Search results for

The Stari Grad (or Old Town) of Kotor is steeped in history, from the Venetian lions standing guard at the entrance to its piazzas with names like Square of Flour and Square of Weapons after the items that were once traded there. The labyrinth of stone streets winds past impressive palaces, ancient churches, charming shops and cozy cafés; for guided tours head to the Tourist Center kiosk in front of the Sea Gate.

Dalian was under Russian rule from 1898 to 1905, and even though Russia’s occupation of Dalian was relatively short, it still managed to erect several grand buildings on what was then called Engineer Street, and today Russian (or sometimes, Russia Customs) Street. The street is bookended by the Beaux-Arts Dalniy City Hall and the Russian Library, now a museum, in a fanciful Victorian brick building. Between them stand eight colorful restored Russian-era buildings and a handful of late 1990s ones with Russian-inspired designs that were constructed to complement the earlier buildings.

Along with a great view of San Francisco, Treasure Island is home to a popular flea market, formerly Treasure Island Flea, and now called TreasureFest. Each month around 400 curated vendors set up and peddle their wares. Stalls offer antiques, originally designed art and clothing, and vintage curiosities. You will also find about two dozen food trucks, live music, kids’ games and activities, and some local wine sellers to fuel your shopping fire. The two-day flea market takes place the last weekend of every month. Launched in 2011 to support local artists and entrepreneurs, Treasure Island Flea is now a must-do Bay Area event.

From Top Chef: All-Stars winner Richard Blais comes this Little Italy favorite, a fast-casual spot specializing in humanely raised chicken and eggs. Here, the fried chicken is crispy and not too greasy, and sandwiches like the Malibu Barbie Q (chicken thigh, cornmeal onion ring, pineapple mustard) are addictive. An almost entirely outdoor spot, the Crack Shack features a walk-up window, bocce ball court, and cocktail bar. For something more traditional, head next door to Blais’s second concept, Juniper & Ivy, where you can enjoy an ever-changing menu of seasonal shared plates. From time to time, the restaurant hosts a Farm Dinner centered on a special ingredient like lamb from a local purveyor, making for one of the best splurge meals in the city.

Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs is a family vacation resort and conference center whose showcase feature is a 50,000-square-foot water park, heated to a humid 84 degrees Fahrenheit (a treat in the middle of the high Colorado desert). It’s next to Interstate 25, just north of Colorado Springs. Though the water park is accessible exclusively to guests at the hotel, the Adventure Park is open to the public, with completely dry activities including a ropes course, climbing wall, mini-golf, gem-panning, bowling, arcade, and several hotel-wide scavenger hunt games. Meals are not included in the room price, but there are restaurants on the property, including healthy options, allergy-friendly kitchens, and, exclusive to the Colorado property, Barnwood, a farm-to-table restaurant and bar in the lobby, which sources as many local ingredients as possible. To avoid crowds and lines, the water park at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs is only open to guests of the hotel, which has 311 suites, differently configured, themed, and sized to accommodate families of all sizes; rates begin at $199 per night and include access to the water park. In celebration of the grand opening, they’re offering discounts of up to 30 percent on multi-night stays through the end of March. Pro tip: bring your own bathrobe and flip flops.

Surely one of the most extraordinary imperial relics of Morocco, the Palais Bahia (“the brilliant”) doesn’t disappoint. Built at the start of the 19th century by architect El Mekki for Si Moussa, the then chamberlain of Sultan Hassan I, the palace showcases a wide range of architectural styles hinting at the chamberlain’s playful spirit, especially after his son inherited it and added his own brand of flamboyant glamour to the place. Women’s quarters bedecked with crimson-and-mustard–striped ceilings, a marble-tile courtyard the size of a soccer field, and extensive salons lined by stained-glass windows are just some of the features of the 20-acre space. In 1912, General Lyautey, the governor of French protectorate Morocco, moved in and added creature comforts such as fireplaces and central heating. In so doing, he attracted a number of illustrious guests, among them the writer Edith Wharton. She described the palace this way: “They came, they built the Bahia, and it remains the loveliest and most fantastic of Moroccan palaces. Court within court, garden beyond garden, reception halls, private apartments, slaves’ quarters, sunny prophets’ chambers on the roofs, and baths in vaulted crypts, the labyrinth of passages and rooms stretches away over several acres of ground.” Follow Wharton’s lead and don’t miss it.

Haj Mohamed has made his name both as one of Marrakech’s top antique dealers and, for over three decades, one of its top tour guides, with clients ranging from U.S. presidents to celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Brad Pitt. Both of his passions come together at his 11-room hotel, which he crafted with teams of skilled artisans and furnished himself. Set in an 18th-century riad, it features a traditional central courtyard and pool as well as warm, intimate guestrooms, complete with rich textiles, carved wooden doors, and cushy, low-slung seating. The same welcoming aesthetic can be found in the hotel’s common spaces, which include a small plunge pool, various pillow-laden lounges, a rooftop terrace, and a courtyard where guests can enjoy live music. Riad Kniza is also known for its gourmet Moroccan restaurant, which features just nine tables and requires reservations at least one day in advance, as the chef purchases ingredients fresh from the markets each morning.

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.

The King Cole Bar is about as legendary as any bar in New York. Located in the St. Regis Hotel at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street, it has been the place to go for a cocktail since it opened in 1932—Salvador Dalí, John Lennon, and Marilyn Monroe are just a few from a long list of famous names who have dropped in for a drink. The bar sits off the St. Regis New York’s lobby and is presided over by the famous King Cole mural painted by Maxfield Parrish, with John Jacob Astor IV playing the part of the king, jesters to each side of him. Today it is still the ultimate setting to start a celebratory evening, or end one with a nightcap; it cemented its place on most lists of New York’s top bars with an extensive renovation in 2013. While the bartenders can prepare anything you might be in the mood for, you may want to order a Bloody Mary. The King Cole Bar boasts that it was the first spot where the drink (then known as a Red Snapper) was served in the United States (a claim, it should be noted, that is disputed by some other bars).

The California Academy of Sciences is an unfortunately stuffy name for an institution that is anything but staid. The country’s largest natural-history museum includes an aquarium, a planetarium, an enormous rain-forest exhibit under a 27-meter-tall (90-foot-tall) dome, and a living roof that looks like a science-fiction fantasy. A visit here can feel like a trip to an amusement park, with a series of attractions to check out, but all of them are educational. The building itself is part of the appeal of the Academy. (Like the nearby de Young, the old home of the California Academy of Sciences was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and starchitect Renzo Piano designed its very environmentally friendly replacement.) It would be easy to spend an entire day or more seeing all of the Academy’s exhibits, so be prepared to pick and choose among them.

A church—or, at least, a small chapel—has stood on the site of the Basilica of Notre-Dame since shortly after Ville-Marie (Montréal’s predecessor) was founded in 1642. The current building, however, dates to 1829 and was constructed in a soaring Gothic Revival style. At the time, that aesthetic choice raised some eyebrows—Gothic designs were associated more with Protestant churches than Roman Catholic ones. (Perhaps the fact that the architect was an Irish-American Protestant didn’t help the situation.) Whatever initial resistance there was evaporated in the face of the beauty of the completed building. In the decades that followed, Gothic became the popular choice for churches in Canada of every denomination in large part because of Montréal’s basilica. In the 1870s, in what was perhaps a case of gilding the lily, the basilica became even more stunning when its interiors were painted in bright colors to resemble Paris‘s Ste-Chapelle.

We picked up some gyros to-go during our stroll through the historic Plaka neighborhood below the Acropolis. Thespidos street was particularly memorable for the cafe we stopped at and discovering Brettos bar, which we decided to come back to enjoy as the end a lovely evening.

It would be hard to find a more idyllic spot for recharging than Naïa Resort and Spa, Placencia’s newest (and, we’ll say it, most comfortable) resort. Stay in your own studio, one-, two-, or three-bedroom beach house, all of which come equipped with floor-to-ceiling front windows, a kitchenette, a deep tub, and an outdoor shower (trust us: once you’ve had the luxury of an outdoor shower, you’ll never want to go back to the boring, indoor version). Every beach house is just that: a beach house. You’re never more than a short walk from the shores of the Caribbean Sea, and the Naîa’s watersports center can get you off the sand and into the water on a kayak or paddleboard. (While you’re there, ask for Stony, whose a pleasant man to talk to and the guy you’ll need to open a fresh coconut from one of the many palm trees on the property). The resort also staffs expert concierges, who can recommend the best tours, spa treatments, and in-town experiences.

The spa, as expected, is one of Naïa’s best features. Located a short golf cart drive away from the lobby, Naïa’s spa feels like a secluded oasis. Lillypads sit calmly on the surface of still ponds, and treatment rooms—all housed in small, individual wooden buildings—overlook the vegetation. The masseuses will alleviate you of all pent up stress with expert hands and sweet-smelling lotions exclusive to the resort.

The town of Placencia is only a short drive away, and the Naïa can shuttle you wherever you need to go. Eat and drink at Barefoot Bar or Tipsy Tuna, walk along the paths near the beach to find handmade treasures to take home, and hang out by the docks and watch the fishing boats come and go. Then go back to your little slice of paradise on the Caribbean shores.

Crowds may swarm upon it daily from sunrise onwards, but exposure hasn’t dulled the impact of the largest religious monument in the world. Commissioned by King Suryavarman II in the 12th century as the centerpiece of the mighty Khmer empire, the structure is inspired by Hindu sacred design and is estimated to have taken around 30 years to build. The biggest surprise upon visiting might be learning that the vast complex of spires, moats, frescoes, cloisters, and balustrades was constructed in such speedy fashion. You won’t be alone while witnessing it, but sunrise over the iconic temple remains one of the essential experiences in Southeast Asia. A return in the afternoon when the camera-toting hordes have dispersed is also advisable.

This shop took over one of Los Angeles’s most iconic buildings when it opened in 2012—the art deco–styled former headquarters of business magnate Howard Hughes. But Just One Eye’s pioneering founder, Paola Russo, has managed to put her own original stamp on the space. The luxury concept store is arranged like a gallery, showcasing rare and one-of-a-kind editions of clothing, jewelry, vintage furniture, and contemporary works by such artists as Takashi Murakami. Finds range from crocodile backpacks designed in collaboration with the Row and artist Damien Hirst to a survival kit created with input from the Navy Seals. Over the years, Just One Eye has grown and evolved with shops-in-shops. Installations may feature gowns by Alexandre Vauthier—French haute couture designs sold since the store’s beginning—or Daniela Villegas’s playful jewelry inspired by nature. Somehow both intimate and grand, the eclectic boutique is decidedly gallery-like, but approachable, too. Knowledgeable staff act almost as docents, guiding customers one-on-one and offering them coffee. Insiders’ tip: Valet parking is complimentary, helping to assuage any guilt over splurging on that Gucci bag.