Hotel Los Arcos

Built in 1572 the Hotel Los Arcos is a jewel of the Mexican colonial architecture.

Located in Taxco Guerrero (Mexico) their guests enjoy the magnificent Spanish-style courtyard, XVI Century corridors, and framed arches.

Hicksville Trailer Palace

Built by Los Angeles writer and director Morgan Higby Night, Hicksville was opened in April 2010 as a retreat for artists of any medium to get away and have a safe place to create & collaborate.

The motel came into existence as Morgan realized that people from any occupation or background might appreciate a place to go relax and enjoy the magic that is in and around Joshua Tree.

Each trailer has air & heat. They have a BBQ area you can use and Bistro area with a microwave, dishes, toaster as well. They have an indoor and outdoor shower. The bathroom is shared by all the small trailers. The New World & Sideshow have full baths.

Beauty & Essex Lounge

It might look like a dingy pawnshop on the outside, but this New York City storefront is hiding a grand secret. Hidden behind the wall covered in second-hand guitars, cases of antique jewelry, and moth eaten rugs, is one of the busiest bars on the lower east side. Beauty & Essex Lounge opened in 2011 behind the well staged 'Queen Pawn' facade. Its shabby blinking marquee and well-worn checkered floors have fooled more than one person, but it certainly hasn't stopped Beauty & Essex from becoming one of the most visited nightspots in all of the city. And if you can get past the shady-looking exterior, you'll know why. Once inside, you're surrounded by New York glamour at its best. Guests are taken through a door at the back of the pawnshop, and up an elaborate winding staircase and into a dining area lit with candles and an dramatic sky light in the center of the room. The entire restaurant has a mysterious feel, as if you've stumbled across a secret society in the middle of the city. Heck, they even have a woman in the bathroom pouring glasses of champagne for the ladies touching up their lipstick.

Tyn Yr Wtra

Built in 1630, Tyn Yr Wtra – which translated means ‘the house up the narrow lane' – started life as a major farmhouse – and has been transformed into a beautiful holiday home. And in keeping with its history, the characterful four-bedroom property, which is classically black and white timber-framed outside, inside boasts original exposed oak beams and doors as well as a stunning inglenook fireplace. The large rustic kitchen offers incredible views of seemingly never-ending lush countryside, and there’s a large lounge area perfect for post-walk naps. Also downstairs are a conservatory and a bedroom – both of which used to make up the old farmhouse dairy. And there are three large bedrooms upstairs – with picturesque vistas from the windows – as well as one en suite and a separate bathroom. For green-fingered guests, the beautiful surrounding gardens and orchard are filled with colourful flowers and trees bearing fruits such as apples and pears, and there are also strawberries, mulberries and blackcurrants.

While bird watches might be able to see osprey, tawny owls, bats, redstarts, red-legged partridges, kites, swallows, woodpeckers, tree creepers, and lots of pheasants. Owners Ben Carpenter and Sarah Whitley, have made the cottage, which is accessible only by a winding private country lane, as eco-friendly as possible in a bid to allow guests to go live ‘off-grid’. In addition to solar hot water panels, the couple have added solar panels on the barn roof, replaced all oil burners with wood-burners, installed a central heating system that can run from the wood-burners, and fitted filters so the water from the on-site spring can be swigged and bathed in. Although there is wifi available so you don’t have to go completely ‘off-grid’ from the rest of the world.

Algarve

The Algarve is Portugal’s premier holiday destination, with pretty beaches, brash resorts and picturesque whitewashed towns that flood with foreigners when summer arrives. While the party atmosphere isn’t for everyone, the setting is undeniably beautiful: breathtaking cliffs, wide golden sands, natural bays, scalloped beaches and long sandy islands with waves lapping at the shore. Outside the touristy enclaves, there are quiet castle towns, flower-covered hillsides and enchanting stretches of shoreline still untouched by development.

The towns themselves aren’t as varied as the coastline, but still offer a wide range of personalities. Lagos, with its cobbled streets, young crowd and abundant nightlife, is the carnival queen of the Algarve. Monchique is a quaint town with fine views over the steep wooded countryside. Tavira, set along a peaceful river, remains elegant and laid-back, with a history dating back to the Romans. The capital of the region, Faro, has a more Portuguese feel than some, and a fascinating medieval quarter. Out on the rugged west coast, small, charming towns like Sagres and Carrapateira attract a surf-loving crowd, while cliffside Albufeira sees a wider mix of travellers.

If you’re not keen on crowds and high-season prices, avoid coming from July to mid-September. This is when most Portuguese and other Europeans take their holidays: spring and autumn are lovely alternatives (though the water will be a bit nippy).

Bambu Indah Hotel

Forget stained carpets, or cold marble floors, a vibrant blue pond ripples beneath the feet of guests at one rustic retreat in Bali. Holidaymakers wake up to a stunning underwater panorama in one of the most unique sleeping quarters in the world, in the Udang 'shrimp' House at Bambu Indah hotel in Bali.
But visitors mustn't be shy if they want to stay in the eco-friendly bolt-hole, as there is an abundance of fish swimming under the room - and perhaps peering up through the tempered glass floor. The room also boasts an open-air shower so guests can truly feel at one with nature.

They transformed the century old homes into guest houses using inspiration from the history of Indonesia, while adding the luxury and service of a boutique hotel. Bambu Indah, which means beautiful bamboo in Balinese, is minutes downriver from the town of Ubud, located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the central foothills of the Gianyar regency. The intimate hotel looks out at the stunning cascades of the Ayung River, a Hindu temple and multiple volcanic ridges surrounding Mount Batu Kau. Guests are led via stone paths from the bamboo-encased reception area to their special one-room cottages made of hand-carved teak.

Ali Barbour's Cave

Would you prefer a table in your own corner of an ancient cave or a spot under the stars? That's the choice for diners at one of Kenya's most romantic restaurants, set in a cavern that is hundreds of thousands of years old. The candle-lit cave is made up of a series of interlinking chambers, creating romantic nooks and crannies, with an open patio so diners can also opt to eat under the stars.

Situated 30km south of Mombasa, the cave was converted into a restaurant 33 years ago by husband and wife, George & Jackie Barbour. Rather appropriately named Ali Barbour's Cave, the restaurant welcomes up to 80 guests a night for the unique dining experience.

The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum

While Honolulu’s Bishop museum features several different exhibits ranging from Earth science to art, what really makes this museum unique is its collection of items of importance from the Hawai’ian people and their culture, which is unparalleled, and visiting the Bishop Museum means you are in Hawai’i, which is pretty excellent.

The Mission Inn

The Mission Inn, now known as The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, is a historic landmark hotel in downtown Riverside, California. Although a composite of many architectural styles, it is generally considered the largest Mission Revival Style building in the United States. Mission Inn Hotel & Spa is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Quinta da Regaleira

Quinta da Regaleira is an estate located near the historic center of Sintra, Portugal. It is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO within the "Cultural Landscape of Sintra". Along with other palaces in this area (such as the Pena, Monserrate and Seteais palaces), it is one of the principal tourist attractions of Sintra. It consists of a romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious park featuring lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions. The palace is also known as "Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire", from the nickname of its first owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro.

The initiation Wells (or initiatic wells or inverted towers) are two wells, a larger one and a smaller one, that descend into the ground like underground towers lined with stairs. These wells do not serve as water sources, but were purely recreational, serving in Tarot initiation rites. The tunnels described above connect these wells to each other and to various caves or monuments around the park. Of the two wells, the larger one contains a 27 meter spiral staircase spaced by small landings. The spacing of these landings, combined with the number of steps in the stairs are linked to Tarot mysticism. The smaller well has straight stairs that connect ring-shaped floors levels with one another. This well is also called the 'unfinished well.' A structure similar to these wells is the Pozzo di S. Patrizio in Italy.

Huacachina

Just 8 km away from the city of Ica, in southern Peru, lies the picturesque desert oasis of Huacachina. Built around a small natural lake and surrounded by enormous sand dunes that stretch several hundred feet high, Huacachina has the looks and feel of a remote Saharan outpost, but in reality is only an hour’s drive away from the Pacific coast. Huacachina has long been a tourist destination for wealthy local families from the nearby city of Ica, and lately a major destination for sandborders who travel from all around the world to ride the peaks.

The oasis is basically a collection of resorts and restaurants around a blue-green lagoon surrounded by huge sand dunes, with a permanent population of around 100, who depend entirely on tourism.

Zhangye Danxia Landform

These colourful rock formations are the result of red sandstone and mineral deposits laid down over 24 million years. Wind and rain then carved amazing shapes into the rock, forming natural pillars, towers, ravines, valleys and waterfalls.

Tianzi Mountains

These uniquely tall and thin mountains are so alien that they were used in James Cameron’s “Avatar.” Formed underwater 380 million years ago, the flow destroyed surrounding sandstone, leaving only resilient stone pillars. Some of the columns have reached over 4,000 feet above sea level.

Salar De Uyuni

During the rainy season, the world’s largest salt flat becomes the world's largest mirror. The Salar was born when several prehistoric lakes joined into one. The salt flat is so reflective, it’s used to calibrate satellites.

Rosewood Mayakoba

Surrounded by emerald jungle and pristine white beaches, Rosewood Mayakoba is a Riviera Maya resort that defines a private world of rare luxury and refined beauty.

Magdalen Island Cave Swimming

Technically, this wet activity on Quebec’s gorgeous Magdalen Islands is called Cave Swimming. Don a thick wet suit, jump into the crashing waves of the freezing Atlantic, and allow them to smash you against the red cliffs that surround the archipelago. Remarkably, the waves buttress your impact, washing you in and out of crevices and sea caves. It looks, and feels, like you shouldn’t survive such an onslaught, and yet this commercially operated adventure is mostly harmless.

Los Roques Archipelago National Park

Los Roques archipelago is composed of 350 islands, cays, and islets. Some islands are large enough to use communities while some islets are so small, you can only fit a chair. Talk about a private beach!

Los Roques Archipelago National Park was created in 1972 to protect a marine ecosystem of exceptional beauty and ecological value dominated by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful natural areas of Venezuela. The park, located about 80 miles (128 km) north of the port of "La Guaira" in Caracas, covers 221,120 hectares (546 acres), making it the largest marine park in the Caribbean Sea.

The coral reefs host some of the most beautiful underwater fauna and flora of the Caribbean. The park has exceptionally beautiful beaches of white sand and multicolor, crystalline warm waters which make it a diving, sailing and fishing paradise.

Winchester Mystery House

Winchester Mystery House is an extravagant maze of Victorian craftsmanship – marvelous, baffling, and eerily eccentric, to say the least. Tour guides must warn people not to stray from the group or they could be lost for hours! Countless questions come to mind as you wander through the mansion – such as, what was Mrs. Winchester thinking when she had a staircase built that descends seven steps and then rises eleven?

Some of the architectural oddities may have practical explanations. For example, the Switchback Staircase, which has seven flights with forty four steps, rises only about nine feet, since each step is just two inches high. Mrs. Winchester's arthritis was quite severe in her later years, and the stairway may have been designed to accommodate her disability.

The miles of twisting hallways are made even more intriguing by secret passageways in the walls. Mrs. Winchester traveled through her house in a roundabout fashion, supposedly to confuse any mischievous ghosts that might be following her.

Castle Combe, England

Castle Combe has been called 'The Prettiest Village in England' and with good reason; visitors have been coming to enjoy its charms for at least a century and the small street leading from the Market Cross down to the By Brook is as picturesque today as it ever was.

Castle Combe’s history goes back much further than this though. The site of the castle is above today’s village, but little other than earthworks now mark its one time presence. Originally it was a British hill fort which became occupied by the Romans due to its proximity to The Fosse Way. After the Romans, came the Normans, who built the fort up into a Castle.

By the Middle Ages the village in the valley had become an important centre for the wool industry. The spinsters and weavers lived in the cottages (hence names such as "Weaver’s House") and the river, still known as By Brook, provided the power to run the mills.

In more recent times the village has played host to many filming activities, the most famous of these being ‘Doctor Doolittle’ filmed in and around the village in 1966. More recently the village has had a major role in 'War Horse', 'Stardust' and 'The Wolf Man'. The village is also a sanctuary to wildlife as it is a conservation area and enjoys the beauty of nature at its very best.

The village houses are all of typical Cotswold type, constructed in stone with thick walls and roofs made from split natural stone tiles. The properties are many hundreds of years old and are listed as ancient monuments. Strict rules apply to preserve the beauty and character of Castle Combe for later generations to admire.

Ledbury, England

A Herefordshire town and its nearby villages and attractions, this attractive town has much for the visitor to see , with its black and white timber framed buildings it has a charm that has attracted tourists from the world over, with its many small individual shops shopping can be done at a leisurely pace.

Ledbury is steeped in history, in 1645  the Royalists fought with Oliver Cromwell's troops in the main street a battle which was won by the Royalists.

A  much photographed landmark in the town is the Market House, this dates back to 1653. Ledbury Market House and was erected by John Abel who was known as the ‘Kings Carpenter', this impressive structure is built in brick and timber and stands on sixteen massive wooden posts, originally built as a grain store the building is now used as the Town Council chamber, a twice weekly market is held here.

Each July Ledbury plays hosts to a poetry festival and attracts many persons of fame in the literary world.

The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

This great little award-winning and family-friendly Museum contains two fun and fact-packed biographical galleries, the fantabulous interactive Story Centre and a sunny courtyard. Look out for a range of whizzbanging workshops and extra-usual events. Situated in the village where Roald Dahl lived and wrote for 36 years, the Museum was created as a home for the author's unique archive and to inspire a love of stories and creative writing in all our visitors.

Colmar, France

With a charming country-town atmosphere and a strong historical heritage, Colmar is not only “the most Alsatian town in Alsace”, and the wine capital of the region, but also a place for the fairytale believers.

This dreamy place has a very privileged location near Germany and Switzerland, between the Vosges mountains and the Rhine, between Strasburg and Mulhouse. There is also a special TGV route between Colmar and Paris. The best way to explore the Colmar is by taking long walks through the old city center and admiring its well preserved architecture.

Landmarks include the Dominican Church, Maison des Tetes, Unterlinden Museum (featuring historic artifacts and paintings by Renoir and Picasso) , the Bartholdi Museum (dedicated to the sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi, who designed the Statue of Liberty and who was born here). Little Venice is a part of the city built on picturesque canals and also a great place to taste the Alsatian cuisine.

Alberobello, Italy

Unesco World Heritage Site Alberobello resembles a mini urban sprawl – for gnomes. The Zona dei Trulli on the western hill of town is a dense mass of 1500 beehive-shaped houses, white-tipped as if dusted by snow. These dry-stone buildings are made from local limestone; none are older than the 14th century. Inhabitants do not wear pointy hats, but they do sell anything a visitor might want, from miniature trulli to woollen shawls.

The town is named after the primitive oak forest Arboris Belli (beautiful trees) that once covered this area.

Burano, Italy

Burano is Italy’s technicolor town, located in the same lagoon as Venice. According to When On Earth, fishermen decided to paint their houses with bright colors so that they would be easily distinguishable through the thick fog. Today, residents can’t paint their houses just any shade — if they want to repaint, they have to send a letter to the government, and officials will reply with a list of acceptable colors.

Bibury, England

Bibury is situated in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds on the River Coln 9 miles from the market town of Burford.

The village was once described by William Morris as 'the most beautiful village in the Cotswolds'.

The village centre clusters around a square near St. Mary's, a Saxon church. Some of the Saxon remains inside the church are replicas as the originals are housed in the British Museum.

One of the village's main tourist spots and overlooking a water meadow and the river is Arlington Row, a group of ancient cottages with steeply pitched roofs dating back to the 16th Century.

Henry Ford thought Arlington Row was an icon of England. On a trip to the Cotswolds he tried to buy the entire row of houses to ship back to Michigan so that he could include them in Greenfield Village.

Bibury has provided the backdrop for blockbuster films including Stardust and Bridget Jones's Diary.

Sandals Grande St. Lucian

Ideally located on its very own peninsula, Sandals Grande St. Lucian is often described as the "closest vacation to a picture-perfect postcard." Cradled to the west by Rodney Bay - boasting the calmest waters in all of Saint Lucia - and to the east by the majestic Atlantic Ocean, this magnificent resort showcases awe-inspiring panoramic views that will linger in your heart forever. Volcanic mountains draped in blankets of green rise majestically from an impossibly clear blue sea. A sheltered mile-long beach extends an open invitation for days of endless water play. This is paradise as it was meant to be, full of natural beauty, rich in history, and resplendent in pure romance.

For a secluded, tranquil hideaway with unparalleled proximity to the beach, immerse yourself in the luxury of a beachfront Rondoval suite. Comprised of spacious, exquisite interiors with natural stone flooring and Roman soaking bathtubs perfect for two, these circular suites also offer unique outdoor opportunities on a private veranda, including alfresco dining, sunbathing and stargazing from your very own hammock, outdoor showers, and access to a private, refreshing pool and whirlpool. Secluded by lush, tropical greenery, these clandestine suites are the ultimate in luxury with extraordinary vistas of the famous Rodney Bay.

Cooper Island Beach Club

Just steps from the beach, our newly renovated guest cottages are nestled amongst palm trees, cactus gardens and tropical flowers. All rooms enjoy fabulous views of The Sir Francis Drake Channel and the islands beyond. A connecting door between balconies can be opened when friends are travelling together. Each open-plan room is bright and airy, featuring recycled teak furniture in driftwood tones.

Shanghai Tunnels

The "Portland Underground" tunnels, more popularly known as the "Shanghai Tunnels", were basements of buildings that connected to other buildings through brick and stone archways that were intersected with tunnels that connected under the streets, linking block to block. These "catacombs" or "tombs", as they were sometimes called, created a unique network of passages and thoroughfares that were used by unscrupulous individuals called "shanghaiiers" or "crimps", in addition to "white slavers" who grabbed women and sold them into prostitution.

These are educational tours of the infamous "Portland Underground" that focuses on the shanghai trade in the City of Portland that survived from 1850-1941, as well as "white slavery", prohibition, and even the turn-of-the-century history of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) labor movement in the Northwest. In addition, the early history of the Chinese is covered, along with the Japanese and the Gypsies. These tours are operated by the Cascade Geographic Society (CGS) and provide a unique glimpse back into the hidden (or buried) past of the "City of Roses".

The tour takes approximately an hour and a half, and participants are with a guide at all times. The tour-goers receive an above-ground orientation, and then the guide will lead participants into the "Portland Underground", where they will receive the majority of the historical and oral history about this infamous maritime practice that gave Portland a notorious reputation throughout the world. Tour participants must be able to handle stairs that lead to and from this hidden world. In addition, there will be dust, dirt, musty smells, and anything else that would be associated with this type of environment, so if you need a dust mask, please bring one. Also, at each station people will be required to stand for at least 15 minutes at a time in order to receive the necessary information. Also, the "Portland Underground" is constantly in transition as more and more sections are opened or restored, which is why some people have taken this tour several times.