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Reasonably priced food is somewhat hard to come by in the upscale hamlet of Lake Louise, which is why Bill Peyto’s Café is such a find. Located in the HI Lake Louise Alpine Centre hostel and within walking distance of the Samson Mall, Peyto’s has a sizable dining room and an outdoor patio that’s perfect for relaxing on warm, sunny days. The menu is almost as vast as a classic Greek diner’s, including everything from a Thai stir-fry to a traditional poutine, but its dishes are executed flawlessly. (If you’re looking for standard pub fare, you can choose from plenty of burger options.) Servings are generous and cheap, meaning you’ll want to arrive early to lock down a table—especially in the summer.

It’s fair to say that a trip to the hammam is a quintessential Moroccan experience and is a salve for the soul as much as it is for the body. Fes’s bathhouses may not have the sheer wow factor of those in Marrakech, but they perhaps offer a more intimate and authentic experience at more wallet-friendly prices. Your safest bet is to take a taxi to Nausikaa in the Ville Nouvelle and hang with locals while being treated to a deluxe treatment which involves a luxurious steam, followed by an enthusiastic scrub-down (gommage) with an exfoliating mitt (kessa) and olive oil soap, before getting slathered in rose-scented clay which leaves the skin baby-soft and sparkling. It also offers excellent pedicures and waxing.

If your heart is set on going old-school, be aware that the medina’s hammams are not always as hot, nor as clean, as you might like. In the medina, the pink and womblike hammam at Dar Bensouda is perfect if you’d prefer a private to a public hammam. It’s properly hot, and the local women who do the gommage mix their treatment lotions with lavender and chamomile as well as with other healing herbs and spices. A treatment costs 350 dirhams. The Riad Laaroussa provides a luxurious, candlelit experience. It’s the place to go if you want to experience a hammam with your partner, followed by sublimely relaxing massage. Have a cocktail in the courtyard afterwards; the orange- and cinnamon-infused gin and tonic is legend.

Within the 18th arrondissement in Paris France, high atop the city, resides the wonderfully beautiful, hilly neighborhood of Montmartre. This diverse and eclectic section of the city can be a bit busy with tourists, but the views of Paris and the splendor of the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur are certainly worth it. Riding the funicular is rather novel, but not necessary if you’re willing to climb the 300+ steps to the summit. This is an area to be explored on foot, as is nearly all of Paris. The shops, theaters, and forever famous Moulin Rouge should not be missed. The streets are intimate, the shops unique, and the overall feel of this place speaks of a youthful, colorful Paris.

This urban luxury resort in Shanghai has a polished, cool contemporary feel, mixing Eastern and Western sensibilities. Interiors lean toward dark tones and clean lines, with clever landscaping providing a sense of escape. Organic materials include liberal use of wood, stone, and marble. Large windows bring in natural light, and decor mixes contemporary with touches of traditional Chinese. Environmentally sensitive practices take multiple guises: Solar panels gather energy for hotel operation. The heatproof facade limits the need for air-conditioning. And sunshades in each room open and close automatically to let in or keep out the sun’s light and heat. Rooms also have dragon-scaled screens and cast bronze basins. Club rooms come with the perks of 24-hour check-in/check-out and butlers.

This is my favorite Scottsdale resort because it gets Southwestern style down without being kitschy or over-done. There are no cheesy dream catchers or Kokopelli statues here – just a color palette as bright and breathtaking as a desert sunset. Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale is perched in the city’s northern half, and surrounded by miles of Saguaro cacti and rugged rocks. Its location adjacent to Pinnacle Peak Park is perfect for hikers and if you crave more of an adrenaline rush, check out the high-octane tours from Arizona Outback Adventures. At Proof, the resort’s American canteen, dinner is practically a cross-country road trip with home-style comfort food inspired by, and sourced from, the 50 states. Plus, there’s a hearty list of wine, microbrews, and small batch and craft distilled American spirits. The Spa at Four Seasons also celebrates the resort’s sense of place with treatments like the Sonoran Honey Body Polish and Jojoba and Prickly Pear Polish.

The ocean churns as a 36-ton mammal swims up to the boat. With your arm plunged into the cool water, you await the touch of a California gray whale. Like a house cat craving a scratch on the head, the whale pushes its rubbery skin, rough with barnacles and battle scars from boats and orcas, against your palm. From January through March, hundreds of gray whales settle in Magdalena Bay, on the southwest coast of Mexico’s Baja peninsula. From their feeding grounds off the coast of Alaska, they’ve made one of the longest animal migrations—more than 5,000 miles—to mate, give birth, and raise their young here. Visitors who join local fishermen and outfitters in the bay are practically guaranteed to see whales, and the luckiest will encounter “friendlies,” including proud mothers who nudge their wrinkly black calves toward the surface. Sea Kayak Adventures offers a new trip that combines gray whale sightings in Magdalena Bay with blue and fin whale watching in the Sea of Cortez. From $1,495. (800) 616-1943, This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue.

Translated as “beautiful bamboo,” Bambu Indah is the regenerative passion project of jewelry designers and husband-wife pair John and Cynthia Hardy. The Canadian and American expats who have lived in Bali for decades bought a collection of teakwood bridal houses in 2005 and moved them 15 minutes west of Ubud Village before restoring and individually decorating them for visiting guests.




Today, the antique residences on Sayan Ridge are surrounded by cutting-edge bamboo houses and tree houses designed by two of the couple’s daughters, including Elora Hardy, as well as organic dining and lounging structures, a permaculture garden, Edenic swimming holes, and green rice paddies. The 11 singular accommodations—filled with vintage furnishings, Indonesian textiles, and local curiosities—are truly one with nature. The resort is filled with whimsical surprises, including a boat-shaped tree house 30 feet in the sky and a rope swing that drops guests into the natural rock pool.





The open-air River Warung is where guests—and day-pass visitors—congregate for three meals a day of organically grown and locally sourced fare. The new-in-2023 Elevator Sunset Bar is another collaboration with the couple’s daughters where arak-spiked cocktails are paired with views across the river valley. On-demand massages are available, as well as early morning walks—more like hikes—throughout the jungle surrounding the resort. From $350

If you are unable to make a trip to the residence of the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, India, pay a visit to the Tibet House in Delhi. Also titled the Cultural Center of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibet House was founded in 1965 to preserve Tibetan principles and create a safe space for Buddhist teachings. There is a museum, gallery, and library housing valuable art, artifacts, manuscripts, and books. The five-story building is a modest yet sacred facility consistently brimming with activity. Check out the calendar for upcoming festivals, exhibits, conferences, and special events.

The miniscule, idyllic island of Granita de Oro (meaning “little grain of gold”) is one of 38 small, wild islands that comprise Panama’s Isla Coiba National Park, in the Gulf of Chiriqui. The cyan-blue waters here swarm with a jaw-dropping array of sea creatures—not just coral reefs swarming with tropical fish, but moray eels, manta rays, sharks, and sea turtles. While snorkeling and diving are the most obvious pursuits here, many travelers enjoy just kayaking, sunning, and picnicking on the powdery beach. Traveling with an intimate group can heighten the experience of exploring Central America. The ship used for Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Costa Rica & Panama trips accommodates just 62 passengers.

So you didn’t have time on this trip to visit Salta, Jujuy, or other breathtakingly gorgeous destinations in Argentina’s north - put it on your list for next time. At least you can go home with some beautiful handcrafted objects produced in the region’s indigenous communities - and Fundación Silataj, a non-profit fair-trade organization, is the best place to do some responsible shopping. Items at Silataj are divided into four categories: accessories, art, home and textile. Browse through the online catalogue for an overview, or just poke around the store in person. There’s an affiliated shop downtown that’s more convenient for some travelers - Arte de Pueblos (www.artedepueblos.org.ar).

Don’t expect butlers, room service, or even a receptionist at this six-room lodge set at nearly 7,800 feet in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Owner Christian Keesee vacationed in Green Mountain Falls as a kid. When the New York–based art collector saw the town falling on hard times, he stepped in to restore this 19th-century lodge and start an arts festival. Keesee decorated the Outlook with works from his private collection, including original pieces by Kate Carr. The steep switchbacks of the six-mile round-trip Catamount Trail take hikers through a wildflower meadow. Modern and midcentury furnishings decorate the Outlook Lodge, where a backyard fire pit is perfect for s’mores.

Many of the Smoky Mountains’ earliest tourists came here to shop from local craftsmen, popularized by the Pi Beta Phi women’s fraternity that chose supporting these mountain folk artists as their cause. In 1912, the women established a public school for the local children, evolving into the Arrowmont School of Arts of Crafts that persists today. Centuries-old trades continue to be passed down, and visitors will find woodworking, basket weaving, ceramics, and metalworks created in the same manner they have for generations. An organized eight-mile loop road includes stops at 120 artists’ studios and workshops, many with live demonstrations. Travel it at your leisure, or break it up over several days as you discover this thriving remnant of the culture that shaped Southern Appalachia.

One of the top properties in southern Bali, the Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay is laid out like a Balinese village that tumbles down to the sea. Villas are separated into clusters of 20 to 25 thatched-roof units enclosed by a courtyard wall, making the 156-accommodation property feel more intimate. Modeled after regional homes, they’re adorned with local artwork, traditional textiles, and hand-crafted furniture. Daybeds, private plunge pools, and ocean views are among the amenities, as are offerings such as lavish spa treatments, hands-on cooking classes, and twilight yoga. The resort is even home to a historic temple and shrine, which guests can tour with high priest Aji Ngurah. After a day of exploration or relaxation, there’s no better way to unwind than by enjoying a cocktail on the deck at modern Asian restaurant Sundara, where fire pits warm the air and waves provide the background music.

Hidden away in the hamlet of Velika Plana inside the Velebit Mountain Biosphere Reserve, this ranch retreat is the perfect place to discover Croatia’s rugged Lika region. Either book a stay in one of the units (which range from teepees and river tents to mudhouse-style casitas and en-suite rooms with private porches) or pop in for the day to take advantage of the many activities on offer. The ranch specializes in horseback riding—guests can enjoy lessons, two-hour trots, or day-long rides that roam the range—but also features canoe expeditions, archery, and Jeep rides through the wilderness. For those who choose to spend the night, the spa compound has a pool, a Siberian cedar hot tub, space for yoga, and an outdoor treatment room.

Barefoot Bar is a place that’s known for just that: bare feet. Located on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, Barefoot is a Placencia staple where locals and visitors mingle, drink, and eat great Belizean food. The bar is known for the lobster grilled cheese—a huge grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with catch-of-the-day lobster. Buy two: one to eat now, and another to bring home for later. Barefoot also makes perfectly crispy salbutes, which are a great tacolike light lunch to go with your $3 drink special.