Travel Magazine by Refresh

TRAVEL MAGAZINE

ISSUE 01, SUMMER 2020, PRICE $19

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TRAVEL 18 IN SEASON

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MAGAZINE 52 ANCIENT AFRICA In ipsum nisl, viverra vel lacinia

4 NEWS

83 HONG KONG

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FASHION 35 CENTRO DE PORTUGAL Vivamus sed arcu, nec vehicula lacus

MINIMAL 61 WINTER WONDERS In ipsum nisl, viverra vel lacinia

CITY 92 TREASURE ISLANDS In ipsum nisl, viverra vel lacinia

MODERN 48 INSPIRATION

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COOL 74 DUNE BUDDIES

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TEMPLATE 99 AMSTERDAM

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Summer 2020

HELLO TRAVELLERS It’s ironic and maybe even a little sad to think that during summer, when much of the rest of the world is indulging in fun in the sun, professionals in the pool and spa industry are working at breakneck speed and have little or no time to enjoy the experiences they work so hard to create for others. The fact is, pool and spa construction and service, as well as lifeguarding, swim instruction and pool facility require working the hardest when the days are hottest and longest. It’s the time of year when sunburns, dehydration and sheer exhaustion become bona fide occupational hazards. For years now, industry voices — including mine — have urged basic skin cancer prevention measures, i.e. wearing sunscreen, hats and having regular skin cancer screenings. Those admonishments are often couched with scary information about how one in five Americans are treated for skin cancer in their lives and how dramatically working outdoors increases the risks. Prolonged dehydration can contribute to a wide array of medical complications, including fatigue, joint pain, weight gain, headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure and kidney disease. In addition, many of the beverages we drink can have negative effects on our health, including caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, which can often exacerbate the problem. Exactly how much water we’re supposed to drink daily is the subject of some debate among medical and health professionals. Some claim the familiar eight, 8-ounce glasses may be marginally excessive. According to the Mayo Clinic, on average adult men should drink daily 13 cups (three liters), while women should drink nine cups, or 2.7 liters. On the purely decorative side, fire features have taken on a variety of shapes and sizes in order to accommodate different types of styles and settings. Fire bowls, fire and water combos, lanterns, torches and gas-burning fireplaces have all become familiar. Among the more recent features to gain popularity, linear fire elements in particular have caught on in a big way, particularly in geometric or contemporary designs. “Linear features are great and they’ve definitely gained in popularity, but most people still consider them a contemporary look so they’re probably not going to fit into all designs.

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DISCOVER GREECE YOUR GREEK TRAVELLING GUIDE

Welcome to the third most mountainous country in Europe after Norway and Albania. Even though the country is famous for its islands and seas, some 80 percent of its landmass is mountainous. At one end of the backbone of Greece are the peaks of Varnountas and Grammos and on the other the Pindos range, majestic Olympus, home of the gods, just north of verdant Pelion. And then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s south, down to Taygetos in the Peloponnese and on to Asterousia in southern Crete.

WORDS: BRENDA PARR PHOTO: LEONE DANIELI

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MORE TO DISCOVER Every destination has a wealth of discoveries. Let us suggest some top highlights and secrets from around Greece.

edestrian streets buzzing with life. Luxury hotels, exceptional restaurants serving all kinds of cuisines, outdoor cafes, shopping centres for hours of nonstop shopping, as well as, picturesque old markets, galleries with modern art exhibits, art shops and antique shops. For you to fully enjoy all that’s happening in Athens, discover its routes: Welcome to the third most mountainous country in Europe after Norway and Albania. Even though the country is famous for its islands and seas, some 80 percent of its landmass is mountainous. At one end of the backbone of Greece are the peaks of Varnuntas .

Filopappou Hill

National Garden

Prices from $890

Prices from $990

Extending from the Presidential Mansion to the Maximos Mansion, from the Stadium to the Columns of Olympian Zeus, the gardens of Zappeion are a popular space for rest and recreation in the centre of the capital. The impressive Zappeion mansion – a semicircular neoclassical building with a Corinthian portico – was completed in 1878 by the Danish architect Theofilos Hansen. It’s worth walking through the manicured gardens where you can also stop for a coffee or a bite at renowned

A green oasis in the centre of the city, the National Garden embraces the Greek Parliament building and continues south to Zappeion. It was once the Royal Garden, commissioned by Queen Amalia, who imported hundreds of plant species. The garden’s boundaries were drawn in 1839, reaching a total of 155 acres. A green oasis in the centre of the city, the National Garden embraces the Greek Parliament building and continues south to Zappeion. It was once the Royal Garden, commissioned by Queen Amalia,

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Summer 2020

Αthens urban resort Prices from $690 At a short distance from the city, the urban landscape gives way to a unique seaside resort, the Athens Riviera. This gorgeous stretch of coastline with its green-blue water, organised beaches and rocky coves, with five-star resorts, spas, esplanades, marinas, windsurfing and sailing. Fishermen bring their fresh-catch to traditional tavernas and gourmet restaurants. The beat goes on at numerous beach bars and exclusive nightclubs where you will dance until dawn, feet in the sand. Here the sun shines bright, the laughter is loud and the sunsets are magical all year round. At the southernmost tip of this coastline is the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, one of the most important temples of ancient Greece. Sea, light and an infinite sky unite in this landscape, creating a timeless, idyllic holiday setting.

Athens’ legendary luxurious resorts invite you to live a dream. Bungalows with private pools and beaches, jacuzzis, gyms and spas. Mini golf, sailing, bicycle rides, scuba diving, tennis matches. From your balcony you will watch the sunset, cocktail in hand, followed by gourmet Med cuisine by candlelight, paired with views of Sounion, Lagonissi, Kavouri, and Vouliagmenis beach. Are you coming?

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Dionysios Areopagitis Prices from $1290 Next you’ll come across the Herodion, the ancient theatre that still hosts live performances and has been active in the international art scene for more than half a century. Take a detour to visit the Pnyx archaeological site and continue on to Apostolos Pavlos where the entire neighbourhood of Thiseion unfolds before you, with dozens of coffee shops, ouzeries and restaurants populating its wide sidewalk. Discover the Hill of the Nymphs, with the Temple of Pan, then head to the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and take in the panoramic view of Piraeus and the Aegean. Next you’ll come across the Herodion, the ancient theatre that still hosts live performances and has been active in the international art scene for more than half a century. Take a detour to visit the Pnyx archaeological site and continue

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BAHAMAS VACATIONS Every destination has a wealth of discoveries. Let us suggest some top highlights and secrets from around Greece. WORDS: SUSAN MOSS PHOTO: LEONE DANIELI

Spend the day snorkeling and kayaking or lazing on a hammock on the private beach at Sandy Toes. If you feel like some adventure, take a tube ride in a water-ski tubes, or socialize with other guests during a game of volleyball or dizzy lizard. Rent a water float and bask in the sun or hang out at the Sandy Toes Beach Bar for music and a famous Sandy Toes drink. Whatever you fancy, your experience on the beach is sure to be a memorable one. Your full-day excursion includes a scenic boat ride to and from the Sandy Toes private island. Once on the island, an array of activities are available, including guided snorkeling and fish feedings. Dine on a buffet lunch, served on a southern pavilion overlooking the picturesque Lower Harbor, or shop in the Sandy Toes Gift Shop with oneof-a-kind souvenirs available for purchase. Spend the day snorkeling and kayaking or lazing on a hammock on the private beach at Sandy Toes. If you feel like some adventure, take a tube ride in a water-ski tubes, or socialize with other guests during a game of volleyball or dizzy lizard.

Rent a water float and bask in the sun or hang out at the Sandy Toes Beach Bar for music and a famous Sandy Toes drink. Rent a water float and bask in the sun or hang out at the Sandy Toes Beach Bar for music and a famous Sandy Toes drink. Whatever you fancy, your experience on the beach is sure to be a memorable one.

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Summer 2020

overlooking the picturesque Lower Harbor, or shop in the Sandy Toes Gift Shop with oneof-a-kind souvenirs available for purchase. Spend the day snorkeling and kayaking or lazing on a hammock on the private beach at Sandy Toes. If you feel like some adventure, take a tube ride in a water-ski tubes, or socialize with other guests during a game of volleyball or dizzy lizard. Rent a water float and bask in the sun or hang out at the Sandy Toes Beach Bar for music and a famous Sandy Toes drink. Whatever you fancy, your experience on the beach is sure to be a memorable one.

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Your full-day excursion includes a scenic boat ride to and from the Sandy Toes private island. Once on the island, an array of activities are available, including guided snorkeling and fish feedings. Dine on a buffet lunch, served on a southern pavilion overlooking the picturesque Lower Harbor, or shop in the Sandy Toes Gift Shop with oneof-a-kind souvenirs available for purchase. Spend the day snorkeling and kayaking or lazing on a hammock on the private beach at Sandy Toes. If you feel like some adventure, take a tube ride in a water-ski tubes, or socialize with other guests during a game of volleyball or dizzy lizard.

Rent a water float and bask in the sun or hang out at the Sandy Toes Beach Bar for music and a famous Sandy Toes drink. Whatever you fancy, your experience on the beach is sure to be a memorable one. Your full-day excursion includes a scenic boat ride to and from the Sandy Toes private island. Once on the island, an array of activities are available, including guided snorkeling and fish feedings. Dine on a buffet lunch, served on a southern pavilion overlooking the picturesque Lower Harbor, or shop in the Sandy Toes Gift Shop with oneof-a-kind souvenirs available for purchase. Spend the day snorkeling and kayaking

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BEST CITY TRIP IN ITALY 10 Best Places to Visit in Italy

Located in Southern Europe, this boot-shaped country is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular travel destinations for a number of reasons that include art treasures, trendy fashion, stunning landscapes, passionate people and top-class cuisine. Italy offers so much to see and do that it would take a lifetime to explore. An overview of the best places to visit in Italy

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The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily is an autonomous region of Italy that also includes several smaller isles. It is separated from the mainland region of Calabria. One of the busiest metropolitan cities in the country, Naples is the capital of the Campania region in Southern Italy. The city of Naples offers a treasure trove of art works and historic sites as well as a vibrant atmosphere of shops, restaurants and nightlife venues. Many favorite Italian foods originated from here such as pizza, spaghetti and parmigiana. These dishes are taken seriously in Naples and usually feature fresh, locally grown ingredients. As it is nearby famous sites like the Bay of Naples and Pompeii, Naples presents an ideal base to stay while exploring the area. The Italian Lake District stretches across Northern Italy. The southern ends of most of the lakes are relatively flat but the northern ends are mountainous as the lakes reach deep into the Alps. Popular with tourists for over 100 years, the Italian Lakes combine good weather with attractive scenery. Garda is the largest lake, and offers stunning scenery, especially in its mountainous northern stretches. Como is equally stunning, with forested slopes rising directly from the water’s edge. Further west, Maggiore is less popular yet just as beautiful, with several popular family resorts. The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily is an autonomous region of Italy that also includes several smaller isles. It is separated from the mainland region of Calabria by the 5 km (2 miles) Straits of Messina. Home to every great Mediterranean civilization, Sicily is rich in art and history; from Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples to Palermo’s Baroque churches. The island’s most striking geological feature is Mount

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Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano. Meaning “Five Lands,” Cinque Terre comprises the five villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Monterosso and Corniglia. Located in Italy’s northwestern coastal region of Liguria, the villages of Cinque Terre feature some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes that include steep cliff sides and wine terraces dating back to hundreds of years. Among its many gems, Cinque Terre boasts a centuries-old complex of hiking paths that offer some of Italy’s most stunning coastal views. The Blue Trail is a paved trail connecting all five of the villages and is suitable for all ages. One of the busiest metropolitan cities in the country, Naples is the capital of the Campania region in Southern Italy. The city of Naples offers a treasure trove of art works and historic sites as well as a vibrant atmosphere of shops, restaurants and nightlife venues. Many favorite Italian foods originated from here such as pizza, spaghetti and parmigiana. These dishes are taken seriously in Naples and usually feature fresh, locally grown ingredients. As it is nearby famous sites like the Bay of Naples and Pompeii, Naples presents an ideal base to stay while exploring the area. The Italian Lake District stretches across Northern Italy. The southern ends of most of the lakes are relatively flat but the northern ends are mountainous as the lakes reach deep into the Alps. Popular with tourists for over 100 years, the Italian Lakes combine good weather with attractive scenery. Garda is

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One of the busiest metropolitan cities in the country, Naples is the capital of the Campania region in Southern Italy. The city of Naples offers a treasure trove of art works and historic sites as well as a vibrant atmosphere of shops, restaurants and nightlife venues. Many favorite Italian foods originated from here such as pizza, spaghetti and parmigiana. These dishes are taken seriously in Naples and usually feature fresh, locally grown ingredients. As it is nearby famous sites like the Bay of Naples and Pompeii, Naples presents an ideal base to stay while exploring the area. The Italian Lake District stretches across Northern Italy. The southern ends of most of the lakes are relatively flat but the northern ends are mountainous as the lakes reach deep into the Alps. Popular with tourists for over 100 years, the Italian Lakes combine good weather with attractive scenery. Garda is the largest lake, and offers stunning scenery, especially in its mountainous northern stretches.

Monterosso and Corniglia. Located in Italy’s northwestern coastal region of Liguria, the villages of Cinque Terre feature some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes that include steep cliff sides and wine terraces dating back to hundreds of years. Among its many gems, Cinque Terre boasts a centuries-old complex of hiking paths that offer some of Italy’s most stunning coastal views. The Blue Trail is a paved trail connecting all five of the villages and is suitable for all ages. One of the busiest metropolitan cities in the country, Naples is the capital of the Campania region in Southern Italy. The city of Naples offers a treasure trove of art works and historic sites as well as a vibrant atmosphere of shops, restaurants and nightlife venues. Many favorite Italian foods originated from here such as pizza, spaghetti and parmigiana. These dishes are taken seriously in Naples and usually feature fresh, locally grown ingredients. As it is nearby famous sites like the Bay of

One of the best places to visit in Italy, Venice is a unique city in that is built upon a lagoon surrounded by the Adriatic Sea. Located in northeastern Italy, Venice is an archipelago of 118 islands all connected by hundreds Como is equally stunning, with forested slopes rising directly from the water’s edge. Further west, Maggiore is less popular yet just as beautiful, with several popular family resorts. The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily is an autonomous region of Italy that also includes several smaller isles. It is separated from the mainland region of Calabria by the 5 km (2 miles) Straits of Messina. Home to every great Mediterranean civilization, Sicily is rich in art and history; from Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples to Palermo’s Baroque churches. The island’s most striking geological feature is Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano. Meaning “Five Lands,” Cinque Terre comprises the five villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza,

Naples and Pompeii, Naples presents an ideal base to stay while exploring the area. The Italian Lake District stretches across Northern Italy. The southern ends of most of the lakes are relatively flat but the northern ends are mountainous as the lakes reach deep into the Alps. Popular with tourists for over 100 years, the Italian Lakes combine good weather with attractive scenery. Garda is the largest lake, and offers stunning scenery, especially in its mountainous northern stretches. Como is equally stunning, with forested slopes rising directly from the water’s edge. Further west, Maggiore is less popular yet just as beautiful, with several popular family resorts. The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily is an autonomous region

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Summer 2020

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THE ART NOUVEAU GLORY OF SZEGED HUNGARIAN CITY OF SZEGED In spring 1879, a dike on the Tisza River burst, and the flood destroyed all but 300 houses in what was a prosperous town of 60,000 souls. The good news for posterity is that Szeged, near the border with Romania and Yugoslavia, was almost entirely rebuilt over the next few years, resulting in a remarkably unified cityscape, a quilt of leafy squares and gracious ring boulevards that remains today. Szeged’s is an architecture based on thankfulness. There are reminders everywhere of the Big Water. Though it may have satisfied Noah, for the people of Szeged the rainbow wasn’t enough: They built the Votive Church, a massive brick propitiation to ward off another flood; they erected some 450

statues around town; they named the new boulevards after the foreign capitals that helped fund the reconstruction, including Vienna, Paris and London. The flood is pictured on church and synagogue walls. There are watermarks on old doors, even a Water Conservancy Museum in the dam keeper’s lodge displaying relics of river regulation and flood prevention. And engraved in the hearts and minds of Szegeders -- as well as in the stained-glass window above the first-floor landing of Town Hall -- is the promise of Emperor Francis Joseph, who visited after the flood: “Szeged szebb lesz mint volt” -- Szeged will be more beautiful than it was. Since its origins as a Roman trading post in the second

century A.D., the city has owed its prosperity to the Tisza and Maros Rivers that converge here. So it’s not surprising to find it filled with fountains and marked architecturally by that most liquid of styles, Art Nouveau. In fact, at the turn of the century, Szeged served as the drawing board of a daring practitioner of Art Nouveau, Ede Magyar, who has been compared to Gaudi. His bravado continues to enliven the town: It’s in the half-naked tin women clinging with stiff arms to the cupola of the Ungar-Mayer House on Dugonics Square; in the alabaster girls -- modeled after famous ballerinas -- offering flowers to anyone entering the Goldschmidt Palace; in the unevenly crenelated roof line, the undulating balconies, the pale purple and pastel-green waterlilies melting into the ivory facade of the Reok Mansion. Its corner curved like a ship’s prow, the mansion breasts into a small square. It is probably the most supple and serene of the more than 20 Ede Magyar buildings still standing. Today, Szeged has a population of 186,000. It is at once a cosmopolitan university town (playing host, for instance, to an

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international open-air summer cultural festival) and a provincial capital of the Hungarian Great Plains. The train from Budapest cuts through fields mitigated only by self-sufficient farmsteads (tanyas), with their low-slung houses, peevish sheep dogs and giraffe-like wells. The provincial feel of the Great Plains reaches into the city along with the railroad tracks: There are produce markets and thatch-roof joints selling fish soup along the Tisza and a painting in the Votive Church, “Madonna in Fur Coat,” that depicts the Virgin Mary in the shepherd’s cloak and red slippers of the region.

A block down Karasz, the pedestrian shopping street, is Klauzal Square, bounded by neo-classical buildings, one of which contains the Virag pastry shop, where the young poet used to inhabit an alcove. Unhurried elderly regulars and students doing English homework sit at the green marble-top tables of this century-old cafe. In spring the Virag’s tables spill out onto the square, where live music and sun provide an excuse to

At the confluence of two cultures, eastern Ottoman and western European, the town is permeated by what residents call a Mediterranean attitude. It’s not unusual, for instance, to find restaurants open until the last patrons push back their chairs. Once again, over the last three years, another tragedy has brought the city mixed blessings: The war in nearby Serbia discouraged Western investment in Szeged, meaning it has largely maintained its local character. It is a town that tourism forgot. (Although if you check the provenance of the paprika at the back of your spice rack, you’ll realize that you have heard of Szeged.) Relative obscurity makes it both an exciting and arduous place to visit: accurate train schedules are hard to come by, opening hours are aspirations, and the largest downtown hotel, the Royal, is shabby and the service surly. There are, however, small, welcoming pensions, and for anyone with a taste for spectacular architecture, cafe society and fish stew, Szeged, a two-hour trip from Budapest on the speedy Intercity train, is worth an overnight stay. SZEGED’S old section -- on the Tisza’s west bank -- lends itself to a hopscotch walk from square to square, beginning perhaps at the water-music fountain on Dugonics, a prime hangout for the town’s 40,000 university students. Music is piped in through the fountain -- Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi and, of course, Ferenc Farkas’s “Flood” Symphony.

La Scala to the first outdoor staging of “Les Miserables.” try one of the cafe’s famous ice cream concoctions. The next square over is Szechenyi, grassy and landscaped with purple magnolias and tulip trees. At one

Summer 2020

end is the Town Hall, designed by Odon Lechner, father of Hungarian Art Nouveau. It has nary a right angle and is topped by a frilly cupola, inspiring one Hungarian poet to call it “a young woman with a lace bonnet dancing in the moonlight.” A replica of the Venetian Bridge of Sighs connects Town Hall to the municipal building. The bridge was built for Emperor Francis Joseph’s postflood visit, but the “sighs” in this case came to be associated with merchants heading for the tax office. Just in front of Town Hall on Szechenyi Square is a fountain representing the benevolent and destructive Tisza River spirits, “The Blessed and the Angry,” with the former embodied by frolicking naiads, the latter by demigod Triton on a dolphin’s back. A few blocks’ walk parallel to the puckish river itself gets you to Dom Square, bounded by arcades and dominated by the Votive Church. Built in the early half of this century, it houses one of the largest organs in the world, with over 9,000 pipes. On one wall hangs a hundred-year-old marble sculpture of the crucified Christ. Its creator, Janos Fadrusz, unable to find a model, had tied himself to the cross and had photographs taken, with hauntingly realistic results. The church’s neoromanesque facade provides the backdrop for the summer festival productions on the square. These have included everything from operas performed by La Scala to the first outdoor staging of “Les Miserables.” After the trumpets sound to open this summer’s festival, there will be, among other performances, an opera concert with Hungarian-born international stars (including the soprano Eva Marton); the premiere of a mystery play, and a collaboration between the Hungarian rock band

Opposite the fountain is the Attila Jozsef University library, built in 1873. In its lobby is a sooty terra cotta bust of Attila Jozsef, the poet after whom the university is named -- never mind that he was thrown out, in 1924, for writing a poem that began “I have no father, no mother, no god, no country . . . “

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Summer 2020

MUST-SEE NYC A trip to New York City is the experience of a lifetime With famous attractions like Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building and Yankee Stadium—to name just a few—NYC packs more to see and do into one compact area than any other place on earth. Each of the City’s five boroughs contains its own roster of must-see destinations, great restaurants, cultural hot spots and unforgettable activities.

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EMPIRE STATE BUILDING EXPERIENCE

WORDS: LEONE DANIELI PHOTO: HENRI MEILHAC

Located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building Experience is more than just a view. Embark on a journey through one of the most famous landmarks in the world, where you will experience the Art Deco lobby and murals, the historical “Dare to Dream” exhibit, and sustainability exhibit. Learn the fascinating history of the building’s construction, restoration and industry-leading sustainability retrofit. Take in New York’s most breathtaking views from its open-air observatory. See New York’s world-famous skyline as it was meant to be seen—until 2am every night. Enhance your visit with the free Empire State Building Experience app, available on the App Store and Google Play. When are the best times to visit? Peak visiting times vary, but it’s recommended that you visit early in the morning (around 8am), in midafternoon (around 3pm) or after 11pm. How long does a typical visit take? Visits normally last around an hour, though you might want to

add a little time if you’re going all the way up to the second deck on the 102nd floor. You can skip to the front of line by buying an express ticket. Can I take the stairs to the top? Only if you’re participating in the annual Empire State Building Run-Up. At all other times, the 1,576 stairs are closed to visitors. Will there be a musician present to provide romantic background music? Why yes. The Empire State Building’s resident saxophonist plays the 86th-floor observatory Thursdays through Saturdays, beginning a bit after the sun goes down and usually winding up around midnight. Located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building Experience is more than just a view. Embark on a journey through one of the most famous landmarks in the world, where you will experience the Art Deco lobby and murals, the historical “Dare to Dream” exhibit, and sustainability exhibit. Learn the fascinating history of the building’s construction,

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Summer 2020

restoration and industry-leading sustainability retrofit. Take in New York’s most breathtaking views from its open-air observatory. See New York’s world-famous skyline as it was meant to be seen—until 2am every night. Enhance your visit with the free Empire State Building Experience app, available on the App Store and Google Play.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS When are the best times to visit? Peak visiting times vary, but it’s recommended that you visit early in the morning (around 8am), in midafternoon (around 3pm) or after 11pm. How long does a typical visit take? Visits normally last around an hour, though you might want to add a little time if you’re going all the way up to the second deck on the 102nd floor. You can skip to the front of line by buying an express ticket. Can I take the stairs to the top? Only if you’re participating in the annual Empire State Building Run-Up. At all other times, the 1,576 stairs are closed to visitors. Will there be a musician present to provide romantic background music? Why yes. The Empire State Building’s resident saxophonist plays the 86th-floor observatory

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Thursdays through Saturdays, beginning a bit after the sun goes down and usually winding up around midnight. Located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building Experience is more than just a view. Embark on a journey through one of the most famous landmarks in the world, where you will experience the Art Deco lobby and murals, the historical “Dare to Dream” exhibit, and sustainability exhibit. Learn the fascinating history of the building’s construction, restoration and industry-leading sustainability retrofit. Take in New York’s most breathtaking views from its open-air observatory. See New York’s world-famous skyline as it was meant to be seen—until 2am every night. Enhance your visit with the free Empire State Building Experience app, available on the App Store and Google Play. When are the best times to visit? Peak visiting times vary, but it’s recommended that you visit early in the morning (around 8am), in midafternoon (around 3pm) or after 11pm. How long does a typical visit take? Visits normally last around an hour, though you might want to add a little time if you’re going all the way up to the second deck on the 102nd floor. You can skip to the front of line by buying

The must see for any visitor to New York City, the World’s Most Famous Building is on every list for its Observatory’s spectacular indoor and outdoor 360-degree views from the heart of Manhattan.

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BEST TRAVEL ADVICE

WORDS: MARION BASINGER

It’s now been 4 years since I sold everything and left the United States to travel the world. These are the best travel tips I’ve discovered along the way. 22

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1. PATIENCE IS IMPORTANT

Summer 2020

Once a whole bus full of Guatemalans laughed with glee when I forced our driver to stop so I could urgently pee on the side of the road. Returning to the bus and laughing with them gave me new friends for the rest of the journey.

one of my most useful travel accessories with many different practical applications. It’s great for sun protection, a makeshift towel, carrying stuff around, an eye mask, and much more.

4. STASH EXTRA CASH

Don’t sweat the stuff you can’t control. Life is much too short to be angry & annoyed all the time. Did you miss your bus? No worries, there will be another one. ATMs out of money? Great! Take an unplanned road trip over to the next town and explore. Sometimes freakouts happen regardless. Just take a deep breath and remind yourself that it could be worse.

2. WAKE UP EARLY

I can’t tell you how many times a scarf has come in handy around the world. Cash is king around the world. To cover your ass in an emergency, make sure to stash some in a few different places. I recommend at least a couple hundred dollars worth. If you lose your wallet, your card stops working, or the ATMs run out of money, you’ll be glad you did. Some of my favorite stash spots include socks, under shoe inserts, a toiletry bag, around the frame of a backpack, even sewn behind a patch on your bag.

5. MEET LOCAL PEOPLE Rise at sunrise to have the best attractions all to yourself while avoiding crowds. It’s also a magical time for photos due to soft diffused light, and usually easier to interact with locals. Sketchy areas are less dangerous in the morning too. Honest hardworking people wake up early; touts, scammers, and criminals sleep in.

3. LAUGH AT YOURSELF

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If you really want to get a feel for the pulse of a place, I recommend spending a few hours sitting in a park or on a busy street corner by yourself just watching day to day life happen in front of you. Slow down your thoughts and pay close attention to the details around you. The smells, the colors, human interactions, and sounds. It’s a kind of meditation — and you’ll see stuff you never noticed before.

Make it a point to avoid other travelers from time to time and start conversations with local people. Basic English is spoken widely all over the world, so it’s easier to communicate with them than you might think, especially when you combine hand gestures and body language. Learn from those who live in the country you’re visiting. People enrich your travels more than sights do.

You will definitely look like a fool many times when traveling to new places. Rather than get embarrassed, laugh at yourself. Don’t be afraid to screw up, and don’t take life so seriously.

7. OBSERVE DAILY LIFE

6. PACK A SCARF I happen to use a shemagh, but sarongs also work great. This simple piece of cotton cloth is

8. BACK EVERYTHING UP

When my laptop computer was stolen in Panama, having most of my important documents and photos backed up saved my ass. Keep both digital and physical copies of your passport, visas, driver’s license, birth certificate

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WORDS: YIMOU ZHANG PHOTO: TONY GILROY

10 TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN THAILAND Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, and for a reason. You can find almost anything here

Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, and for a reason. You can find almost anything here: crystal blue beaches, thick jungle, great food, cheap beach front bungalows and some of the best luxury hotels in the world. There is something for every interest and every budget. As the only Southeast Asian country never to be colonized, it is also studded with incredible cultural and historical sites, including ruins that stretch back hundreds of years. And despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential identity with its own unique culture and history and a carefree people famed for their smiles. The only trouble with planning a trip to Thailand is narrowing things down to a few sights. It helps to start with the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand, which include: Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, and for a reason. You can find almost anything here.

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Summer 2020

BEST HOTELS IN BANGKOK Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, and for a reason. You can find almost anything here: crystal blue beaches, thick jungle, great food, cheap beach front bungalows and some of the best luxury hotels in the world. There is something for every interest and every budget. As the only Southeast Asian country never to be colonized, it is also studded with incredible cultural and historical sites, including ruins that stretch back hundreds of years. And despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential identity with.

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BEST OF BANGKOK Since opening in 2020 the accolades have been rolling in from travel rags around the world. With great restaurants, a poolside bar, muay Thai gym and spa, this 39-room resort set on three acres is almost a vacation unto itself.

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So, you’re in Thailand on a mission to cram the best of Bangkok into a weekend? It’s a big task -- there’s no city in the world like this one -- but it can be done. With incredible street food, world-class hotels, killer nightlife, packed markets and temples so sparkly they make your eyes water, there’s almost too much to choose from. But you’re in luck. This quick guide ensures you can at least hit the highlights on your quest for the best of Bangkok. It’s worth keeping in mind that

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hotel prices vary dramatically depending on the time of year. High season runs from October to April, so the best bargains can be had May to September. So, you’re in Thailand on a mission to cram the best of Bangkok into a weekend? It’s a big task -- there’s no city in the world like this one -- but it can be done. With incredible street food, world-class hotels, killer nightlife, packed markets and temples so sparkly they make your eyes water, there’s almost too much to choose from.

Summer 2020

But you’re in luck. This quick guide ensures you can at least hit the highlights on your quest for the best of Bangkok. It’s worth keeping in mind that hotel prices vary dramatically depending on the time of year. High season runs from October to April, so the best bargains can be had May to September. So, you’re in Thailand on a mission to cram the best of Bangkok into a weekend?

It’s a big task -- there’s no city in the world like this one -- but it can be done. With incredible street food, world-class hotels, killer nightlife, packed markets and temples so sparkly they make your eyes water, there’s almost too much to choose from. But you’re in luck. This quick guide ensures you can at least hit the highlights on your quest for the best of Bangkok. It’s worth keeping in mind that hotel prices vary dramatically depending on the time of year. High season runs from October to April, so the best bargains can be had May to September. So, you’re in Thailand on a mission to cram the best of Bangkok into a weekend? It’s a big task -- there’s no city in the world like this one -- but it can be done. With incredible street food.

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WILDLIFE TOURISM WORDS: MARY JO MARKEY PHOTO: CRAIG WOOD

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Summer 2020

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Artificial feeding of wildlife by tourists can have severe consequences for social behavior patterns. Artificial feeding by tourists caused a breakdown of the territorial breeding system of land iguanas on the South Plaza in the Galรกpagos Islands. Territories were abandoned in favor of sites where food could be begged from tourists, and this has had a Artificial feeding can also result in a complete loss of normal feeding behaviors. In the Galรกpagos Islands, overfeeding by tourists was so extreme that, when stopped, some animals were unable to locate their natural food sources. )

Wildlife tourism can cause significant disturbances to animals in their natural habitats. The growing interest in traveling to developing countries has created a boom in resort and hotel construction, particularly on rain forest and mangrove forest lands. Wildlife viewing can scare away animals, disrupt their feeding and nesting sites, or acclimate them to the presence of people. In Kenya, for example, wildlife-observer disruption drives cheetahs off their reserves, increasing the risk of inbreeding and further endangering the species.

Wildlife tourism also causes disruption to intraspecific relationships. Attendance by female harp seals to their pups declined when tourists were present and those females remaining with their pups spent significantly less time nursing and more the young not being recognized, and being more exposed to predator attacks. A similar concern has been expressed over whale watching, whale calves normally maintain constant body contact with their mothers but, when separated, can transfer their attachment to the side of the boat.

Wildlife tourism encompasses non-consumptive interactions with wildlife, such as observing and photographing animals in their natural habitats.[1] It has the recreational aspects of adventure travel, and supports the values of ecotourism and nature conservation programs.

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UNDERWATER FISH PLACES 30

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Summer 2020

Grouper defends his friend by opening his mouth... and not to talk.

See the mako in its raw form. This was shot out of Ocean City, MD. The Pumpin Hard filmed this while trolling between 6 and 7 knots. The mako seems so careful with picking off the baits - as if he knows there are hooks. He just likes to eat the good parts. Out of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, watch these sardines on the run from a gang of sailfish. The baitball jukes out the sails like a collective offensive line, protecting themselves as a team. Sailfish aren’t big fans of the papparazzi. Some just don’t like getting their picture taken, this one in particular pulls a Sean Penn on this GoPro. Hagfish would be the date with bad breath. See its defense mechanism in all its glory. From the account uploader: “Hagfishes (Myxinidae) are a family of jawless marine pre-vertebrates. Those video images taken in New Zealand revealed that hagfishes are able to choke their would-be predators with gill-clogging slime.It also shows that hagfishes are actively preying on other fish in New Zealand waters.”

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