How To Pack for an African Safari (Carry-On Only)
Are you heading on safari for the first time? An African safari is an adventurer's travel trifecta—a combination of breathtaking wildlife, stunning terrain, and unparalleled lodging and hospitality. With over 20+ game drives across four countries, I've learned a thing or two about how to simplify the preparation for this exciting experience. My packing lists follow—organized into four simple categories. You can also download my ‘Ultimate Safari Packing List’ to have them all in one easy-to-access place. And while it's not necessary to travel with...
Where in the World is Manshausen Island?
A tiny square on Instagram stops me mid-scroll—a photo of a glass cabin perched above a stone jetty cantilevered over the sea. Through plate glass windows, a seated woman with a book on her lap gazes towards the horizon. The caption reads, “Can you see yourself in this chair?” That was six years ago. If I’d seen it today, I would’ve been convinced the image was computer-generated. But in 2018, Instagram still depicted reality. Well, sort of. “Yes!” I think to myself as that familiar...
Eagles Soar At Wildflower Farms. So Will You.
Wildflower Farms, an Auberge property in New York's Hudson Valley, is the antidote to city life. Discover why it's on everyone's hot list. Ryan puts our bags in the back of the motorized cart. Our bungalow is a short walk away, but it’s drizzling, so we welcome the ride. After a few social niceties, ‘Where are you from?’ ‘Is this a girls’ trip?’ ‘Are you sisters?’ Ryan slams the brakes. “I just saw a bald eagle—want to see his nest?” My jaw drops. Does my...
Where’s Corsica? The Ultimate Guide To Our Corsica Travels
Our Corsica travels take us canyoning through mountains and hiking to mountaintop lakes. Our Corsica travels take us from party beaches to remote ones. Traveling in Corsica is an adventure a day, sprinkled with riverside retreats, clifftop restaurants, and the occasional wild pig. Where's Corsica, exactly? And does it belong on your travel wish list? Read on. “If you don’t project yourself outwards,” our canyoning instructor says calmly, “it will end—how do you say in English—badly.” I peer over the granite ledge. A gushing waterfall...
The Best of Ibiza, Unabashedly
“Aren’t you a little old for Ibiza?” became an ongoing refrain whenever I mentioned my upcoming trip. What is it about this island off the coast of Spain that prohibits anyone over a certain age from indulging? I was never much for clubbing. In my 20s, I started a career in advertising and drank beer in basement bars. In my 30s, I started a family and spent weekends changing diapers and craving sleep. When in my 40s, I moved to Tokyo and dragged stubborn toddlers...
In 1950, A Party Started At Eden Rock St. Barths. It’s Still Going.
I walk through the airport’s cool, frosted glass doors. Salt-tinged air warms my face. Out here, the party’s in full swing. People gather with glasses in hand. Bottles of Chassagne-Montrachet chill in buckets of ice at their feet. Bursts of laughter radiate from the well-heeled crowd as a rainbow assortment of Minis and Mokes whizzes behind them. It feels like happy hour on a breezy NYC rooftop, not airport arrivals. I scan the crowd. Our villa manager is easy to spot. He’s wearing tell-tale Eden...
Taking on the Medina, and More—What To Do In Marrakech
What To Do In Marrakech, A Guide / Were it up to me, The Caliph’s House by Tahir Shah would be required reading for anyone traveling to Morocco. Without reading this candidly funny novel, I would've been confused, baffled, and bewildered during our visit to Marrakech. After spontaneously moving his family to Morocco from the UK, Shah buys a home—the Caliph’s House —and begins the arduous task of renovating it. At the same time, he's attempting to rebuild his family’s lives in a foreign country....
From Jamaica, With Love: The Goldeneye Resort Review
Our van takes a sharp left from the busy road through a small gap in an unassuming stone wall. Twisted tree limbs dangle over it and I have the urge to hold my breath as we squeeze through. I peer out the rear window, half expecting the gap to close up and disappear into the overgrowth. I've arrived at Goldeneye in Jamaica, the very place where James Bond was brought to life by author Ian Fleming. Although I’ve been on the grounds all of seven...
How to get to Antarctica—the most extreme place on Earth
My Antarctic travels reveal more than the differences between Weddell and Leopard seals. Or how Gentoo penguins care for their young. My Antarctic travels reveal the power of the wind. And how much of an iceberg we really see floating above the water's surface. Antarctica evokes awe. I discovered anything can happen in Antarctica—which is exactly the way it should be. Wondering how I got to Antarctica? Bundle up—you're in the right place. A humpback whale breaks the water’s inky surface. Remains of barnacles, those...
Sugar Beach is The Caribbean’s Ultimate Family Friendly Resort
Sugar Beach, St. Lucia—When my family heads off on a beach holiday, some of us want to do everything, and some of us want to do nothing. Usually, I want to do a little bit of something, then a whole lot of nothing. As it turns out, there is a place for families like us where you can do absolutely everything, or absolutely nothing, at exactly the same time. Sugar Beach, St. Lucia, seemed to find that fantastic balance of being a family-friendly resort while...