Conde Nast Traveler April 2019

IN INDIA RECENTLY I gave a man a word. His name was Balveez, and he worked for the bus company whose services we were using to get from Udaipur airport to the city. Balveez, with his very definite side part—as if his hair was having an unresolvable argument—said he would like one day to return to his farm and work the land alongside buffalo, cows, and goats. He planned to open a camp there so visitors from all over the world could come and stay with him and see how he and his family live. Until then, he is making money shuttling guests to and fro and is keen to improve his English. I could feel, even though he was sitting two rows away, that his head was turned entirely…

MICHAEL KORS “IN THE HAMPTONS, YOU’LL FIND GORGEOUS THROWS AND PILLOWS AT HOMENATURE IN SOUTHAMPTON, AND TIINA THE STORE IN AMAGANSETT HAS AMAZING DESIGN ACCESSORIES.” SIMONE ROCHA “I love Tokyo’s energy and the little side streets with their old shop fronts. You can get brilliant functional household pieces in Tokyu Hands; I buy Japanese knives from Aritsugu; and Daikanyama Tsutaya is great for new and old photo books.” YOTAM OTTOLENGHI “The market in the Old City of Akko in Israel sells everything from teapots to the most delicious hummus. With its ancient buildings and salty sea air, it’s like stepping back in time.” BELLA HADID “ONE OF MY FAVORITE SPOTS IN ROME IS THE MERCATO MONTI FOR ONE-OFF VINTAGE CLOTHES.” FOR MORE TIPS FROM OUR EXPERTS ON THEIR BEST-KEPT SHOPPING SECRETS AROUND THE GLOBE, CHECK OUT THE BLUE…

The Gulf of Chiriqui, off of Panama’s Pacific coast, has always been a draw for hard-core divers and sport fishermen. It’s one of the few places on earth that still feel “unexpected” in the truest sense, with dense rain forests and deep blue waters filled with wildlife. In the past year, two sustainably minded micro-resorts have brought serious luxury to the area, all while trying to leave as few footprints as possible on the surrounding environment. Isla Palenque (shown) sits at the tip of an island just off the mainland town of Boca Chica, where guests have their run of a 400-acre untamed jungle and seven beaches. The entire hotel is made up of eight casitas and a villa that sleeps 14, with rooms opening up onto their own private…

In a city once awash in conservative navy pinstriped suits and white-linen-tablecloth restaurants, a wave of international tastemakers has woken up everything from restaurants to nightlife, and even its hotels. In April, the blossoming cherry trees gifted by Japan paint the National Mall creamy pink and the spring sunshine means you can walk everywhere, from the monuments over to The Wharf, the city’s refurbished southwest waterfront. That’s where to find the fine-dining Spanish restaurant Del Mar, by James Beard Award–winning chef Fabio Trabocchi, and the casual Italian Officina, by Nicholas Stefanelli (stick around for a nightcap at its hidden Salotto). It’s also home to Anthem, a David Rockwell–designed music venue from the same people behind D.C.’s legendary 9:30 club—if here for the Kenny Chesney show later this month, stop into…

Chengdu’s tourist lure has traditionally centered on two clichés: hot pot and giant pandas (the largest captive population in the world is in the Sichuan capital). Yet this is exactly where to also glimpse New China. Its residents have a reputation for being both laid back and cosmopolitan—it was on the Silk Road, after all, and became China’s western commerce hub. An added asset: the location, more than 1,000 miles from the prying eyes of Beijing, has afforded it an unlikely autonomy. For example, in a country where the LGBTQ population is often invisible, Chengdu is a rare, rainbow-colored exception. Come here to experience the cutting edge of contemporary Chinese culture and the city’s indie boutiques, like the months-old Kerry RC, which are more adventurous than their coastal counterparts. Several…

Probably the most holistic adventure-wellness setup in the country right now, Blackberry Mountain looks set to make the same heavyweight game-changing impact on the spa scene as its sister property, Blackberry Farm, did for feasting weekenders. “We’d been gazing at that mountain for years,” says Mary Celeste Beall. “It’s the first big peak you see from the porch at the Farm,” her family’s epicurean retreat in the foothills of Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains. Beall recounts the long, winding road to creating Blackberry Mountain: When the property came up for sale—eight square miles of steep, rugged wilderness, from lush rhododendron forests at the base to a wind-scarred rocky summit—the Bealls scooped it up. They set aside half the land for conservation. It took a decade to transform the remainder into a…