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AFAR travelers share the best in experiential travel, curated by our editors
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2013 exceptional travel experiences 22013 exceptional travel experiences 1
exceptional travel experiences 2013The MarrioTT rewards® PreMier CrediT Card FroM Chase
2013 exceptional travel experiences 42013 exceptional travel experiences 3
2013
contents
05
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eatDrinKDosHop
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
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.
NO FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEES*
FREE NIGHTS START AT 7,500 POINTS
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 3TN
ABSORB THE CULTURE
NOT THE FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEES
JW Marriott® Khao Lak Resort & Spa, ThailandMarriott Rewards® Category 5
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.
2013 exceptional travel experiences 6
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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2013 exceptional travel experiences 82013 exceptional travel experiences 7
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
2013 exceptional travel experiences 10
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
2013 exceptional travel experiences 14
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
AR
may
/Jun
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10, B
ill F
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p.18
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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
2013 exceptional travel experiences 15
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
2013 exceptional travel experiences 182013 exceptional travel experiences 17
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
2013 exceptional travel experiences 20
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
AF
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/Oct
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2013 exceptional travel experiences 222013 exceptional travel experiences 21
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
2013 exceptional travel experiences 24
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
2013 exceptional travel experiences 26
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
AF
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2013 exceptional travel experiences 27
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
2013 exceptional travel experiences 302013 exceptional travel experiences 29
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
2013 exceptional travel experiences 322013 exceptional travel experiences 31
exceptional travel experiences 2013The MarrioTT rewards® PreMier CrediT Card FroM Chase