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This spacious North Shore eatery and watering hole riffs on the beloved Honolulu original. It makes a strong showing in the “pupu” (appetizer) department with nibbles like poke, pot stickers, kālua-pig fried rice, Korean-style chicken wings, and nut wraps in buttercup lettuce. Cool down with a light, refreshing cocktail unique to this location, such as the Hokulani (citrus, Three Olives vodka, and elderflower liqueur, splashed with soda) or the Hawaii Five-Bo (strawberry daiquiri with Bacardi rum, habañero syrup, and piña colada foam). As with many O‘ahu eateries, the prices can seem a bit more Manhattan-stiletto than “flip-flop surfer bar.” But the flavors and charming service tend to carry the day! (Note: it’s a short stroll to the public restrooms, involving some unlit steps at night. Plan ahead.)

Top Chef finalist Tiffani Faison showed off her versatility in opening Tiger Mama, her second restaurant, as an un-Americanized Asian-fusion concept—wildly different than Sweet Cheeks Q, her Boston barbecue joint. What’s similar is Tiger Mama’s Fenway location and its creative take on traditional preparations, in this case Thai, Malaysian, and Vietnamese dishes grouped under general headings (like Cold & Fresh, Crispy & Spicy, Rich & Earthy, and Noodles & Rice) to aid in navigating the maybe-unfamiliar names of dishes. The short-rib crudo is the go-to starter; “pig rice” is a typically generous portion of rice mixed with bacon, tasso ham, and Isaan sausage, sprinkled with pork floss; and the tiki drinks will flow as the sharing plates are passed.

Entering the reservations-only Williams Selyem winery may feel like a walking into a wine barrel—and that’s by design. The architects incorporated wood from old redwood wine tanks for a more authentic feel. Wine lovers call the facility the “Palace of Pinot” because it’s where the label’s legendary pinot noir is blended. Williams Selyem is home to the first Wine Enthusiast 100-point pinot noir in North America; the winery also makes chardonnay, zinfandel, and a host of late-harvest wines as well. During a standard seated tasting, visitors sample at least five or six different wines from the cellar; there could be even more if hospitality associates have others open and are willing to share. Most tastings are preceded by a tour of the facility’s cellar, winemaking facilities, and tank rooms, showcasing the components of the architecture that make the place special. Technically, you have to join the winery’s list to schedule a visit, and in busy years it can take up to nine months to have the option to get on the calendar. But if you love the subtlety of bordeaux-style wines, the upscale experience is well worth the wait.

At the heart of Diocletian’s Palace, this colorful bar—a recent addition to Split’s dining scene—is already a favorite for its globally flavored tapas-style dishes. The menu is small but far-flung, featuring everything from burgers to a number of plates with an Asian twist. The Japanese steamed pork buns are particularly delicious; other bites include pickled oysters, barbecue ribs, shellfish custard, and cheese and charcuterie platters. Guinness is on tap and the cocktails are great. Torito serves breakfast, too, as well as freshly squeezed juices and smoothies all day.

Every December 7 at Pearl Harbor, there is a memorial to those who died in the awful attacks that day in 1941. Survivors gather here, though fewer every year remain alive. Oil still rises from where the USS Arizona lies in the harbor. The horrific events of December 7 are still a raw part of the history here. Several months ago, the civil defense sirens went off all over Oahu. It was a glitch in the system, but I remember an elderly woman in downtown Honolulu who said she looked at the sky because she remembers when there really was an air raid, and the sirens bring her back to that time of eminent danger when what seemed impossible unfolded in front of her young eyes. For history buffs, students, and all sorts of tourists, this is a “must visit” National Park on Oahu. Tickets to take the boat to the memorial are cheap (but do require an advanced booking of a couple days), and there are several other activities and museums at Pearl Harbor to explore including a walk through the USS Bowfin.

In 2007, hedge fund investor Jim Manley bought a working cattle ranch on the site of a historic silver-mining claim to stake as his bigger-than-life family retreat. In 2010, he opened up the Ranch at Rock Creek, a toy-filled haven in southwest Montana’s Big Sky Country, with 13 houses with one to five bedrooms, luxurious canvas cabins for “glamping,” or a nine-room granite lodge. All are decorated by designer Jet Zarkadas and feature Oriental carpets, deep leather chairs, cow skin and woven Navajo rugs, custom duvet covers, and period Western photos and memorabilia. Despite the remote location and 5,200-foot elevation, all accommodations have landline, working Wi-Fi, and cell phone coverage; some have moose antlers, a private sauna, outdoor hot tub, and indoor copper bathtub.

Open year-round, the 10-square-mile property encompasses meadows, high country lakes, grassy ridges, and stunning vistas of the Pintler and Sapphire mountains. This self-contained adventureland offers horseback riding; heli-hiking; fly-fishing; river floating; high-tech mountain biking; rope courses; trap shooting; and archery on a 3D course using powerful hunting bows to shoot life-sized models of animals. Weekly rodeo and stagecoach rides underscore the Western theme; in winter, guests cross-country ski, ice skate, and snowshoe on-site. A kids’ club frees parents for spa time and other pursuits.

Each Tuesday around 7:30pm, locals from in around central Mérida descend on the square in Parque Santiago to dance “danzon” under the stars at the weekly event called “Remembranzas Musicales”. A form of dance and music, “danzón” was introduced from Cuba to México in the early Twentieth Century. Cuban inspired rhythms from the 1930’s and 40’s are just what is takes to get this crowd moving. Each week, elegant ladies and immaculately dressed men kick up their heels to live music provided by the City Band. The average age of the dancers is north of 50, but they know their moves and it always draws a festive crowd. Everybody is welcome to join in, even if you are not the worlds best dancer. If not, you can take a seat on the sidelines and simply enjoy the festivities. Also, with a night market of restaurants adjacent to the plaza and tables spilling out under the night sky, its a great spot to enjoy the show while sampling local dishes like panuchos, salbutes, tamales and sopa de lima. Parque Santiago is in Mérida Centro, four blocks from Méridas main plaza. It is located in 59 street between 70 and 72. The neighborhood of Santiago, in which the park is located is a colorful colonial era neighborhood full of life. With all the music, food and color, it is also one of the best neighborhoods to stay in. Great vacation rentals ideas with pools and other great amenites are yours by the night, week or month at http://www.remixto.com/. (Images courtesy of Mérida.gob.mx)

This gem right off Bourbon Street is close to the action but far enough (and insulated enough) to make you feel like you can get away from the frenetic pace of the city’s most famous avenue at a moment’s notice. Guest rooms are well-appointed and comfy, with plantation-shuttered windows, plush beds and sleek bathrooms. Plus, every guest gets a voucher for a welcome drink in the hotel’s smoke-free bar, the Bourbon O. Be sure to catch live music there on Friday nights, as well as bartender Cheryl Charming, whom a local magazine named Mixologist of the Year in 2014. Back at the hotel, the Roux on Orleans restaurant can satisfy breakfast, lunch and dinner desires, and a heated saltwater pool makes lazing about in a lounge chair all day very, very easy. But if you want to be the ultimage envy of Bourbon Street revelers, make sure to reserve a balcony suite; it features a porch overlooking all the boozy revelry below and lets you party above the action.

The Carmel Market is the largest outdoors market in Tel Aviv and sells everything from toiletries, clothes, meat, fruit and vegetables and some delicatessen cheese. Like in a lot of outdoors markets, the fruit and vegetables are displayed in such a way you can touch, smell and sometimes even taste it before you buy. The outdoors markets (shuk) are busy, noisy and crowded but they are also a micro-cosmos sometimes of the country’s nation. Markets in Israel are opened quite early in the morning and close around 7 or 8. Friday before the Shabat, is mostly the most busiest days as people in a hurry to get food for the weekend. Saturday Shabat the markets are closed. Almsot every city in Israel has an outdoor market (shuk). Some of the well known ones are: Kerem Hateymanim, a a small neighborhood named after the immigrants from Yamen. The most famous shuk in Jerusalem is Machne Yehuda, which is quite a big outdoor place, very busy with a mix crowd of Jews, Muslim, Christians, Orthodox and seculars. In Haifa the shuk is in the arab quarter in Vadi Nisnas, the market has bakeries, fish and seafood stores and grounded arabic coffee. In recent years some main cities have Farmer markets, which take place mostly on Fridays.

If you happen to be French, French Canadian, or simply of French descent, the Musée de l’Amérique Francophone (Museum of Francophone America) in the heart of Old Québec will be of special interest—the interactive displays will help you trace your family heritage. It’s worth a visit even if you don’t have French ancestors, however, as an introduction to Québec’s francophone community, its remarkable history, and the story of how the culture has survived, even after being absorbed into the British Empire and then sharing a country where Francophones are far outnumbered by Anglophones. Exhibits trace the history of the francophone community beyond the province, including migrations to New England and the Canadian Prairies. You’ll also learn about lost episodes in the history of New France, like the settlement of Cap-Rouge, which existed for only two years (1541 to 1543) and was recently rediscovered. And see if you can peek inside the deconsecrated chapel from 1900 that’s within the museum, though was constructed as part of the Québec Seminary, located next door. This lavishly restored space is often used for private events, but you can ask the guards to let you take a quick look.

Iconic chef Roy Yamaguchi helped popularize Hawaiian-fusion food a generation ago, but at Eating House 1849 he takes a delicious detour with dishes inspired by Portuguese, Spanish, and Filipino flavors. This “plantation cuisine” evokes the immigrant dishes served in the mid-1800s, when the state’s first restaurant—a Honolulu establishment called Eating House—opened (according to legend). Yamaguchi brings some serious chops to the table: He trained at the Culinary Institute of America before serving as executive chef in Los Angeles‘s La Serene and winning a James Beard Award. The menu shifts seasonally, according to what farmers, foragers, ranchers, and fishermen produce. Expect delicacies like a beef-and-wild-boar burger and pork lumpia with green papaya. Cap it all off with cinnamon-dusted malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts) with Koloa Rum sauce!

Peruse the wooden shelves stacked with coffee table books about art and architecture, take in the sandy beiges of the wicker chairs and the sky-blue pillows and tiled walls, and you may think you’ve fallen into a coastal California dreamscape. The menu at this restaurant inside the über-chic South Congress Hotel also evokes California, with grain bowls, salads topped with lean protein, and fashionable avocado toast. The kitchen, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, doesn’t appeal only to the calorie- or trend-conscious, as evidenced by a great throwback cheeseburger draped with American cheese. Executive pastry chef Amanda Rockman is also one of the main attractions here, with her stunning creations, such as an airy kouign-amann.

The McGuire Moorman Hospitality group has proven time and again that it knows how to develop a concept and deliver it in a stunning thematic package—from the coastal seafood vibes of Perla’s to the handsome brawn of Lamberts Downtown Barbecue. For June’s All Day, the team has blended elements of a French bistro, a New York City wine bar, and a quintessential American diner. The menu, which ranges from chilled artichoke and croque madame to a fried chicken sandwich and cheeseburger, straddles the Atlantic. The restaurant’s namesake, June Rodil, is one of the country’s few female Master Sommeliers, and the smart and engaging wine list, highlighted by more than 30 white and sparkling options, invites guests to stay and sip.

Looking directly onto the turquoise and emerald sparkle of the Atlantic Ocean beyond a ribbon of powdery white sand, The Melia Nassau Beach - All Inclusive is in a prime location on Nassau’s beautiful Cable Beach. The property features bright and modern rooms and suites on, all with private balconies, and either pool or ocean views. There are also three pools with waterfalls facing the sea, one of which is adults only, and two hot tubs. Seven restaurants and four bars round out the all-inclusive offerings. When booking, there is an option for THE LEVEL, which is the property’s elevated services and amenities package, and guests have access to an exclusive beach area, private lounge, premium top shelf liquors and preferential dining bookings. The property is also very family friendly and there is a children’s pool as well as a Kids’ Club offering daily activities for children 5 to 12 onsite, so parents can get some downtime. On a recent visit to see the newly renovated LEVEL rooms (these are on the 8th and 9th floor and have the most direct ocean views) this writer was seriously impressed by the quality of food at the Melia Nassau Beach - All Inclusive. It’s often the low-point of an all-inclusive experience, but this wasn’t the case here, where there is plenty of variety, and a lot of fresh and healthy choices. Another plus were the strong drinks, which were not watered down as often happens at all-inclusives. With six included restaurants, the variety of what you eat is also awesome. And while the seventh restaurant, Black Angus, isn’t included in any of the packages, it is worth shelling out the extra bucks for — in fact, it’s a popular choice with locals, who book for diner. The steaks here are massive and cooked to order, and the fresh line fish is an excellent pescatarian selection. The lobster mac and cheese is also delicious. Even if you don’t dine at Black Angus, the included restaurants still have you eating around the world: Nikkei serves Japanese and Peruvian fare, including show cooking on Teppanyaki tables and a fresh sushi bar; Cilantro is focused on fresh Mexican and tequila (note some of the speciality cocktails do have extra cost associated with them, but it’s clearly noted in the menu); and O’Grille, which is an American grill. There are also multiple bar options and different entertainment - try the karaoke - depending on the night of the week. Right on Cable Beach, the location is fabulous with water you won’t want to get out of -- it’s the most beautiful color of turquoise, warm, calm and crystal clear, and the hotel offers complimentary floats, SUP boards and kayaks to enjoy it. Should you tire of the vitamin sea, you can hop on the free shuttle to the Baha Mar development, whi-ch includes a casino, 18-hole, par-72 golf course, dining venues and shopping.

If Mandapa, “temple” in Sanskrit, feels more like a community than a hotel, that’s because it is. The resort occupies 24 green acres on a property previously owned by a group of neighboring families, who retain access to the land and its on-site temple. As a result, it maintains three acres of rice paddies and a traditional rice barn on stilts, and the villagers bring daily offerings to the temple, giving Mandapa a strong connection to local culture.




The hotel’s open-air lobby sits 300 feet above the Ayung River valley, overlooking 35 hillside suites with views of the jungle and rice paddies and 25 villas along the flowing river. The suites are furnished with traditional Balinese pieces and artwork and stand-alone soaking tubs, while the high-ceilinged villas, decorated with vividly colored botanical panels, have large pools and separate master suites.





Everywhere, local materials and design elements feature prominently, from the thatched roofs to the fringed umbrellas that shade the lounge chairs by the pool. The riverside spa is another place to discover Balinese products through deeply relaxing treatments and spiritual ones with a local healer, too. Five dining and drinking outlets include fine-dining restaurant Kubu, a spot for high tea, a cocktail and dinner venue called Ambar, and Sawah Terrace, where Sundays feature a Royal Brunch. Ubud’s center is only 10 minutes by car, but the guided vintage VW convertible tours on offer are arguably the best way to get around. From $1,250