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One of Vienna’s most notable structures is its stunning Rathaus, or City Hall. Designed by Friedrich von Schmidt between 1872 and 1883, the imposing Gothic structure is the seat of both the mayor and city council, and is also the backdrop for one of the most popular Christmas markets in the city.

As ubiquitous as “mandu” (dumplings) may be in Korea, when in Seoul, seek out their Mongolian lamb-filled ‘ancestors.’ One theory says that meat-filled dumplings were introduced to the Korean peninsula during the Mongol invasions of the 14th century. If that’s the case, then “buuz” (Mongolian dumplings) have made a comeback in the 21st century. In recent decades, tens of thousands of Mongolians have immigrated to South Korea, and the neighborhood just to the west of the new Zaha-Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza has become home to a Central Asian village. Seek out the Cyrillic lettering and look for “Ulaan Baatar” restaurant, on the second floor of an otherwise nondescript building in an alleyway. A plateful of “buuz” would make a hearty meal, but it’s best shared. Hand-cut noodles, al dente, stir-fried with carrots and mutton are another option. If you want a break from the seemingly non-stop chile-garlic-soy palette of Korean food, but still want a ‘local’ flavor, this is your fatty chance. My wife and I were the only non-Mongolians when we had lunch here. We followed the example of the other diners and ordered salty milk tea to go with our food. I couldn’t bring myself to dunk my dumplings in it, though, as everyone else was doing. (Beer and Fanta are also available.) By subway: at “Dongdaemun History and Culture Park” station, take exit 12, walk west and turn left at the next corner; look for the 10-story building with cyrillic lettering on your right.

Shorty’s is a throwback to an era where you hopped in your ’57 Chevy, put the kids in the back, and rolled to the drive-in for a bite to eat on a summer night. Featuring the usual selection of American hotdog and hamburger fare, Shorty’s also has selections to please the healthy side as well. There are five different salads to choose from, small plates featuring hummus and pizza bread, and larger plates that range from wood-fired P.E.I. mussels and salmon to grilled chicken sandwiches and barbecue pulled pork delights. And if that doesn’t work, you can also customize your pizza with a huge array of toppings. It may be called Shorty’s, but the menu options are anything but that.

The Durian is fondly known as the king of fruits in Southeast Asia. It’s a fruit that the locals love, but that many outsiders find to be an acquired taste. In fact, Andrew Zimmern, the presenter of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods, (the guy who eats the world’s craziest and weirdest things) can’t stand durians. The name durian comes from the Malay word “duri,” which means “thorns.” Cutting open a durian is an art. You have to cut along certain lines created by the thorns, which are barely visible. If you get it wrong, it would be tough to open. Once cut, you use your palms to push apart the insides to reveal the yellow flesh. The smell of the durian is strong enough to make you salivate or faint, depending on which side of the fence you are on regarding it’s taste. If you’re ever in Malaysia, you must give it a try. Who knows? You could end up liking something that Andrew Zimmern himself can’t stomach!

In 2011, one of Chicago’s most popular restaurants, Longman & Eagle, expanded into an inn with the creation of six rooms. The owners, two of whom run the music venue Empty Bottle, built and outfitted the whole place. Each of the rooms is different, but all are stylishly simple and feature details such as wood floors, exposed brick, original art work and site-specific installations by local artists, cassette players with mix tapes, well-curated minibars, and Aesop toiletries. For the noise averse, the hotel reminds potential guests that the rooms are located above “an occasionally raucous, whisky-fueled tavern.”

The small city of Eupen is the capital of Belgium’s tiny German-speaking community, located in the country’s Eastern Cantons. This unique part of Belgium is far off the tourist map but is well worth a visit for its great food and proximity to the Hautes Fagnes Nature Reserve. But even if Eupen didn’t have these highlights, it would be worth visiting, simply to stay at the stunning B&B Julevi. This beautifully decorated B&B is run by the warm and welcoming Mattens family. The rooms are spacious, particularly the ground floor room, which has its own private sitting room. The dining room and common living room are accented by a stunning spiral staircase, which leads to several upstairs bedrooms. In the summer, guests have access to a small terrace and formal garden, off the kitchen. Breakfasts are fresh and ample and the hosts are quick with suggestions for great places to eat, shop and visit in the area. With rooms ranging in price from 75-95 euro, the B&B Julevi is a steal and a welcome escape from Belgium’s larger cities.

Located among several other hotel behemoths in Nob Hill—such as the neighboring Fairmont—the Ritz Carlton San Francisco makes a strong impression right from the outset. It’s housed within a neoclassical building that was originally designed as the Pacific Coast headquarters of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The entrance’s large columns and ornate stonework befit its 1909 birth year, a style that continues on into the chandelier-and-marble decorated lobby.


Though historic, the hotel is not stuck in time. A 2015 revamp brought the hotel’s 336 guest rooms and suites squarely into the present day, with effortlessly elegant decor, luxurious Frette linens, and comfortable, lounge-worthy spaces. And despite the culinary temptations that await just beyond the top-hatted valets, be sure to enjoy at least one cocktail at the in-house bar and lounge (our favorite: a martini shaken with a novel, yet effective, turn-of-the-century contraption) or a glass of champagne in the sunny outdoor courtyard.

Hopkins Bay Resort is located on the beach right near the town of Hopkins; accommodations include one-, two-, and three-bedroom beach houses. Local art and polished mahogany furniture signal that this is no cookie-cutter chain hotel. The spacious houses are perfect for families or small groups traveling together. Resort activities include dance and music performances that reflect the traditions of the local Garifuna people, descendants of Africans brought to the New World as slaves. Staff can also arrange excursions to numerous cultural and historic attractions, not only in and around Hopkins, but also to iconic sites such as Xunantunich, a Maya site, and the Blue Hole, one of the world’s most popular destinations for scuba diving.

Why we love it: A family-run hotel with eye-catching design and sustainable architecture

The Highlights:
- Rustic wooden cabanas surrounded by water
- Private plunge pools in each room
- Tasty local food, including breakfast, snacks, and dinner upon request

The Review:
Holbox is becoming more and more popular, thanks to its chill vibe, powdery beaches, and relative privacy compared to Tulum. Among the island’s best places to stay is this family-run retreat, just a few blocks from the shore. Here, the unique geometric design features 12 whitewashed, thatch-roofed cabanas surrounding a flooded central deck-cum-pool. Each room opens directly onto a private plunge pool that connects to the main one, creating the feeling of an overwater bungalow.

Guest room interiors are carved from sustainable cedar wood, lending a rustic air that melds perfectly with Holbox’s laid-back, eco-conscious atmosphere. There’s not much in the way of furniture beyond a few shelves and a bed clad in organic sheets, but that helps keep the focus on the fragrant cedar. Daily breakfast is included as are afternoon snacks. With advance notice, the chef will also cook you an authentic Mexican dinner using local ingredients. If you’re in need of a tipple, a tower adjacent to the lobby area has a bar with well-made cocktails and stunning ocean views. Just don’t expect fast Wi-Fi or much in the way of amenities—here, it’s all about island time.

There comes a time for everyone on a Cambodia trip when, no matter how much you’re enjoying sampling the local food, you’ll get a craving you need to satisfy. Fortunately, Siem Reap has an abundance of restaurants serving cuisines from around the globe, and many of them are very good. Filling pastas are fantastic if you’ve been cycling or scrambling the temples all day and a plain Margarita pizza is a terrific choice if you’ve been a tad sick in the tummy. Of Siem Reap’s handful of Italian restaurants, I love Il Forno, on a narrow alley off Pub Street, just down the lane from Asana and around the corner from Miss Wong.

The pizzas come piping hot from the traditional Neapolitan wood-fired oven and many of the handmade pastas are made fresh daily on the premises. While some of the products, such as the Parma ham, are imported from Italy (as you’d hope!), others are local and seasonal, like the beautiful fragrant basil. They also offer decent Italian wines by the glass and carafe. Check the blackboard for daily specials. If you can’t get a table, I also like Little Italy on the parallel lane on the other side of Pub Street. The specialty there is their excellent carpaccio and house-made charcuterie.

During my last stay in Seoul, I spent most of my time in the historic heart of the city north of the Han river. I did take a Sunday afternoon, though, to walk around the Gangnam district—the chic high rise–dominated neighborhood south of the river. (As recently as a few decades ago, this area was still rice-paddies.) Just around the corner from Bong-eun-sa temple (which dates from the 8th century), this striking building caught my eye: the headquarters for the Hyundai Development Company. Designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, it’s known as “The Tangent.” In the architect’s words, “the Tangent is a project that is about the relationship between the ever-changing circle of nature and the straight line of technology.” (Those words could also succinctly describe the recent history of postwar Korea.) In my mind, though, because this structure reminds me of one of my favorite artists, this is the Kandinsky building in Seoul. And across the street, beneath the Korea World Trade Center tower, is the COEX mall, Asia’s largest underground shopping center. Grab a bite in the food court and get a feel for the youth pop-culture vibe; a K-pop dance competition just might be taking place on a nearby stage. To get here: Take Subway Line 2, exit Samseong (COEX) station.

Situated just 40 miles from downtown Anchorage and the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, this year-round resort feels worlds away, set deep in a glacier-carved valley off scenic Seward Highway. With 304 rooms and a dizzying number of amenities, it also feels like a world unto itself. There are eight dining and drinking options, a fitness center, a heated saltwater lap pool with mountain views, and a spa that provides Arctic mud facials. But guests come to Alaska to commune with the great outdoors, and Alyeska offers its fair share of world-class experiences, including the longest continuous double-black-diamond ski run in North America and more than 1,600 acres of skiable terrain. The staff can arrange excursions that range from heli-skiing and dogsledding tours in winter to naturalist-led walks and glacier cruises in summer. For breathtaking panoramic views, the resort even has its own 60-passenger aerial tram for whisking guests straight from the hotel up 2,300 feet to the top of Mount Alyeska.

Shopping is a hobby for some of the incredibly rich and maybe famous who sail into Monaco‘s harbor. The Pavillons Monte Carlo is an otherworldly shopping center where Madame can dress from head to toe starting with a tiara! More down to earth luxury budgets may be satisfied at Le Dressing consignment shop. Très design souvenirs can be found in the gift shops at the Nouveau Musée Nationale de Monaco contemporary art museums and the Monaco Yacht Club. Foodies will find their pleasure with the Pavé du Rocher, a sweet available at the official supplier to the Prince, bakery Mullot. Check your change as you go, you may be one of the lucky few to receive a rare Monaco-designed euro. The most modest budgets can have their passport stamped at the tourist office as a free keepsake of their visit. Photo (tiara) : Sylvia Sabes Photo (pavillons) : Palais Princier/ Monte Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

Taiwanese-style shaved ice desserts (known as “bao-bing” in Chinese) consist of large bowls of finely shaved ice topped with a variety of sweets, including condensed milk, beans, jellies, and fresh fruit. For fifteen years, Ice Monster was a tiny open storefront hawking mango shaved ice on Taipei’s famous foodie destination, Yongkang Street. Its recent move to the trendy East District includes a thorough re-branding as well as a creative expansion of their menu. Although Ice Monster’s mango shaved ice is still a must-order, non-traditionalists will enjoy digging into their new innovative creations like taro and red-bean milk “avalanches”, or sampling a few of their handmade popsicles. My personal favorite is a tribute to Taipei’s most famous drink: a “deconstructed boba milk tea” made with milk tea shaved ice and served with tapioca “bubbles” on the side. 886/(0)2-8771-3263

The centerpiece of the city’s emerging Vulkan neighborhood, Oslo’s very first food hall is a culinary utopia. Let your nose guide you to one (or five!) of 27 eateries peddling everything from cupcakes to tapas to bento boxes. Can’t decide? Stop at the Torget stall and order the Taste of Mathallen menu to sample mind-altering dishes from the hall’s best restaurants. The communal wooden benches in the center of the hall encourage sharing, so you and your friends can divide and conquer. Finish your visit with a craft beer in the basement pub Smelteverket, which features Norway’s longest bar.