exceptional travel experiences

2013 exceptional travel experiences 22013 exceptional travel experiences 1

exceptional travel experiences 2013The MarrioTT rewards® PreMier CrediT Card FroM Chase


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2013 exceptional travel experiences 4

* Purchase and balance transfer APR is 15.24% variable. Cash advances and overdraft advances APR is 19.24% variable. Penalty APR of 29.99% variable. Variable APRs change with the market based on the Prime Rate, which was 3.25% on

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ExcEptional travEl ExpEriEncEsThis is the reason you travel. It’s for those

transformative moments, when you shiver, wide-

eyed and speechless, because you’ve just experienced

something that made you feel like a child again. It’s

often a Proustian pleasure, like the texture of the

perfect Shanghai dumpling, or the taste of homemade

mead bought from a Russian babushka in a headscarf.

Or maybe it’s learning Flamenco, and the moment you

realize that you had to actually be in Spain to truly

understand the dance down to your bones. On the

next few pages, we’ve gathered some of our favorite

exceptional travel experiences from AFAR.com

followers all over the world. Now it’s your turn.


tHailanD’s sweet Heat

eatWHErE to BUY anD tastE naM priK pao in BanGKoK

NAm PRIk NITTAyA

This well-known curry paste shop in the

Banglamphu district sells nam prik pao

that is just the right mixture of spicy, salty,

and sweet. The store also stocks a wide

selection of pastes, prepared curries, and

other ready-made goods.

136-40 Thanon Chakhraphong,

66/(0) 2-282-8212

Aw TAw kAw mARkeT

Across the street from Bangkok’s famous

Chatuchak weekend market, Aw Taw kaw

sells beautiful fruits and seafood as well

as a diverse variety of nam prik pao. The

closest subway stop is kamphaeng Phet.

Phaholyothin Rd.

khAO TOm JAy SuAy

A classic Chinatown restaurant with a vast

display of vegetables out front, khao Tom

Jay Suay serves such traditional dishes as

smoked duck, jap chai (a vegetable stew),

and clams stir-fried in nam prik pao.

547 Thanon Phlubplachai,

66/(0) 2-223-9592

In 2007, when residents reported noxious

fumes in London’s Soho neighbor-

hood, police and firefighters feared the

possibility of a terrorist chemical attack.

They smashed down the door of a small

commercial storefront to discover the

culprit: a pot of burning chilies. The

chef of the Thai Cottage restaurant was

making nam prik pao, the chili paste

that just might be the secret weapon of

Thai cuisine. A single bite of the jam-like

concoction contains all the elements that

make Thai food so addictive: it is at once

spicy, salty, slightly sweet, smoky, and just

a little bit sour.

In Thailand, most nam prik pao devotees

have strong opinions about the right way

to make it and the best way to eat it. The

purists stick to the basics—roasted dried

chilies, roasted garlic and shallots, fish

sauce, dried shrimp, and palm sugar. The

improvisers come up with hundreds of

riffs, depending on the region and the

season, like variations made with spicy

ginger, mackerel, or green mango. Some

people consume nam prik pao primarily as

a dip for vegetables and crackers; others

incorporate it into stir-fry dishes, salad

dressings, and soups.

Thai people from all walks of life hold their

nam prik pao memories dear. Nutchanand

Osathanond, a Bangkok food columnist,

cookbook author, and cooking teacher,

remembers the paste from her childhood.

“In the olden days, you made nam prik

pao to give to your friends to take as a

snack on trips to the country,” she says.

“my favorite way to eat it is still as a dip

with shrimp crackers.”

korakot Punlopruska, a food writer and

photographer based in Bangkok, recalls

that when she was growing up, preparing

nam prik pao was a special event for

her large family, who came together to

make big batches once or twice a year.

For one day, the driveway of her house

was converted into a makeshift kitchen.

Family members roasted chilies and stir-

fried garlic and shallots over a charcoal

fire, and chopped and pounded all the

ingredients by hand. They carefully

followed the instructions of Punlopruska’s

grandmother. “Nobody else can make it

like she did, because the taste was in her

tongue,” Punlopruska says. “She wanted

to make everything from scratch, and it

was a ritual that she controlled.

She put a lot of love into it, and she was

very serious.”

Like most Thai cuisine, nam prik pao

is bold but delicately nuanced. Cooks

typically make their chili jam by taste,

so written recipes are hard to come by.

Punlopruska compares the process of

making nam prik pao to creating a theater

piece. “There’s nothing really complicated

in the actual cooking of Thai food,” she

explains. “It’s all in the prep work—what

happens before the ingredients come

onstage. It’s like a long rehearsal, and

you have to be ready to bring so many

different elements together.”

In these fast-paced times, when premade

versions are readily available in small

shops and large supermarkets, homemade

nam prik pao can be a rare treat. “If I can’t

get the best, I don’t eat it,” Punlopruska

says. “Savory and sweet together, that’s

how it should be. It’s the blend of flavors

that makes the magic.” —Marie Doezema AF

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6 BesT TaPas Bars, BarCelonaBy MaySSaM SaMaHathis summer, I spent a few days in Barcelona. Of course, any trip of mine is always

highlighted by the many restaurants I visit. In Barcelona, I ate at these six outstanding

tapas bars, each offering a different vibe and a different attitude.

rEaD MorE

Chinese ProsPeriTy saladBy arWeN JOyCethrowing and eating yu sheng (or lo hei in Cantonese) is a Chinese New year tradition

unique to Singapore and Malaysia. this celebratory salad is piled up with shredded

veggies, raw salmon, and condiments like lime juice and crushed peanuts, all topped with

a sweet dressing. each layer and ingredient symbolizes prosperity in some way for the

New year.

rEaD MorE

eat HiGHliGHts


eThioPian Cooking sChoolBy KrIStIN ZIBellany visitor to ethiopia, or any ethiopian

restaurant, is familiar with the ubiquitous

injera. Made from the indigenous tej wheat,

this crepe is the plate, fork, and bread at

most ethiopian meals.

at the lalibela Cookery School in the

ancient capital of lalibela, ethiopia,

you will learn, on a wood-fired stove,

how to make injera and some of the

complementary lentil and chickpea curries

and sautéed vegetables served with it.

rEaD MorE

Bangkok’s Food sCene By Matt lONg

there is nothing quite like the world-

famous thai food experience in Bangkok

itself. While an emerging middle class

has led to an influx of new, experimental

restaurants, my favorite foods aren’t found

on menus, but on the streets of the city

itself. Walk a few blocks in any direction

and you will begin to notice small stands,

often marked with an umbrella to keep

out the afternoon sun, offering simple but

delicious meals on the go.

rEaD MorE

eat HiGHliGHts

BuTTer MuseuM in Cork, ireland By FlaSH ParKeradmit it. Come on. you saw butter museum in the title and you giggled. then you made

a promise to yourself to visit this place the next time you’re in Ireland.

It’s all in good fun, and the museum is housed in a beautiful building in Old Cork, so it’s

worth checking out on those merits alone. and you know you want to tell your friends

you visited the Butter Museum in Ireland. you know you do.

rEaD MorE

AC Santo Mauro, Autograph Collection®, Madrid, SpainMarriott Rewards Category 6

* Purchase and balance transfer APR is 15.24% variable. Cash advances and overdraft advances APR is 19.24% variable. Penalty APR of 29.99% variable. Variable APRs change with the market based on the Prime Rate, which was 3.25% on 03/21/13. Annual fee: $0 introductory fee the first year. After that, $85. Minimum Interest Charge: None. Balance Transfer Fee: 3% of the amount of each transaction, but not less than $5. Note: This account may not be eligible for balance transfers. Cash Advance Fee: 4% of the amount of each advance, but not less than $10. Foreign Transaction Fee: None. Credit cards are issued by Chase Bank USA, N.A. Subject to credit approval. To obtain additional information on the current terms and information on any changes to these terms after the date above, please call 1-888-623-7829 or visit www.MarriottPremier.com. You must have a valid permanent home address within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. Restrictions and limitations apply. See www.MarriottPremier.com for pricing and rewards details. Marriott Rewards points needed for a standard reward free night stay range from 7,500 points for Category 1 hotels to 45,000 points for Category 9 hotels. Refer to MarriottRewards.com for all reward redemption values. © 2013 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved.

2 POINTS PER $1 SPENT AT RESTAURANTS, CAR RENTAL AGENCIES, AND ON AIRLINE TICKETS PURCHASED DIRECTLY WITH THE AIRLINE

5 POINTS PER $1 SPENT AT MARRIOTT® LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE

1 POINT PER $1 SPENT ON ALL OTHER PURCHASES

Start with 50,000 Marriott Rewards® Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in 3 months after account opening. Apply now for the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card from Chase and pay $0 introductory annual fee for the first year; thereafter $85.*MarriottPremier.com 1-888-623-STAY Offer Code 3TH

SATISFY YOUR CRAVING FOR A GETAWAY


DrinK

Along Russia’s kamenka River, the

medieval township of Suzdal draws

weekenders from moscow, about 130

miles southwest, to its opulent, onion-

domed Orthodox churches and well-

preserved monasteries. But muscovites

also visit to experience Suzdal’s other

treasure: mead.

Russian mead, or medovukha, is a blend

of fermented honey and yeast and has

the approximate alcohol content of

wine. Additional ingredients make the

mead sour (lime), sweet (extra honey),

spicy (pepper), or bitter (pine-tree

buds). Sample Suzdal’s best at the Zal

Degustatsii medovukhi (mead Tasting

hall), wedged behind the shops off the

central Torgovaya (Trading) Square.

Inside, the walls and arched ceilings are

MeDieval russia, witH extra MeaDpainted with ornate flowers and vines,

and waitresses in embroidered aprons

serve stacked trays of mead in small clay

cups. Join customers on wooden benches

toasting with a hearty “Budem zdorovy!”

(Let’s be healthy!).

Then, stroll (or wobble) through

neighborhoods of delicately latticed

wooden homes and dozens of churches

and monasteries scattered across Suzdal,

some reconsecrated as active centers

of worship and refurbished to their

original glory. walk a half-mile north

from Torgovaya Square to the Savior

monastery of Saint euthymius to see the

16th-century seven-domed Cathedral

of the Transfiguration of the Savior.

There, brilliantly colored frescos provide

the setting for virtuoso bell-ringing AF

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performances. On weekends, a cappella

choral music echoes throughout the

building.

As you walk around the town, look for

Russian babushkas (grandmothers) in

head scarves selling homemade mead

from folding tables. They smile, point, and

market the merits of the cloudy brews

contained in an assortment of stubby

brown bottles. you can purchase one for

less than $5.

At the end of the day, relax on a park

bench on the bluff behind the square, sip

your Suzdal-made mead, and gaze over

the kamenka River toward golden domes

sparkling in the fading light. —Bill Fink


CoFFee wiTh a hearT in JaPanBy arWeN JOyCea super-talented barista in Cafe Ponte

near Hiroshima Peace Park inscribed a

message of peace and love on my morning

latte. For the last 67 years the city of

Hiroshima has devoted itself to the causes

of peace and nuclear non-proliferation.

rEaD MorE

DrinK HiGHliGHts

Pourhouse in VanCouVerBy SavaNNaH OlSeN (aFar)they serve comfort dishes here, but the simplicity is deceptive. the burger, for

instance, is made from bacon, brisket, and chuck. Cocktails are an experience: Order

absinthe and they will bring out the proper bohemian barware so you can party like it’s

1889.

rEaD MorE

drink oF The PiraTes in CuBaBy SUe MaNUelWith the U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba

recently relaxed, I was able to realize a

lifelong dream and visit that enchanting

tropical isle under an official educational

license for “people to people” travel. In

between the fascinating meetings with

locals and the exhilarating live music

and the walking tours of colorful colonial

neighborhoods, I was also on a mission to

decide who made the best mojito in Cuba.

rEaD MorE


nyC’s BesT: eMPloyees onlyBy MaggIe BaCHthis West village “speakeasy” was a great choice for celebrating a 30th birthday. Hidden

behind a neon psychic sign and very intimidating bouncer, they have an impressive

creative cocktail list. I recommend the West Side and the ginger Smash. although the

menu is limited, the Bone Marrow Poppers and Oriecchiette pasta were excellent.

rEaD MorE

hawking horChaTaBy KarOlyNe ellaCOttFound in stalls plotted roadside and lining market streets, horchata is a staple of Salvadoran cuisine.

elsewhere in Central america, the sweet beverage is often built from a ground rice or sesame seed base,

however the Salvadoran version is usually crafted from morro seeds. Certainly my top beverage, the only

complaint I have is that it disappears far too quickly...

rEaD MorE

DrinK HiGHliGHts


Do

“elbows out, twist your hands, hold

your posture, feel the rhythm . . . feel

the rhythm,” Christine Lian told herself.

She was in a flamenco lesson in Spain,

trying to master the steps of this fluid,

dramatic dance. “my biggest challenge

was grasping the beat,” she says. Christine

had taken classes for more than a year

in Tampa, Fla., but she wanted a deeper

understanding. So she traveled with two

friends to study at Taller Flamenco in

Sevilla, the capital of southern Spain’s

Andalusia region, where the Roma people

(Gypsies) are said to have created the art

form hundreds of years ago.

every morning for five days, Christine

spent two hours in a technique class at

the school. Along with six classmates, she

would warm up, then work on posture,

head movements, and when to snap,

spanisH stepsstomp, and pause. “To help us catch

the rhythm, the teacher, Lourdes Recio,

would play the same song over and over,

and beat time on the drum. She’d often

show us the move herself—she made it

look easy,” Christine recalls. Then it was

time for private Spanish lessons with

tutor Carmela Gordillo. “we’d sit for two

hours and talk about our lives and the

status of the world. ¿Cómo se dice ‘global

warming’?”

Later, Christine and her friends explored

the cobblestone streets and moorish

architecture of Sevilla. They shopped for

flamenco skirts, sturdy leather dancing

shoes, and the fabric flowers dancers

pin in their hair. “One day we walked

into a department store where there

were thousands of dresses for sale,” says

Christine. “we were in flamenco heaven.”

On several evenings the group joined

crowds of tourists and Sevillanos at

professional flamenco shows. “I felt

very inspired that this was the capital of

flamenco, and the locals loved it as much

as I did,” she says. Afterward, Christine and

her friends would sit down to a late dinner

of tapas: calamari, caracoles (snails), oxtail,

and other local specialties. Then the trio

would return to the modest but well-kept

flat of a Spanish family.

with each day the dancing got easier.

“I had to feel the beat of the song with

my heart,” says Christine. “At first I had

to close my eyes, but finally I felt it.” On

Friday, everything came together. “you’ve

got the balance, the coordination, the

hands, and the rhythm, and you’ve been

sweating over it,” she says. “But all of a

sudden your body is in sync.” —Kelly lack

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Tokyo urBan oasisBy KOKleONg tHaMa most gorgeous development is the t-Site—one can just hang out amid the hip crowd,

sip coffee, or take in lunch. the flagship tsutaya bookstore is here and it’s amazing. the

whole development is a really sumptuous urban oasis that feels like tokyo but does not

look like the built-up city that you may see most of the time.

rEaD MorE

seaside in sesTri leVanTeBy CHelSea CHrISteNSeNalong the northern coastline of Italy there is a place where the mountains touch the sea.

a place where the palm trees, pine trees, and cacti grow together in the mild climate.

a place where the aroma of the food is so robust that the Italians call it, “the fragrant

kitchen of Italy.” that place is liguria, famous for incredible seafood, pesto, focaccia,

monstrous yachts, celebrity sightings, dry white wines, and romantic sunsets.

rEaD MorE

Do HiGHliGHts


PanaMa’s CoMarCa kuna yala FisherMenBy lara DalINSKythe Comarca Kuna yala, also known as the

San Blas archipelago, is a remote group

of nearly 400 islands strung along the

Caribbean coast of northeastern Panama.

the Kuna yala are a semi-autonomous

Indian group who inhabit the area, and

most of their communities are only

accessible by boat or plane. During our

visit, it was not uncommon to see men

paddling or sailing around the islands,

searching for the best catch of the day.

rEaD MorE

Do HiGHliGHts

geTTing dizzy in TurkeyBy SHerry Ottthe Whirling Dervish lodge in Bursa puts

on a nightly spiritual performance that gets

you back to the basics of why the whirling

dervishes exist. this is no “show” for

tourists; this is a spiritual event and service.

you can see the utter devotion on these

men and boys’ faces—a true experience in

turkey!

rEaD MorE

TuluM ruins and BeaChesBy rey MaDOlOrathe Mayan ruins of tulum are already spectacular, but then you peak over the cliffs at

one of the most beautiful beaches you’ve ever seen! I guess there is no wonder as to why

the Mayans chose this spot for their city. Be sure to pack your swimsuit and some towels

(maybe some snacks) for your visit to the tulum ruins, because the beach below the ruins

is not to be missed.

rEaD MorE


sHop

Blame it on a u.S. president that a straw

hat made on the coast of ecuador is

known, erroneously, as a Panama hat. A

photo from the turn of the 20th century

showing Teddy Roosevelt (wearing said

hat) near the Panama Canal construction

site helped to create the misnomer.

The headwear actually originated in the

coastal town of montecristi, ecuador,

where some of the finest hats are still

produced today.

made of tightly woven straw-like toquilla

palm fibers, Panama hats, called

sombreros de paja toquilla in ecuador,

are light in weight and characterized by

ecuaDor, in Fino veritasa black band and wide brim. Today, their

quality ranges from cheap knockoffs

made in China to high-priced montecristi

finos, the hand-woven, hand-blocked

version from montecristi.

“These high-end hats are works of art,

not articles of clothing,” says Tom miller,

author of The Panama Hat Trail. “what’s

special about them is the craftsmanship,

the raw material that they start out with,

and the care that goes into weaving and

finishing the hats—it’s a whole process.”

For travelers interested in purchasing

a hat in ecuador, miller recommends

visiting one of the several high-end stores

in montecristi. In general, the tighter the

weave, the higher the quality. The weave

of finos is so tight—up to 50 strands per

square inch—that the hats take on the

texture of fine linen.

If a $5,000 price tag puts a montecristi

fino out of your reach, Panama hats made

with only 20 strands per square inch can

cost $500 and are still considered quite

good, just not quite so fino as fino.

—aaron Britt

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sHop HiGHliGHtswaTCh your silVerware! in JohannesBurgBy NINa DIetZelMeet the other Prince—a jewelry designer

who has his workshop at the Unity gallery,

inside the Bus Factory. Prince makes rings,

bracelets, necklaces and pendants out of...

silverware. We had a good laugh when I

told him I wouldn’t let him anywhere near

my kitchen! If you want to connect with

locals, the Bus Factory is a great place.

rEaD MorE

underground MarkeT By SUNDarI SWaMII was visiting the town of Santiago de

atitlán in guatemala and went to the town

market as part of this visit. It is a large and

bustling market, as most markets tend to

be, with portions that are both covered

and uncovered and above and below

ground. the market sells all sorts of goods

and has a highly interesting atmosphere.

rEaD MorE

niCe PeoPle aT Tegalalang MarkeTBy JayMS raMIreZa couple of hours from Kuta Beach (the main beach in Bali) there are a bunch of

beautiful villages and rice paddies with picturesque sunbeams shooting through the

clouds and intermittent rain cooling you down in the sultry humid air. I came along the

village of tegalalang, a small village known for its woodwork and bamboo art...

rEaD MorE


sHop HiGHliGHts

Plaid Pigeon, ausTin, TexasBy lara DalINSKyWe pulled up in our car to the normal-looking residential home and were surprised to

be greeted by a backyard full of playful plant art and a large greenhouse as we turned

the corner. the small company, run by a friendly couple, Ian and Megan, creates unique

terrariums, succulent arrangements, and planters.

the east austin Studio tour is held in November when local artist’s open their studios

and workshops to the public.

rEaD MorE

arTs & CraFTs in liMaBy JUlee K.When I decided to go to Peru, I knew there would be plenty of handicrafts to capture my

attention. vendors, all dressed in native costume, had spread out their goods and wares

all over the plaza area. On the periphery were vendors selling from stalls. each of the

stalls had a sign indicating where the vendor was from, so it was good place to begin to

learn about the crafts specialties of the various regions of Peru.

rEaD MorE


exceptional travel experiences 2013The MarrioTT rewards® PreMier CrediT Card FroM Chase

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