Antigua, Guatemala

  Carrying a heavy assortment of colorful accessories, bangles and keepsakes she crosses the time worn street. “Business is business!” rings the anthem from the tiny, animated street vendor.  Even at 10 years old, her style is relentless. Her beautiful Indian features break into a smile as if by rote … Read more

Alice Springs, Australia

Uluru-Ayer’s Rock and Alice Springs: the Red Heart of Australia Catching the waves on one of its wide, picture-perfect beaches, it’s easy to forget that most of Australia is a vast wilderness of sun-blistered desert, an ancient world populated by a few hardy farmers and the continent’s first inhabitants, the … Read more

Sea Satin Market

  A popular image that comes to mind when one imagines the Greeks Isles is one of white- washed houses with bright sea-blue shutters, white sand beaches peppered with tiny fishing boats and caressed by the waves of the turquoise waters that envelope them. In the case of the Greek … Read more

Provence, France

Everything’s coming up Rosé   Blazing sun, boiling heat and no beach in sight … what’s the solution? A refreshing rose that will transport you from city sidewalks (or wherever you’re sweltering this summer) to the rolling  hills of southern France.   OK, before you begin to sneer, let’s be … Read more

Drink Greek

A Retsina Revival Plan There’s a quick way to go broke in Greece, and I don’t mean letting an octopus swallow your wallet. It’s cocktails. Johnny Walker and Jim Beam only travel first class; mojitos and Blue Angels, strictly deluxe. So what’s a thirsty traveler to do? Drink Greek. It’s … Read more

K Boutique Hotel Rhodes, Greece

For anti-tourist Aegean island hoppers, check out the recently renovated K Boutique Hotel.  This stylish, modern hotel is beautifully located near the beach and the center of Rhodes. It’s a great spot for exploration yet off the tourist trail. The hotel offers 30 two-room suites including 23 superior suites, three executive … Read more

Zanzibar, Tanzania

The Island Beyond the Beach Zanzibar is officially part of Tanzania, but it’s always been different. A small island off the coast of East Africa, it has a history straight out of 1001 Arabian Nights, more Sinbad than Swahili. While most of Africa was carved up by Imperial European powers … Read more

A South African Safari

The Trip of a Lifetime   “You want me to get in there?” “How old are you?” “You’ve only been flying for how long?” “Is there another way for us to get there?   “Can we really fit?” This tiny plane looks like it was borrowed from the Wright Brothers.” The … Read more

The Hydroussa Hotel Hydra, Greece

The Hydroussa Hotel As you pass through the tall gates into the courtyard of the Hydroussa Hotel on the little Greek island of Hydra, you instantly experience its inviting embrace–even before stepping through the intricately carved wooden doors and into the marble coolness of the lobby. The allure of the … Read more

Bangalore, India

  Adventures in the Garden City When most people think of Bangalore they imagine high-tech, computers and call centers. Indeed, in last year’s Booker Prize winner, White Tiger (by Aravind Adiga), the main protagonist claims “Everything in the city, it seemed, came down to one thing. Outsourcing.” That’s a little … Read more

Naka Meguro; Tokyo, Japan

  When one thinks “Tokyo”, immediately futuristic technology, enormous Sony Trinitron screens, Hello Kitty and “Lost in Translation” come to mind. While these images are truly a part of the Japanese urban landscape, a new neighborhood in Tokyo has recently begun to sprout, offering a respite from the overwhelming cacophony … Read more

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

  Majestic Phnom Penh Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capitol, is in the midst of a major upheaval. Old and new are constant clashes—it’s a city where cycle drivers share the road with elephants and BMW SUVs; where tented houses sit in front of high rise modern apartment dwellings. Poised as a … Read more

Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills

  Considering the efficiency of Japan, it’s interesting to witness the dramatic change to Roppongi, an enduring neighborhood in the city of Tokyo.  This district has had a diverse and colorful history not unlike the amusement park aura of Times Square, New York, but in its current metamorphosis, Roppongi has … Read more

Shizuoka, Japan

Shizuoka, Japan

  I love Tokyo and in my next life I imagine you’ll find me in my suite on the 47th floor of the Park Hyatt showering and dressing for drinks and dinner with Scarlett Johansson between takes of, “Lost in Translation,” which was filmed at the hotel.  Tokyo invokes manic … Read more