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October 2019

A fabulous waterfront hotel. One of the world’s great cities. And amazing nature close at hand, including tiny, adorable penguins. Cape Town is one of the world’s most amazing cities; a place that truly does offer something for travellers of every style and every age. I recently spent three nights and days in the area, thanks to the folks at Goway Travel, and was overwhelmed by the variety of experiences and the vibrancy of the city. I was able to bed down for three nights at the posh Victoria and Alfred Hotel, which is located on the bustling V and Read more

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One of the coolest spaces in Toronto. And some of the best food in the city. If you haven’t been to Chotto Matte in the heart of downtown Toronto (Yonge and Front, inside the gorgeous Brookfield Place), you’re missing a terrific dining and sensory experience; one that doesn’t feel like anything else I’ve seen in the city. Step inside and you’re immediately surrounded by a wildly colourful interior that features what looks like a waving banner and a very cool bar. It feels to me like a bold marriage between South Beach and Shanghai. Which kinda makes sense, as Chotto Read more

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This story appeared on Sunday, Oct. 13 in the Los Angeles Times travel section, which requires a subscription to read. I’m providing a link to the story here but also printing the story on my own site for ease of reading. Here’s the LA Times link: https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2019-10-12/ On Lana’i, they’re putting the finishing touches on a multimillion-dollar remake of the old Four Seasons Lodge at Koele, which is being turned into a sumptuous spa and wellness retreat and is set to open November 1st. Its sister hotel, Four Seasons Lana’i, has rooms that start at about $1,000 USD a night. Read more

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RICE LAKE AND ENVIRONS, ONTARIO – A deep-in-the-woods garden with hundreds of Zimbabwean stone sculptures. A new winery run by a young couple who refused to let naysayers ruin their dream. Maybe the best butter tarts in the country. And a great family resort on a beautiful stretch of water. I live in Toronto and have been writing travel stories full-time for 11 years, but I’d somehow never made it to the area around Rice Lake until a recent, late-summer weekend. What I found was a surprisingly diverse array of attractions run by wonderful, passionate people with the kind of Read more

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