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Why we love it: A family-oriented resort where you can disconnect together

The Highlights:
- A ruggedly beautiful setting where the forest meets the lake
- Family-friendly activities like hiking, boating, and fishing
- A relaxed vibe that allows for disconnecting from the daily grind

The Review:
The most remote drive-in resort in northern Minnesota, Big Lake Wilderness Lodge transports guests to summer vacations of a bygone era. Surrounded by the Superior National Forest and a short walk or paddle from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the property focuses on simple pleasures, from lake views and starry skies to clean air, pure water, and freshly caught fish. Here, guests can hike on nearby trails; hit the lake in a kayak, canoe, or paddleboat; spend the day fishing for walleye; or simply relax lakeside and take in the scenery. On especially clear nights, you can even see the northern lights.

Pet-friendly cabins include well-equipped kitchens as well as picnic tables, Weber grills, and patio furniture. Most feature satellite TV, and the newly remodeled Horizon and Call of the Loon cabins come with a free pontoon boat rental. Plan a romantic getaway in a lakeshore studio cabin, or bring the whole brood to a two-bedroom or family-size option. When you’re ready to socialize, there’s a communal lodge with free Wi-Fi, TV, books, games, and a snow cone maker, as well as a wading beach with a water trampoline offshore. In case you forgot anything or need some tackle and live bait, there’s also a store stocked with the essentials for a week of family fun.

The stretch of Boulevard Saint-Laurent between Rue Marianne and Avenue Mont-Royal is known as furniture alley, for all the furniture and home appointment stores that exist there. Latitude Nord was among the first to move to the area and remains the best spot to spy cutting-edge contemporary design items like lamps, chairs, rugs and couches. The focus is on European imports, particularly Italian brands like Cassina, Bisazza and Cappellini, but there’s also minimalist American ware from the likes of Emeco (makers of the ubiquitous Navy Chair) and cushy rugs made in Spain by Alpujarreña. The slick showroom is worth visiting even if you don’t intend to buy.

Teotitlan del Valle is world-renowned for its production of high quality woven goods. The weaving tradition in this village dates back to ancient times, when they paid tribute to the Aztecs in weavings, although at that time they wove mostly cotton and used the backstrap loom. The majority of the residents in this community speak Zapotec as well as Spanish and have conserved many of their traditions. On a visit to Teotitlan you can visit a family of weavers and they will show you the whole process of how the rugs are made from spinning the wool to dyeing it (using natural colors such as the cochineal and indigo) and weaving the rugs. Designs range from traditional geometric patterns like those found on the walls of the nearby Mitla archaeological site, to more modern designs such as reproductions of the work of contemporary artists.

For over 20 years, this large open-air market only 7 miles north of Santa Fe showcases a variety of local artisans, importers and designers hawking their wares. As all flea markets go, it’s a hit or miss operation sifting from a selection of turquoise jewelry, rugs, clothing and cowboy boots. It’s also weekends only.

Once a grand harem, this luxurious riad in the medina’s Andalusian Quarter is as enigmatic as its past. Interiors are peppered with worldly artifacts and contemporary furnishings, but all blend harmoniously with traditional handwoven rugs, bejmat tiles, and ornate lanterns. Seven lavishly chic suites are equally full of character: vintage Moroccan wedding shawls and antique Berber wardrobes offset modern amenities like high-end organic toiletries, walk-in rain showers and sunken stone tubs, and terraces wreathed in rose bushes and lush greenery. No less romantic is the hammam, complete with vaulted ceilings and graceful columns. There are also plenty of charming corners to settle into with a mint tea and homemade pastries, be it in the serene library courtyard, the umbrella-dotted rooftop lounge, or the hotel’s elegant crystal-chandeliered restaurant.

Bien Mur Indian Market Center in Sandia Pueblo is an excellent spot to buy a wide range of turquoise jewelry (from Hopi, Navajo, Santo Domingo, and Zuni tribes), handmade Native American rugs, Pendleton blankets, and sand paintings. Not to worry, the pricing practices are fair.

One of the great pleasures of traveling in Mexico is visiting traditional local markets, which sell everything from produce and household goods to handcrafts and textiles. In San Jose del Cabo, the local artisans’ market, or Plaza Artesanos, is open daily. Vendors sell a variety of handmade goods, including rugs, pottery, clothing, and jewelry.

This shop offers a wide variety of high-quality handicrafts from all over Oaxaca. You’ll find a room devoted to woolen rugs, one to woodcarvings, and several to ceramics. On my most recent visit, I couldn’t resist picking up a “Catrina,” one of the female skeletons associated with Day of the Dead festivities, as well as some decorative cut paper.

Simple pleasures abound at this charming riad, where a greenery-fringed central courtyard is soundtracked by a babbling fountain; the panoramic rooftop terraces are dotted with potted palms and cabana-style seating; and an atmospheric bar and dining room doles out Fassi fare like couscous, pastilla, and a variety of tagines (though guests can opt for a cooking class instead). It’s all cloaked in a traditional Moroccan aesthetic, rich in color and bedecked in zellige tilework, handwoven rugs, ornately carved wood, and moody lanterns. The seven jewel-hued guest rooms, each a different color, have modern conveniences like flat-screen TVs in gilded frames, minibars, and free Wi-Fi, while decadently appointed suites maximize living space. Not that you’ll be in them for long: The concierge can arrange for a guide to help you navigate the medina’s mazelike alleys, which sit right outside the hotel’s door.

One of the newer boutique inns to emerge in the Catskills, this 11-room property is a gorgeous mix of old-fashioned elegance and urban styling. Guests can expect classic features such as stone fireplaces and sheepskin rugs along with a glorious hodgepodge of vintage sofas, Moroccan tiling, and framed butterflies. Rooms feature white walls and matching linens, with pops of color in the form of grass-green rugs, tufted velvet chairs, bright wallpaper, and serene, forest-inspired art prints. Just be aware that about half the rooms—specifically, those on the third floor of the old house—share common bathrooms. There’s also a cottage with three bedrooms and its own kitchen, where guests can bring their pets provided they let the owners know ahead of time. Don’t miss the Sunday brunch served in the intimate Bar Room—one of the inn’s owners is a chef by profession, and his culinary artistry gets consistently rave reviews.

Coasteering is the latest craze in Greece‘s adventure tourism, and it’s especially popular on the Pelion Peninsula. Coasteering refers to navigating the coastline by climbing, rock scrambling, and swimming. It’s definitely for the braver, more physically fit individuals, but the unique views experienced of the wild and rugged Pelion coast is definitely worth it. Even if you end up just exploring the Pelion coast, you’ll be surprised to see it’s an awful lot like being in the Greek Islands.

“The Medina is like Brooklyn in that there are all sorts of neighborhoods within it. The Old Jewish Quarter is still a very local place. It feels like Marrakech 30 years ago—a bit rugged and run-down, but it’s cool to wander around in. There are a bunch of shops selling herbs and spices and crafts such as jewelry.”-Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj This appeared in the August/September 2014 issue.

This is river swimming at its most civilized. Zurich’s oldest badi, the men-only Männerbad Schanzengraben, is tucked away near the stock exchange and surrounded by the ivy-draped old city wall (you’ll miss it if you don’t look for it). Come evening, the badi transforms into the popular Rimini Bar, where both men and women mingle on floor cushions and rugs lining the pool’s edge.

Behind one of the most popular surf spots in Rincon is a breathtaking view of the northwest coast of PR. Domes Beach during fall/winter will be packed with surfers, but if you want to enjoy the location without being slapped by boards or crowds, then take the short dirt walk behind the “dome” (old nuclear center) and hike along the raised seawall for a gorgeous and unobstructed view of the rugged, lush, tropical cliffside and the waters below. You can take this trail all the way to Pools Beach (in Puntas, the upper part of Rincon) and watch more surfers pick off waves in another great surf spot. This photo was shot with my iPhone 4S, and edited as HDR.

A recent refurbishment has brought larger tents, Moroccan rugs, and four-poster campaign beds to this woodland property near the Makgadikgadi salt pans. A visit to the nearby meerkat conservation project is a must.


From $430. 27/(0) 11-447- 1605. This appeared in the August/September 2013 issue. Image courtesy of Uncharted Africa Safari Co.