Magical Maui: A Slow-Travel Guide to the Valley Isle
By Ann Ruppenstein Hoʻomau: to continue, persist, renew, perpetuate and persevere. A different Hawaiian word of the day is placed against my pillow each afternoon at the Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui, but this first card—describing Hoʻomau—resonates most. It speaks to the way Maui protects its land, culture and identity, and to the responsibility […]
Quick Trip to Nassau & Paradise Island
The ultimate Bahamas travel guide: where to stay, eat and explore. By Ann Ruppenstein With powder-soft beaches and impossibly turquoise waters, Nassau and Paradise Island deliver the Bahamas most travellers imagine—but there’s far more here than a stretch of sand. Snorkel through an underwater sculpture garden, follow in the footsteps of James Bond, linger over […]
The Road Less Travelled in Jordan
This candle-lit ecolodge on the edge of the Dana Biosphere Reserve is designed with purpose. By Ann Ruppenstein There are two main ways to reach Feynan Ecolodge—the easy way and the challenging way—and, to borrow from Frost, I stood contemplating the road not taken. After traversing uneven terrain, scrambling over boulders, wading through a stream, […]
Cape Town Cool: Wine and Wellness in South Africa’s Capital
Ann Ruppenstein explores South Africa’s second largest city by helicopter, sidecar, Jeep and on foot and discovers why this captivating coastal destination — along with a little bit of wine and wellness — is good for the soul. As our convoy of Jeep Wranglers — blood red, bright yellow and dark grey — zipped past […]
Going to great depths in Franconian Switzerland
Ann Ruppenstein sets foot on a rocky journey through Germany’s most cavernous region, discovering the quaint towns, hiking trails and hidden wonders that await. One thing to know about Franconian Switzerland is that, despite its somewhat misleading name, it’s not actually in Switzerland. Located in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany, the region filled with unusual rock […]
London calling: A night at Westminster’s five-star boutique hotel, The Londoner
It’s not usually the loo that’s the first thing that catches my attention when entering a hotel room, but this one quite literally took me by surprise. Before slipping into the plush robe and slippers that I hoped were waiting for me in the closet, I grabbed my phone to capture a video of my […]
Beyond the Blue Hole: Exploring Ambergris Caye, Belize
Forget what you saw in Steven Spielberg’s cult thriller Jaws. Just because you’re going to a place with a daunting name like Shark Ray Alley doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get into the water upon arrival. Even though there will be sharks…lots of sharks. After an unforgettable time spotting stingrays, turtles and all kinds of tropical […]