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Laguna Beach’s deep connection to the arts goes back to 1918, when 150 local creative residents started the Laguna Beach Art Association (the city’s population was only 300 then). That association went on to launch what’s now the Laguna Art Museum. Although the museum covers countless genres and eras, there’s one thing every piece has in common: They’re all made in California. The 3,500-strong permanent collection spans the early 19th century to present day, from light and space installations to pop art (and also includes pieces by art-world stars like Ed Ruscha and Wayne Thiebaud). It’s rounded out by a handful of new California-centric exhibitions each year. Highly knowledgeable docents—all have completed an extensive nine-month training course—lead lively one-hour walk-throughs at 11 a.m. Friday to Tuesday; groups of 10 or more guests may book guided tours in advance. Must-do: Hit the museum on a Thursday night when it stays open until 9 p.m. and becomes a community hub, with lectures, film screenings, and live concerts in the galleries.

Want to avoid the crowds? At an elevation of over 8,000 feet, the remote North Rim of the Grand Canyon gets just 10 percent of annual park visits, making it a quieter experience preferred by couples and serious hikers. The only place to stay is the rustic Grand Canyon Lodge, a historic limestone-and-native-timber landmark that has been in operation since 1936. Accommodations are spare yet clean, ranging from no-frills motel rooms to more modern cabins with two queen beds plus a full bath, mini-fridge, coffeemaker, and spacious porch—some of which back up to the rim. The main building houses a dining room with expansive views of the canyon and a saloon serving cocktails and beer, but many grab something to go from the lodge’s Deli in the Pines to enjoy while soaking in the copper-hued sunset on the veranda. Owing to early snows, the lodge is only open from mid-May through mid-October; head there in September, when the changing colors of the region’s maple, birch, and oak trees put on a show that rivals the best New England foliage tours.

The 112-room Surfjack Hotel channels 1960’s Hawaii, with vintage upholstery on the headboards, reed ceilings, and midcentury modern furnishings. The onsite Swim Club, with its outdoor pool bar, hosts music events and movie nights. Don’t miss a meal at Mahina & Sun from celebrated Honolulu-born chef Ed Kenney, whose menu showcases island cuisine and ingredients, or a trip to the Olive & Oliver boutique, whose clothing and accessories line are inspired by Hawaiian culture.

Perched 300 feet above the Pacific on 15 verdant acres, Hotel Wailea is a former members’ club that still feels like a hidden enclave of cool. In 2014, new owners invested $15 million in a redesign that left 72 one-bedroom suites with white oak floors, Sub-Zero appliances, and Hawaii-inspired art. Still, it’s the pool that really wins over guests—it’s calm and quiet (thanks to the hotel’s no-kids policy); there are umbrella-shaded loungers and bungalows with fans for when you’ve had too much sun; and the beyond-gracious staff are always at the ready with water, cocktails, kombucha, and coconut water. The hotel lounge offers free wine and appetizers at 5 p.m. on Friday nights, while the farm-to-fork restaurant highlights produce grown in the resort’s own garden. Complimentary on-site activities include yoga, outrigger canoeing, and mixology classes, but guests can take the hotel’s Tesla Model X house vehicles anywhere in Wailea or rent an electric bike and cruise the South Maui coast if they want to get off property.

Located on Yeouido Island in the middle of the mighty Han River, the Conrad Seoul is a relatively new addition to the South Korean capital’s futuristic skyline. Opened in 2012, the hotel is situated in the bustling Yeouido business district (aka Korean Wall Street). The Conrad is one of four buildings that make up the International Finance Center designed by world-renowned architecture firm Arquitectonica. The firm is praised for its sleek and modern architecture, and Conrad Seoul is no exception. In fact, its asymmetrical design, avant-garde interiors—including a mesmerizing spiral staircase in the lobby—and impeccable service helped the hotel to win a prestigious World Luxury Hotel Award in 2014. Touches of the Far East such as a Korean-style sauna and Asian fusion restaurant add a sense of place to the luxury property, but the international and multilingual staff ensures that guests from every nation feel right at home. Begin your day with a swim in the 82-foot indoor lap pool, and end it with a sunset cocktail as you watch Korea’s capital light up the night sky.

At first glance, the lobby is the place to be at this boutique hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter. At check-in guests are offered a selection of local wine and beer—and again during happy hour. Under soaring ceilings supported by leather-wrapped pillars and surrounded by colorful art, you can sip and socialize. But don’t ignore the scene on the roof, either, where you’ll find a pool with oversized, floating pillows; fire pits with food and drink service; and views of the Coronado Bridge, Mount San Miguel, and the old and new architectural icons of downtown. In fact, the rooftop is so special, you may want to book the only accommodation in the 159-room hotel that grants you direct access to it: the Cabana Suite, where a private staircase leads to your own poolside cabana. On the other hand, if you’re traveling as a family, you may find that another option beats private rooftop access: the Star Suite, complete with three king-size beds, two of which form a custom-built bunk bed. Either way, expect ultra-modern furnishings paired with skyline views.

The Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires, which opened in 1992, is really two hotels in one. The more historic of the two is the three-story, Belle Epoque mansion, built in 1920 as a wedding gift from Félix de Álzaga Unzué, a member of a prominent local family, for his bride, Elena Peña. There are mansard ceilings and toile de Jouy wall panels, and many suites are housed here. The other building is a modern 12-floor tower, which holds the bulk of the rooms. These feature double-glass windows, private bars, and armoires with HD TVs. Every cushy amenity expected of a Four Seasons property is found in both styles.

In 2013, most of the common spaces underwent a $49 million renovation, completely overhauling the lobby and the spa, and adding two new restaurants. There’s still the Roman-style outdoor heated pool overlooking La Mansión, but to complement it, more of the outdoors has been worked into the hotel: lavishly landscaped gardens, a rooftop garden, and a glass-enclosed asado-style restaurant that can be opened up to fresh air.

The Sugar Palm restaurant is the first Cambodian restaurant that many visitors to Siem Reap try, and it often becomes a favorite. The food is some of the most delicious, traditional, home-style Cambodian food in the country. It also happens to be served in a very traditional, Khmer teak-wood house, with high ceilings and wide verandahs—oozing atmosphere.


Everything on offer is scrumptious, from the amok trei or fish amok, to the hearty Cambodian chicken curry. If you’re not a fan of pungent and sour flavors but want to try one of Cambodia’s quintessential ingredients, prahok (fermented fish), then this is the restaurant to do it. The prahok k’tis (a minced pork dip made with prahok) is a fairly tame albeit still very tasty iteration of the dish. The owner-chef, Cambodian-New Zealander Kethana Dunnett, is often around if you have questions about the cuisine. Kethana is the go-to person for celebrity chefs -- from Gordon Ramsay to Luke Nguyen -- when they are in the country filming food programs, and she certainly knows her stuff.

The award-winning Depot is a restaurant with a difference run by quintessential Kiwi chef and author Al Brown. Squid ink linguine, pork hock and plump fresh oysters come hand-in-hand with wine on tap, old style crockery and super friendly service. I personally think the best seats are outside. Unfortunately they’ve succumbed to the “no reservations” disease so a good approach is to put your name on the door and then grab a drink across the road at Belotta in the SkyCity complex.

Noma, consistently ranked as one of the world’s best restaurants, closed in 2016, but its impact on dining in Copenhagen has been profound. Many chefs who worked there have since launched their own restaurants, including two who opened Bror. It’s a small space with big ambitions—expect astonishing food made from the best local produce. The five-course menu costs 625 kroner ($100), with wine pairings an additional 450 kroner ($72). There are also some memorable snacks. Don’t miss the bull testicles with tartar sauce or the cod head with cabbage wrap.

It takes patience and good fortune to create a unique image in a place considered Canada’s second-most-photographed landscape. The Through the Lens Cruise on Maligne Lake gives amateur and professional shutterbugs such an opportunity. While in the boat, the onboard instructor talks technique and composition with aspiring photographers and challenges seasoned veterans to try new perspectives. Once the group arrives at Spirit Island, everyone spends an hour framing the perfect shot. The cruise experience hasn’t changed much since Jasper National Park pioneers Curly Philips and Fred Brewster set up shop at Maligne Lake in the 1920s.

Lesser-known ski fields are often run by clubs and have the benefit of thinner crowds and the opportunity for skiers and boarders to glide and carve where others haven’t. Rainbow Ski Area near Nelson on the South Island is great for boarders and offers lessons from novice to expert. Further south, Porters Ski Area outside Christchurch features such runs as the appropriately named Big Mama and other trails that cater to intermediate and advanced riders. In the North Island, try the Manganui Ski Area on Mount Taranaki for cheap no-frills skiing (meaning no gear rentals on-site). And on the eastern side of Mount Ruapehu, there’s the friendly club-run Tukino ski field, which is often open when the rest of the mountain is shrouded in clouds.

Wilensky’s is sort of an institution in the Mile End. Family-owned since its opening in 1932, the place is famous for its extremely cheap snacks, no-nonsense approach, and retro decor. Pressed tin ceiling, Kik Cola clock, ring-up cash register, old-fashioned soda fountain—this place sometimes feels like a time warp or, at the very least, a museum. Perhaps what makes Wilensky’s so special is, incidentally, the Special ($3.90): “All-beef salami with all-beef baloney grilled to mouth-watering perfection on a tasty roll with a hint of mustard.” But don’t try to change anything in it—the owner, Ruth, will not have it. The Special is what it is, and no amount of money will make Ruth change it. Hell, she even wrote a poem about it: When ordering a Special, you should know a thing or two. It is always served with mustard; it is never cut in two. Don’t ask us why; just understand that this is nothing new. This is the way that it’s been done since 1932. Amen to that.

L’Express, on rue St-Denis in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, opened in 1980 and has about it the air of a beloved institution. Indeed, with its timeless style, it feels even older than it is. This popular spot serves classic renditions of bistro fare—steak tartare, bone marrow, onion soup—into the early morning hours (2 a.m. except for Sundays, when it closes at 1 a.m.). When the kitchen ventures into new territory, the results are impressive. The spaghetti with mushrooms is unconventional in its presentation (topped with a healthy serving of arugula)—one of those dishes you try on the road and then want to re-create at home. Reservations recommended.

As we arrived in Arraiolos, in the Alentejo area of Portugal, we saw the 14th century castle and the 16th century church resting majestically up on the hill overlooking the town. Arraiolos is known worldwide for its gorgeous woolen carpets which are made in Moorish cross stitch designs. This industry has flourished in the town since the 17th century. We wandered through town as happy tourists investigating this historic site. We watched as the women wove their beautiful carpet designs and chatted with each other. We sat in the town square and sipped a cool drink and observed residents come and go. The restaurants were on every corner so dinner was no problem. This tiny town was a delight with its carpet factories, many shops, restaurants, churches and museums. We investigated each attraction. The buildings were painted white stucco with bright blue trim and Arraiolos resembled a picture book village. Our stay at the Pousada da Nossa Senhora Assuncao was a memorable experience. This stunning 16th century pousada was formerly a convent. It afforded all of the modern conveniences while retaining the serenity and beauty of 16th century Portuguese architecture. Our trip to Arraiolos was another fulfilling travel experience. There was so much to see and to learn about Portuguese history and architecture in this little gem of a town.