We’re proud to announce two new Contributors have joined Vagablond this week. One lives in the US and one is passing through Thailand. They are just part of our ever-growing list of writers who love to travel –– and love even more to write about the food they’re eating, the wine they’re inbibing and the…
Northstar-at-Tahoe will soon be changing the face of the north shore. Once a funky area dotted with wooden A-framed homes and family-run hotels along the shores of this sparkling deep blue alpine lake surrounded by 10,000-foot mountains and pine tree forests, the Ritz-Carlton Highlands is going upscale, big time, with the construction for the area’s…
Hoi An is a World Heritage-listed list town 45 minutes’ drive from Danang and is a great option for a long weekend’s getaway. Being on a river and not far from the sea, the restaurants in Hoi An specialise in seafood, particularly crab and shrimp. One of the best places to enjoy the local fare…
Lunching at a trendy spot in Coral Gables, Florida, I found my senses being teased by aromas and tastes from another time and place. The place is called “Katrine” and even though the cuisine leans toward Italian-Mediterranean, the atmosphere is reminiscent of a quaint eatery you would find in any number of the classically chic…
Relief Riders International offers a longtail, niche tour product that is guaranteed to change lives, including both the lives of the travelers and the people in the destination they visit. RRI take small groups of travelers (about 15 at a time) on a truly unique experience. They ride by horses for 15 days to remote…
This story may make you want to toss your cookies. According to CNN.com, US Airways has reported that it will accept advertising for air sickness bags. The ads will start appearing in September. I find this quite ironic. After all, reading may make some people air sick. So now, they can get airsick reading the…
First, in February 2006, Westin Hotels paved the way for non-smoking hotels in the US and Canada. Now, Marriott Hotels have just announced they will become smoke-free in the same two countries. As a non-smoker and one who absolutely abhors first-hand, second-hand or any kind of smoke, I applaud this gesture as a way to…
There are dozens of upscale hotels in San Francisco with views of the Bay. But only one has carved a niche as a luxury hotel on the San Francisco Waterfront –– Hotel Vitale. This boutique opened about 16 months ago with a modern interior, unique luxurious touches and soothing natural elements. Call it an urban…
My backpacking days are over. As I glide slinkily through my mid-20s, I wonder with incredulity at the energy of my youth, my prior propensity for scruffy misadventure, my predilection for ‘roughing it’. These days, I appreciate the joys of an air-con queen size over a bug-ridden bunk; I would rather quaff one finely mixed…
Yesterday, I drank a few bottles of Voss Artesian Water from Norway. One was Still. One was Sparkling. Both were pretty good but its wicked cool glass bottle is the best thing about it. My friend Sharon said she paid $20 for a bottle of Voss at the tres upscale Michael Mina Restaurant in San…
Teeter-tottering on a boulder, I was encased in $80,000 worth of shiny new Land Rover and sweating. I hadn’t been behind the wheel of a vehicle for around 10 years and I sure didn’t want to flip this baby. I put my foot on the brakes. Did that scraping rock-against-metal sound mean the underbelly of…
From Anne at Papilles et Pupilles – mon httpblog, the 6th edition of “Bordeaux fete le vin” (Bordeaux Celebrates Wine) was held last month at the biggest festival in Europe, the “Place des Quinconces,” and on Garonne’s piers in downtown Bordeaux. This festival takes place every other year, alternating with the river festival. “Bordeaux fête…