08Apr 2009 by admin No Comments

Hot Spots: Adelaide, South Australia

Australia & New Zealand, Featured, Hot Spots

Flocked by parklands and vineyards and peppered with churches, Adelaide enjoys a slower pace of life than some of the other state capitals, calling up its German and English history (Adelaide is the only capital settled by English free settlers, though it was originally inhabited by the Kaurna people) while also edging towards a more cosmopolitan flair. Adelaide tends to get overshadowed by cities like Sydney and Melbourne, but it has many pleasures in store for lovers of wine, food, art, and coastal life. Adelaide, with a population of 1.1 million, claims the distinction of having more restaurants per person than any other city in the country, as well as the distinction of producing about half of all Australian wine. For the epicure or just the foodie, this is a…

Hot Spots: Denver, Colorado

Colorado, Hot Spots

Former mining town Denver, Colorado, seems to be jumping to the top of several "best" lists as of late, including claiming the number one spot on the Pew Research Center's list of "America's Most Popular Big Cities." No doubt propelled by the attention it received last summer when it played host to the Democratic National Convention, the Mile High City beat out such cities as San Diego, Seattle, Orlando, and Tampa for the distinction. Colorado has always retained a storied reputation as an fresh-air enclave, an outdoor enthusiast's paradise, a nature lover's Eden. In more recent years, it has also gained notice for its cultural offerings such as the expanded Denver Art Museum and the burgeoning theater scene and its winning sports teams the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, and the…

Dining with the Fishes

Maldives

What's better than soaking up the sun-spattered ambiance of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort? How about basking in the rich reef and marine life 16 feet below sea level while dining at the Ithaa Undersea restaurant? At the resort's most unique dining establishment, diners are placed in a glass tunnel that seats 12 and feast on Maldivian-Western cuisine (which, perhaps inhospitably, includes surf-and-turf fare) while enjoying unfettered, 180-degree fish-gazing opportunities. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner only. Reservations up to 14 days in advance are recommended. The resort itself, which spans two islands, includes 50 water villas, 79 beach villas, and 21 spa water villas and is accessible only via a 30-minute seaplane flight from the capital, Male. Some 1,200 islands comprise the Maldives, located nearly 300…