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Tossa de Mar

January 13, 2015, 2:22 am
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Executive summary by darmansjah

Tossa de Mar is perched on the Mediterranean in Catalonia, a province in northeastern Spain. The Costa Brava coastal region is a popular tourist destination, thanks to its moderate climate, beautiful beaches, and charming towns.
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Pals

January 14, 2015, 2:29 am
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Executive summary by darmansjah

Cobbled streets wind through the medieval town of Pals on the Costa Brava
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Koh Lipe

January 15, 2015, 2:34 am
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The Perfect Beach

Executive summary by darmansjah

Thailand's sun-drenched jewel in the South Andaman Sea, Koh Lipe has recently risen to the top of intrepid beach lovers’ A-list of island paradises. Considered an alternative to the overexploited Koh Phi Phi (which gained fame as the setting for the film The Beach), Koh Lipe is accessible only by boat, with departure ports that include Krabi and the nearby Malaysian island of Langkawi.

Crystal waters and pristine reefs surround the island. Up to 25 percent of the world’s tropical fish species swim in the protected waters around Koh Lipe (the island is in Tarutao National Marine Park). Pattaya Beach may be the island’s most developed tourist spot, but head to quieter Sunrise Beach, where a now settled community of “sea gypsies,” the Chao Lei, live and fish. Take in the view from Castaway Resort's "chill-out deck,"
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Dresden

January 16, 2015, 2:37 am
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Executive summary by darmansjah

Dresden shone brightest in the 1700s, when the kings of Saxony spent their wealth to turn their capital into “Florence on the Elbe.” But in February 1945, two days of British and American bombing destroyed much of Dresden’s center and killed tens of thousands of civilians.

Nearly 70 years later, the city has been resurrected as one of Germany’s top tourist destinations. The landmark Frauenkirche (“church of our lady”), a baroque masterpiece designed by George Bähr, was rebuilt from rubble in 2005 (above). Today it towers above a carefully reconstructed historic center that is home to half a dozen world-class museums—from the Albertinum and the Old Masters Picture Gallery, with its Vermeers and Titians, to the oddly named but unforgettable German Hygiene Museum.
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Istria, Croatia

January 17, 2015, 2:41 am
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On the Trail of Romance

Executive summary by darmansjah

Think Tuscany, but with a Habsburg past. The shady, rolling hills of Istria—Croatia’s northernmost peninsula—are becoming widely known for their truffles, Malvazija white wines, olive oil stancijas (estates), and crumbling hill towns. Cyclists can spin their spokes over some 2,000 miles of extensively maintained bike trails. Along the coast, sunny ocean views and impromptu opportunities for swimming and snorkeling abound.

The romantic town of Rovinj (above), a former Venetian vassal state, rises from the Adriatic like an estranged island of Venice. Pine-shaded Adriatic coves entice with a refreshing plunge. Evenings are capped off with Champagne cocktails at the Valentino Bar, a breezy boîte perched directly on the water and illuminated in vivid cerulean by underwater lights—not a bad spot to nurture your own inner Casanova.
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North Colombia

January 18, 2015, 2:44 am
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Lost No Longer

Executive summary by darmansjah

Tayrona National Park's gorgeous beaches are a highlight of northern Colombia, home also to the famed Ciudad Perdida. The cleared mountaintop terraces of the "lost city" shine like a green grassy beacon declaring the country’s rebirth as a travel destination at the crossroads of the Caribbean and South America.
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Sonoma, California

January 19, 2015, 2:51 am
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American as Apple Pie

Executive summary by darmansjah

“I’ve been to Napa and Sonoma,” you hear people say, as if they were one and the same. Sure, Sonoma’s 300-plus wineries, like those of vine-centric Napa, offer peak wine tasting, from Ravenswood’s deep Zinfandels to Gloria Ferrer’s sophisticated sparklers. But if you’ve visited only the county’s wineries, come back to sample the astounding diversity that makes Sonoma one of America’s travel treasures.

Spend some time floating in an inner tube down the Russian River and walking amid ancient giants—one over 1,400 years old—at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Poke around the old Russian stockade at Fort Ross, which turns 200 in 2012, or the Spanish adobe mission, San Francisco Solano, in Sonoma town. Hunt for antiques along Petaluma’s downtown Victorian row, and dine on seasonal sake-steamed, aged abalone at Michelin-starred Cyrus in Healdsburg. And don’t miss a flaky, fruit-packed slice of Gravenstein pie from Mom’s Apple Pie, a roadside stop outside Sebastopol. It ranks up there with a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir as a real taste of Sonoma.
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Virunga Volcanoes

January 20, 2015, 2:48 am
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Africa's Green and Fiery Heart

Executive summary by darmansjah

Perhaps nowhere on Earth is the dual creative and destructive nature of volcanoes more evident than in central Africa’s Virunga Volcanoes Massif. Straddling the borders between Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the eight-volcano chain is one of Earth’s most active volcanic regions and a veritable salad bowl for mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, and other wildlife. Landscapes in all three countries conjure visions of both Eden and hell.

In Congo, the swirling plume of the active Nyiragongo Volcano (above) beckons. Check on the security situation in the troubled country before going, but those who make the steep five-hour hike up Nyiragongo are rewarded with heady vistas of the world’s largest lava lake. Spend the night on the rim to fully experience the crater’s fiery light and sound spectacle.
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London

January 21, 2015, 2:55 am
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Faster, Higher, Stronger


Executive summary by darmansjah

In Olympic-ready London, a new landmark (City Hall) meets old (Tower Bridge) along the Thames. The last time London hosted the Olympics, in 1948, locals subsisted on rations, there was no budget for new sports venues, and many competitors slept in military huts in Richmond Park. Britain may be entering another age of austerity, but nearly $15 billion has been spent on sprucing up the capital for the 2012 Olympics.

Many sporting events have already sold out, but there will be hundreds of free cultural events to enjoy throughout the summer. The London 2012 Festival will turn the whole country into a living stage, from a multilingual bonanza of Shakespeare productions at Stratford-upon-Avon to a soccer-inspired art installation deep in a Scottish forest. David Hockney, Leona Lewis, and Philip Glass are among the heavyweights headlining in London.
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Guatemala

January 22, 2015, 2:59 am
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Modern Maya World

Executive summary by darmansjah

Every year countless travelers visit the ruins of once great Maya cities: Chichén Itzá (Mexico), Tikal (Guatemala), Caracol (Belize), and Copán (Honduras). The pyramids and stelae are well worth seeing, especially at jungle-shrouded Tikal (above), but here’s the thing: Maya civilization isn’t long gone. Its apogee may have passed, but millions of Maya people and their culture remain alive and well, most vibrantly in Guatemala’s Western Highlands.

The most alluring place in Maya Guatemala is Chichicastenango, a walkable town about three hours by road from Guatemala City where more than 95 percent of the people are indigenous. Each Thursday and Sunday, Maya vendors carry their goods on their backs at dawn to Chichi’s market, selling brilliantly hued textiles, fearsome wooden masks, golden and purple maize, necklaces, and produce arranged in Escher-like patterns. Smoke from grills perfumes the narrow aisles, and so many women briskly pat stone-ground tortillas into shape that it sounds like a standing ovation.
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Greece

January 23, 2015, 3:03 am
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Ancient Beauty

Executive summary by darmansjah

Patrick Leigh Fermor, the dashing philhellene who died last June, knew that to get under Greece’s skin you must stray from the instant gratifications of its seaside resorts. Traveling on foot across the gorges of Roumeli and mountains of Mani, Leigh Fermor discovered a land of fierce beauty where traditions run deep. Eventually, he settled in Kardamíli, a sleepy hamlet in the southern Peloponnese, which he hoped was “too inaccessible, with too little to do, for it ever to be seriously endangered by tourism.”

Happily, he was right. While some islands have been scarred by unregulated development—and as the country grapples with the worst financial crisis in its modern history—Greece’s rugged mainland retains its unadulterated allure. Foraging for mushrooms in Epirus, watching pink pelicans take flight over Prespa Lake, listening to ethereal chanting in Meteora’s monasteries (such as the Roussanou Monastery, above)—there remain pockets of Greece where time stands still. You just have to know where to look.
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Mongolia

January 24, 2015, 3:06 am
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Untamed Hovsgol

Executive summary by darmansjah

If you yearn for a connection to the wild, you will find it here. Hovsgol is the northernmost of Mongolia’s 21 provinces, shadowing Russia’s border and sharing the great Siberian taiga (subarctic coniferous forest). Lichens in bright greens and oranges color 10,000-foot passes, while sacred rivers, rumored to never freeze, feed lakes framed by snow-tipped mountains.

Hovsgol is just now opening its arms to travelers who come to catch and release taimen, giant salmonid “river wolves” that stalk Hovsgol’s waterways. Others come to ride Mongolian ponies in search of the Tsaatan, small bands of nomadic reindeer herders (above) who live in encampments and follow shamanistic beliefs.
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Frauenkirche

January 25, 2015, 3:11 am
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Executive summary by darmansjah

The landmark Frauenkirche“Church of Our Lady”, a baroque masterpiece designed by Dresden city architect George Bähr, was rebuilt from rubble in 2005. It towers over the historic city center of Dresden on Neumarkt Square.
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Zanzibar, Tanzania

January 26, 2015, 3:21 am
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Executive summary by darmansjah

Sultans, sailors, slaves, and spice traders have all passed through this mystical Indian Ocean archipelago on East Africa’s Swahili Coast. Located 22 miles from mainland Tanzania, semi-autonomous Zanzibar consists of two main islands—Unguja (Zanzibar) and Pemba—plus numerous smaller islands. The diverse human history (dating back at least 20,000 years to the Paleolithic Age) and natural beauty (turquoise water, coral reefs, and white sands) create an exotic backdrop for a fall beach or diving vacation based at a small-scale resort like Chumbe Island Coral Park, a private nature reserve featuring palm-thatched bungalows. Skies typically are clear through the end of October, with “short rains” returning in November. Supporting the islands’ geotourism efforts includes respecting the majority Muslim population’s modest dress code, particularly when wandering the beguiling maze of cobbled lanes in Zanzibar's ancient trading port, Stone Town. Join a living history tour to learn the stories of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Top stops include the haunting slave memorial erected on a former auction block, and Beit al-Ajaib, a 19th-century sultan’s palace that's now the House of Wonders Museum of History and Culture of Zanzibar and the Swahili Coast.

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White Mountains

January 27, 2015, 3:28 am
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White Mountains, New Hampshire

Executive summary by darmansjah

While peak fall foliage varies annually, the 100-mile White Mountain Trail typically delivers brilliant fall colors from the end of September through the second week of October. Yet, even after the leaves have faded and the leaf-peeping crowds have gone home, meandering this National Scenic Byway reveals classic New England fall scenes—historic covered bridges, granite mountain peaks, dramatic gorges, rushing cascades, and bucolic Colonial-era farmhouses and barns. Each section of the loop displays a unique personality. Drive the 37-mile Kancamagus Highway—“the Kanc”—for mountain vistas, moose sightings, and bird-watching; visit North Conway for tax-free outlet shopping, the trail’s largest concentration of restaurants, and Conway Scenic Railroad train trips; and travel the Crawford Notch-to-Bartlett stretch to ride the Mount Washington Cog Railway to the 6,288-foot summit of New England’s highest peak, or drive to the top via the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The iconic New Hampshire tourist attraction celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2011 and, weather permitting, is scheduled to remain open for passenger car travel until October 23 this season.
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Shoreline Highway

January 28, 2015, 3:29 am
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Shoreline Highway, Marin County, California

Executive summary by darmansjah

Shoreline Highway—Marin County’s winding, two-lane stretch of Highway 1 from Sausalito to the Sonoma County line—snakes through the Marin Headlands, hugs stunning coastal bluffs, and passes through Stinson Beach, a classic California beach community. Off-road mountain biking was born here—and on-road cyclists are ubiquitous—so take it slow, preferably in a hybrid vehicle to limit emissions and avoid running out of gas. Temps can be 10-to-15 degrees cooler than in nearby San Francisco, so bring a jacket, even on hot days. To enjoy the most expansive Pacific views, wait until the morning fog clears before making the drive north from the Golden Gate Bridge. Fuel up in Sausalito, and then stop at Muir Woods National Monument to walk among thousands of giant, old-growth redwoods. Before nightfall—since the scenic curves can be deadly in the dark—check-in at the Inn at Roundstone Farm, located within Point Reyes National Seashore. Spend a day exploring the seashore’s dramatic rocky headlands, 150 miles of hiking trails, and 2,600-acre tule elk reserve, where the fall rut (the late-summer to early-fall breeding season) inspires magnificent bull elks to bugle, battle, and butt antlers for affection.
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Chamonix, France

January 29, 2015, 9:14 am
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Best For: Adrenaline junkies who like their mountains big

Executive summary bydarmansjah


Globally renowned as the birthplace of extreme skiing (often defined as “you fall, you die”), Chamonixhas some of the world’s premier lift-accessed steep skiing and snowboarding—including plenty of terrain that won’t leave you dead on a glacier if you catch an edge wrong. Located in a deeply cleaved valley near the trisection of France, Italy, and Switzerland, the town sits in the shadow of the highest peak in the Alps, Mont Blanc, and a tangle of other glacier-clad mountains. Chamonix’s cobblestone streets and car-free pedestrian center make for a classic mountain village environment typically bustling with leathery mountaineers and gawking tourists. This is France, so the nightlife is predictably spirited, and diverse accommodations range from grimy climbers’ hostels to luxury lodgings.

But it’s the mountains that rule here. The many lifts and trams access terrain so steep and rugged that many skiers will be wishing for a ride down, as well. One ticket gains access to the 11 different ski zones scattered discontinuously across the valley. If the snow is good, vertical drops of over 9,000 feet are possible. With more glaciers—and their pesky offspring, crevasses—than any ski area in Europe, skiers and snowboarders who enjoy staying alive should hire a local guide before heading out of bounds.

Ask a Local 

Former France Ski Team member and current freeride world champion Aurélien Ducroz has lived his entire life in Chamonix. Here are his recommendations.

Best Digs 

Budget: The recently renovated Hotel du Louvre is in the center of town.
Swank: Le Hameau Albert 1er in downtown Chamonix is the only five-star hotel.

Best Eats 

Cheap: Maison Moustache et Filles, a new restaurant downtown, is run by Charles “the Moustache” and his two daughters, Maxime and Camille. It’s decorated with an extraordinary collection of old skis.
Gourmet: Le Cap Blanc, one of Le Cap Horn’s three venues, serves delicious sushi.

Best After-Ski Party Spot

Chambre Neuf, a Scandinavian-influenced bar, has live music and is host to the best after-ski vibe the town has had in years.

Best Rest-Day Activity 

Chamonix is a real city, so even if you’re not a skier there are many other things to do, such as visit the Alpine Museum.

Chamonix’s Classic Ski Run

La Vallée Blanche starts from the top of the Aiguille du Midi and goes for 16 kilometers on top of a glacier in the middle of incredible mountains!

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Chilkoot Trail

January 30, 2015, 9:35 am
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Chilkoot Trail, Alaska and Yukon Territory, U.S. and Canada

Skagway to Bennett Lake

Executive summary by darmansjah

Round-Trip: 33 miles, 3 to 5 days

When to Go: The Coast Range opens up a bit earlier than the Rockies, so you can push the season a bit. Late June to early October works most years, but August has the best weather—and sees the heaviest traffic.

The very names on this epic route—the Golden Stairs, the Scales, the Stone Crib—are redolent with the suffering of 1898 gold miners, and there’s no mistaking the history here. Both sides of the trail are littered with rusting remains of equipment the miners jettisoned out of exhaustion. More than a century later, the backcountry journey those miners blazed, driven by greed, has become one of the iconic wilderness routes in North America. It’s a natural. The route rises quickly from tidewater to crest Chilkoot Pass at 3,300 feet. But instead of dropping back down, it meanders more than 20 miles through an alpine wonderland, while losing only a thousand feet before returning to its terminus at Bennett Lake.

Insider Tip: Spanning two national parks, two countries, a state, a province and a territory, Chilkoot Trail makes staging a challenge. Solve that by starting and ending in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and use the robust infrastructure for trailhead transport. Take the White Pass and Yukon Railway over the mountains to Skagway, a stupendous ride, and have Alpine Aviation pick you up in a floatplane at Bennett Lake for the outrageous 45-minute flight back to Whitehorse, in plenty of time for a beer on the deck before dinner.
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Dresden

January 31, 2015, 3:20 am
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Executive summary by darmansjah

Bikers rest on the banks of the Elbe across from the cathedral and the royal palace.
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Coral Raja Ampat

February 1, 2015, 9:42 am
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An emerging island Eden in Indonesia

Executive summary by darmansjah

Raja Ampat has been dubbed the Amazon of the Oceans. Is that hyperbole? Not really. There are single reefs here containing more species than the entire Caribbean. A mini-archipelago of rain-forest-clad islands, cays, mangroves, and pearlescent beaches off the coast of West Papua, Indonesia, this marine frontier brims with life. Expect close encounters with recent discoveries such as Raja Ampat’s walking shark and pygmy seahorse, along with more familiar creatures—manta rays, leatherback turtles, and bumphead parrotfish. Not to mention three-quarters of all known coral species.

The scenery proves just as spectacular above the surface. On Wayag, steep limestone karsts drenched in jungle bisect a cobalt lagoon. Tree canopies filled with rare birds offer lofty theater. It’s well worth rising at 3 a.m. to witness the amorous, flamenco-like mating dance of the endemic red bird of paradise.
Remote doesn’t mean rough here. Cruise the region aboard an upscale conversion of a traditional phinisi schooner or stay at a hideaway such as Misool Eco Resort, with its swanky overwater bungalows. Diving is the draw, but kayaking and trekking are picking up. This is nature at its most vivid, above and below the water. —Johnny Langenheim

Travel Tips

When to Go: Late September through early June. Be aware that mid-June through mid-September is monsoon season, with rains typically contained to the afternoon.

Where to Stay: Exclusive Misool Eco Resort is a secluded tropical hideaway on the remote, private island of Batbitim. Book your personal water cottage-on-stilts (veranda stairs lead directly into the translucent lagoon) to snorkel and dive in one of the world’s most biologically diverse marine environments.

How to Get Around: Travel by boat from Sarong to Wasai. Longboats, speedboats, motorboats, and dive boats connect Wasai to other islands. Outside the resorts, on island travel is primarily by foot or ojek(motorcycle taxi).

Where to Eat or Drink: If you’re not staying in an all-inclusive resort or on a dive boat, Raja Ampat dining options are limited to the small stores, outdoor markets, and warungs (family-run cafés/stores) in Wasai, Raja Ampat’s capital. Another option is to stock up in Sarong before traveling to Wasai.

What to Buy: In the established tourism villages Arborek and Sauwandarek local women make and sell wood and orchid bark nokens(string bags), pandan leaf hats and bags, and wood or banana fiber skirts.

What to Read Before You Go: Raja Ampat Through the Lens Of, by the Raja Ampat Research & Conservation Centre (2009).This coffee table hardcover is a 288-photo journey above and through the Realm of the Four Kings. Proceeds support local conservation efforts.

Fun Fact: On Raja Ampat’s Um Island, bats circle the blue skies by day and seagulls take flight at night. The compact island (one lap around takes about 15 minutes) is dotted with caves, home to the diurnal bats that feast on ripe fruit.

Helpful Links: Indonesian Tourism
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