There are few things better in this world than a name you can trust, and one such name is Christina Ong. On a recent visit to Cocoa Island, the Maldivian outpost of her COMO hotel group, I found that this style maven is still at the top of her game. I think Mrs. Ong and […]
It’s tax season. Not much fun, right? Perhaps, but I’d like to see if we can buck that trend and have some fun with numbers for a moment. A friend just sent me this photo of some actual paper money from Zimbabwe. One hundred trillion dollars, that’s more than a little mind-boggling. So, I turned […]
Any traveller to Morocco will inevitably come across these lonesome shrines dotted across the landscape of the Maghreb, from Tetuan to Tan-Tan. These “Marabouts” are the final resting places of Islamic holy men, “saints” if you will, although Islam officially frowns upon the concept. Morocco being Morocco, however, has traditions that stretch back before the arrival of […]
What is it? “La Via Verde de la Sierra” is one of Andalucia’s best kept secrets. If you’re looking to get away from the crowds of monuments and get out to the real Andalucian countryside for that natural high (and burn off the extra calories of that jamón ibérico at the same time), this is a day […]
In the tropical and tempestuous state of Bahia, Brazil, lies the gorgeous beach town of Trancoso. A place so splendidly swell, it should, by rights, be deemed illegal on the grounds of “altogether too pleasurable.” Like most pleasures, you must earn your visit to Trancoso; as reaching this wondrous destination is a bit tricky. You […]
I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a taco snob. Hailing from the land of carnitas and guacamole in sunny southern California, where my high school had surf P.E. and the lunch menu regularly included burritos, tacquitos and tamales, it was a rude awakening to arrive in New York city and find a dearth of […]
With much fanfare (and a rather 1980s laser show), The Shard made its debut not so long ago (1st February 2013 to be exact). It has changed the skyline of the city, standing as it does, at London Bridge by the Thames not far from The City (where most of its rivals stand peering up at this […]
Nestled in the depths of the somewhat obscure Katavi National Park, far out in the western reaches of Tanzania, is a camp called Chada Katavi. If you look at a map it’s a touch closer to the Democratic Republic of Congo than to the Serengeti. In other words, the beaten path is nowhere to be seen. […]
Sometimes we all need a vacation from our trip. That sounds confusing, but bear with me. There are two types of travel: a trip, and a vacation. A trip is busy. There are places to go, things to see, perhaps some mountains to climb. A vacation, on the other hand, involves sitting beside a body […]
Semana Santa or Holy Week, the period between Palm Sunday and Easter, brings out all the colour, sight, and sound that make Spain such an irresistible destination. Jerez, a small town in Andalucia most of you have probably never heard of (but you will, as our new Spain trip planner is located here) celebrates the […]
In my book, any place that owes its existence almost entirely to cheese can’t be all bad. L’Etivaz in Switzerland’s Pays Duhaut, source of the best ‘alpage’ cheese in the known universe, is just such a paradise. Picture the scene: soaring mountains, spiked forests of pine, patchwork pastures of glowing lush grass, the jingle of […]
I like to eat (and drink) like a local whenever I go anywhere new, and Tel Aviv has some wonderful restaurants and cafes. The Neve Tzedek neighbourhood is a great spot for sitting at a street-side café and enjoying some coffee, shakshuka, and people-watching. In between eating, drinking, and generally exploring the city, I had the […]
Food in Switzerland isn’t just cheese and chocolate (or so we hear). Okay, fine, the majority of the Swiss fare is cheese and chocolate, but if you dig a little deeper into the menu you’ll find a plethora of tasty options. Each region has its own magnum opus, as well as seasonal specialties–which we were lucky enough […]
Argentina is huge. Yes, you can fly from place to place, but if you’re sticking to the very well-equipped bus system, there may not be time to cross all the way from culture capital Buenos Aires down to the epic Perito Moreno Glacier. That doesn’t mean you can’t get a brilliant taste of the Patagonian […]
The last thing most people want to do on vacation is get up at the crack of dawn. I’m not one of those people, but I’m also just plain strange. Getting up at dark-thirty in Luang Prabang is actually worth it, not only do you get to see the city come alive, but you also […]
“The best carbonara in Roma is at Roscioli. It’s really special.” Such sweeping statements about the best of anything typically come with the kind of fervour meant to convince and/or bully someone into agreement (no matter what!), but when these words come from Katie Parla, it’s simply a matter of fact. One part historian, two parts […]