Spotlights

March 2010: Lovely Spam, Wonderful Spam: Where It All Began
Hey kids, believe it or not, there was spam long before the Internet! And now leaner times have, shall we say , enhanced the appreciation of many for the canned processed pork known as capital-s Spam, churned out by the Hormel company in Austin, Minnesota since 1937 (though in many places the enthusiasm never really went away -- especially in the Asia/Pacific part of the world, where since the 1940's it's even earned an enduring place in local cuisines of places like South Korea, the Philippines, and Hawaii). It was given a pop-culture boost more recently with the Broadway, West End and road-show success of Monty Python's Spamalot. And fans of mystery meat, kitsch, and Americana can practically roll around in the stuff in Austin's Spam Museum, a seven-year-old multimedia production right across the street from the Hormel factory, a drive of two hours or so south of Minneapolis. As you'd expect, right from the wall of cans in the lobby, it's a hammy Spam-apalooza, including exhibits and a film detailing the product's place in 20th-century history (especially World War II); an assembly-line mock-up you can have a go at yourself; cooking demos; and of course samples (spamples?) handed out on toothpicks. The place is doing brisk business these days, we hear -- proving that this at least is one message many folks may never want to delete.

March 2010: WiFi and Tango at Buenos Aires' Mansión Dandi Royal
The renaissance of BA's most iconic world export is still in full swing, and throughout Argentina's elegant capital you can experience tango in infinite ways: from milongas (dance halls) and dance academies to museums and tours, from traditional to jazz-and-electronica-infused and same-sex gay (in a sense bringing tango back to its roots, when it was common for dudes to dance together). Whether you're fascinated with the form or are simply in the market for elegant yet moderately priced digs in the city's oldest, quaintest neighborhood, Héctor Villalba's Mansión Dandi Royal should fit the bill like a snug pair of strappy heels. Located in San Telmo, famous for its cafés, cobblestone streets, antiques fair and shops, museum of modern art, and tango venues like El Viejo Almacén, the Dandi Royal is a handsome Art Nouveau manse from 1903, with 15 rooms on five floors, adorned with murals depicting the old days -- including mucho tango, of course. Perks include a rooftop pool and jacuzzi, but the real kicker, so to speak, is the three adjoining ballrooms, where shows (open to non-guests, by the way) and daily tango lessons are held, either in groups or privately. Digs-plus-dance packages start at US$103 (€76/£69/CA$108) a night, or you can get just a room with all the mod cons plus breakfast from US$100 (in a slightly splurgy mood? The Corona Real Suite is pretty dandi at just $160).

February 2010: A New London Bar/Eatery That's Quite The Circus
Via the Hedonist's Guides: The fare is American – chef Nik Biok's chic & tasty takes on comfort food like smoked stuffed chicken wings with chipotle tamarind, lime relish, and sour cream, or slow-roasted beef short ribs with guava glaze. But while foodies give the menu a definite thumbs-up, food is still probably not the main reason to visit Circus, a sleek new spot tucked away on Endell Street in Covent Garden. Its gimmicky (in a good way), somewhat voyeuristic vibe is a magnet for thrill-seekers, Louboutin-wearing media types and assorted hipsters who fit right into the stark sky-lit concrete dining room with its dozens of mirror balls over the bar, rows of synchronized lights in the lounge area, and even a stripper pole, should you have a glass too many of Champers and feel like removing a layer or three (the mastermind behind the décor, not surprisingly, is legendary British designer Tom Dixon). At regular intervals, your meal is punctuated by gravity-defying spectacles – say, an aerialist working a silver hoop suspended over the tables like something out of Cirque du Soleil (more than a few of the performers have in fact been pinched from Quebec's greatest gift to show biz outside of Celine Dion). Mix in a bit of burlesque and a dollop of drag, and the scene at Circus adds up to quite possibly the greatest show in town. It's open daily for lunch and dinner, with main dishes in the £13-20 range.

February 2010: An Istanbul Slice of Turkey -- With A Twist
If you've ever eaten Anatolian, you know what a Turkish delight it is, and Istanbul (not Constantinople) is certainly jam-packed with places to shovel it in. But on Akbiyik Caddesi, a popular restaurant row in Sultanahmet near the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace, Dutch-born Cordon Bleu alumna Eveline Zoutendijk set out her shingle with a slightly more focused purpose than merely getting tourists fed. Sure, at Cooking Alaturka you can certainly pull up a chair and feast on goodies like lentil and bulgur soup with dried mint and red pepper, or a tomatoey lamb stew with smoky eggplant purée, all amid fresh, mod décor accented with Eveline's own paintings (main courses 18-20 Turkish lira, four-course menu 40). But the big difference here is that she and chef Feyzi Yildirim have taken a leaf from the proliferation of cooking classes throughout Europe, becoming the first and still one of the few and most accessible such venues in Turkey. For €60 (US$82/£52) you can take classes running two to 2 1/2 hours, offered in English (with other options French, Dutch, and Turkish), either in the morning or the afternoon, then sit down and tuck into your five-course handiwork with local wine. Afterward, check out the little shop stocked with ingredients you may not easily find in your own country. Classes are held Monday through Saturday except in winter, when it's two or three per week.

February 2010: Before the Olympics, Canada's Other Frosty Frolic
Yep, pre-Lenten Carnival season is here again, with all its splashy events and hot destinations -- Rio, New Orleans, Barranquilla, Trinidad, Venice and... Quebec City? Well, pourquoi pas? Even though it's subfreezing weather, this week up in la Vieille Capitale, the locals are currently doing their darndest to to heat things up with their traditional Quebec Winter Carnival (Jan. 29-Feb. 14; in 2011, it's slated for Jan. 28-Feb. 13). The biggest of its kind, it dates back to 1894 but its modern incarnation just to 1955. Currently, for 17 days and nights three quarters of a million people flock to a buzz of activities taking over the Plains of Abraham, National Assembly Park, and Place D'Youville: sleighrides, dogsledding, ziplining, parades, parties, skating, snow sculpting, dances, a soap box derby, canoe races in the icy St. Lawrence River, and various other types of races; and -- craziest of all -- the "Bay Snow Bath" (pictured), when a few dozen guys 'n' gals strip down to beachwear and roll around in the white stuff. It's the Quebeckers' way way of getting through the winter, and it seems to work like a charm, eh?

February 2010: Going To Church Really Rocks in Lalibela, Ethiopia
Up in the northern Amhara region, the small mountain town of Lalibela is fairly rustic and not much to look at. But once upon a time it aspired to be a "new Jerusalem," and what makes it special today is what it's home to as a result: one of Africa's most astonishing man-made sights, unique in the world -- 11 Ethiopian Orthodox churches built over two dozen years in the 12th century by order of the eponymous emperor Gebre Mesquel Lalibela, who ruled after the Axum empire went to pot. What makes the churches in turn so amazing is that each, up to 40 feet high, is carved out of reddish volcanic tufa, complete with pillars, arches, and windows, and lies in a deep pit also hewn from bedrock. With names like Golgotha, Emanuel, and St. George, some of these lichen-covered structures have Byzantine-flavored art on the inside, while others are more plain. They're connected via a system of stairways, tunnels, trenches and courtyards, and attended to by a phalanx of monks and priests; religious festivals in September and January are especially colorful -- though packed -- times to visit. Shelters are being built to protect the churches from weather until such time as they can be restored. Since pilgrims and tourists are butter on the bread hereabouts, there's no shortage of spots to eat and sleep -- some on the simple side, others like the Roha Hotel, Tukul Village, and Mountains View Hotel, fairly modern -- and all inexpensive to dirt-cheap. More info: TourismEthiopia.org, LalibelaTown.com, Lalibela.net.

February 2010: Savoring the Mother's Milk of Valencia at Horchatería de Santa Catalina
To most non-Spaniards, the historic city and region of Valencia may be most famous for paella and oranges. There is, however, an incredible edible número tres you probably haven't heard of. Even though it's popular throughout Spain, for whatever reason the drink called horchata generally doesn't seem to travel so well beyond the borders. Made from ground tiger nuts (chufas in Spanish, xufes in the Valencian dialect of Catalan), this usually sweet, almost but not quite milky elixir has a taste that's a little hard to describe, but practically every Spaniard grows up with it, and it's ubiquitous in bars, ice-cream shops, and more from Barcelona to Badajoz. Sometimes a place specializes in the stuff, and horchaterías are particularly thick on the ground in and around the city of Valencia. Of the several historic examples in the medieval old town, just a block away from La Seu cathedral, the Santa Catalina is more than a century old, and by far the most atmospheric, lined with colorful historic murals in the Manises ceramic tile this region's also famous for. It's an eatery with a full menu and wine list, but the specialty is of course horchata -- in traditional cool liquid or semi-frozen slushy form -- typically accompanied by sugar-dusted local pastries like fartons and ensaimadas. It doesn't get more Valencian than this.

January 2010: Miami, Florida's Coral Castle -- One of America's Weirdest, Wonderfullest (and Even Romantic-est) Roadside Attractions The USA's nearly four million square miles (10 million sq. km) is chock full of quirky, generally mom-and-pop- generated attractions, from gargantuan balls of string to double-decker outhouses. But few sport the strange and venerable pedigree of a little walled complex practically in the Everglades, way down south in Miami-Dade County in the town of Homestead. Open daily, the Coral Castle Museum, now on the National Register of Historic Places, is an extraordinary collection of sculptures and structures hewn from well over a thousand tons of limestone/coral rock -- gates, rocking chairs, fountains, a sundial, and more. Cool stuff -- the gates and rockers are so perfectly balanced you can move them with a finger. But the real kicker is that all of this was built without motorized equipment by one guy, Ed Leedskalnin -- a diminutive Latvian immigrant who was so traumatized by being dumped at the altar, he threw himself into this 28-year monument to love (1923-51) and then charged visitors to gawk. Because some have speculated he used "the power of the pyramids" or similar woo-woo forces to build the complex, it's become a favorite of a lot of New Agers, Wiccans, and so forth, who flock here for events like "psychic Saturday" the first weekend of each month. Whatever the castle's origin, it's a historic hoot.

January 2010: When In Cuzco, Get Thee to a Nunnery (OK, a Monastery) For those of us in awe of pre-Columbian civilizations, few cities in the world are as evocative as Cuzco, 11,000 feet (3,000 meters) up in southeast Peru's Andes, mixing as it does ancient Inca sites such as Sacsayhuaman and the temples of the sun and moon -- as well as access to the legendary Machu Picchu -- with the more widespread colonial architecture of the conquering Spaniards. Tourism is of course its biggest industry these days, so there are plenty of places to hang your sombrero, but none quite as grand and historic as the 126-room Hotel Monasterio, a couple of blocks uphill from the old quarter's main square, Plaza de Armas. Built as Franciscan monastery San Antonio Abad in 1592, 60 years after Francisco Pizarro's marauders first barged in and sacked the place. Converted into a luxury hotel in 1995 and now owned by über-fancy Orient Express, it ain't cheap -- nightly rates are mostly north of $400. And though that doesn't even get you the usual high-end perks like pool, spa, and workout room, the rooms are hardly monastic anymore (not to mention hyper-oxygenated, to combat the nasty effects of soroche -- altitude sickness), and for some it may be worth it to bunk in such a palatial setting in such a special city. Even if you don't stay here, it's well worth a visit to ogle the magnificent courtyard and painting-adorned Baroque chapel or splurge on a meal including local specialties like alpaca and rodentlike cuy in the fine-dining restaurant.

January 2010: Venice With Pagodas: East China's Ancient Zhujiajiao Most first-timers in Shanghai, if they take a day trip or overnighter, usually make a beeline for Suzhou with its famous walled gardens, temples, and museums. Nearby and less well-known but also plenty fetching, the "water town" of Zhujiajiao (pop. 60,000) is a bus or car ride of 45 minutes to an hour from downtown Shanghai, in the outlying Qingpu district of this sprawling megalopolis. On the shores of Lake Daishon, the old quarter of this 17-century-old town (yep, you read that right) draws the lake's waters into a ridiculously picturesque mile-square maze of streams and canals, bridges, courtyards, pathways, and alleys; you can see right away why it's a favorite with Chinese and international film and TV crews. Besides roaming the narrow streets amid two-story whitewashed buildings and checking out highlights such as main drag Bei Dajie, Fangsheng Bridge, Wang Chang Memorial Hall, post office museum, ancient Chinese pharmacy, Kezhi Gardens, and Yunjin Monastery, don't pass up a canal cruise in one of the little covered boats. Local authorities have recently been pouring money into sprucing up the old town, building in the new town in a similar style, and encouraging the efforts of local craftsmen, artists, and artisans -- all with an eye toward the tourist influx expected during Shanghai's World Expo this May through October. Add to that some regentrification by refugees from Shanghai, and there's enough going on to merit an overnight; there's a decent selection of smallish hotels and guesthouses and even a spot of nightlife these days. More info: Zhujiajiao.com.

December 2009-January 2010: At New Year's, Scotland Goes Hog Wild For Hogmanay Auld acquaintance, indeed -- when it comes to public NYE bashes, there's no acquaintance aulder than that of the Scots, and it all reaches its biggest and bashiest in Scotland's capital, Edinburgh. Here the partying starts on December 29 with a carnival, torchlight procession from Royal Mile to Carlton Hill, fireworks, and the burning of a Viking ship by lots of drunks in blond wigs (some of Hogmanay's traditions go back to the Vikings); on New Year's Eve up more than 100,000 revelers throng the city center for a street party, concerts, bonfires, and at midnight another burst of fireworks and the famous mass rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Other Scottish cities and towns have their own whimsical, sometimes bizarre twists: in South Queensferry, part of Greater Edinburgh, hundreds of people participate in the "Loony Dook," rushing into the cold North Atlantic waters on January 1; in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen, NYE's highlight is a parade with a few dozen guys swinging fireballs in wire mesh; in the town of Burghhead up on the north coast, it's a burning barrel (though not till Jan. 11, the original date of Hogmanay). But no matter where in Scotland it's celebrated, it goes without saying that many, many, many "cups of kindness yet" are involved. Happy 2010, everybody! More info: Hogmanay.net, EdinburghsHogmanay.com.

December 2009: Rovaniemi, Finland Serves Up Joulua (Christmas) Year Round Above the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lappland -- which is, after all, about as close to the North Pole as most of us can reasonably get (by air from Helsinki), Santa Claus' Village, in business since 1985, makes for a pretty groovy wintertime family destination -- complete with real reindeer! Obviously you'll find plenty of holiday-themed stuff -- exhibits of Finnish and international Christmas traditions (plus others of crystal, coins and gemstones); an elf-infested post office for mailing letters to you-know-whom; sundry shops; a couple of eateries; sleigh rides; an ice bar (for mom and dad, of course) -- and of course visits with Joulupukki (Santa) himself in his office and toy factory. But Rovaniemi's also a great winter playground in general -- snowmobiling, sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, northern-lights gazing, exploring the Lapp culture -- the whole chilly nine yards. Once the season's over and the snow goes away? Well, we guess you really have to be hyper-enamored of Yuletide -- but then again, there are a handful of summer Santa's villages out there, too, not to mention various shops that somehow manage to sell Christmas ornaments and paraphernalia year-round. So ho-ho-go for it! More info: SantaClausVillage.info, VisitRovaniemi.com.

December 2009: New Zealand's Stewart Island Still Serves Up a Slice of Yesteryear -- Plus Kiwis Both With and Without Feathers
Though NZ as a whole is already bucolic as modern industrialized countries go, it boasts a handful of wop-wops (out-of-the-way nooks and crannies) where you can really feel like you're proverbially getting away from it all, and this 670-square-mile (1,736-square-km) patch an hour's ferry ride south of the South Island is a choice example. With a varied terrain of mountain, valley, forest, field, and sandy beaches, the country's third largest island has a strong Maori heritage (it's also known by its Maori name, Rakiura), one town, a permanent population of give-or-take 400, and a lifestyle that's traditionally revolved around fishing, with a spot of farming -- and now these days, a larger dollop of tourism. So what's it got for you? Start by checking in at one of a handful digs in Oban town and beyond, from backpacker barracks to upscale B&B's and rental homes. Take a peek in the Rakiura Museum. Hop a glass-bottom boat in Half Moon Bay. Have a paddle in a sea kayak. But the main draw is primeval nature -- 85 percent of Stewart is covered by NZ's newest national park, and it's a magical place to have a tramp and spot wildlife, especially rare birds and above all the country's elusive national symbol, the kiwi (most New Zealanders have never seen one in the flesh, but there are some 20,000 here). Water taxis are a popular way of getting around, but you can also rent a car or moped -- or if you'd like something a bit more organized, an outfit like The Stewart Island Experience can help. More info: www.StewartIsland.co.nz, www.Stewart-Island-News.com.

December 2009: Digging For Dirt in Underground Seattle, USA Washington State's best-known burg is famous for its spectacular setting and cityscape, including downtown's 20-block Pioneer Square neighborhood, which dates to the city's founding in the 1850's. But by a century later, what many folks had forgotten was that when the city rebuilt after an 1889 fire, in raising the sidewalks to solve a flooding problem it left a swath of the old shops, bars, hotel lobbies, and other establishments under the new street level. In the 1960s a local PR guy and preservationist named Bill Seidel started tours of these underground spaces, and this is how you can see them today; US$12-$15 gets you a 90-minute stroll and a spiel that gets a little jokey (not to mention a little blue -- not too surprising considering the role prostitution played in the whole shebang back then; there's an adults-only night tour that goes into all that a little deeper, so to speak). Definitely spooky-cool. More info: UndergroundTour.com, PioneerSquareDistrict.org.

November-December 2009 - Unexpected But Awesome: the Dominican Republic's Altos de Chavón
One of the Caribbean's odder (and certainly the DR's most popular) tourist attractions is certainly far from unknown, but it's surprising how many people's jaws still drop when they come across it. Just outside the gracious south coast Dominican city of La Romana, it's a ringer for some centuries-old southern European village, but built on a clifftop over the Chavón River in the early 1980s. Normally we wouldn't bother with something so ersatz, but Altos is a few cuts above mere Disneyfied schtick; not only did the designers go well out of their way to faithfully recreate the look and feel of 16th-century Spain and Italy, but the complex is now also home to cultural institutions (including a respected design school) that have enriched the island, its people, and even the region as a whole in various ways. It's now under the aegis of the huge, upscale adjoining resort Casa de Campo, and besides some nifty photo ops, visitors wandering these cobblestone lanes will find some great shops for local crafts and antiques, Dominican and international restaurants, nightclubs, a very good museum of local archaeology, and a 5,000-seat ancient-Roman-style amphitheater featuring world headliners (in 2009, for example, Andrea Bocelli). More info: CasaDeCampo.com.do, Facebook.com/AltosDeChavon, AltosDeChavon.com.

November 2009 - A Cold Yet Cool Reception This Winter at Sweden and Quebec's Ice Hotels
Chilly chic is back again, thanks to those clever Swedes and Quebecois. First up, from December 10 to mid-April, the Swedish Lappland town of Jukkasjärvi, north of the Arctic Circle, will be the site of the 59,200-square foot (5,500-square-meter) 20th edition of the original ICEHOTEL (you fly into Stockholm, then connect to Kiruna; British Airways also flies direct to Kiruna from Heathrow, believe it or not). For rates from 1,350 krona (US$197) a night per person, you can sleep in one of the 80 artist-designed rooms and suites carved from snow and ice (with thermal underwear and sleeping bags, of course), or in a more conventional, heated hotel annex. While you're up here, activities include sauna, snowshoe, snowmobile/dogsled tours, ice sculpture lessons, and visits with the local Sami people. If you can't make it this time around, they're planning to open it a month earlier next winter. Meanwhile, for those on the other side of the Atlantic, in Canada's Duchesnay winter resort area a half hour from picturesque Quebec City, the Hôtel de Glace marks its tenth winter this January 4 to April 4. It's quite a bit plus petit (32,000 square feet/3,000 square meters), but just as, er, cool as its Swedish inspiration, with similar amenities and activities (but no Sami, of course). An overnight in one of its 36 rooms and suites starts at CAD 219 (US$208) per person, or you can just stop in for a tour and a bracing gulp at the ice bar. More info: www.IceHotel.com, www.HotelDeGlace-Canada.com.

November 2009: The Biggest Carnival You've Never Heard of, in Barranquilla, Colombia
Just 13 more weeks to go till pre-Lenten Carnaval time, and if you're thinking of a warm getaway to the biggest party in the Latin world, Rio de Janeiro's is always a rip-roaring crowd-pleaser -- but it's also massively mobbed, pretty pricey, and these days, to say the least, just a wee bit overcommercialized. For a taste of this annual revelry that's both more affordable and closer to its folkloric roots (so much so that it's on UNESCO's World Heritage list), consider the second-largest Carnaval (in 2010, February 13-16), bringing more than a half-million people to Barranquilla, just down the Caribbean coast from historic Cartagena. This city of 1.7 million isn't much to see most of the year -- despite some nice historic homes, a small museum of city history and Carnaval lore, and historic bar-cum-eatery La Cueva, onetime hangout of Colombian literary legend Gabriel García Márquez and his circle. But come February, normal life shuts down, partying erupts, and city authorities and private Carnaval societies come together to throw parades with floats and costumed characters both traditional (gold- or white-faced, African-derived congos) and contemporary (Hugo Chávez, Barack Obama, hot chicas in skimpy outfits); you're likely to have corn flour flung and water guns squirted at you, but everybody takes it in good humor. More info: CarnavalDeBarranquilla.com, CarnavalDeBarranquilla.net.

November 2009: Cavort Like a Sultan at Brunei's Empire Hotel & Country Club
It's just nine years old, but as you'd expect, this resort on the South China Sea beachfront in the small Malay sultanate ruled by one of the world's richest men -- originally built as a royal palace by the sultan's kid brother to the tune of more than US$1 billion -- has been in the front ranks of Asia's top hostelries ever since. With 420 rooms, suites, and villas on a lushly landscaped 45-acre (180-hectare) spread, the palatial joint is awash in soaring columns and all manner of sumptuous finishes -- marble, teak, silk, gold, you name it. Plus everything here is big -- from the atrium lobby to the guest rooms (we've been in some Manhattan studios smaller than these bathrooms), and the amenities just go on and on: not just a lagoon beachfront, five restaurants, five pools, tennis courts, gym, and 18-hole Jack Nicklaus links, but even a movie theater, live stage theater, and bowling alley (one big drawback for the non-abstemious: no booze, according to Islamic practice). The Empire makes a great base for exploring the mosques and water villages of the sultanate, along with ecotourism in the Borneo rainforests that begin right outside the gates. Rates are more reasonable than you'd imagine, starting at B$250 (US$180/£108) per night, with special promotions sometimes even less. More info: www.TheEmpireHotel.com.

November 2009: Beat the Winter Dol-Drums at Caro Diallo Dance Camp, Abene, Senegal
Up for an adventure that none of your friends have twigged to yet? Check out French-flavored West Africa this winter, where internationally recognized Senegalese dancer Caro Diallo teaches traditional dance and drumming at his beachside camp at Abene, in Senegal's southern Casamance region, December through February. Guests stay in comfortable if not exactly luxurious African-style huts, dine on savory local cuisine, and participate in two dance classes daily (at the camp or on the beach) and/or one daily drumming class, taught by pros from Caro's dance company, Black Soofa. You get out and about to explore real local life and nature, too, with jaunts to villages, markets, music and dance events, festivals, and canoe trips to explore island bird sanctuaries and coastal mangroves. It's pretty affordable, too -- from $520 to $680 per person per week, including all dance and drum classes, accommodation, and three meals daily. They can also arrange airport transfers and sightseeing in Dakar and the Gambia. Moving to throbbing drum beats echoing the beating of your own heart propels your body unlike any other kind of dance, and even if you're a rank beginner, you'll come out of this one with not just some nifty moves but very likely some significant new self-knowledge, too. More info: www.CaroDiallo.com, genovefa@sover.net.

October-November 2009: 20th Anniversary Celebration of Berlin Wall's Fall
November -- and especially Nov. 9 -- mark a huge, emotional anniversary for this country and its capital -- and for that matter, for Europe and the world. Namely, it's the 20th anniversary of the Mauerfall (fall of the Berlin Wall), leading to the reunification of the Bundesrepublik and the GDR, and of course to tectonic shifts in world politics, culture, and more as the Cold War started fading into the past. Visitors to unified Germany's capital this month can attend various art and history exhibitions and presentations around the city including an open-air exhibition in Alexanderplatz. If you happen to be in town on the 9th, events include a huge street fair and a concert by the Staatskapelle on famous boulevard Unter den Linden near iconic Brandenburg Gate. Besides all that, there are sites that will remain into the future, such as the artist-decorated preserved segment of the Wall and ominous border-guard tower on Muhlenstrasse; a museum devoted to escapes from the GDR; and a re-creation of the famous "Checkpoint Charlie" border crossing. If you've got time to head beyond the city into eastern Germany, you'll also find memorials, museums, and other monuments to the era of division. More info: Tripatini's Berlin group.

October 2009: Hotel Chelsea, New York City, USA
As generations of visitors have been able to attest, when it comes to digs, it ain't easy to unearth big deals in the core of the Big Apple -- comfy, conveniently located, and moderately priced , let alone with any kind of history or character. That's why even in 2009, the 115-room Chelsea remains a find. With a looming red-brick facade on a major thoroughfare in the eponymous Chelsea neighborhood, it's got no major on-site amenities besides WiFi and a great old Spanish restaurant, but it is way convenient to lots of cool shopping, dining, clubbing, and attractions (you can stroll to Times Square, the Empire State Building, and Greenwich Village without too much trauma). Rooms start at US$129 -- not bad at all for Manhattan. But the bonus beyond all the above is the Chelsea's 126-year history and funky, boho vibe. The place has only a dozen stories physically, but historically it could fill several memoirs and then some. Operating as a hotel since 1905, it's hosted some of the 20th-century's towering (and sometimes quirky) artsy-fartsy types, including Bob Dylan, Arthur Miller, William Bourroughs, Jasper Johns, Allen Ginsberg, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin. It's where poet Dylan Thomas died of booze poisoning and punk rocker Sid Vicious stabbed his girlfriend Nancy to death. These days you might find yourself, say, in the middle of a photo shoot with Kate Winslet. Even if not, you'll get a charge out of the public areas, crammed with funky art by residents and friends; you can even take a historic tour of the joint. More info: HotelChelsea.com

October 2009: Finca Luna Nueva, San Ramón, Costa Rica
'Tis fairly tough to single out one eco-lodge among the multitude that've helped make little Costa Rica a green tourism powerhouse. But one of our very own members, Finca Luna Nueva Lodge (FLN meaning "New Moon Farm"), makes as good a case as any. Located in CR's "Northern Zone," about a two-hour drive from San José and three to four from the Pacific beach resorts, it nestles in a lush private rain forest near the famous Arenal Volcano, famous for its frequent nighttime lava shows and natural hot springs open to the public (the most elaborately landscaped being the ones that are part of Tabacón Resort). The nearby town of La Fortuna sports some decent nightlife plus approximately a half-bazillion adventure outfitters that'll have you rafting rapids, ziplining, rapelling down waterfalls, and so on. But chances are you'll want to spend a fair bit of your time hanging at Luna Nueva, what with stuff to do like guided flora and wildlife walks, a natural spring-fed swimming pool, solar-heated hot tub, horseback riding, mountain biking, spa and holistic wellness services, eco cooking classes, and biodynamic farm and medicinal herb garden tours. Rates are pretty friendly to your financial ecology, too -- "rustic luxe" bungalows from US$70 per day with breakfast (tack on $30 if you want A/C, but the ceiling fans tend to do the job quite nicely). The cantina serves locally grown organic fare at good prices, too. More info: our Finca Luna Nueva Lodge group.

October 2009: Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia
Out in the Namib desert of southwest Namibia, about a 3 1/2-hour drive south of capital Windhoek, one of the world's more impressive natural sights and experiences are its highest (up to some 280 feet/85 meters) and oldest sand dunes, part of Africa's biggest game park. Punctuated by dramatically desolate-looking camel thorn trees, you can balloon and fly over these "star dunes," hike them with a guide, and even surf down them (we'll get back to you on how to say "cowabunga!" in Nama). The best times to see them are sunrise and sunset, when their reddish-orangy hues shift, shimmer, and glow. Don't forget to also stop for a peek at dramatic Sesriem Canyon, some 40 miles (65 km) away. Admission to Namib-Naukluft is N$80 (US$11), and for overnighting, there are various lodges in the area to choose from. A top new upscale choice is Sossus Dune Lodge, but if its N$2,400 (US$304) lead rate is a tad rich for your blood, other options include Desert Camp (from N$455/US$60 per person), Desert Homestead (from N$583/US$78 pp), and Betesda Lodge (from N$550/US$74 pp, or just N$80/US$11 to camp.) That's if you go independently -- there are also, of course, a number of safari operators which include this on their all-inclusive itineraries. More info: see our Namibia and Africa Safaris groups.

September-October 2009: Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
On rare occasions, one can be excused a cliché, so here goes: there's an aura about Udaipur, India -- one that's almost mystical, and certainly majestic. But roaming amid its huge 16th- and 17th-century marble and sandstone palaces on (and some even serenely floating amid) the clear blue waters of Lake Pichola, anyone would be hard-pressed to deny the description. Because even though the lake waters have sometimes been pretty low this year, the "Venice of the East," nestled in a valley surrounded by the Aravalli hills of north India's huge Rajasthan state, is still just about picture-perfect. Hollywood and Bollywood obviously think so -- among many other TV and screen productions, Gandhi, Octopussy, and Darjeeling Limited shot scenes here. Founding maharaja Udai Singh's massive palace complex, built in 1559, is today one the city's top sights (and hotels), offering panoramic views from many of its windows, balconies, and towers. The wealth of paintings, vintage furniture, and other antiques is stunning, and if you can't quite swing the 12,000-rupee (US$250) starting room rate, come in for a meal or just a look around. Plenty of less pricey digs and eats are also available, such as the atmospheric Udai Kothi (from 5,000 rupees/US$104) and another palace hostelry, Jagat Niwas (from just 1,550 rupees/ US$32). More info: www.UdaipurTourism.com.

September 2009: Kurá Hulanda Resorts, Spa & Museum, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
In addition to some dandy diving, dining, nightlife, and a few sweet strands, the "C" in the ABC islands of the Dutch West Indies serves up some fascinating culture, especially from its colonial days, including fairytale architecture and landhuizen (country estates) where you can dine or even overnight. Cultural exhibit A, however, has to be the museum and seasonal show offered by one of the Caribbean's most special resorts, the 80-room Kurá Hulanda. The main complex, a quick stroll across the pontoon bridge from capital Willemstad, is a self-contained, cobblestone-paved "village" made up of gorgeously restored 18th- and 19th-century buildings (if you absolutely must stay on a beach, go for the newer, 74-room Lodge/Beach Club up on the north coast, and make use of the shuttle between the two). Despite the deluxe nature of both, good deals are available, with autumn rates starting at US$130 per night. But for us the centerpiece is the Museum Kurá Hulanda, also open to non-guests (15 ANG/US$9 per person; 9 ANG/US$6 for seniors and kids under 13; 13 ANG/US$7 for students). The collection is owner Jacob Gelt Dekker's expertly curated homage to Curaçao's Papiamento culture, focusing especially on its African roots and the slave trade; from October through April, an evening show is added to the mix. It's a moving and powerful experience sure to give a profound extra dimension to your turn-n-burn vaycay. More info: www.KuraHulanda.com.

September 2009: Greenway Mansion, Devon, England
Britain's National Trust runs a beguiling array of estates, castles, churches, and abbeys, and plenty can boast an air of mystery and even a few murders committed within their precincts... but how many can claim they sheltered the world's greatest maestro of the murder mystery? The manse and gardens Agatha Christie and archaeologist hubby Max Mallowan shared on the River Dart near Brixham was recently opened to the public for the first time, and they make for a fascinating look indeed into Dame Agatha's life, times, and œuvre. There's also some nifty New World connections dating back to the 16th century: Sir Walter Raleigh was born here, and the house was built by a family that included the discoverer of Newfoundland. Fans can also walk the "Agatha Christie Mile" in nearby Torquay, and enjoy September's weeklong "English Riviera Agatha Christie Festival" (2010's should be even more elaborate, given that it's the author's 120th birthday). More info: NationalTrust.org.uk/Greenway, AgathaChristie.com, EnglishRiviera.co.uk/AgathaChristie.

September 2009: Coober Pedy, Australia
Next time you're knocking about the Outback, check this out. Some 480 miles northwest of Adelaide and 585 miles south of Alice Springs (and accessible by road, train, and even air), Coober Pedy is not just the "Opal Capital of Australia," but really takes the expression "down under" literally. Local blokes and sheilas have turned former mining tunnels into homes, galleries, museums, a church (above left)-- and er, digs, such as Radeka Underground Backpackers, run by bearded, central-casting-minerish-looking Martin Smith (rooms here start at A$60/US$50) and fancier establishments like the Desert Cave Hotel (from A$218/US$185). The town itself is a fun hang, its population of 3,500 livened up by a multinational bunch here to plumb the various depths, tour the opal fields, party in joints like Crocodile Harry's Underground Nest, and explore surrounding locales like Oodnadatta and Coward Springs. You might just say that C-P really, well, rocks. More info: www.Radeka Downunder.com.au, www.OpalCapitalOfTheWorld.com.au, DesertCave.com.au.

August/September 2009: Acadêmicos do Salgueiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio's famous Carnaval is of course but once a year and can end up being kinda pricey to say the least, but you can get a taste of the fun at a fraction of the cost beginning in August, when locals start revving their engines for next year's mother of all parties (February 13-16) in raucous rodas da samba open to the public. One of the top so-called samba schools -- and top-dog in the 2009 Carnaval -- is 56-year-old Salgueiro, and a night spent in its huge hall on Rua Silva Teles in the Andaraí neighborhood is likely to be one of the highlights of your visit. Held almost every night of the week starting at 10PM (check "Quadra e Eventos" on the Salgueiro web site, below), it's loud, festive fun -- down a couple of caipirinhas and boogie along. Entry is a mere 15 reais (currently about US$8) for men and 10 for women, and the the first 200 ladies to show up get in free. If you happen to be around the second Sunday of any month, you might also want to consider stopping by in the afternoon for Salgueiro's feijoada party (feijoada's Brazil's national dish, a bean-based stew). More info: Salgueiro.com.br.

August 2009: Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA
In the United States, Labor Day, the traditional end of the summer season, is fast approaching. But there are still several more good weeks in September and October left if you're in the market for a beachy late-season escape -- and Midwesterners have long known that a swell strand doesn't necessarily have to be on an ocean. North America's inland freshwater seas, the six Great Lakes, have supported resorts for more than a century, and there's no better example that Lake Huron's Victorian-flavored, four-square-mile Mackinac Island, the entirety of which is a National Historic Monument that bans almost all motor vehicles. If you want to attend the famous Fudge Festival, you'll have to wait till next August. But there's still plenty of history, carriage tours, hiking, fishing, and swimming going on even after Labor Day. And while overnighting can certainly be pricey, it doesn't have to be, even at lovely historic properties like Mission Point Resort (from $150) and Main Street Inn and Suites ($80). More info: MissionPoint.com, MainStreetInnAndSuites.com, MackinacIsland.org.

August 2009: Graciosa Resort, Santa Cruz da Graciosa, Azores Islands, Portugal
Graciosa, a lovely little island in the Azores chain in the Atlantic, is taking its under-the-radar tourism scene to the next level this summer, opening its first hotel above the level of a pensão (guesthouse). The 120-room, contemporary-flavored Graciosa Resort & Business Hotel (rates from 90€/US$128) makes a great base to explore exquisite hills and coastlines, windmills, geysers, volcanic craters, thermal spas, underground grottoes and lake, and villages where you can soak up plenty of whitewashed charm and shop for handmade embroidery and linens as well as the island’s well-known wines, brandy, and cheese. There’s also diving; beaches; a nice, mild climate; and of course a vibe that’s laid-back and plenty graciosa (graceful). These days you can even fly here from the U.S. (out of Boston, on Azores Express SATA). More info: www.GraciosaHotel.com, www.VisitAzores.travel, Triptatini's Portugal group.

August 2009: Casa Lila, Essaouira, Morocco
A 2-1/2 to 3-hour drive from Marrakesh, one of Morocco's jewels is the Atlantic port city of Essaouira, built as a fortified town in the 18th century and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here in this mix of traditional and cool alternative vibe (along with some nearby beach resorts), as elsewhere in Morocco, the most atmospheric places to stay are the riads (traditional houses) converted into inns. Starting at just over US$100/night, the 10-room, lilac-hued Casa Lila in the medina (old city center) is a marvelous mix of affordability and elegant design. More info: RiadsMorocco.com.

July 2009: Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York, USA
One of the brighter stars in today's learning-vacations firmament, this New Age-flavored summer camp for grown-ups in New York State's beautiful Hudson Valley is a great spot for some R&R on a woodsy country lake, with swimming, boating, biking, hiking and more. April through October, very reasonably priced two- to five-day packages are available, including a variety of digs ranging from basic campsites to deluxe private cabins, and seminars/workshops taught by a faculty that includes some fairly well-known names (Isabel Allende, Joan Borysenko, Malachy McCourt, Gloria Steinem, and Helen Thomas ring a bell?). Rates vary quite a bit but start at less than $100 a night. For more info, log on to www.EOmega.org.

July 2009: Paul Bocuse's Ouest Express, Lyon, France
The world's most revered chef turning to -- fast food? Mais oui -- and we sure wish all fast food were like this: both affordable and top-quality. Located in the up-and-coming Vaise neighborhood of Bocuse's home city of Lyon, the sleek, futuristic shop specializes in fresh pastas, salads, baguette sandwiches, and pastries. This fall, a new branch is opening closer to downtown, in the fancy La Part Dieu mall. For more info, see go-lo's France discussion in the Eating/Drinking the World group.

July 2009: Hotel Zamas, Tulum, Mexico
South of Cancun, the "Riviera Maya" has become known for the bopping town of Playa del Carmen and a string of big and increasingly upscale resorts north and south of town. But for a more laid-back and less pricey beach experience still within easy reach of both Playa, Cancun, and some spectacular Maya ruins, check out the small beach hotels of Tulum, such as Zamas, starting at $100 a night. For more info, check out Tripatini's Mexico group.