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As we head toward the holidays, I thought I would take the opportunity to highlight some of my favorite discoveries of 2008. They’re not all new, but they are certainly still buzzworthy. Destinations: * Ecuador blew me away with its natural beauty and crazy topography, its friendly people and bang-for-the-buck prices. I especially loved Hacienda …

The winter after my mother and I moved to the United States, one of the first places we visited outside of New York City was Manchester, Vermont. The whole town was covered in perfect layers of snow; we skied at nearby Stratton mountain and drank hot chocolate in front of the fire. Growing up, I …

When I really want to go on holiday I like to book a beach getaway where my main activities include lounging, eating, swimming a ton (preferably in bath-like temperatures), and doing yoga. When I arrive I unpack completely and prefer not to have to drive anywhere–biking and walking are acceptable. One of my preferred destinations …

Because of my work as a travel writer, people always ask me what my favorite trip has been. It’s almost impossible to answer the question, but I try to name a few choices by category: best beach retreat, most life-altering culinary experience, most thrilling adventure, prime surfing spot, etc. For best recent discovery, Istanbul has …

If you read the Daily Travelerthis summer you already know that I have a fondness for tapas. My former favorite small-plates spot was Barcelona’s Cal Pep, but this week I discovered its gastronomic rival, Casa Montana, just down the Mediterranean coast in Valencia’s Cabañal neighborhood. Although new to me, this is no trendy newcomer. A …

Just in time for the worsening economy, Paris’s new Mama Shelter recognizes that even those on a budget need to be stylish. This cheap-and-chic property in the hip up-and-coming neighborhood of Saint Blaise was designed by Philippe Starck and comes with plenty of toys for the need-to-be-distracted-from-the-bad-news set–think in-room iMacs and free WiFi, scooters or …

My latest travel obsession is with luxury camping: I like being close to nature but having plenty of comforts, too, and it seems I am not the only one. At Condé Nast Traveler‘s Reader’s Choice Awards last week, India Beat‘s Bertie Dyer (one of Wendy Perrin’s  travel specialists) told me about the new Surya Serai …

Where to: Get off the beaten path in Mexico…Eat the best post-swim muffins in Montauk…Find the top surfing competitions in Hawaii…Catch the biggest waves in the Midwest (and, yes, you read that correctly)

If you have ever wondered whether Italian bureaucracy is actually as monumental as people say, the fact that it took the Four Seasons seven years to open in Florence might give you a clue. Every few months, builders stumbled on yet another fresco or statue and things came to a standstill as the Bella Arte …

June Column