It’s Her or Me
“Your room isn’t ready quite yet,” says the man at the front desk. His crisp, white, short-sleeved shirt offsets his muscular, coffee-colored arms. The resort logo is centered on his matcha green tie, which is slightly askew. His nametag is perfectly level; ‘Hello, I’m Ajay!’ it reads. “Okay,” I reply, “About how much longer.” My question comes out as a command, a New York habit I’m keen to break. Ajay begins punching computer keys with his long, elegant fingers. Like he’s playing the piano. My...
Who Needs A Travel Advisor? It Turns Out I Do.
As much as I love traveling, there are just some parts of travel I’d rather not plan. My travel advisor has often been a lifeline, saving me time, money, and my sanity more times than I can count. I’ve overheard people question why anyone would use a travel advisor when it’s so easy to book everything themselves. I’ll admit, I used to question it, too. I don’t anymore. Here’s why. Back in March 2020, my family made the unpopular decision to carry on with our...
What To Pack: 5 (More) Things I Can’t Do Without
Not long ago, I polled my followers on Instagram: ‘What should I write about next?’ 1 / Adventure Travel 2 / Luxury Travel 3 / Practical Travel 4 / Eco-Travel Winner: Adventure Travel Interesting. Perhaps people are looking for more than Dyson hair dryers and pillow menus when they travel. More interestingly, an equal percentage of followers voted for both Practical and Luxury Travel. In fact, my post, ‘Packing Matters: 5 Things I Can’t Do Without’ overwhelmingly beat my other posts in clicks last year....
Mukul is The Best Family Resort in Nicaragua—Hands Down
Mukul, An Auberge Resort, Nicaragua / Nicaragua may be Central America’s best-kept secret, or maybe the secret is already out. It’s a little hard to tell as Mukul has a way of being at full capacity while simultaneously making you feel like you have much of the place to yourself—just the right amount of buzz, activity, and beachy retreat: a difficult balance to strike. Mukul is a place for those searching for a luxury hideaway experience in an off-the-beaten-path locale. Then take your pick:...
The end of the road in José Ignacio, Uruguay
Travel to Uruguay's famous small town / Depending on when you travel to Uruguay's José Ignacio, you could either find a sleepy fishing village or a crowded jet setter’s playground. Chances are, you will love José Ignacio either way as there is just so much to fall in love with. Well off the beaten path, and fantastically difficult to get to, José Ignacio combines some of our favorite things in one place; untouched beaches, casual but fabulous food, and a chill vibe. Lunch at the...
The Best of Stowe: 10 of Life’s Littlest Luxuries
A few summers ago, my husband and I decided to head north. To live village life, country life, and a less rushed life, in the mountains of Stowe. My parents’ house was currently empty, and it seemed an ideal way to escape the oppressive DC heat. A way to break the monotony that had gradually manifested over the past few months. We packed up only the most essential items; our kids, our dogs, a few hundred Nespresso capsules, and cornhole. Our essentials, as it turned out, don’t...
Is Amangani the Best Lodge in Jackson Hole?
We are well on our way to Amangani when I see ‘WOAH’ on a red octagonal sign that would normally read ‘STOP’. We’d been in Jackson Hole for a total of 30 minutes. Little did we know that ‘Woah!’ would become the buzzword of this trip among the Teton mountains. Amangani, here we come. Nerves of Steel, in Jackson Hole There have been precious few trips where wildlife has played such a central role in our experience. Safari in Botswana was certainly one of them, and gorilla tracking in...
Is The Ryokan Nobu In Malibu Worth The Trip?
Ryokan Nobu in Malibu was named the #1 Best Resort Hotel in the continental U.S. by Travel + Leisure's World's Best List. Nobu in Malibu is one of the most sought-after dinner reservations on the west coast, located along California's famed Pacific Coast Highway. Is all this Nobu-centric press well-deserved? The Nobu Ryokan, In Malibu. What's a Ryokan? Having spent time in a few ryokans while living in Tokyo, I was a bit skeptical about the highly anticipated Nobu Ryokan opening in Malibu. Owned by...
Morgan’s Rock—an Ecolodge Hotel on the edge of the jungle
An ecolodge hotel in a sub-tropical Nicaraguan jungle isn’t for everyone. When I booked it, I wasn’t even sure it was for me. In my mind, ‘sub-tropical’ translated to ‘blindingly hot with no A/C.’ ‘Ecolodge’ meant remote and natural, which we all know is code for ‘no electricity and buggy.’ Ecolodge, I noted, was just one syllable shy of Econolodge. At that time, the holidays were closing in fast. Halloween decorations dangled menacingly in Safeway. Toddlers wearing matching turkey PJs populated my Instagram feed. Christmas...
On Being Imperfecto, The DC Restaurant Review
Imperfecto fired up an already hot trending restaurant scene in Washington DC. Today, Chef Enrique Limardo has three fabulous DC restaurants to rule over in his crisp, chef’s whites. What makes Imperfecto so darn near perfect? It’s all in the details. DC is a culinary wasteland. This was my first thought when we moved to DC from Tokyo in 2010. It isn’t because I’d spent nearly four years in the world's foodie capital (with 202 Michelin stars, the most of any city, I dare you...