I’ve come to Easter Island for a week away, and I’m determined to do something other than see the moai. I mean them no disrespect. But it seems ludicrous to travel five hours by plane from the nearest significant speck of land (continental Chile) to do nothing but stare at statues. I am greeted at […]

I have two tiny kids, so my travel these days isn’t always far-flung and exotic. Think Chinatown, as opposed to say, China. But I still get ye olde travel itch on a regular basis and am always looking for little ways to scratch it. With the kids in tow, of course. This past weekend was […]

Once the aging Mr. Atlas hit his opponent with a record player, I perked up. Dressed in outdated lycra masks and tights that recalled Wrestlemania II, they battled it out in the La Paz district of El Alto. But the men are just the warm up. The women are the heroes here. Las Cholitas Luchadoras, […]

It hit 38 C (100 F) in Toronto this July. And that’s before the humidex (it’s a Canadian thing—if you’re American, you have the heat index) pushed it up to something otherworldly like 49 C. I know it’s taboo to think of winter in the midst of our too-short ever-sweet summers, but my mind couldn’t […]

Many visit Sirince for just an afternoon when they go to the magnificent Roman ruins at Ephesus; a side trip to pick up a few souvenirs. But this village hugging the hills of the South Aegean is better experienced with a longer stay for its own sake. Sirince was settled in the 15th Century by […]

Santiago is a slow burn. Sliced down the middle by the Mapocho River, the city’s character is elusive. It’s a hodgepodge of earthquake damaged colonialism and shopping mall post modernism, and its charms take patience to find; but we have the perfect vehicle for you. La Bicicleta Verde shortcuts the amount of time it takes […]

School’s almost out for summer, and if you’re wondering how you’re going to keep everyone suitably entertained, we’ve got you covered. Few families have shared a vacation that didn’t include a couple of epic battles—with so many varying interests, it’s often tough to keep the peace. If what you’re searching for is a single destination […]

Sometimes I rant about the trips we can plan and you just have to take my word for it. On this occasion, however, I have National Geographic Traveler backing me up. Check out our San Bushman Hunt & Kubu Island Safari—selected as the 2011 ‘Tour of a Lifetime’ in Botswana. What if I told you […]

I am a city boy. I thrive in concrete jungles, like the Barbican in East London, Soho in NY, or walking through the skyscrapers of HK. The thought of spending seven nights in a sea-faring vessel traversing the equatorial seas was not an immediately appealing prospect. Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands are in the vast Pacific, a […]

When it comes to the big mountains, the coveted hotels tend to be slope-side. But in Whistler, being right in the heart of the action may not be your best bet. In fact, Whistler’s best spot to stay is located ‘off-piste’, at the Four Seasons Whistler. Though the Fairmont is right on Blackcomb mountain, and the […]

Some trips you’ve planned in your head from the age of five, while others come to you in a moment of inspiration. Consider this your moment of inspiration. This one goes out to the impulsive among you—can I get a show of hands? If I could bestow upon you one perfectly constructed and heavily discounted […]

If illusionist illustrator M. C. Escher had ever tried his hand at architecture, he might have designed a place like Argos in Cappadocia. This fabulous little hotel in central Turkey is a study in subtle confusion and organic delight. Steps lead up, stairs go down, bridges arc across roads, rooftops turn into terraces, and terraces […]

A private island is the ultimate canvas upon which to express oneself, as a visit to Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands will attest. Consider the joy of a new room or a new house. As a designer, you get to start from scratch, create your idealized vision—it’s pure projection. Children, you might […]

Although there are many things that make the internet great, one of its shortcomings is the way safari companies often exercise their right to poetic licence. A small amount of embellishment is fine, outright fabrications are not. To help you see what I am on about, I need to get a little dull for a […]

Remember summer? It’s fun at the time, but I enjoy it even more in the winter, scrolling through photos of bright blue and bright green with the odd glass of pastis gleaming in the foreground. Uh oh. My body is in January in the office; my mind’s in July in Provence. And not in just […]

If the kids are already bored with their Christmas presents, I know a collector who might be interested. Toys are just one of his obsessions, and like any pig worth his weight in bacon, this collector has much more up his sleeve. To seek is to find, but to stumble upon is pure bliss. On […]