashville is a fun new Music City sleep that also happens to be very dog friendly (this author’s service dog, Bobbi, had a fabulous visit). And if you’re traveling without pup, but find yourself in need of a little canine loving, don’t fear, the Holston House has plans to adopt a house dog, who will reside at the property. The hotel, which is part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, has partnered with Miranda Lambert’s non-profit MuttNation that promotes and facilitates the adoption of shelter pets and will adopt the pup through this organization. Additionally, MuttNation receives 100% of the fees the hotel charges for your pup’s stay.

Dogs aside, the Holston House is an eye-catching meticulously restored 1920s Art Deco boutique property that comes with a side of modern country flourishes like sliding barn doors. Even the standard rooms are quite spacious for a city sleep with the most delightfully comfortable beds draped in silky sheets and soft duvets and plenty of light streaming in from big windows overlooking the city. The bathrooms are massive with toilets separate from the shower space. There are also four plush one-bedroom suites and two signature 12th-floor Penthouse Suites that are massive and come with stunning views and catchy decor.

The food and beverage program here is excellent with the signature restaurant serving up hearty portions of southern American comfort fare that is hard to stop eating: it is that good. The TENN Bar is responsible for the delightful craft cocktail menu that includes a number of locally distilled spirit choices served in a speakeasy style environment overlooking the lobby with a performance stage for live music. Up on the rooftop you’ll find TENN on Top, the bar next to the vibey outdoor swimming pool — it becomes quite the scene on hot summer weekends, although it is not open to the public — that offers stunning city views and more drinks from the in-house mixologist.

Away from the hotel there is much to experience in Nashville, where country music stars from Taylor Swift to Blake Shelton got their starts, including amazing live music at seemingly every bar on Broadway. And country music aside, Nashville is one of America’s top music cities in general and is home to Jack White’s Third Man Records Studio where visitors can cut their own track on a 33 RPM single using the 1947 Voice-O-Graph recording booth White first debuted with Neil Young on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon for just $20.

Located in Tagaytay in Luzon, just an hour and a half by car from Manila, Taal Volcano has a complex and unique landscape and offers one of the most picturesque views in the Philippines. Taal Lake is a freshwater lake that partly fills the Taal Caldera, a large collapsed area formed during prehistoric eruptions. Within the lake is the nine-square-mile Volcano Island, which is the active part of the volcano and consists of at least 47 cones and craters, including the Binintiang Malaki cinder cone, which looks how you imagine a volcano should. In the center of Volcano Island is the crater lake, which hosts a small rocky island called Vulcan Point. So there is an island within a lake on an island (which is a volcano) within a lake on an island! (Vulcan Point is in the crater lake on Volcano Island, which is in Taal Lake, which is on the island of Luzon.) The volcano has not erupted since the seventies, though there are occasional signs of unrest. Visiting Taal’s crater lake is a great day-trip option: You hop on a boat across Taal Lake to Volcano Island, where you can hike or ride on horseback to the crater lake. Or you can simply take in the great vistas from Tagaytay, enjoying the cool weather and exploring the many places to eat.

Overlooking the San Miguel River and trail, Camel’s Garden sits right at the base of the gondola connecting Telluride with Mountain Village, just a few short blocks from Main Street. In addition to a convenient location, the hotel offers several complimentary niceties, including continental breakfast, wine and cheese in the winter, ski valet and storage, and heated underground parking—all of which make getting to the slopes easier, faster, and more pleasant. There’s also Oak, a full-service restaurant and bar beloved for its Southern-style ribs, and the award-winning Atmosphere Day Spa, which features a 25-foot hot tub with stunning mountain views.

Standard rooms are spacious at 385 square feet, while deluxe rooms include a sitting area and wet bar. No matter which you choose, you’ll enjoy a fireplace, balcony, and large soaking tub to soothe post-ski muscles. If you’re traveling with a large family or group, however, opt for one of the condos, which feature separate living areas, washers and dryers, and top-of-the-line kitchens with Sub Zero and Viking appliances.

The most famous remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall gets its name from its location on the east side of the Spree River, as well as from its collection of political and satirical murals. Originally painted just after the wall fell, the murals were repainted (or in some cases painted over) in 2009 as a way of cleaning up the increasingly decayed originals and in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall. Today, a fence partly protects the gallery to prevent vandalism of the murals, but people throng here nonetheless, especially in summer. A museum at the site tells the fascinating story of the structure through interactive displays, original newsreel footage, and filmed interviews with Berliners who lived on both sides.