Conde Nast Traveler December 2022

I AGED OUT of regular late-night carousing a long time ago. But more than once this summer, my travels took me down a path to an after-hours party, and for that I found myself unexpectedly grateful. Parties have been hard to come by these past few years, and if you have an opportunity to go to a good one—whether planned or impromptu—don’t take it lightly. The first time I saw 3 a.m. by choice in as long as I can remember, I was aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, a ship that seems purpose-built for giving a diverse collection of strangers everything they need to have a good time together, on the open seas somewhere between the Bahamas and the Keys. A long, laugh-filled group dinner at Pink Agave, the ship’s upscale…

The green hills around Khao Yai, Thailand’s oldest and third-largest national park, have long been a rural tonic for Bangkokians. Wealthy weekenders from the capital make the two-and-a-half-hour drive northeast to their country’s answer to the Catskills, where they mingle during Shiraz tastings at a handful of vineyards that unfurl between the area’s undulating organic farms. Those without second homes here, however, have treated the area mostly as a gateway to the park: a rest stop to fuel up on spicy som tam or to grab an espresso before heading out on jeep safaris and treks through the jungle in the company of gibbons, hornbills, and wild elephants. Overnight options were mostly limited to clean but spartan lodges near the park entrance. This has changed with a collection of new and…

Hewn from the pinkish sandstone bedrock beneath Sydney, the neoclassical edifice that houses the Art Gallery of New South Wales was built to project the values of the British Empire. Now, 150 years later, a major redevelopment and expansion of the site, christened the Sydney Modern Project, boldly asserts a different vision: one that integrates the visual culture of the very people the empire once sought to obliterate. The most significant change is an extension, a gleaming standalone structure that opens this month beside the original building. Designed by the Japanese architecture firm SANAA, it nearly doubles the museum’s footprint. Among the major beneficiaries of the extra space is the Yiribana Gallery, which displays Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks: Once relegated to a terminal spot in the old wing, it’s…

In bohemian La Floresta, a walkable, mural-filled neighborhood lined with leafy walnut trees, Quito’s culturati have banded together to preserve the barrio’s small businesses. Working out of midcentury villas–cum–artist studios, stores, and restaurants, they’re trying to keep big-box chains out and congestion at a minimum. Spearheading the effort is Amira Pérez, a graphic artist, community activist, and owner of La Farmacia, a concept boutique that sells a wide variety of La Floresta–based designers’ work. She has created pop-up shopping fairs, a neighborhood map (available at most shops in the barrio for free), and now a brand-new app, De La Floresta, highlighting more than 60 businesses in the area to help Quiteños and travelers alike discover all that La Floresta has to offer. Here are a handful of Pérez’s favorites to…

USANGU EXPEDITION CAMP Ruaha National Park, Tanzania Unlike the busy Serengeti, Ruaha—Tanzania’s second-biggest park—has just 12 camps, including Usangu Wetlands, Asilia’s newest outpost in the park’s far south. Until recently, poachers roamed the area, and unregulated rice farms on the park’s perimeter diverted water from the Ruaha River. Conservationists hope this camp will halt the destruction, and they’re counting on Usangu guests for help. Safari-goers assist guides with research: The camp’s Land Rovers, which have been converted to run on ethanol, are fitted with technology to feed data back to the camp’s research center: telemetry systems to track collared cats, GPS radios to pinpoint sightings, and thermal night cameras to spot nocturnal creatures. When not helping out, guests relax in solar-powered lodging overlooking the plains. Come nightfall, the adventure continues—each room has…

GREEN DESIGN When it opened in 2010, Gågrøn (Go Green) put the once-dodgy stretch of Jægersborggade on the map with its smartly produced homewares and cleverly designed beauty supplies. Today the shop remains a haven of eco-conscious everyday products, like disposable plates made from biodegradable palm leaves. Nearby, B Corp–certified concept store Res-Res carries only responsibly minded brands—including Nørrebro’s own Kintobe, whose popular bum bags are produced from recycled materials. gagron.dk; res-res.com SCRAP-MADE PASTRIES Among the best of a new breed of forward-thinking bakeries in the city is Collective Bakery, from local roasters Coffee Collective. The gourmet patisserie is committed to reinventing—and elevating—what would normally be discarded: Treats like the best-selling lemon wave are made from leftover croissant-dough trimmings, while unsold breads are repurposed in hardy rolls. Visitors can also get free sourdough…