101 places to see before you die

101 Places Every Traveler Should Know

Photo: Troy House

Life lists naturally stir up debates. For every Angkor Wat fan, another prefers Petra. After deliberating with our correspondents and tastemakers over the most memorable experiences, we’ve narrowed our list to 101 places. How many have you visited?

From November 2012 By Travel + Leisure Staff
United States and Canada
• Big Island, HI: Get a lomilomi massage at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
• Big Sur, CA: Stop along the Pacific Coast Highway at Redwood Grill
• British Columbia: Heli-ski over the Bugaboo Mountains
• Charleston, SC: Stroll the city’s private gardens
• Chicago: Tour architectural landmarks
• Churchill, Manitoba: Get face-to-face with polar bears
• Houston: Admire art at the Rothko Chapel
• Jackson Hole, WY: Go fly-fishing
• Las Vegas: Drive a Ferrari at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Los Angeles: Spend a night out celeb-spotting
• Maine: Devour the ultimate lobster roll at Clam Shack
• Miami: Learn to salsa at Hoy Como Ayer
• Montreal: Take a comfort food tour
• Na Pali coast, Kauai: Hike the Kalalau Trail
• Napa Valley, CA: Eat and play like a local
• New Orleans: Hear jazz at Preservation Hall
• New York City: Start a perfect day at MoMA and Casa Lever
• Salmon River, ID: Go whitewater rafting on the Middle Fork
• San Francisco: Slurp oysters at Hog Island Oyster Bar
• Sedona, AZ: Get a Reiki energy healing treatment at Mii Amo
• Utah: Drive from the San Juan Inn through Monument Valley
• Washington, D.C.: Immerse yourself in the Freer Gallery’s Peacock Room
• Yosemite National Park: Visit the sequoias in Mariposa Grove

FOR DETAILS ON THESE PLACES, SEE T+L’S BUCKET LIST SLIDESHOWS >
Europe
• Amsterdam: Explore the canals by night in a saloon boat
• Athens: View the Parthenon from the Grande Bretagne Hotel rooftop
• Barcelona: Go on a tapas crawl
• Belle-Île, France: Enjoy oysters at Le Bistrot du Port
• Berlin: Tap into the underground nightlife scene
• Budapest: Stay at the restored Four Seasons Gresham Palace
• Copenhagen: Browse contemporary design shops
• Florence: Tour the Vasari Corridor at the Uffizi
• Galway, Ireland: Pair oysters with Guinness at Moran’s Oyster Cottage
• Iceland: Marvel at the Northern Lights
• Isle of Skye, Scotland: Go for whisky tastings at Tallisker distillery
• Istanbul: Wander the Grand Bazaar
• London: Start with breakfast at the cabmen’s shelter on Pont Street
• Madrid: Visit the Black Paintings room at the Museo del Prado
• Moscow: Tour the Diamond Vaults within the Kremlin
• Paris: Snack on bread from Du Pain et Des Idees
• Peloponnese, Greece: Stay at the ultra-luxe Amanzoe
• Prague: Explore Prague’s historic center
• Rome: Buy a gelato at San Crispino
• Santorini, Greece: Lounge at Red Beach
• Sicily: See the mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale
• Siena, Italy: Attend the medieval-era Palio horse race
• Spain: Take an architecture-themed drive from Bilbao to Granada
• Stockholm: Visit the Vasa Museum
• Venice: Shop for glassware at L’Angolo del Passat
• Versailles, France: Explore Andre Le Notre’s gardens at Versailles
• Vienna: Attend a concert at the Musikverein

The Caribbean and the Bahamas
• British Virgin Islands: Hop the beach bars in a chartered sailboat
• Harbour Island, Bahamas: Walk the Pink Sand Beach
• St. Bart’s: Go to Shell Beach
• Turks & Caicos: Get an ayurveda-inspired treatment at Parrot Cay
• Vieques, Puerto Rico: Float in the bioluminescent Mosquito Bay

FOR DETAILS ON THESE PLACES, SEE T+L’S BUCKET LIST SLIDESHOWS >
Mexico and Central and South America
• Amazon cruise: Take an intimate river cruise
• Atacama Desert, Chile: Hike the salt flats and volcanoes
• Buenos Aires: Try a tango class
• Easter Island: See the mysterious statues
• Galápagos Islands: Spot Darwin’s finches and other wildlife
• Iguazú Falls, Brazil: Stay at Hotel das Cataratas by the thundering falls
• Machu Picchu: Enter the citadel as the Incas did through Sun Gate
• Mayan sites: Take an archaeologist-led tour
• Mexico City: See Diego Rivera’s murals at the Palacio Nacional
• Oaxaca, Mexico: Enjoy Slow Food dishes at La Biznaga
• Patagonia, Argentina: Admire the Perito Moreno Glacier
• Rio de Janeiro: Go on a helicopter ride over the city
• Salvador de Bahia, Brazil: Take in the festival atmosphere of Old Town

Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Antarctica
• Antarctica: Visit penguin rookeries
• Fiji: Stay at a private island resort
• Kimberley Coastline, Australia: Look forbreaching humpback whales
• Milford Sound, New Zealand: Explore the fjord by ferry
• Papua New Guinea: Meet villagers and watch ceremonies
• Sydney: People-watch at Bondi Beach

Asia
• Angkor, Cambodia: Ditch the crowds at Preah Kahn temple
• Bali, Indonesia: Get a lulur scrub at Amanusa
• Beijing: Explore by foot, bicycle, and rickshaw
• Fatehpur Sikri, India: Admire the former Moghul capital
• Hanoi, Vietnam: Stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake
• Hong Kong: Soak in views from rooftop hotel bars
• Huangzhou, China: Dine at visionary restaurant Dragon Wel
• Koh Samui, Thailand: Get a treatment at Kamalaya wellness retreat
• Kyoto, Japan: Visit Tawaraya, a 300-year-old ryokan
• Rajasthan, India: Sleep on a sand dune under the stars
• Singapore: Eat at Maxwell Road Hawker Center
• Sri Lanka: Sample beaches and colonial architecture
• Sumba Island, Indonesia: Go to surf camp at Nihiwatu
• Tokyo: See the tuna auction at Tsukiji Fish Market
• Yangtze River, China: Cruise from Beijing to Shanghai

FOR DETAILS ON THESE PLACES, SEE T+L’S BUCKET LIST SLIDESHOWS >
Africa and the Middle East
• Cape Town: Savor Constantia, a wine region within city limits
• Dubai: Go over-the-top with a stay at One&Only The Palm resort
• Egypt: Take a Nile cruise
• Fez, Morocco: Step back in time in the ancient walled medina
• Jerusalem: Visit the Holocaust museum at Yad Vashem
• Kenya: Stay among the Masai at Campi Ya Kanzi
• Knysna, South Africa: Eat oysters at 34 South restaurant
• Namibia: Go on a desert safari along the Skeleton Coast
• Oman: Stay at the Six Senses Zighy Bay
• Petra, Jordan: Marvel at the ancient hard-carved site
• Serengeti: Learn to take wildlife photography on safari
• Seychelles: Lounge on Anse Source d’Argent beach

Wynn Resort Las Vegas

The Wynn is a beautiful hotel designed to “wow” you. Floral arrangements everywhere…it is spectacular. The shopping esplanade is also one of the best among the Las Vegas resorts.

Also,  The Buffet at the hotel is a MUST-TRY!

Voted “Best Buffet in Las Vegas” by the Las Vegas Review Journal,
you can indulge at 16 live-action cooking stations from all around the world!

Enjoy!

xxx

R

 

Taste of London 2012

What better to celebrate the end of a week than Taste of London! Right after classes on Friday at 1:00 pm, me and my Indonesian friend headed over to Regent’s Park to join the crowd for the annual food festival. Taste of London brings together not just the best restaurants and food and wine suppliers, but a line-up of innovative and interactive programmes on cooking and eating.If you missed out this year, you should definitely make a visit in 2013!

Enjoy!

xxx

R

London Bucket List for Summer 2012

Since I am in London for the summer, I thought of writing down all the things I want to do before I leave. London Summer 2012!

Feel free to comment! and let me know if there is anything else I should add to my list. 🙂

1. Take a tour by the Beefeaters at the Tower of London

2. Go to a London pub

3. Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s

4. Eat lunch at Sotheby’s

5. Attend one of the games at the Summer Olympics

6. Spend the Saturday morning at the Portobello Market

7. Successfully navigate the London tube station

 

8. Visit the Westminster Abby

9. Ride in the red doubledecker london bus

10. See a musical

 

11. Observe the Changing of the Guard at the Buckingham Palace

12. See the Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross Station

13. Have a picnic in Hyde Park

14. See the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Park

15. Visit the Louboutin Exhibition at the Design Museum

16. Take the Jack the Ripper Tour

17. London Symphany Orchestra

18. Eat Fish & Chips

 

19. Damien Hurst exhibition at the Tate Modern

20. Cross the Intersection of Abbey Road

21. Ride the London Eye at night

22. Visit the St. Paul’s Cathedral

23. Go inside the Big Ben Tower

24. Shop at Harrod’s

25. Take a picture in the red telephone booth

26. Dorchester High Tea

27. Go to every major macaroon patisserie

28. Canoe in the Thames

29. See the London Royal Ballet

Venetian Resort: Las Vegas

What better than Sin City for a post-grad trip?! The last time I was in Vegas, I was barely 17 and therefore, sin city was not so sinful. This time around, we stayed at the beautiful Venetian Resort on the Las Vegas boulevard strip. First let me say that I do not gamble, so I can’t comment on that aspect of the Venetian but everything else was awesome! The gondola rides, the beautiful Venetian decor, the swimming pool, the remake of the St.Marks square, the concierge, the dining options, the list goes on and on!

Once you finally leave the resort complex you find the hotel is well located on the strip. It is opposite Treasure Island Casino Resort and just a short walk from Caesar’s Palace Resort and all the other major resorts of the strip.

xxx

R

A Trip to Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET)

New York, it definitely puts a spell on you.

If I had to choose a favorite city in continental USA, it would definitely be NYC. The energy, the street lights, the commotion, the culture and the food, it just takes your breath away. I go to New York every couple of months since it was so close to Baltimore, where I went to university for three years, and i could never get enough of it. The shopping was the best and you always discover something new.

I was with my family this last trip to New York and as usual, all they wanted to do was go shopping but I really really wanted to go see the Prada and Schiaparelli Exhibition (Impossible Conversations) and finally convinced my mom to go with me. As usual, the Met doesn’t disappoint. Photography was strictly forbidden inside the exhibition so I only managed to take a couple of shots. The ballgowns were breathtaking and I highly encourage everyone in NYC to go visit before the exhibition is over on August 19th, so just a little over two months.

The exhibition explores the striking affinities between Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, two Italian designers from different eras. Inspired by Miguel Covarrubias’s “Impossible Interviews” for Vanity Fair in the 1930s, the exhibition features orchestrated conversations between these iconic women to suggest new readings of their most innovative work. Iconic ensembles are presented with videos of simulated conversations between Schiaparelli and Prada directed by Baz Luhrmann, focusing on how both women explore similar themes in their work through very different approaches.

Another thing I like to do whenever I go to a museum is to go to the Southeast Asian section see if they have any artifacts or sculptures from Myanmar, my home country. I’m always surprised by all the beautiful buddhist sculptures that they have managed to uncover and transport thousands of miles away to be showcased in all these prominent museums.

Enjoy. xxx

R