Queenstown, New Zealand is considered the “adventure capital of the world” which means you get to hurl your body off a variety of locations, such as bridges (bungy jump), trees (zip on a harness on thin lines between tree tops at the Ziptrek Eco Tours), hillsides (paragliding) and airplanes (skydiving). For those more inclined to [...]
If you are going to Mendoza, Argentina to sample the incredible wine and cuisine in the region, here is a short travel guide with tips on where to stay and where to enjoy tasting menus with wine. The region of Mendoza is Argentina’s largest and most visited wine region. The wine produced here is mostly [...]
If you are in Istanbul, you must pay a visit to a Turkish hammam (a traditional Turkish bath). A Turkish bath is exactly the perfect thing to do after a tiring day of sightseeing. This tradition has been passed down from the Romans to the Byzantines to the Turks. The Islamic emphasis on personal cleanliness and purification [...]
We are driving through the Atacama desert at sunrise: barren, rugged, pockmarked hills, deep grooves etched into them by centuries of wind and the violence of nature. Nothing grows here! Around us the wind-blown tracks of offroad vehicles zigzag, appearing and disappearing again into the distance. The chilled blue sky slowly loses its deep serenity as [...]
In the deepest, darkest days of winter, all you want to do is go outside and fling yourself off a mountain on skis or a snowboard. Here’s a guide to the most sophisticated hotels where modern design meets superior service. If you are really tired of old-fashioned ski hotels, check out our selection. Switzerland The [...]
Are you tired of the same mass-market guides that send you to places where tour operators also take their clients? Check out The Little Bookroom’s splendid travel guides which reveal secret places in Italy and France (and elsewhere) that most guide books never mention. I love the dreamy photos and illustrations, the gorgeous layout and [...]
Inès de la Fressange, French fashion model and style icon, has written a book called La Parisienne which contains her favorite addresses in Paris for fashion, beauty, home interiors and spas, as well as cafes and restaurants. You can buy the book online at Amazon.fr and FNAC. The English translation won’t be out until spring [...]
If I had to choose from the three Balearic islands – Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca – which one I enjoy most, I would pick Mallorca. I went to the island last September after a week in Ibiza and it’s strange how coming back to Mallorca after more than 10 years, has led me to appreciate [...]
I just finished posting the Eat Pray Love guide to the best pizza in Naples. But Naples is more than just pizza so here is a list of excellent restaurants in the city. One of the joys of eating in Naples is that the seafood is very fresh and deliciously prepared. Among my favorite seafood [...]
Here’s a list of Mapplr’s favorite pizzerias in Naples, Italy. There’s a reason why Elizabeth Gilbert went to Naples to eat pizza in her novel, “Eat Pray Love”: Naples is where pizza was invented and perfected. In the film, Julia Roberts (who plays Gilbert) devours an entire pizza napoletana, in defiance of her expanding waistline. [...]