As temperatures dropped with the arrival of winter, thoughts turned to warmer climates, beaches, tropical fruit, and golden tans. Oh, to break free of heavy coats and winter slush! If you haven’t decided on a winter getaway, consider Bali. Yes, Bali – the magical Indonesian island that has enchanted mystics, 17th century explorers, surfer hippies, artists, and contemporary authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame. My first childhood memories are of Bali. I remembe...

You’re back at work after a hectic end of year. You’re settling back into the swing of things and catching up with the build-up of work left over from the holidays when, all of a sudden, your boss announces you’re due to take those two weeks of vacation you’ve accumulated. And soon! Normally, the prospect of a vacation seldom puts a frown on anyone’s face, but quite frankly, who has the time (or will) to plan a proper getaway? Let’s just say that after picking a destination, arran...

Retracing the footsteps of a beloved author, our writer separates fact from fiction in the sensual, sun-drenched back roads of southern France. The sun cast a muted grey glow on the craggy Alpine peaks far below as I made my way from Sweden to Marseille. The deep folds of their valleys, the hidden shadows and barely glimpsed villages put me in a pensive frame of mind. As my eyes probed their dimmest corners, my mind leafed through reams of yellowed documents, the musty old books I’d scanned...

Ranking hotels is no small undertaking. Every year, we ask our readers to vote on the places they’ve stayed recently (to participate in this year’s survey—and enter for a chance to win a $10,000 trip—click here). Thousands of readers share their expert opinions on their favorite—and not so favorite—properties. What did we discover in 2009? That in a year filled with challenges, our readers still love hotels that deliver unique experiences and stellar service—particularly if the ...

The helicopter turns over Jerusalem toward the Mediterranean. The pilot speaks a few hurried sentences in Hebrew. The guide answers, equally hurried. I lose interest in the exchange; Hebrew is a language that, spoken conversationally, always sounds intense and emotive to non-speakers. (“Are those men fighting?” I would ask. “No, just talking about the weather,” would be the reply.) I am flying low over one of the holiest, most historically-loaded cities on earth, with a group of jour...

When I returned from a recent trip to Mexico, I was asked the usual questions: How was it? (Fantastic.) What did you do? (A lot.) Where did you stay? (Cancun.) Did you have fun? (Yes.) But interspersed within those questions was one that, upon reflection, was far more leading: Did you feel safe? As a young woman travelling alone in a foreign country, many thought they had my answer for me: No. To answer that last question myself: Yes. I did feel safe, but it didn’t negate the appropriatene...

It can be easy to get caught in the current of life. For some, enjoying the ride means letting go and accepting the direction it’s taking you. For others, clinging to every branch, rock, or patch of earth is the only way to achieve a dream. For Claire Newell, owner of Jubilee Travel (www.jubileetravel.com), it was neither. “I was in my fourth year of university and ready to head to law school in the fall,” she says. Instead, “a chance meeting with the managing director of one o...