Conde Nast Traveler April 2023

AFTER A FEW UNHAPPY YEARS of border closures and restrictions, travelers could have been forgiven for trying to make up for lost time by checking off as many bucket-list destinations as they could, as quickly as they could. The rather ugly term revenge travel did enter the lexicon, but many trip takers refused to take the bait, choosing to go deeper rather than just skim the surface; to get to know more of a single country instead of ticking off five in one go; to treat travel as a search for understanding, not as a trophy hunt. What brought about this remarkable shift? It’s due in part to the changing nature of work, which has allowed people—especially people of means—to structure their lives differently. But in my view an even bigger…

For years, Mérida was seen less as a destination in its own right and more as a way station en route to Mayan temples nearby. But during the aughts, influential creatives began to discover the abundant, ornate, affordable 19th-century haciendas along its wide boulevards and put down roots: The Cuban American artist Jorge Pardo bought and restored a dilapidated mansion; in 2010, the Italian designer Francesca Bonato and the Argentina-born model Nicolas Malleville opened an outpost of their chic Tulum-based perfumery and micro-hotel Coqui Coqui in the center of town. Now Mérida is experiencing a second wave as more and more artists, entrepreneurs, and aesthetes choose to call it home. “There’s a new energy,” says José García Torres, a curator widely known throughout Mexico. “A lot of interesting people are coming…

You know Danny Trejo from tough-guy roles like Machete in the Spy Kids franchise, but off-screen you’re most likely to catch the LA-born Mexican American actor bent over a plate of tacos at an old-school restaurant, his infectious laugh crackling through the air. “I’m always eating good food,” Trejo says. His mother’s and grandmother’s cooking may have had something to do with it: “If you brought a store-bought tortilla into my grandma’s house, she would not talk to you.” In recent years, he has built on his fame, family heritage, and infallible taste buds with a string of seven restaurants—including Trejo’s Tacos and Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts—and a foray into cookbooks, the second of which, Trejo’s Cantina: Cocktail, Snacks & Amazing Non-Alcoholic Drinks from the Heart of Hollywood ($28, Clarkson…

QUIRKY KEEPSAKES Cairo-born entrepreneur Ahmed Hefnawy has a keen eye for the more offeat details of his hometown. At Cairopolitan, his concept store and art gallery in the Garden City district, he translates those observations into tongue-in-cheek souvenirs: canvas pencil cases masquerading as baladi flatbreads or copper-plated 10-qirsh coins (Egyptian pennies) blown up to the size of cocktail coasters. Peek into the gallery space next door for rotating exhibitions by homegrown designers and artists. cairopolitan.com CLEVER CREATIVES Also in Garden City: the showroom of Byhand African Artisans, where husband-and-wife designer duo Henrik Georg and Ellen Simonia have married their minimalist Scandinavian sensibilities with a passion for Egyptian and Kenyan craftsmanship. Standouts include candle-holders of rough-polished alabaster and salt stone and a multicolored collection of throws with embroidery by Berber women from the Siwa…

Even with the world on pause, Copenhagen kept busy. Now it’s ready to seduce travelers anew. Noma may be closing next year, but a group of young chefs is writing the next chapter of the New Nordic Food Mani-festo. Cutting-edge design, always a draw here, is more prevalent than ever with the reopening last year of architect Kaare Klint’s Designmuseum Danmark; this year, the city is the UNESCO World Capital of Architecture, with events themed around sustainability. Emerging neighborhoods are easier than ever to explore via Copenhagen’s world-class biking infrastructure and steadily expanding metro system, while the much-anticipated summer opening of the Opera Park will add to the buzzy waterfront. Its 19th-century-style gardens and walking paths will be a perfect counterpoint to the glass and limestone of the Royal Danish…

From Kanalhuset, a canalside home turned apartment hotel, to The Darling, a design-forward guesthouse, accommodations here have never been more diverse or visually interesting. The most exciting new player is Villa Canada, a stately five-room, two-suite rental in Østerbro. Built in 1918 and designed by architect Albert Oppenheim, it was formerly the residence of Canadian ambassadors. Inside, original details like decorated ceilings and hand-painted wallpaper have been left intact, but there are also modern creature comforts like heated bathroom floors and an elevator. Expect the level of service you’d get from your favorite hotel, along with meals prepared by chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants like Alouette’s Nick Curtin and a 1,100-bottle wine cellar. A long soak in the gilded bathtub is encouraged. From $13,995 per night; villacanada.dk SEE THE SEA Copenhageners use their…