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Opened in 2013 in a 100-year-old former bank building, the Park Hyatt has utilized the space well, with a restaurant in the former cashier’s hall and a pool in the former vault. The suites are spacious, and all rooms have more than just the basic requirements for your average traveler, including safes large enough for laptops. While the marvelous Grand Salon is typically used for banquets and business meetings, guests should definitely try and take a peek at this beautifully designed room. The prime location in the historic Innere Stadt, or first district, means most major sights are within walking distance.

This place is mandatory, especially if you want to hear some fado. Here you can listen to Fado Vadio (sung by nonprofessionals) on Mondays and Wednesdays, hear consecrated artists and potential stars, or hear a regular who just feels like singing a fado accompanied by Portuguese guitar. Once an old tavern, A Tasca do Chico was restored in 1993; on the walls are paintings, posters, and clippings. Go early, because it can be crowded. If you like chorizo, ask for “chouriço assado"—basically, this chorizo is on fire. Let the flame disappear and then eat it with some bread.

Just South of Ubud in the village of Singakerta are some of the most talented wood carvers on the island of Bali. In this village in the myriad of carving workshops you can buy everything from tiny detailed dancers to full sized Komodo dragons. The skill of carving is generally passed down the male side of the family, but women are also involved in the smoothing and polishing of the carvings and you’ll probably meet them sitting outside chatting while they work. Many of the shops sell basic souvenir style carvings, which are generally a bit cheesy, but there are also more original pieces lurking in the background as well. Many of the carvers will give half day lessons if you ask, so don’t be shy to learn a little while you’re there as well.

While several spots can justifiably claim to serve up the best burger in Berlin (the Bird, Burgermeister, Shiso Burger), there is something effortlessly simple and exquisitely tasty about Tommi’s version that makes it particularly good. The limited menu, handwritten on signs above and to the side of the counter, basically consists of the extra toppings (bacon, avocado, cheese) or sides (fries) you may want with your handmade patty of organic Scottish beef. The burger is flame-grilled and placed between a soft, freshly baked bun filled with crunchy lettuce, tomatoes, and other delicious additions. Despite the American-influenced, casual shacklike interior, this place is actually run by an Icelandic family that has similar outlets in London, Copenhagen, and Reykjavík.

Goat water is basically a thin soup. Swimming in its brown depths you’ll find lumps of practically any part of a goat (usually bones and all), there’s clove, thyme, plus some other assorted herbs and spices, and depending on what island you find yourself sampling goat water, don’t be surprised to find some additional items in there like small dumplings, yams, and potatoes.


You can find goat water on many islands in the Caribbean from Antigua, Grenada, St. Kitts, Nevis, and many more. It’s even the national dish of Antigua’s neighbor: Montserrat!


On islands like Jamaica, expect a cousin of goat water to be served at weddings… Especially to the grooms. Why? Well, that version also goes by the name “mannish water” so can imagine what the expected results of slurping up a bowl!

Palacio de los Jugos (the Juice Palace) is one of the most famous and long-standing restaurants in Miami. The palace is named for its long list of fruit drinks, such as mamey and coconut. But the chain also serves typical Cuban food like arroz congri, a dish including rice and black beans. One of the most popular orders is the chicharrónes, made of the best quality fried pork rinds you will ever find—basically tasting like super thick slices of crispy bacon. It also serves sandwiches, seafood, baked goods, and has fresh fruits. The juice bar opened over 40 years ago, but now serves Miami locals at six locations citywide.

Hout Bay is basically Eden. This ecological utopia has everything a nature lover could want, from imposing mountains and miraculous views (check out the Twelve Apostles range) to World of Birds, the largest bird park in Africa, home to 3,000 birds and over 100 walk-through aviaries. On weekends, you can shop for food and crafts at the lively market at the end of the harbor road. Besides Chapman’s Peak Drive, there are two other roads into Hout Bay, one from Constantia and another that passes the gorgeous surfer beach of Llandudno—also the exit for Sandy Bay, a nudist beach.

It might be small and simple—conspicuously bare white walls, just a smattering of handmade wooden tables topped with flower arrangements, and a few barstools—but the updated German cuisine at Lokal is far from basic. With a commitment to local and organic ingredients, the kitchen draws on classic carnivore favorites like offal and game, making them look and taste completely unique. There are usually a couple of equally tasty dishes for vegetarians, also created using ingredients sourced from farms around Berlin. The atmosphere is generally quiet and pleasantly refined.

During the communist era, milk bars could be found in every Polish city. These were canteen-style restaurants where workers could come and eat decent, inexpensive portions of simple food in a no-nonsense setting. Despite their popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, most of the milk bars died away as the Polish restaurant scene was rapidly modernized; however, the few that survived are now increasingly treasured as an important part of Poland’s cultural heritage. U Stasi is well-known for its friendly service (something that milk bars traditionally lacked) while Bar Mleczny Górnik (Miners’ Bar) is basic to the core in all ways except the food, which is consistently good and outrageously cheap.

Hemingways is a new hotel in Karen, which is sort of the equivalent of Atlanta’s Buckhead in Nairobi. It is near the Wilson airport, where so many of the domestic Kenya flights fly out. Traffic is a huge issue in Nairobi and cars creep both by day and night, so being in this area puts you near many of the best restaurants and shops like Anna Trzebinski’ s studio. The Giraffe Manor and the Sheddrick orphanage, where one can adopt a baby elephant, are also nearby.


If you arrange your trip to Kenya with Betty Jo, she can arrange upgrades at Hemingway’s, private visits to the elephant orphanage and Trzbenski’s studio, as well as private local drivers and drinks with a local Kenyan personality. “I can basically do whatever anyone wants,” says Betty Jo. “All bespoke.” Contact her at [email protected].

Thai cuisine, with its balance of three to four fundamental taste senses, may be complex but that doesn’t make it difficult to pick up the basics. Bangkok has a plethora of cooking schools, some of which are attached to renowned Thai restaurants such as Bo.lan and Blue Elephant. Blue Elephant is one of the most respected venues in the city and its tuition reflects its exalted status. Two courses are offered daily, with the morning session featuring a visit to a local market and the afternoon session including a detailed introduction to Thai ingredients. A homier option is Amita Thai Cooking Class. Classes are held in an antique canalside home and include an explanatory visit to the resident herb garden.

There are a few locations of Jo’s, but the on South Congress has jus the basics from breakfast tacos to their signature i"iced turbo” and Belgium Bomber—more chocolate milk than iced coffee. It’s open until 9pm, so post up all day and get some work done, or stop by for something quick.

Max Chocolatier, a boutique chocolate shop in the heart of Lucerne, creates exquisite hand-made chocolate that is meant to be savored. The store is located on a high-end shopping street near the lake. While I normally don’t gravitate to “fancy” chocolate boutiques, something about this place beckoned. It is an intimate shop and the friendly staff is happy to explain the types of chocolate that best suit your preferences. Max Chocolatier uses local, 100% natural ingredients, so the chocolate products vary by season: there are spring, summer, fall and winter “collections” with different ingredients and recipes. In addition to basic chocolates (milk, dark, hazelnut, caramel, orange, etc.), there are also more exotic types with ingredients such as pumpkin, chili, and edelweiss providing some international flavor. Beautifully, lushly-packaged boxes of chocolate line the shelves. Clearly these sweet tidbits are lovingly crafted to please all your senses. While not inexpensive, each small bite delivers a rich, intense taste with a luxurious mouth-feel. Well worth it! www.maxchocolatier.com

At the Wine Gallery, oenophiles and wine novices alike gather to sip old favorites or try new varietals. The team here crisscrossed the globe to curate an impressive menu of limited-edition wines, 25 of which are available by the glass. All are well-priced and accessible to even the most basic of tastes, but should you have trouble choosing, the friendly staff is available to make suggestions and help you discover new flavors and aromas with every sip. Once you’ve picked a wine, pair it with something from the food menu, which is built around the restaurant’s wood-fired oven. Options range from small plates like oven-roasted meatballs to charcuterie boards, crispy pizzas, and entrées like flatiron steak with hand-cut herbed frites. Swing by on a night when there’s live music, or make plans to attend one of the regular tastings to learn even more about the wines on offer.

Though the DR isn’t traditionally known for its surfing, the little town of Cabarete (a 30-minute drive from the Puerto Plata airport) is fast becoming a hot spot for newbies and those wanting to take their board skills to a new level. Cabarete boasts several surf camps including SWELL, “a purpose-built surf camp” that attracts surfers and wannabe surfers from all corners of the globe. A cross between a hostel and a just-the-basics boutique hotel, the camp has co-ed quad dorms and private rooms accommodating some two dozen travelers of all ages — a healthy mix of singles and couples, mostly urban professionals. Days here start really early, but what does it matter when you’re on the water catching waves? (There’s always the rest of the day to make up for that lost shut-eye.) Once you’re done with your surfboard, wander into Cabarete to grab a cerveza and a bite. Be sure to check out the town’s other favorite pastime, kitesurfing. Just look to the sky.