The Best Of Mérida. Mexico’s Newest Hot Spot.
“Where’s Mérida?” you wonder, and “Why should I go there?” I’m happy you asked. Mérida, Mexico, is the capital city of the Yucatán State. Its simple luxuries fly under the radar in terms of typical Mexican tourist destinations—more rustic, less bells, less whistles, and friendlier on the wallet. Long may that last. Recently, I spent three days uncovering the best of Mérida, Mexico, old school style with a pen and paper. Three days exploring boutiques, boutique hotels, hidden watering holes, and airy rooftop bars. Was...
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...
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...
5 of the Best Caribbean Beach Bars
My top five favorite Caribbean beach bars and restaurants are personal. They're based on my memories of food, wine, people, and views. My top five list might change over time, but these are the Caribbean beach bars and beach clubs that keep my travel memories alive and kicking. My Top Five Caribbean Beach Bars When assessing the best beach bars, suffice it to say that I have a few baseline requirements. A vibe that naturally pairs with the island’s culture is one. Combining tourists and...
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...
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...
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...
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...
5 Top 5 Travel Wish Lists: Where To Go Right Now
I'm at Black Coffee, sitting on a cushy, green leather banquette—my usual spot. On my right are two well-heeled Washingtonians talking about Koks, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in, wait for it—the Faroe Islands. I can’t contain my excitement! I know Koks–it’s on my travel wish list! How in the world do they know about Koks? I’m dying to ask. Then reconsider. That would be weird. My excitement manifests physically. It's like I’ve had six espresso shots in as many minutes. I’m quite literally bouncing off the...
Searching for the peaceful life, at Amanzoe, Greece
Google Amanzoe. Go ahead, I’ll wait. With 156,000 search results, Amanzoe is hardly a well-kept secret. What can I say or write that hasn't already been said or written about this palatial property? How can I uncover beauty not instantly available by scrolling postage stamp-sized squares on the phone? Or, found in a quick Google search? Let me give it a try. But perhaps first, a few things you will find in a quick Google search of Amanzoe, because essentials are still important, naturally. Amanzoe,...