Exceptional Travel Experiences

exceptional travel experiences 2013 The Marriott Rewards速 Premier Credit Card From Chase

2013 exceptional travel experiences 1

2013 exceptional travel experiences 2

ABSORB THE CULTURE 2013

Contents Exceptional Travel Experiences This is the reason you travel. It’s for those transformative moments, when you shiver, wideeyed and speechless, because you’ve just experienced something that made you feel like a child again. It’s often a Proustian pleasure, like the texture of the perfect Shanghai dumpling, or the taste of homemade mead bought from a Russian babushka in a headscarf.

Or maybe it’s learning Flamenco, and the moment you realize that you had to actually be in Spain to truly understand the dance down to your bones. On the next few pages, we’ve gathered some of our favorite exceptional travel experiences from AFAR.com followers all over the world. Now it’s your turn.

EAT 13 DRINK 19 DO 25 SHOP 05

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2013 exceptional travel experiences 3

of Columbia. Restrictions and limitations apply. See www.MarriottPremier.com for pricing and rewards details. Marriott Rewards points needed for a standard reward free night stay range from 7,500 points for Category 1 hotels to 45,000 points for Category 9 hotels. Refer to MarriottRewards.com for all reward redemption values. © 2013 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved.

2013 exceptional travel experiences 4

EAT In 2007, when residents reported noxious

photographer based in Bangkok, recalls

WHERE TO BUY AND TASTE NAM PRIK

fumes in London’s Soho neighbor-

that when she was growing up, preparing

PAO IN BANGKOK

hood, police and firefighters feared the

nam prik pao was a special event for

possibility of a terrorist chemical attack.

her large family, who came together to

Nam Prik Nittaya

They smashed down the door of a small

make big batches once or twice a year.

This well-known curry paste shop in the

commercial storefront to discover the

For one day, the driveway of her house

Banglamphu district sells nam prik pao

culprit: a pot of burning chilies. The

was converted into a makeshift kitchen.

that is just the right mixture of spicy, salty,

chef of the Thai Cottage restaurant was

Family members roasted chilies and stir-

and sweet. The store also stocks a wide

making nam prik pao, the chili paste

fried garlic and shallots over a charcoal

selection of pastes, prepared curries, and

that just might be the secret weapon of

fire, and chopped and pounded all the

other ready-made goods.

Thai cuisine. A single bite of the jam-like

ingredients by hand. They carefully

136-40 Thanon Chakhraphong,

concoction contains all the elements that

followed the instructions of Punlopruska’s

66/(0) 2-282-8212

make Thai food so addictive: it is at once

grandmother. “Nobody else can make it

spicy, salty, slightly sweet, smoky, and just

like she did, because the taste was in her

Aw Taw Kaw Market

a little bit sour.

tongue,” Punlopruska says. “She wanted

Across the street from Bangkok’s famous

In Thailand, most nam prik pao devotees

to make everything from scratch, and it

Chatuchak Weekend Market, Aw Taw Kaw

have strong opinions about the right way

was a ritual that she controlled.

sells beautiful fruits and seafood as well

to make it and the best way to eat it. The

She put a lot of love into it, and she was

as a diverse variety of nam prik pao. The

purists stick to the basics—roasted dried

very serious.”

closest subway stop is Kamphaeng Phet.

chilies, roasted garlic and shallots, fish

Like most Thai cuisine, nam prik pao

Phaholyothin Rd.

sauce, dried shrimp, and palm sugar. The

is bold but delicately nuanced. Cooks

improvisers come up with hundreds of

typically make their chili jam by taste,

Khao Tom Jay Suay

riffs, depending on the region and the

so written recipes are hard to come by.

A classic Chinatown restaurant with a vast

season, like variations made with spicy

Punlopruska compares the process of

display of vegetables out front, Khao Tom

ginger, mackerel, or green mango. Some

making nam prik pao to creating a theater

Jay Suay serves such traditional dishes as

people consume nam prik pao primarily as

piece. “There’s nothing really complicated

smoked duck, jap chai (a vegetable stew),

a dip for vegetables and crackers; others

in the actual cooking of Thai food,” she

and clams stir-fried in nam prik pao.

incorporate it into stir-fry dishes, salad

explains. “It’s all in the prep work—what

547 Thanon Phlubplachai,

dressings, and soups.

happens before the ingredients come

66/(0) 2-223-9592

Thai people from all walks of life hold their

onstage. It’s like a long rehearsal, and

nam prik pao memories dear. Nutchanand

you have to be ready to bring so many

Osathanond, a Bangkok food columnist,

different elements together.”

cookbook author, and cooking teacher,

In these fast-paced times, when premade

remembers the paste from her childhood.

versions are readily available in small

“In the olden days, you made nam prik

shops and large supermarkets, homemade

pao to give to your friends to take as a

nam prik pao can be a rare treat. “If I can’t

snack on trips to the country,” she says.

get the best, I don’t eat it,” Punlopruska

“My favorite way to eat it is still as a dip

says. “Savory and sweet together, that’s

with shrimp crackers.”

how it should be. It’s the blend of flavors

Korakot Punlopruska, a food writer and

that makes the magic.” —Marie Doezema

AFAR January/ February 2013, p.48,49

ART CREDIT: Jason Michael Lamg

thailand’s sweet heat

2013 exceptional travel experiences 6

EAT HIGHLIGHTS

6 Best Tapas Bars, Barcelona

By MAYSSAM SAMAHA

Chinese Prosperity Salad

By ARWEN JOYCE

This summer, I spent a few days in Barcelona. Of course, any trip of mine is always

Throwing and eating yu sheng (or lo hei in Cantonese) is a Chinese New Year tradition

highlighted by the many restaurants I visit. In Barcelona, I ate at these six outstanding

unique to Singapore and Malaysia. This celebratory salad is piled up with shredded

tapas bars, each offering a different vibe and a different attitude.

veggies, raw salmon, and condiments like lime juice and crushed peanuts, all topped with

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a sweet dressing. Each layer and ingredient symbolizes prosperity in some way for the New Year.

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2013 exceptional travel experiences 8

EAT HIGHLIGHTS Ethiopian Cooking School

By KRISTIN ZIBELL Any visitor to Ethiopia, or any Ethiopian restaurant, is familiar with the ubiquitous injera. Made from the indigenous tej wheat, this crepe is the plate, fork, and bread at most Ethiopian meals.

At the Lalibela Cookery School in the ancient capital of Lalibela, Ethiopia, you will learn, on a wood-fired stove, how to make injera and some of the complementary lentil and chickpea curries and sautéed vegetables served with it.

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Bangkok’s Food Scene

By Matt Long There is nothing quite like the worldfamous Thai food experience in Bangkok itself. While an emerging middle class

Butter Museum in Cork, Ireland

By FLASH PARKER

has led to an influx of new, experimental

Admit it. Come on. You saw butter museum in the title and you giggled. Then you made

often marked with an umbrella to keep

a promise to yourself to visit this place the next time you’re in Ireland.

out the afternoon sun, offering simple but

It’s all in good fun, and the museum is housed in a beautiful building in Old Cork, so it’s

delicious meals on the go.

worth checking out on those merits alone. And you know you want to tell your friends

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restaurants, my favorite foods aren’t found on menus, but on the streets of the city itself. Walk a few blocks in any direction and you will begin to notice small stands,

you visited the Butter Museum in Ireland. You know you do.

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2013 exceptional travel experiences 10

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DRINK

Along Russia’s Kamenka River, the

painted with ornate flowers and vines,

performances. On weekends, a cappella

medieval township of Suzdal draws

and waitresses in embroidered aprons

choral music echoes throughout the

weekenders from Moscow, about 130

serve stacked trays of mead in small clay

building.

miles southwest, to its opulent, onion-

cups. Join customers on wooden benches

As you walk around the town, look for

domed Orthodox churches and well-

toasting with a hearty “Budem zdorovy!”

Russian babushkas (grandmothers) in

preserved monasteries. But Muscovites

(Let’s be healthy!).

head scarves selling homemade mead

also visit to experience Suzdal’s other

Then, stroll (or wobble) through

from folding tables. They smile, point, and

treasure: mead.

neighborhoods of delicately latticed

market the merits of the cloudy brews

Russian mead, or medovukha, is a blend

wooden homes and dozens of churches

contained in an assortment of stubby

of fermented honey and yeast and has

and monasteries scattered across Suzdal,

brown bottles. You can purchase one for

the approximate alcohol content of

some reconsecrated as active centers

less than $5.

wine. Additional ingredients make the

of worship and refurbished to their

At the end of the day, relax on a park

mead sour (lime), sweet (extra honey),

original glory. Walk a half-mile north

bench on the bluff behind the square, sip

spicy (pepper), or bitter (pine-tree

from Torgovaya Square to the Savior

your Suzdal-made mead, and gaze over

buds). Sample Suzdal’s best at the Zal

Monastery of Saint Euthymius to see the

the Kamenka River toward golden domes

Degustatsii Medovukhi (Mead Tasting

16th-century seven-domed Cathedral

sparkling in the fading light. —Bill Fink

Hall), wedged behind the shops off the

of the Transfiguration of the Savior.

central Torgovaya (Trading) Square.

There, brilliantly colored frescos provide

Inside, the walls and arched ceilings are

the setting for virtuoso bell-ringing 2013 exceptional travel experiences 14

AFAR May/June 2010, Bill Fink. p.18

ART CREDIT: Opposite page: Flikr; Lindsey Gira. This page clockwise: starting top left: Flikr; Serg-smirnoff, Lindsey Gee, Serg-smirnoff, Jim Kelly, Darriuss Royce.

Medieval Russia, with Extra Mead

DRINK HIGHLIGHTS Drink of the Pirates in Cuba

By SUE MANUEL With the U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba recently relaxed, I was able to realize a lifelong dream and visit that enchanting tropical isle under an official educational license for “people to people” travel. In between the fascinating meetings with locals and the exhilarating live music and the walking tours of colorful colonial neighborhoods, I was also on a mission to decide who made the best mojito in Cuba.

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Coffee with a Heart in Japan

By ARWEN JOYCE A super-talented barista in Cafe Ponte near Hiroshima Peace Park inscribed a message of peace and love on my morning latte. For the last 67 years the city of Hiroshima has devoted itself to the causes of peace and nuclear non-proliferation.

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Pourhouse in Vancouver

By SAVANNAH OLSEN (AFAR) They serve comfort dishes here, but the simplicity is deceptive. The burger, for instance, is made from bacon, brisket, and chuck. Cocktails are an experience: Order absinthe and they will bring out the proper bohemian barware so you can party like it’s 1889.

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2013 exceptional travel experiences 15

DRINK HIGHLIGHTS

NYC’s Best: Employees Only

By MAGGIE BACH

Hawking Horchata

By KAROLYNE ELLACOTT

This West Village “speakeasy” was a great choice for celebrating a 30th birthday. Hidden

Found in stalls plotted roadside and lining market streets, horchata is a staple of Salvadoran cuisine.

behind a neon psychic sign and very intimidating bouncer, they have an impressive

Elsewhere in Central America, the sweet beverage is often built from a ground rice or sesame seed base,

creative cocktail list. I recommend the West Side and the Ginger Smash. Although the

however the Salvadoran version is usually crafted from morro seeds. Certainly my top beverage, the only

menu is limited, the Bone Marrow Poppers and Oriecchiette pasta were excellent.

complaint I have is that it disappears far too quickly...

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2013 exceptional travel experiences 18

Do

“Elbows out, twist your hands, hold

stomp, and pause. “To help us catch

On several evenings the group joined

your posture, feel the rhythm . . . feel

the rhythm, the teacher, Lourdes Recio,

crowds of tourists and Sevillanos at

the rhythm,” Christine Lian told herself.

would play the same song over and over,

professional flamenco shows. “I felt

She was in a flamenco lesson in Spain,

and beat time on the drum. She’d often

very inspired that this was the capital of

trying to master the steps of this fluid,

show us the move herself—she made it

flamenco, and the locals loved it as much

dramatic dance. “My biggest challenge

look easy,” Christine recalls. Then it was

as I did,” she says. Afterward, Christine and

was grasping the beat,” she says. Christine

time for private Spanish lessons with

her friends would sit down to a late dinner

had taken classes for more than a year

tutor Carmela Gordillo. “We’d sit for two

of tapas: calamari, caracoles (snails), oxtail,

in Tampa, Fla., but she wanted a deeper

hours and talk about our lives and the

and other local specialties. Then the trio

understanding. So she traveled with two

status of the world. ¿Cómo se dice ‘global

would return to the modest but well-kept

friends to study at Taller Flamenco in

warming’?”

flat of a Spanish family.

Sevilla, the capital of southern Spain’s

Later, Christine and her friends explored

With each day the dancing got easier.

Andalusia region, where the Roma people

the cobblestone streets and Moorish

“I had to feel the beat of the song with

(Gypsies) are said to have created the art

architecture of Sevilla. They shopped for

my heart,” says Christine. “At first I had

form hundreds of years ago.

flamenco skirts, sturdy leather dancing

to close my eyes, but finally I felt it.” On

Every morning for five days, Christine

shoes, and the fabric flowers dancers

Friday, everything came together. “You’ve

spent two hours in a technique class at

pin in their hair. “One day we walked

got the balance, the coordination, the

the school. Along with six classmates, she

into a department store where there

hands, and the rhythm, and you’ve been

would warm up, then work on posture,

were thousands of dresses for sale,” says

sweating over it,” she says. “But all of a

head movements, and when to snap,

Christine. “We were in flamenco heaven.”

sudden your body is in sync.” —Kelly Lack

2013 exceptional travel experiences 20

AFAR September/October 2011, Kelly Lack. p. 65

ART CREDIT: Opposite page: Flikr; Flavio~. This page clockwise starting top left: AFAR.com; David Wilson, Emily Adams, Vanessa Petersen, Greg Oates, Albert Millan.

Spanish Steps

DO HIGHLIGHTS

Seaside in Sestri Levante

By CHELSEA CHRISTENSEN

Tokyo Urban Oasis

By KOKLEONG THAM

Along the northern coastline of Italy there is a place where the mountains touch the sea.

A most gorgeous development is the T-Site—one can just hang out amid the hip crowd,

A place where the palm trees, pine trees, and cacti grow together in the mild climate.

sip coffee, or take in lunch. The flagship Tsutaya bookstore is here and it’s amazing. The

A place where the aroma of the food is so robust that the Italians call it, “the fragrant

whole development is a really sumptuous urban oasis that feels like Tokyo but does not

kitchen of Italy.” That place is Liguria, famous for incredible seafood, pesto, focaccia,

look like the built-up city that you may see most of the time.

monstrous yachts, celebrity sightings, dry white wines, and romantic sunsets.

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2013 exceptional travel experiences 21

2013 exceptional travel experiences 22

DO HIGHLIGHTS Panama’s Comarca Kuna Yala Fishermen

By LARA DALINSKY The Comarca Kuna Yala, also known as the San Blas Archipelago, is a remote group of nearly 400 islands strung along the Caribbean coast of northeastern Panama.

The Kuna Yala are a semi-autonomous Indian group who inhabit the area, and most of their communities are only accessible by boat or plane. During our visit, it was not uncommon to see men paddling or sailing around the islands, searching for the best catch of the day.

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Getting Dizzy in Turkey

By SHERRY OTT The Whirling Dervish Lodge in Bursa puts on a nightly spiritual performance that gets you back to the basics of why the whirling

Tulum Ruins and Beaches

By REY MADOLORA The Mayan Ruins of Tulum are already spectacular, but then you peak over the cliffs at

dervishes exist. This is no “show” for tourists; this is a spiritual event and service.

You can see the utter devotion on these men and boys’ faces—a true experience in Turkey!

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one of the most beautiful beaches you’ve ever seen! I guess there is no wonder as to why the Mayans chose this spot for their city. Be sure to pack your swimsuit and some towels (maybe some snacks) for your visit to the Tulum Ruins, because the beach below the ruins is not to be missed.

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2013 exceptional travel experiences 24

ecuador, In Fino Veritas Blame it on a U.S. president that a straw

a black band and wide brim. Today, their

in Montecristi. In general, the tighter the

hat made on the coast of Ecuador is

quality ranges from cheap knockoffs

weave, the higher the quality. The weave

known, erroneously, as a Panama hat. A

made in China to high-priced Montecristi

of finos is so tight—up to 50 strands per

photo from the turn of the 20th century

finos, the hand-woven, hand-blocked

square inch—that the hats take on the

showing Teddy Roosevelt (wearing said

version from Montecristi.

texture of fine linen.

hat) near the Panama Canal construction

“These high-end hats are works of art,

If a $5,000 price tag puts a Montecristi

site helped to create the misnomer.

not articles of clothing,” says Tom Miller,

fino out of your reach, Panama hats made

The headwear actually originated in the

author of The Panama Hat Trail. “What’s

with only 20 strands per square inch can

coastal town of Montecristi, Ecuador,

special about them is the craftsmanship,

cost $500 and are still considered quite

where some of the finest hats are still

the raw material that they start out with,

good, just not quite so fino as fino.

produced today.

and the care that goes into weaving and

—Aaron Britt

Made of tightly woven straw-like toquilla

finishing the hats—it’s a whole process.”

palm fibers, Panama hats, called

For travelers interested in purchasing

sombreros de paja toquilla in Ecuador,

a hat in Ecuador, Miller recommends

are light in weight and characterized by

visiting one of the several high-end stores

2013 exceptional travel experiences 26

AFAR December/January 2010, Aaron Britt. p.50

ART CREDIT: Opposite page: AFAR.com; Matthew Smith. This page clockwise starting top left: Flickr: DanNevill, Flickr: prilfish, AFAR.com: Matthew Smith, Flikr: Tea, two sugars, Flikr: Tea, two sugars.

SHOP

SHOP HIGHLIGHTS Watch your silverware! In Johannesburg

By NINA DIETZEL Meet the other Prince—a jewelry designer who has his workshop at the Unity Gallery, inside the Bus Factory. Prince makes rings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants out of... silverware. We had a good laugh when I told him I wouldn’t let him anywhere near my kitchen! If you want to connect with locals, the Bus Factory is a great place.

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Underground Market

By SUNDARI SWAMI I was visiting the town of Santiago de Atitlán in Guatemala and went to the town market as part of this visit. It is a large and bustling market, as most markets tend to be, with portions that are both covered

and has a highly interesting atmosphere.

Nice People at Tegalalang Market

By JAYMS RAMIREZ

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A couple of hours from Kuta Beach (the main beach in Bali) there are a bunch of

and uncovered and above and below ground. The market sells all sorts of goods

beautiful villages and rice paddies with picturesque sunbeams shooting through the clouds and intermittent rain cooling you down in the sultry humid air. I came along the village of Tegalalang, a small village known for its woodwork and bamboo art...

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2013 exceptional travel experiences 27

SHOP HIGHLIGHTS

Arts & Crafts in Lima

By JULEE K.

Plaid Pigeon, Austin, Texas

By LARA DALINSKY

When I decided to go to Peru, I knew there would be plenty of handicrafts to capture my

We pulled up in our car to the normal-looking residential home and were surprised to

attention. Vendors, all dressed in native costume, had spread out their goods and wares

be greeted by a backyard full of playful plant art and a large greenhouse as we turned

all over the plaza area. On the periphery were vendors selling from stalls. Each of the

the corner. The small company, run by a friendly couple, Ian and Megan, creates unique

stalls had a sign indicating where the vendor was from, so it was good place to begin to

terrariums, succulent arrangements, and planters.

learn about the crafts specialties of the various regions of Peru.

The East Austin Studio Tour is held in November when local artist’s open their studios

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and workshops to the public.

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2013 exceptional travel experiences 29

2013 exceptional travel experiences 30

exceptional travel experiences 2013 The Marriott Rewards速 Premier Credit Card From Chase

2013 exceptional travel experiences 31

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