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Graceful palms and lush gardens greet guests at Grotto Bay Beach Resort. Situated on 21 acres, this peaceful colony of cottage-style rooms overlooks the beautiful blue water of Bailey’s Bay in the Parish of Hamilton. Tangerine salt body scrubs, sweet milk and lavender facials, and hot stone massage will melt away all of the exertion of snorkeling excursions, golfing, exploring the resort’s on-site cave, or bicycling around the island. On the other hand, why not take it easy and lounge by the pool, which features a swim-up bar, or on one of the resorts private beaches. Dine among the island ambience of palms, rattan furnishings, and ceiling fans in the Hibiscus Room or Palm Court Dining Room. Afterwards, you can enjoy drinks and tropical breezes on the terrace before retreating to guest rooms outfitted in bright prints and tropical tones.

Some luxury hotels in Los Angeles go in and out of style, but the celebrated L’Ermitage endures by delivering privacy, clean-lined style, and first-class service. The bar and restaurant may be film industry hangouts, but the atmosphere is more shop talk over a glass of wine or perfectly grilled steak—no buzzing paparazzi scene here. A residential feel dominates: The walls of the hotel are lined with rotating gallery-worthy art, and the understated, neutral-toned rooms and suites are large.

An air of serenity pervades the place, and everyone is treated like an honored guest, greeted with a welcome drink and offered free coffee all day. The rooftop pool, with its panoramic views, is private, so guests needn’t worry about the public peeking in on their poolside massage. Children, too, are VIPs here, thanks to a full range of amenities, from kids menus to baby bathtubs. Even leaving this oasis and venturing into Beverly Hills can happen in style: The hotel offers free town car service within the neighborhood.

Lauded by Bon Appétit, Christy Hill’s Mediterranean-inspired cuisine is rivaled only by the restaurant’s panoramic views of Lake Tahoe. The creative and often-changing menu features entrées like Moroccan spiced lamb loin, osso buco, and slow-roasted duck, as well as small plates such as braised pork belly. Even if you’re not big on dessert, save room for the chocolate croissant bread pudding or the more savory pumpkin spice cake with salted caramel ice cream.

Belgium’s Royal Family may not be well-known outside the country, but over the years they have influenced the look of Brussels. You can drive by the Royal Residence and maybe catch a glimpse of the current King and Queen—or peek inside the Royal Place during the summer months. Here are places around Brussels to see the impact of the Belgian Royals.

Adventure, nature, and history are just around the corner when you visit Gothenburg. A tour by boat to one of the little island in the archipelago will not only bring you closer to nature, but also to the very core of the local soul. Lovers of history will also find adorable and interesting sights just a short bus ride away, so make an excursion to explore the surroundings.

A mix of Indian and Portuguese flavors, Goan cuisine can be intoxicating, from the spices and fruit to the fresh fish. Also on offer are French bistros, sushi bars, food trucks and more—a testament to Goa’s history as a stop for traders and tourists.

The gateway to the ruins of Angkor, Siem Reap draws temple tourists from around the globe. From Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat, and Banteay Srei, the temples of Angkor date back to the 12th century, if not farther back.

With 350 miles of coastline and sunny skies all year round, Qatar is a fantastic destination for sun-worshipers. Visitors will find inlets, islands, mangroves, and powdery desert sand that rolls right into the sea. This country abounds with peaceful, easy-to-access beaches. Be aware, however, that Qatar is not a place for scanty bikinis. Modesty is appreciated, and you will be expected to respect the local traditions.

Not known as a cheap place to live or visit or eat, Hawaii does have restaurants and cafes that make an effort to keep the prices down. Numerous hole-in-the-wall establishments offer specials, and several restaurants offer reasonable rates for lunch and pau hana (happy hour).

One of the delights of Valparaíso is exploring the colorful hillsides that ramble down towards the sea. Take the century-old funicular elevators Ascensor Concepción (Turri) or El Peral near the main plaza, constructed between 1883 and 1911. Once high into the hills of Cerro Concepción & Alegre, explore the meandering alleyways and cobblestone streets on foot. There are boutiques, cafés, mom-and-pop shops, old school bakeries, bars, restaurants, art galleries, and church bells tolling. It often feels more like a small village than a city. Climb up and down the many staircases often lined with bright graffiti. In the distance, the bay gleams in sunlight and the busy port never tires. At dusk, the lights twinkle like fairylight. Grab a table at a spot like Café Turri for a view of the sunset and a cocktail.

The resplendent Raffles Hotel reopened in late 2019 to great fanfare after two years of restoration. Originally built in 1887 as a 10-room hotel, it now features 115 suites with oriental carpets and teak floors to complement four-poster beds and colorful Peranakan-tiled bathrooms. An in-room tablet controls everything from the mood lighting to calling your butler for a glass of bubbly. All have a private veranda to enjoy balmy evenings outside.




The building was declared a national monument in 1987, so the façade has changed little, but the hotel’s food and drink concepts have been revamped with a focus on marquee restaurant collaborations with the likes of Jereme Leung (yi) and Hawaiian-born Jordan Keao (Butcher’s Block). Not forgetting Singapore’s rich food culture, the hotel offers a self-guided Raffles Singapore Hawker Food Trail video hosted by hawker champion and Makansutra founder KF Seetoh. Raffles also offers an exclusive private tour of the Intan, a home museum filled with more than 1,500 objects from Peranakan culture.





The famous Singapore Sling continues to be a draw at the evocative 1920s Malayan-style Long Bar and its peanut shell-covered floor. The iconic drink now has sustainable twist: the hotel plants one native tree in the Kalimantan or Sumatran rain forest for every 25 Singapore Slings ordered.

People who haven’t heard of macarons by now probably live under a rock. Not just yet another French dessert to travel across the pond, macarons are a delightful bite-size sandwich-like treat, with a thin, crusty envelope and a flush, jam-like center. Nothing can boast rivaling with macarons, who knows no equal but perhaps the delicious guilty pleasure they offer. At Le Point G (literally, the G spot, I swear I am not making this up—although the owner, Julien, affirms that the G stands for glutton and nothing else), 22 heaven-sent flavors ranging from the classic pistachio, to the regional maple syrup and the surprising apricot-black tea never cease to amaze visitors, regulars included. A great little spot for a macaron tasting session to take away and eat in one of the nearby parks. Good to know: all macarons are gluten-free.

Mount Royal Park starts at the edge of the city just beyond the McGill campus and runs alongside neighborhoods like Plateau before rising to the top of 764-foot-tall Mount Royal (Mont Réal), the hill that gives the city its name. The twisting roads and paths of this crown jewel of Montréal’s park system were initially laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York’s Central Park. While Olmsted’s plan was not followed in all its details, the final result was true to his vision of a woody park that takes advantage of the site’s hilly topography. There are two belvederes with views of the city skyline and the St. Lawrence River, and one of Montréal’s iconic landmarks, a 103-foot-high cross, sits at its northern end. The park is most popular in summer, but residents flock here in every season, to enjoy the colorful foliage in the fall and the cross-country ski trails and toboggan runs in the winter.

There are plenty of fancy doughnut shops. You know the type, the ones that count bacon or basil in their ingredient list. But if you’re looking for an old-school bastion of fluorescent lights and pink boxes full of fried dough, this is the spot. A family-run joint that has supplied prework breakfast and postbar bingeing since the 1960s, Bob’s draws a crowd day and night for the fresh doughnuts made from scratch. Bob’s bakes all the nostalgic favorites: glazed, chocolate, sprinkles, sugar, and fresh apple fritters, and crumb-topped doughnuts. You might also notice a giant doughnut in the window. Like a dare, this doughy beast invites you to take Bob’s Big Donut Challenge. Finish the beast within three minutes, and you’ll get your money back plus a Bob’s Donuts T-shirt and bragging rights, not to mention an inevitable stomachache.

A short walk from the city sits imposing Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, covering almost the whole of San Lázaro Hill, 135 feet above sea level. The castillo bit is something of a misnomer, as the structure is not technically a castle but a fort; it happens to be one of the most impressive the Spanish ever built, resisting a number of land and sea attacks. Allegedly its tunnel system was engineered so that the slightest sound anywhere within it would reverberate a warning of approaching danger or attempted escape. Audio guides, available in English, Spanish, and other languages, recount the full story. The castle also happens to be one of the best spots in the city from which to watch the sunset.