Search results for

While not the tallest mountain on Raiatea—that distinction belongs to 1,017-meter-tall (3,337-foot-tall) Mount Tefatoaiti—Mount Temehani is the island’s most sacred. And at 772 meters (2,532 feet), it’s plenty scenic, too. But this flat-topped peak’s true claim to fame is the tiare apetahi—a delicate, white, five-petaled flower (related to the Tahitian gardenia) that’s so rare it grows nowhere else on Earth but on this mountain.

The perfect place to shop for anything and everything from all the islands is the 155-year-old public market called Le Marché. Located two blocks from the waterfront in the heart of Papeete, the market covers two stories. The lower level is filled with hundreds of stands offering Tahitian-made crafts, oils, vanilla, fruits, and flowers. Upstairs is reserved for artisans selling pareos, carvings, Tifaifai wall hangings and quilts, embroidered cushion covers, and other handicrafts. You’ll also find a few good shops for purchasing unique black pearl jewelry at fair prices. An on-site cafeteria serves local dishes. Le Marché is not just a tourist attraction, however—it’s a proper market where locals come to shop for meat, fish, fresh flowers, and produce and to chat with friends over coffee at one of the patisseries.

Located on the left bank of the Chao Phraya River, the Peninsula is one of the most consistently high-ranked hotels in the city, in particular for its attention to service. The rooms are decorated in white and comforting, honey-colored wood, with teak or carpeted floors and marble bathrooms; they all feature views over the river and city. The slim, three-tiered pool sits riverside, so guests can lounge in Thai-style gazebos—called sala—while sipping cocktails and watching Bangkok life literally sail by. In fact, a large part of the fun in staying here is the proximity to the river. Free, constantly running shuttle boats will ferry guests to three different piers along the river; the views of river life, traditional wooden Thai boats, and the high-rises along the way are unforgettable. The Peninsula is the tallest building in the vicinity, so the rooms on the upper floors offer yet another perspective—a near-bird’s-eye view of the city that is both exhilarating and potentially vertigo-inducing.

Lincoln Road is a pedestrians-only boulevard in the heart of South Beach and one of the most popular places to visit in the area. Lined with shops and restaurants in historic Art Deco buildings and shaded by tall trees and fountains, Lincoln Road Mall has some of the best people-watching in Miami. Every restaurant has outdoor seating, and there are street performers and a farmers’ market that showcases the local community, farms, and purveyors. Visitors come from all around the world, so grab a cortadito and take it all in.

Longshan is not Taipei’s largest temple, but its unique beauty and proximity to the MRT have made it a very popular one. It’s an awesome place to stop by at sunset when the after-work crowd comes to worship. The temple fills with people from all walks of life praying and telling fortunes using traditional bua buei blocks. The slanting light from the setting sun highlights the smoke rising from incense urns, giving it a supernatural feel.

Founded in 1558, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek is a historic, expansive, and important universal library. With almost nine million volumes and countless reading rooms, this is the perfect place to become lost in a text, work remotely, or explore with the family. Since 1663 they have collected copies of almost every Bavarian printed text—making it a wonderful place to learn about the regional culture and heritage. It’s also a lively cultural space that hosts regular exhibits and events. Come here either to marvel at the architecture, history, and texts or to get lost in a book. If you’re just passing by, be sure to check out the famous stone statues adorning the flight of stairs known as “the four magi.” See if you can guess which scholastic founders they represent!

Just beyond the western edge of Tucson, you’ll find these Hohokam petroglyphs in Saguaro National Park. No one knows precisely when they were carved into the rocks, but Hohokam settlements in the Sonoran desert date back almost two thousand years. We went on a short hike among the saguaro to end up on this hilltop with this pre-Columbian art—not your typical suburban stroll.

For well over a century, the stone-working Jakšić family from the island of Brač have been producing works using the white Brač stone from which Diocletian’s Palace was built. Head to their little Split gallery to see their impressive sculptures, and have one custom-made or pick up souvenirs of little stone flowers, jewelry or calendars.

Over the past two centuries, the covered market at Borough, not far from London Bridge, has become one of the country’s most famous foodie spots. From Wednesday to Saturday each week hundreds of traders gather to sell homemade breads, hand-reared pork, artisan chocolate and all manner of ingredients—plus excellent coffee, fresh juices and organic wine. Plentiful samples add to the convivial vibe, and restaurants around the market’s edge provide additional sustenance for longer stops.

Curaçao native Nena Sanchez is known for her colorful Caribbean canvases bursting with tropical flowers, picturesque cottages and underwater sea life, as well as cacti and banana and palm trees. Her downtown gallery offers reasonably priced prints as well as framed and unframed acrylic paintings.

Located in the charming harbor town of Portpatrick, Campbell’s is the perfect combination of welcoming informality and smart professionalism—with views of pleasure crafts and fishing boats, to boot. The best dishes highlight the fruits of the sea, whether it’s grilled langoustines or poached halibut, but also worth trying are the Thai green curry, the surf-and-turf with Galloway beef, and desserts like chocolate marquise and crème brûlée. Most ingredients come from the nearby coastline and surrounding farms, and bread is made daily on the premises. There’s also a decent wine list for pairing with your meal. Designed to mimic the seaside, the dining room is done up in shades of green, blue, and gold, with fresh flowers, candles, elegant glassware, and rustic cutlery lending the restaurant a homey yet elegant feel.

You know there’s something worth checking out when this in-town farm attracts farmers from farther afield to come learn best practices. Not only is this urban goat dairy a working farm, it also offers field trips, tours, summer-camp programs, cheese-making classes, and an oft-sold-out goat yoga (yoga with goats) session. (And to guard the goats, there’s a llama.) With all those Zen goats, there’s plenty of milk flowing, and in addition to the goat cheese, the farm sells shares of the goat herd for access to the raw goat milk. It’s located on the historic Long’s farm property along with a local community garden manager, Growing Gardens.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a physics professor in Massachusetts inherited a ton of money. He promptly headed for the South Pacific, settling there and founding what’s now the Harrison Smith Botanical Garden. Maybe Smith had a slight Noah complex: He brought in plants from around the world, which means an African flower might sit next to a South American fern. The problem is that he inadvertently killed off the native plants with his imports. Still, the garden is a lovely spot to wander around, a sampler box of world botany.

A UNESCO World Heritage site in a mountain valley about 40 miles west of Da Nang, My Son is a vestige of the Champa kingdom, a culture that was heavily shaped by Hindu beliefs and practices. Built between the 4th and 14th centuries, the temples pay homage to the god Shiva, though the deity is often referred to here by different names. While some of the shrines are partially restored, and others overgrown with greenery or showing their age (many were destroyed by American bombing during the Vietnam War), the sheer scope of the ruins are proof of the reach of Hinduism and the lofty ambitions of the Cham kings.

Head chef Bee Satongun and co-owner Jason Bailey, a husband-and-wife team, are dedicated to bringing back lost recipes and techniques of heirloom Thai cooking. Paste is one of Bangkok’s most exciting Thai restaurants, and the Michelin judges have duly noted that fact by gracing it with a star. The cuisine is based on century-old family recipes served with innovative twists and an attention to detail that make it as aesthetically pleasing as it is delicious. Signature dishes include black cod poached in duck lard and larb salad with pheasant, hog plum leaves, and edible flowers, but really everything is good.