Rio de Janeiro gears up for the World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016.
Here’s a New Year’s resolution for you: Get your passport stamped in one of the year’s hottest destinations. London, Myanmar, Panama — each of our picks is a classic in the midst of transformation or a sneak-up-on-you surprise. Cheer on Olympians in a futuristic Zaha Hadid-designed pavilion, witness the brightest Northern Lights in 50 years or lose yourself in once-in-a-lifetime reggae festival. Sure beats hitting the gym.
1. LONDON
Why Now: It’s London’s year — the capital celebrates the Queen’s 60-year reign in June with a spectacular, seven-and-a-half-mile-long Diamond Jubilee flotilla along the River Thames, and the Summer Olympics kick off in July. We’re looking forward to gawping at the Zaha Hadid-designed Aquatic Center, a mammoth manta ray-shaped building that will host everything from synchronized swimming to water polo. But it’s not all sport: A flurry of world-class cultural shows are planned throughout the UK: Tate Modern is showing a Damien Hirst retrospective, the World Shakespeare Festival is staging dozens of plays in just as many languages, and the London 2012 Festival will be country’s biggest ever, with 1,000 dance, music and film events, and more. Let the games begin.
British Columbia's Tom Kundig-designed Mission Hill Winery.
‘Tis the season to drink great wine. So we sat down with Ingo Grady, the Director of Wine Education at British Columbia’s Tom Kundig-designed Mission Hill Winery, for his best tips about how to choose, store and ship wine this holiday season.
1. Be a people-pleaser. This time of year isn’t about serving or gifting wines you personally love, it’s about pleasing the crowd. Soft, fruity wines like dry rosés, aromatic Rieslings and pinot noir from California, Oregon or New Zealand, are likely to be a hit across up to three generations. But that doesn’t mean you have to go entirely without — after all, it’s okay to be hedonistic, even greedy, when it comes to wine. I’ll admit that I’ve sipped a German Riesling on the sly while pouring a different bottle for my dinner guests. Continue reading »
North Korea is headlining the major newspapers and websites of the world today, with the sudden death of Kim Jong-il and the questions about what’s next.
Back in 2008, Jetsetter Senior Marketing Manager Rachel Bobrow visited North Korea, and the culture shock is still wearing off. After the jump, see a selection of the images she brought back.
Where are you going for the holidays? That’s what we asked the team at Jetsetter’s New York HQ, and, unsurprisingly, we got some pretty exotic responses. Here’s where a few of us will be sneaking off to over the next few weeks. Living the brand? Yes, please.
Drew Patterson, CEO
“I’m trekking to Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro National Park for a honeymoon with my wife, where we’ll be joined by a few old friends. We’re attempting the 19,341-foot climb together, and seeing in the New Year at the cloud-shrouded and frost-bitten Shira Camp plateau, 11,800 square feet above sea level. After recovering from the adventure and going on few game drives in Tanzania, we arrive at Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Reserve and spend our last few days in savannas chock full of wildebeest, zebras, impalas, giraffes and more.”
Adrienne Walsh, Supervisor, Member Services
“My vacation will kick off with four days in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, where I will deliver Christmas gifts to children in need at an orphanage funded by children’s nonprofit LakayPam. Then, I’ll take a four-hour drive to Ile-a-vache (a small island off the southwest coast of Haiti), where I’ll spend several days sunning on a beautiful desolate beach.”
Jim's Steaks serves a mean cheesesteak.
In Philly, the question of who makes the most authentic cheesesteak — a long, crusty roll bursting with thinly sliced ribeye beef and melted cheese — is the source of much contention. We’ve handpicked 10 of the very best shops, but remember: Whichever you choose, when the long line finally dwindles and it’s your turn to order, etiquette demands that you state the type of cheese you want (Cheese Whiz is the gold standard, but American and provolone are also acceptable), then “wit” or “widout” to indicate “with or without onions.” Let the debate begin.
1. Pat’s King of Steaks This is where it all began — well, almost. Owned by the Olivieri family — Pat Olivieri invented the steak sandwich back in 1930 — this operation started as a small stand but is now a full-blown shop at the southern end of South Philly’s Italian Market.
Are you planning on flying away for the holidays? Kate Maxwell, our very own editor-in-chief, swung by the TODAY show this morning with some tips for surviving the busiest travel period of the year. Make sure you check them before you check in.
1. Get bumped. The peak Christmas travel period is one of the best opportunities to earn free flights. If your plans are flexible and you know your flight is oversold, be proactive: Put your name on the list to be bumped as soon as you get to the gate. But make sure the airline has a confirmed seat for you on a later flight, or else you might be stranded indefinitely.
2. Be alert. Last year, 27 percent of holiday flights were delayed and another 3.7 percent were canceled – stay ahead of the game by signing up for trip alerts. You can get text or email notifications by signing up with your airline or Flightstats.com, or by downloading the FlightTrackPro app, which pings you with the latest flight information, from departure times to gate changes. Continue reading »
If you’re not going to make it to this year’s Art Basel Miami, which ends on Friday, don’t worry — you can catch the most talked about exhibit right here.
Wynwood Walls, a celebration of the global medium that is street art, was the brainchild of visionary developer and collector Tony Goldman. Once a complex of abandoned factory buildings and parking lots, the Wynwood outdoor art park debuted in 2009 with 12 works by internationally respected artists from Asia, Europe, Latin American and the United States. Wynwood Walls is now the epicenter of cutting-edge, museum quality contemporary urban murals. Continue reading »
The Haymarket Hotel
Hotelier, interior designer, lover of all things patterned and colorful, Kit Kemp is the style guru behind the Firmdale Group, the collection of boutique hotels she founded with husband Tim in 1985. Firmdale now has six properties in London, including the newest addition, the Haymarket, and the Crosby Street Hotel in New York. We checked in with the award-winning designer to talk travel habits, her favorite room with a view and what’s next for Firmdale.
NAME: Kit Kemp, co-founder Firmdale Group
LIVES: London, UK
PROPERTIES: Haymarket Hotel, The Soho Hotel, Covent Garden Hotel, Charlotte Street Hotel, Knightsbridge Hotel, Number Sixteen, Crosby Street Hotel
NEXT UP: The Ham Yard Hotel just behind Piccadilly Theater will open in 2012. It’s quite different from our other London hotels and will have a big garden at the front of the hotel, a theater with a green room, a bowling alley, a big events space on the roof and a spa. There will also be apartments that can make use of all the hotel services, including the concierge. Continue reading »
Mustapha Blaoui
I have an appalling sense of direction, which is not ideal in my line of work. Fortunately, I’ve developed a number of coping strategies: I walk very fast, on the understanding that if I’m going the wrong way I might as well find out and about-turn quickly. I drop big dollar on digital roaming charges, because when you’re lost in the center (or thereabouts) of Shanghai and speak not one word of Mandarin only Google Streetmap will save you. And I take a lot of taxis. Continue reading »
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