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A trip through Austin’s shops and boutiques will send you home laden down with great vinyl, used and new books, and top-notch vintage western wear, but you may be surprised by local designers, too, showing off their stuff, from fashion to housewares.

Sydney takes its coffee seriously. Even casual joints serve espresso drinks with foam flowers, and locals sip from mugs all day long, even when it’s hot outside. More recently, third-wave coffee has taken over, bringing pour-overs, cold brews, and a new crop of bean geeks to the city.

Why we love it: A five-star resort unlike anything else on the Jersey Shore

The Highlights:
- Private terraces in every room with views of the ocean or sand dunes
- Top-notch service from pool attendants and the staff at large
- A rooftop pool that feels more like Miami than New Jersey

The Review:
From real estate developer iStar, designer Anda Andrei, and hotelier David Bowd of Salt Hotels comes this five-star resort—the first of its kind on the Jersey Shore. Located on the fourth floor of a mixed-use luxury development, the 54-room property sits right off the boardwalk, offering endless views of the Atlantic Ocean. Rooms take advantage of the vistas with floor-to-ceiling windows, a muted palette, and private terraces that look out onto either the water or the hotel’s sand-dune garden, while spacious bathrooms feature glass-enclosed showers and handpicked amenities like conditioner from MiN and soaps from Palermo Body.

As inviting as the guestrooms may be, however, it’s the hotel’s common spaces that truly impress. The pool deck and garden terrace blend seamlessly into the ocean beyond, creating a serene oasis just four stories above the beach. Here, guests sunbathe on loungers and daybeds or relax in tree-shaded seating areas while pool attendants mill about, offering to clean their sunglasses, spritz them with cool water, or bring them a drink from the pergola-covered bar in the corner. Should they wish to hit the sand, a personal “Beach Bellperson” will set up their towels, chairs, and umbrellas and deliver lunch whenever they get hungry.

When the weather gets too hot—or too cold, as AOC is a year-round hotel—guests can repair to the Drawing Room, which sits at the heart of the property. A glass house that floats on a tranquil reflecting pool, the space is designed to feel like a living room, with eclectic furniture, a green-tiled fireplace, an open kitchen that doubles as a bar, and live piano music several nights a week. Come 2020, there will also be a fine-dining restaurant on site, where guests can indulge before sweating it out at the Technogym-equipped fitness center or a morning yoga session on the pool deck.

Conditions are right year-round in Aruba for both newbie and seasoned surfers. Easterly trade winds blow steadily over the island from March through August, while waves come consistently in late fall and winter. If you’d like to try surfing—or even just look like a surfer—while in Aruba, Bula Surf Shop in central Oranjestad can get you started. Opened in 2003 by two surfers, the store boasts a friendly staff that’s knowledgeable about all things watersports-related on the island. Pick up everything from swimsuits and sunglasses to boards and backpacks by popular surf brands like Billabong, Quicksilver, and Ripcurl. Just don’t stop by on Sundays—that’s when the staff is “gone surfing.”

Commissioned in 2006 by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, Royal Mansour is like a medina within the city’s Medina. Fifty-three private riads, each three stories high, feel like mini-palaces, with open-air courtyards and on-call butlers. Every detail is an homage to Moroccan craftsmanship, down to the gorgeous zellige ceramic tiles, intricately carved woods, and molded plasterwork created by local artisans.


From April onward, access to a pool is essential to your enjoyment of Marrakech—and canny entrepreneurs have ensured there’s something for every budget. The city has some mega-luxury treats within walking distance of the medina, like the poolside pavilions at the Royal Mansour’s Le Jardin and the pool that launched a thousand photo shoots at La Mamounia. Expect to spend upward of $80 just to get in. There are also plenty of accessibly priced options a little out of town. The top of our list are the ultra-deep, black-tiled, 115-foot long twin pools at the Beldi country club, where $40 gets you a pool pass, a sun lounger beneath the olive trees, and a slap-up barbecue lunch. It gets busy, though, so if you’re after something a little more serene, book a car to take you out to the Jnane Tamsna in the middle of the Palmeraie, where gloriously scented gardens and five serene turquoise pools are hidden away among the date palms. Pool access, including a three-course lunch that fuses Moroccan Mediterranean with more fiery Senegalese flavors, is about the same price. Out at the Fellah Hotel, up-close views of the mighty Atlas Mountains can be soaked up from a shabby-chic poolside terrace over lunch (not included) while rubbing shoulders with the foundation’s artists in residence. Pool access costs $22.

Whether you’ve got a new home ready to fill with everything from dishes to textiles or you just want some surf wear for an upcoming lesson or, perhaps, a wooden carving to bring home to your aunt, there’s a shopping experience to match your need in Bali’s shops and towns. Fans of haggling will find worthy opponents at markets including the Sukawati Art Market. For high quality clothing and souvenirs, head straight to the boutique-heavy town of Seminyak.

In Japan’s capital, youth dress up—and let loose—in over-the-top themed establishments.

Saturday morning and this is the place to be to get a true slice of the Pacific. The Otara Flea Markets have rows and rows of fresh fruit, clothing, bric-a-brac and of course food, but it’s the Polynesian colour and music that makes it so special. Far from the traditional shop fronts of Queen Street, this is where commerce meets culture and you can pick up a mighty decent bag of apples for $1.50.

Poland’s Baltic coastline spans nearly 480 miles, with Gdańsk at its center. The area, along with the adjacent Pomerania region, holds many treasures, including the imposing Malbork Castle, the lovely town of Toruń (famous for its gingerbread and Gothic architecture), and, on the far western edge, the new, beautifully sculpted Philharmonic Hall Szczecin. If you only have time to visit Gdańsk, be sure to see Długi Targ (the Long Market), the European Solidarity Center, and Oliwa Cathedral with its famous pipe organ.

Searching for covered bridges and discovering their histories is one of the travel adventures I enjoy. While in New Hampshire, I armed myself with a good area map. The map had covered bridge icons which indicated covered bridge locations. New Hampshire #68 was the bridge for which I chose to search. We drove down highway 11A until we got to the Gilford Townhall. We were told by a near-by park ranger how to get to the bridge. His instructions were very clear: “Park at the town hall in the lot, and look to your right,and under some trees you will see the bridge”. I got out and there it was... a very pretty covered footbridge. While inside the bridge, I could hear the rushing water of the brook. I could see the trees, bushes, flowers, and water flowing over the rocks as I peered out of the latticework openings. The Gilford covered bridge is a single span footbridge (foot traffic only) that is a lattice wooden structure spanning the Gunstock Brook just north of the village of Gilford. The bridge was built in 1995 on the site of the first covered bridge that had been removed about 50 years ago. The name of the bridge is the Tannery Hill Gilford Bridge and it links the town center with town hall. I continue to search for covered bridges in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New England. See how many you can find in your trips and travel adventures.

Make a reservation at one of Delhi’s highest rated restaurants, featuring a range of modern and classic cuisine. From the iconic, cutlery-free dishes at Bukhara to the Michelin starred dim sum and dumplings at Yauatcha, top chefs have made their mark in India’s capital. The award-winning restaurants offer intimate dining spaces, views of Delhi’s skyline, and live jazz bands.

One traveler returns to Laos.

In warm-weather months, the Penn’s Landing waterfront area along the Delaware River is always busy with activity. On the Great Plaza there are ongoing free festivals, summer concerts, a movie series, and Fourth of July fireworks. Other attractions here include the RiverLink Ferry to New Jersey, the Independence Seaport Museum, and kayaks and swan boats available for rental. In winter, Penn’s Landing is host to one of Philadelphia‘s most spectacular outdoor ice rinks, the Blue Cross RiverRink. Historic ships, including the Moshulu, a beautiful 1904 four-masted steel sailing vessel, are moored at the waterfront. The Moshulu now features a popular restaurant on its deck, and the tall ship is dramatically illuminated at night.

Maui’s culinary scene is having a moment, as a renewed interest in local ingredients—especially heritage ones—powers the island’s restaurants to new heights. Visitors may come for the sun and surf, but they’re lingering for the innovative food, made from ahi, coffee, coconut, kalo (taro), ulu (breadfruit), Spam, and beef raised by paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys). Forget pineapple on pizza, however delicious. Today’s best chefs are focused on Hawaii Regional Cuisine, a movement that started in 1991 to showcase the archipelago’s diversity. Expect to savor Japanese, Filipino, and Native Hawaiian flavors, often in the same dish.

The old, the new, and the scarcely imagined sit side by side in Mexico City, and no one blinks an eye. The more you can be curious about that balance—and the more you can achieve it yourself—the better you’ll understand and enjoy this magical city.