Ahh.
After the holidays ‒ with all their logistical complications and seasonal angst ‒ it’s particularly sweet to arrive at the one destination we each know better than any other ‒ home.
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Jan
5
Nov
11
The infinity pool at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve resort at Phulay Bay overlooks the Andaman Sea
In their usually high-minded way, Ritz-Carlton aims for lavish and alluring, secluded and sensory, in its new type of resort called Ritz-Carlton Reserve. The first of them will open shortly in Thailand, at Phulay Bay, about two hours from Phuket.
But for those with a more plebeian orientation, itʼs hard not to recall Fantasy Island. I mean that in a good way.
In Thailand, just 54 rooms will be supported by close to 300 staff; each guest will have a personal concierge; and nearly anything you wish can be accommodated at any hour you choose.
Nov
4
When should government employees be able to see naked images of your family?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from television shows such as
Law & Order and CSI, it’s that once something exists on a hard drive, it can never really be erased.
This is the first thought I have whenever the topic of full-body X-ray scan comes up. It’s the new-new thing in airport security, designed to thwart the latest danger to air travelers, which is, among other threats, your 16-year-old daughter.
To protect the traveling public, airport security is going to take pictures of her, naked, to make sure she has no weapons.
Oct
27
Maiko Girl, by Kuroda Seiki, Maiji Period, 1893, courtesy of the Tokyo National Museum
North American travelers started cutting back on travel to Japan more than a decade ago when the yen seemed expensive against the dollar, measured by travelers using what I call the Coca-Cola index (as in, “A Coke costs $10 at the Narita Airport!” ‒ that spoken by a fellow traveler in 1995 at the yen’s peak).
Since then, many world currencies have gained against the dollar, while the dollar has recently done well against the yen. Foreign currency exchange is an odd soup and doesn’t hold still, of course; yet its weird math puts Japan back on the travel list again. My seat companion of 15 years ago would say, “Coca-Cola is expensive here, but it’s not as bad as in (fill in the blank) …”
So, Japan is back on the traveler’s agenda. As it should be. For many westerners, a visit to Japan means the unraveling of cultural mystery, and of such things great trips are made. Lest you fear Japan’s past might not capture your interest, remember James Clavell’s novel Shogun, which stayed on the best-seller list almost infinitely and became the second-highest-watched television epic of all time. In fact, a re-read of Shogun is an enormously satisfying preview to any first trip to Japan.
Oct
13
Grapes line the Yarra Valley outside of Melbourne, Australia
Australia may be climbing out from under the Global Economic Crisis rock sooner than its English-speaking cousins. The Aussie dollar is now worth about 90 US cents, up considerably from just a few years ago.
Still, that’s an excellent value for American travelers compared, for example, to the euro or the pound.
If you’re headed to Australia to enjoy the remaining extra stretch your US or Canadian dollar may still hold, you’ll want to ensure Melbourne is on your sightseeing agenda. For the past two years the city has outpaced Sydney in tourism ‒ or so says the Victoria state tourism board.
Something about Melbourne makes one want to set down roots. To get that “planted here for awhile” sensation while visiting, the Lyall Hotel in South Yarra is definitely worth consideration. Small, high-end, and well-run, it’s a masterful blend of hotel and home, right down to the full kitchen and washer/dryer in most suites. Our review from last year still stands. Read it now.
