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The little town of Baie-St.-Paul has been a haven along the north shore of the St. Lawrence since the 1670’s, when the French began settling here. Today, just a couple of hours from Québec city by car, it’s an artist’s colony full of charming galleries and restaurants. I hadn’t been here in over a decade when I brought my wife here for her first visit. The dramatic Charlevoix region (the rolling landscape northeast of Québec city) was one of her favorite areas, and we spent an afternoon here, reveling in the cool green, soaking up the contrast from home in Arizona...

eÑe was one of Costa Rica’s first so-called cultural boutiques. Its showroom, in a beautiful Barrio Amón building overlooking the Parque España, is a pleasure for the eyes. Even its sign is stunning: an enormous red “Ñ” against the building’s otherwise gray facade. Inside, the works of more than 60 local designers are artfully displayed—brightly colored must-haves that range from pencils and coffee cups to one-of-a-kind apparel, scarves, handsome leather accessories, posters, framed artworks, and more—and all items cleverly conspire to make consumer decisions tough.

Cameos aren’t exactly an art form indigenous to Central America, which makes the Stone Castle Cameo Factory’s story all the more interesting: An artisan went to Italy to learn the craft from a master; he then returned to Honduras and taught others, thereby launching a cottage industry. Created from Honduran conch shells, the cameo art here ranges in size and type from traditional brooches to lamps. Customers paying in cash will be able to bargain for discounts.

Don’t miss strolling around the impressive Santa Fe Farmers’ Market with its glorious abundance of beautiful and colorful produce, artisanal soaps, flowers, cheese, grass-fed meats and of course, peppers for miles—both electric-green and bright red (local Chimayo, Velarde, and Socorro varietals). Open: Saturdays year-round, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Tuesdays during warm weather.

Everyone goes to Santorini for the famous sunset in Oia. However, the moonlight at the black sand beach in Kamari is worth going as well. Plus, along the beach are shops, bars and restaurants one after another. Most of them are outdoor, so you can enjoy your favorite drink while enjoy the ocean under the moonlight.

We’ve been coming to Momoya for over three years and the only problem is more and more people are realizing this restaurant consistently delivers the best bang for your buck in Manhattan. Yes, I’ve decided to tell the world now that it’s been “discovered.” You won’t find cheap prices here but the quality is premium. If you had the same meal at Blue Ribbon expect to pay at least 75% more. And they have one of our favorite sakes—Wakatake—a Daiginjo. Come before 7pm and you won’t have to wait in line. (If you do get stuck having to wait, then head across the street to Bar Veloce and have them call you.)

The Carré Saint-Louis (also known as St. Louis Square) is one of Montréal’s most important literary streetscapes. Famed Québecois poets Émile Nelligan and Gaston Miron called this home. Brightly painted Victorian/Second Empire graystone rowhouses line the square—one of the best leafy spaces in the city. (It’s been called “the closest thing to a European neighborhood square you’ll find this side of the Atlantic” by the Project for Public Spaces.) A few blocks away is the fabled Schwartz’s Deli. Grab a “smoked meat” to go, then come here to chow down by the fountain, surrounded by trees and 19th-century façades. (The nearest subway is Sherbrooke station on the Orange Line.)

Young and poor, but frequent-flier-mile rich, my wife and I were able to go to Corsica for our first anniversary...Staying with friends always helps...They lived in Ajaccio, (birthplace of Napoléon Bonaparte), and at sunset one evening, they took us for a drive a couple of miles to the west of the city. Dotting the island’s coast are the distinctive Genoese towers, fortifications built during the 16th century, and here is the view from one of them, from La Tour de la Parata, perched on cliffs at what feels like the end of the world...Ahh, to be newly married and in the Mediterranean...

Opened as the Grand Hotel Royal in 1896, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel has a long and storied past. It was here that the first film was ever screened in Budapest, and the building weathered fires and war before relaunching in its most recent incarnation in 2004. Travelers who really want to learn about the hotel’s history can take one of two weekly tours with manager Tibor Meskál, who has worked on and off here since 1961. Though the original interiors were demolished long ago, the property nevertheless retains a regal atmosphere. Italian limestone, Spanish marble, and gilded molding lend a sense of grandeur in the Grand Ballroom, a marble lobby is accented with swirling golden filigrees in the flooring, and guest rooms feature warm wood furnishings and creamy palettes. Even the leisure facilities skew toward the opulent: the courtyard-style indoor swimming pool is topped with a stunning stained-glass ceiling.

Beef is everywhere in Buenos Aires, but there are a few parrillas in town that stand above the rest for quality. Within that category, La Cabrera offers a unique experience. Yes, the focus is on the meat, but the sides almost steal the show—surprising vegetable dishes accompany each entrée, and in sharable portions. It’s typically packed with locals and tourists alike, so expect long waits any night of the week. That said, for those who can live with dinner earlier than Argentina’s customary 9 p.m. or later, La Cabrera offers an early seating they call “happy hour” that’s wait-free and includes a 40 percent discount on all menu items.

Banana production is Santo Tomás de Castilla’s marquee industry. Production of bananas for the Chiquita company began in the region in the 1870s. Today, it packages more than 3 billion pounds of bananas a year. A visit to the plant shows how fruit is selected, washed and packaged for consumption.

San Francisco-based selvedge denim shop Self Edge has hung a shingle south of the border, becoming one of the first retail boutiques to open on the Flora Farms property in San José del Cabo. Aiming to be not just a store, but an experience, Self Edge is best-known for its well-tailored denim jeans. At the Baja shop, guests can also find Japanese-designed cabana shirts and resort wear, not available elsewhere in Mexico. The owners are also collaborating with local artists to make indigo-dyed sandals that will be exclusive to the store. Other unique jewelry and accessories are also on offer.

The two owners of Galapagos Safari Camp dreamed up the idea for this luxury tent camp while sitting in a tree and admiring the views on the 135-acre farm where the lodge now sits. Opened in 2007 in the highlands of Santa Cruz’s transition zone at 1,575 feet above sea level and bordering Galapagos National Park, the camp is modeled after African safari camps but sports an Ecuadoran theme. The main lodge, complete with a 15-foot Balinese teak dining table and a glass wall looking out to sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean, anchors the rural property. The luxury tents are connected to the lodge by a volcanic rock path and sheltered under three layers of covering to protect from sun and rain. They sit on elevated platforms and are outfitted with balconies and en-suite bathrooms with hot showers. Part of the owners’ vision for the property has been to rid the former cattle farm of invasive species, allowing the endemic plants that are better protected in the national park to once again flourish. These measures will increase the activity of the giant tortoises that occasionally make their way onto the property.

There is a beautiful beach in Lagos, Nigeria. 30 minutes outside of the city limits, reachable by speed boat, this exquisite place is a sight for sore eyes. True, Lagos proper can be daunting, but when you land on this bucolic, ocean-lapped stretch of sand, all the troubles of the city melt away. Populated mostly by Ghanaian fishermen and their families, one notices instantly upon disembarking here that the usual frenzied Naija-style pace is lost on the peaceful, humble denizens from Ghana who have made this little paradise their adopted home.

At the edge of the Baja Peninsula, One&Only Palmilla was originally built in 1956 as a 15-room hideaway for Don Abelardo Rodriguez, son of the then-president of Mexico. Today, it’s one of the region’s most luxurious resorts, composed of 174 oceanfront rooms and suites and two villas decorated in neutral hues and splashes of red; many have infinity pools and patios that face the Sea of Cortez.


One&Only Palmilla has one of the area’s few swimmable beaches, plus three private rocky coves complete with floating beds, lounge chairs, and dedicated butlers. Activities include snorkeling, surfing, parasailing, and golfing the award-winning 27-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus. The massive spa’s wellness garden features a juice bar and 13 treatment villas; several have private plunge pools, rain showers, and swinging daybeds.



One&Only Palmilla is a member of EarthCheck, a scientific benchmarking certification program, for its sustainability efforts, which include a state-of-the-art water purification system that produces and bottles filtered water on site. The resort works with the Red Committee for the Protection of the Sea Turtle by helping with daily patrols of nearby nests, an activity guests can join.