Queen Rania, editor-in-chief Klara Glowczewska, and Ashley Judd.
Photos: (left to right) Condé Nast Traveler, worldhum.com, and AP

by Beata Loyfman

Today's World Savers Congress is headlined by three remarkable women: Condé Nast Traveler editor-in-chief Klara Glowczewska, Queen Rania of Jordan, and actress/activist Ashley Judd.

The first of these influential women just took the stage, calling upon the travel industry to harness its formidable power (to the tune of $8 trillion in 2008) and help those communities where it often makes its profits. She cited Marriott Hotels, a previous World Savers winner, which has just made a $2 million investment to save thousands of acres of Brazilian rain forest.

"Nothing opens people's eyes like travel--it breeds empathy," said Glowczewska. "With dialogue and cooperation, we can overcome cultural differences...and take things to another level."

To that end, she announced that the magazine's Five & Alive Fund has raised nearly $1 million within its first year. In a partnership with Population Services International (PSI) the fund supports the needs of children under five years old. It supplies medicines, anti-malaria mosquito nets, water purification systems, and nutritional supplements to young children in 36 countries.

Further reading:
* Condé Nast Traveler Five & Alive Fund
* A Conversation with Queen Rania
* The Week of (Not) Living Dangerously
* Editor-in-chief Klara Glowczewska's thoughts on the power of travel

by Beata Loyfman and Julia Bainbridge

Today we are coming to you live from the Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Congress. This annual event celebrates travel companies that are making a difference in areas of health, education, wildlife, poverty, and environmental or cultural preservation. Its goal is, in part, to provide a forum for engaged discussion of the challenges ahead.

We've been up since dawn and are now mainlining caffeine, but even at this early hour, the entire place is buzzing with excitement. Any minute now Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, will make his keynote address. Shortly thereafter, Queen Rania of Jordan and actress/activist Ashley Judd will take the stage to discuss new initiatives for socially responsible travel.

What will they announce? Check back with us throughout the day for breaking news and updates from the World Savers Congress.

Further reading:
* 2008 World Savers Awards
* Make a Difference: Your online guide to responsible travel
* A Conversation with Queen Rania
* Jeffrey Sach's Grand Experiment: The economist's mission to eradicate poverty
* Editor-in-chief Klara Glowczewska's thoughts on the power of travel

Today, our third of four Las Vegas videos: Nightlife. Condé Nast Traveler's evening starts off at Caesar's Palace to see the likes of Cher, Bette, and Elton, but it's Revolution at the Mirage and Tryst at Wynn Las Vegas that bring us into the early hours.

For your convenience, here is a list of the properties mentioned:
* Caesar's Palace
* CatHouse at the Luxor
* eyecandy sound lounge & bar at Mandalay Bay
* Blush at Wynn Las Vegas
* Revolution at the Mirage
* Tryst at Wynn Las Vegas

by Bryan Pirolli

Bad news for budget travelers. As of October 24, there will be no more cheap flights from New York to Paris aboard Air India. The carrier will cut its direct service between Newark International and Paris's Charles de Gaulle airports, according to a supervisor at the company. The flight, which ends in India but stops in Paris, has been one of the most inexpensive ways to get to the City of Lights for years. 

I only found this out when I called to change my flight and a representative told me that my flight from Paris would now be aboard Continental. Air India is currently facing the task of arranging flights for all passengers who booked before October 24.

With so many industry changes afoot, this alteration comes as no surprise. But it is a big hit to budget-conscious travelers who rely on the airline to get to France. Fortunately, it seems they can trade in their chicken tikka masala for some coddle and a Guinness. Aer Lingus, the Irish carrier, offers a nice alternative to Air India with a slight difference: The carrier makes a stop in Dublin before heading to Paris. The price, though, is almost unbeatable. 

That being said, in this time of financial uncertainty--Aer Lingus is facing a possible buyout by Ryanair--I wouldn't be surprised if I booked the flight and ended up on United. 

Not a bad setting for Hamilton's Couloir.
Photo: Concierge.com

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Most restaurants with jaw-dropping views get away with serving solidly mediocre fare. Not so at Couloir, Jackson Hole's mountaintop table, where the food rivals the setting. Chef Wes Hamilton takes a straightforward approach, steering clear of any fussiness or fusion. Here, a cup of buffalo chili or a duck confit and grilled fontina sandwich is the stuff of memories, and the tenderloin of buffalo and seared foie gras could turn a vegan bad (prix fixe, $85).

Address: 7652 Granite Loop Rd., at the top of the Bridger Gondola
Tel: 307-739-2675

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008
* The Jackson guide
* Hot List on the DT

World-famous designer Celeste Cooper,
a.k.a. The Queen of Taupe, lends her
signature style to the Inn at St. Botolph.
Photo: Inn at St. Botolph

by Ondine Cohane

Boston bound? There are a number of new openings to keep on your radar this season. The latest from Mandarin Oriental debuts with 148 rooms next month in Back Bay not far from Newbury Street, Boston Common, and the South End. On-site draws will be the 16,000-square-foot spa (including a couples treatment room and personal trainers), a restaurant called Asana helmed by Nicolas Boutin with a chef's table that promises "the finest seasonal ingredients found in New England," and for the deep of pockets, a 2,600-square-foot Presidential Suite.

A few years back I stayed at XV Beacon, one of the most stylish and cozy boutique hotels I had seen in some time. In November, the group is launching a sister hotel called the Inn at St. Botolph, also in Back Bay. In a nineteenth-century brownstone on St. Botolph Street right by the Prudential Center, the property will provide a more affordable alternative to the XV Beacon, with "edited service," but it will have many of the same kinds of luxurious accommodations and a similar Deco-sleek look by designer Celeste Cooper. Rooms come with queen-size four-poster beds, bay windows, 42-inch televisions, and gas fireplaces. Note: The hotel is offering a special introductory rate of $189 through December 20.

If you are planning to head to Nantucket (always nice in fall when the summer crowds are gone), the White Elephant has added a new 3,000-square-foot loft within walking distance of the main hotel. The space comes with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a wraparound fireplace, a dining room table that seats ten, and all the same amenities as the main hotel. Sounds like the kind of setup that would be great for a family reunion or a group of friends looking for an autumn retreat. The property is open until December 7.

Further reading:
* XV Beacon on Conde Nast Traveler's 2008 Gold List
* The best Boston cocktails from drinks blogger Lauren Clark
* The sandwich of our dreams
* Word of Mouth

AP Photo

by Sara Tucker

Wanted: Your tips for carless getaways.

First up: Leaf peeping. Where can I go to enjoy the fall colors this year without having to drive? And why would I want to do such a thing? Because I'm mad about the price of gasoline, and  I'm fed up with way the automobile dominates our lives. Leaf peeping from the car is all well and good if you walk with a cane, but I don't. And I'm not interested in a bus tour or a cruise.

Here's what I've come up with so far: Amtrak's Vermonter travels between Washington, D.C., and St. Albans, Vermont. The train is slow, but who cares? (I always head for the quiet car, where I proceed to bully and berate inconsiderate cell phone users.) The Vermonter stops in Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, White River Junction, Waterbury, and Essex Junction/Burlington, all of which have accommodations within a short walk or cab ride of the train station, as well as plenty of fun, car-free things to do during your stay. (Warning: Room availability for this season is fast disappearing.) The Old Tavern at Grafton, for example, is 12 miles by cab from Bellow Falls, and the Inn at Essex, in Essex Junction, will pick you up at the train station. So will Forty Putney Road in Brattleboro. You won't need pickup service when you get to White River Junction: The Coolidge Hotel gets mixed reviews at TripAdvisor, but it's right near the station in one of Budget Travel's 10 coolest small towns.

For hikers and bikers, Country Inns Along the Trail arranges guided and self-guided inn-to-inn vacations and will pick you up at the nearest airport or train depot.

Finally, Vermont's official Web site lists ways to enjoy the state without your car. Note: The Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail begins in St. Albans, the last stop on the Vermonter's route. (Scheduled arrival time: 9:35 p.m.)

What carless adventures have you had? I'm looking for places to stay, ways to get there, and things to do--anywhere in the U.S. Post your suggestions below.

* The Thai Elephant Orchestra.  That's all we need to say.

* Huge, beautiful photos of "London from above, at night."

* As four U.S. Airports prepare to unveil new facilities, Joe Brancatelli prepares for the worst.

* World's shortest man can't reach Hyatt elevator buttons.

* A celebrity's last gasp? Michael Phelps sings Journey for private jet company commercial.

One of Hotel Be's
art gallery-cum-guestrooms.

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Located in a renovated shophouse alongside sister property the One Hotel in the middle of Siem Reap's nightlife district, the three-room Hotel Be is more casual than its neighbor but no less interesting. Guests access the hotel through Aha, a hip tapas café that also serves the hotel's breakfast and will deliver meals day into night. The three guest rooms are beautifully rendered, and decorated with works by Siem Reap-based artists. The Saffron Room, accessible by an interior bridge, is filled with the funky monk-themed artwork of Filipino artist Loven Ramos. Its sunlit living area features a Bose iPod docking station and stylish loungers, while double-glaze laminated glass provides soundproofing. Plenty of closet space and an expansive sunken rain shower enhance this room's good value. All accommodations come with modern essentials like Wi-Fi and a 32-inch flat-screen television; those in search of Siem Reap's low-tech offerings can tour the food market with a Khmer-speaking French chef.

When to go: December to March has the least rain (but the most tourists).
Which room to book: For lovers of sculpture, the Bamboo Room; painting, the Saffron Room; and photography, the Sepia Room.

Further reading:
* Hotel Be Angkor Web site
* The Angkor guide
* Hot List 2008

Liz Hurley, a.k.a. Miss Piggy.
AP Photo

by Beata Loyfman

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow your own pigs, fatten them up, send them to slaughter, then enjoy the fruits of your labor with a side of scrambled eggs? No? Well, Elizabeth Hurley has. And now, thanks to all those farm animals she received as wedding presents last year, she's making this dream a reality.

Best known for her role as Hugh Grant's arm candy in the 1990s and Mike Myers' love interest in the first Austin Powers movie, Hurley has set up a pig farm on her 100-acre Cotswolds estate. According to ThePigSite, Hurley's meat is Britain's finest. Her breed, Hurley Old Spot, makes for tasty Sunday roast joints and prime sausages.

The pork is sold to local butchers and hotels, so if you're staying at the Lower Slaughter Manor (no, folks, I'm not making this up) or the Cotswold House, you'll likely find yourself eating some Hurley Old Spot. Our compliments to the chef.   

Obama boarding his plane,
McCain's directly below him.
AP Photo

by Barbara S. Peterson

To continue yesterday's discussion of the issues our presidential candidates face that could greatly affect the way we travel, here's more on where they stand:

Airline Regulation

Senator Obama has cosponsored an air travelers' "bill of rights" that has been pushed by consumer groups. It would require airlines to provide food, drinking water, and fresh air to passengers stuck on the tarmac and also to give passengers the right to demand a return to the gate after three hours.McCain has not endorsed the bill, and the last time he spoke out on the issue was around ten years ago, when as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee he briefly supported new regulations on airlines designed to improve customer service and reduce delays. He later backed off when the airlines promised to police themselves (with, apparently, mixed results) and has not mentioned the subject in his current campaign.   

Ending Dependence on Foreign Oil

Few industries are more dependent on oil than the airlines--jet fuel has gone from less than 20 percent of the carrier's total expenses to nearly 40 percent in less than three years. Even if the price of oil drops sharply, the search for alternative fuels to power aircraft is seen as critical to the long-term survival of the airlines. (Continental has announced it will test a biofuel-powered 737 this fall, but otherwise the industry has been slow to embrace the concept.) Both candidates are in favor of getting the U.S. to kick its addiction to foreign oil, but they have different ideas for how to get there: Obama supports subsidies for corn ethanol, despite the concerns that it could produce even more greenhouse gas emissions than oil; McCain strongly opposes subsidies for the biofuel. They differ on other alternatives as well, with McCain favoring nuclear power and offshore drilling, and Obama pushing a cap and trade program to reduce greenhouse emissions. 

Further reading:
* Passengers' Rights and the Presidential Race: Where Do the Candidates Stand?
* Obama's planes caused worries first in July, then again this month
* On the Fly: Barbara Peterson on the airline industry
 

AP Photo

by Barbara S. Peterson

Presidential candidates may fly around the country more than the average traveler, but what do they really know about air travel angst? Aside from a bizarre string of in-flight emergencies experienced by Senator Barack Obama in the last year, neither of the parties' nominees has said much about aviation during the current campaign. But the new administration will face a host of issues that could greatly affect the way we travel. Here's a quick look at where they stand:

FAA Modernization and Air Traffic Delays

The candidates agree on one point: The air travel system is in disarray. Both favor a move to a satellite-based, GPS-style tracking system to replace the current radar-based network. But here, the devil is in the details: McCain has sided with the commercial airlines that want to shift more of the costs to private plane owners--when the Federal Aviation Administration funding bill was still in committee, he voted against an amendment that would have eliminated the new $25 per-flight user fee on such "general aviation" operations. (It isn't known how Obama would have voted since the bill never made it out of committee.) McCain's vice presidential pick, Alaska governor Sarah Palin, is a strong supporter of general aviation interests, not surprising in a state heavily dependent on private flying. Last year she signed a resolution opposing the new GA fees. 

Senator Obama favors hiring more air traffic controllers, who have been without contracts for nearly two years, and he has sponsored legislation to force the FAA to return to the bargaining table with the controllers. Senator McCain has signaled that he might seek to privatize air traffic control, as has been done in a number of industrialized countries such as the U.K.; Obama is firmly opposed to such a move.

Airports, Maintenance, and Safety

The airlines' capacity cuts will fall disproportionately on smaller communities. Obama supports preserving the Essential Air Service program, a subsidy that has continued well beyond its original expiration date due to support from certain members of Congress whose districts might otherwise be left without any scheduled flights. Obama is also supportive of labor issues--not just the controllers but also groups like the machinists, who have raised alarms about losing jobs to offshore maintenance facilities. The Republicans have been loath to intervene in labor disputes, and that is not likely to change under a McCain administration.

Check back tomorrow for the rest of our run-down on McBama's thoughts.

Further reading:
* Passengers' Rights and the Presidential Race: Where Do the Candidates Stand?
* Obama's planes caused worries first in July, then again this month
* On the Fly: Barbara Peterson on the airline industry
 

ESPA's shimmering pool.
Photo: Ritz-Carlton

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Set in Enniskerry's new Ritz-Carlton hotel at the foot of Sugar Loaf Mountain, this 30,000-square-foot spa in slate, wood, and stone has views of the surrounding forest. There are 20 treatment rooms and a generous modern ensemble of saunas, plunge pools, and steam rooms. The two-hour Garden of Inspiration Body Ritual ($372) starts when your therapist brings you a cup of herbal tea and performs a footbath. A sea salt-and-oil body scrub follows, before warmed ESPA oils are poured on for an intensive massage (massages, $190).

Tel: 353-1-274-8888

Further reading:
* ESPA's Web site
* Hot List 2008
* Read all DT Hot List posts

Cuban-Irish-French
Classical-Jazz-Timba.

by John Oseid

A history lesson was the last thing I was expecting the other night at Drom, a tapas bar and music venue in New York's East Village. But there on stage, Sir James Galway, the renowned Irish flautist, spun an intriguing tale of General Alexander O'Reilly and his significance to Cuba. I know Havana well from having covered the restoration of Old Havana for Conde Nast Traveler ("Old Havana gets a Face-Lift," Stop Press, July 1999), and I've walked Calle O'Reilly many times. But I never realized the street was named for a general from Dublin, nor that General "Alejandro" was responsible for fortifying Spain's treasured New World city.

In a section of this five-minute video clip, Jimmy, as Galway is called, discusses O'Reilly and the surprisingly deep cultural links between Ireland and Cuba. He's talking to members of the Miami-based Cuban group Tiempo Libre.

Which brings me to our tale at hand, that of Galway and Tiempo Libre coming together to produce their newly released album O'Reilly Street. To make the multicultural, crossover, whatever-word-you-want-project album even broader, they built it around the Claude Bolling Suites, the first one of which the famous French jazz artist and composer Bolling wrote in 1975. In the liner notes, Galway says, "the idea was to Cubanize the Bolling." Indeed, the addition of congas makes for a whole new sound. The guaguancó rhythm is "like two dancers doing a jig and a rumba at the same time." The crowd at Drom loved it.

The Cuban-trained musicians of Tiempo Libre are a story in themselves. Graduates of Havana's famed National School of the Arts, they play timba, a sort of salsa offshoot. Here's a clip of them performing "Manos Pa'rriba" (Hands in the Air) off their 2006 album What You've Been Waiting For/Lo Que Esperabas.

Further reading:
* If O'Reilly Street whets your appetite for the story of Old Havana's development, the best resource is Cubanologist Joseph Scarpaci's detailed study Havana: Two Faces of the Antillean Metropolis.
* Boom Box

Photo: Arne Naevra

by Sara Tucker

When Norwegian photographer Arne Naevra entered this picture in the London Natural History Museum's controversial Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, the question of whether to list the polar bear as an endangered species was still the subject of hot debate in the U.S. In May, the bear was officially added to the ranks of the threatened. Meanwhile, four months after Naevra's photograph was chosen as runner-up for the One Earth Award, which honors images that "demonstrate the power and resilience of our planet," the contest's sponsor placed a record-breaking bid for drilling rights in Alaska's Chukchi Sea. The sale, opposed by environmentalists, opened 30 million acres of polar bear, walrus, and whale habitat to oil and gas companies. Friends of the world's 25,000 or so remaining polar bears filed suit, generating enough support to win legal protection--for Shell and the six other oil companies involved in the sale. Summer gifted the Arctic with unprecedented melting of sea ice, as well as a record number of tourists, lured in part by doomsday predictions. In early June--as countries scrambled to lay claim to Arctic oil reserves and opponents of the bear's new status gathered their forces--a lone polar bear swam over 200 miles through Arctic waters before reaching the coast of Iceland, where it was shot dead.

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

The Masai community has joined forces with conservation tourism organizations and private investors to convert 6,500 acres of arid cattle range into a wildlife sanctuary and resort. The property's four luxury villas, designed with tribal, Lamu coast, colonial, or retro sixties decor, straddle a boulder-strewn ridge and come equipped with fireplaces, outdoor decks, and spectacular views from sun loungers, beds, even bathtubs. The conservancy's acacia-forested hills and wide, sand riverbeds shelter dik-diks, klipspringers, rare wild dogs, and spotted and striped hyenas; the planned addition this year of a water hole should increase sightings of larger game, such as elephants, kudu, and Grevy's zebras. Meanwhile, the land rejuvenates from overgrazing, as do guests who go exploring on mountain bikes, on horseback, or by scaling Ol Lentille, a 6,486-foot granite peak. (Your villa's enviably fit Masai guide also escorts you on four-by-four night drives and cultural trips to Masai markets and homesteads and on camping expeditions with local Yaku honey gatherers.) A library stocked with a GPS telescope and a well-edited list of Africa-themed DVDs tempts some guests to simply stay put. And why not? The villa fee includes butler service, a private cook, and unlimited massages.

Tel: 888-588-4590

When to go: January and February for warm, sunny weather.
Which room to book: Couples will prefer the Eyrie, with stupendous daytime views from an outdoor sunken tub and a round bedroom with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and faux-fur covers. The Sultan's House, a romance of sprawling Lamu-style carved wood furniture, arabesque lanterns, floor cushions, and a four-poster bed, has the most atmosphere at night.

Further reading:
* Ol Lentille's Web site
* Hot List 2008
* The Kenya guide
* Read all DT Hot List posts

From the lab to the runway.
Photo: Solazyme

by Brook Wilkinson

Last week, Solazyme announced that it had successfully produced the first algae-based jet fuel--and that it already passed 11 of the toughest specifications required to meet industry standards for aviation turbine fuel. These include not freezing at high altitude and having the same flashpoint (the temperature at which it ignites) as conventional jet fuel.

You might be wondering, what on earth does algae have to do with jet engines? Solazyme has figured out how to genetically engineer algae to feed on high-productivity grasses and industrial byproducts; when the algae has eaten its fill, it produces oil to store the extra energy--which may someday power your Boeing or Airbus.

For now, the algae-based fuel costs more than the traditional petroleum-based stuff, but that could well change in a few years. Here's hoping at least a few of the cash-strapped airlines will survive that long.

The bar aside Double Crown's main dining room serves gins from Boodles to Cadenhead's Old Raj.

by Mollie Chen

These days my bar adventures seem to lead to bookstores. There was the port-based "Baltasar and Blimunda" at Death & Co. that inspired me to spend two weeks powering through Jose Saramago's beautiful, if a tad dense, novel of the same title. Working on our upcoming story about Kentucky bourbon, I dusted off my copy of The Great Gatsby--the novelist found inspiration for Jay Gatsby over bourbon and cigars at Louisville's legendary Seelbach Hotel.

Last night was no exception. Design firm AvroKo previewed its new restaurant, Double Crown, a sprawling paean to British colonialism, complete with Pimm's Cups and fried white bait (my favorite item on the menu by far). But the best part of the night was hanging out in the restaurant's sister bar, Madam Geneva, a dark and cozy space with low leather couches, black lace-like wall decorations, and a gin-based cocktail menu. Permit me a William Safire moment: the word "gin" has its origins in genevrier, which is French for juniper. During the eighteenth century, when Brits couldn't get enough of bootleg gin, they began referring to their rough, homemade versions of the spirit as "Madam Geneva."

These days gin has come along way, and Madam Geneva (the bar) is giving the spirit its due with ultra-simple cocktails: Beefeater gin is shaken with lemon, poured over crushed ice, and served with a spoonful of house-made preserves on top. The preserves will change regularly, but look for the orange cardamom--the slightly bitter orange peel and aromatic spice are a nice match for the herbaceous gin. According to Brian McGrory, who is heading up the cocktail program, they're planning a long list of sipping gins and will be changing up the preserves weekly. Which leads me to the newest book on my reading list: Patrick Dillon's Gin: the Much Lamented Death of Madam Geneva.

Further reading:
* Madam Geneva's Web site
* Spirits writer Gary Regan, a.k.a. The Cocktailian, drinks with Madam Geneva
* NPR: Great American writers and their cocktails
* Catch of the Day

Grab a seat at the bar for a view
of the open-kitchen action.
Photo: Nymag.com

You'd think New Yorkers had never seen bruschetta before by the way they're in a tizzy over the seasonally changing lineup of pile-it-on-yourself grilled bread and toppings at this slim West Village wine bar. (For the record, we love the lily confit and octopus iterations.) But this perennially packed spot also has a heart-stopping tagliatelle alla bolognese, juicy grilled quail with fregula, and a stellar wine list to wash it all down (courtesy of co-owner and former Babbo sommelier Joe Campanale). Snag one of the six seats at the kitchen-side counter to watch chef-owner Gabe Thompson and his band of trucker hat-clad cooks (an ironic touch, we hope) do their thing (entrées, $15-$27).

Address: 38 8th Avenue
Tel: 212-366-6633

Further reading:
* Dell' Anima Web site
* Hot List 2008
* New York Hot List video
* The New York guide
* Read all DT Hot List posts

Klara traveling in Rwanda.

Condé Nast Traveler's editor-in-chief Klara Glowczewska thinks so as she wrote in the Huffington Post yesterday:

"The travel industry will generate $8 trillion dollars this year, a figure that is expected to rise to approximately $15 trillion by 2025. That's real global power. Think of the enormous impact this industry can have on the environment and on people's lives. Working together, we can make a positive difference in this world, and now is the time to start."

Read the post, in which Klara Glowczewska talks about Rwanda, our Five & Alive Fund, and this year's upcoming World Savers Congress.

Further reading:
* Klara's week of (not) living dangerously in Rwanda
* Make a Difference
* The CNT Five & Alive Fund
* 2008 World Savers Awards

Produce delivered in the morning,
on your plate by night. 

by Julia Bainbridge

Most people who enjoy nightlife, food, and travel (and especially those who enjoy these things at the same time) know that Bangkok's street food is the best tummy-filling grub for your buck. (Seriously, a plate of noodles costs the equivalent of less than a dollar.) We've heard reports of the most slurp-worthy soups, the most pleasingly spongy fish balls, and, of course, noodles, noodles, and more noodles.

Here's something new--and this may shock some readers, but--Bangkok boasts the best fried chicken I've ever had. Sorry, 'tucky, but it's true. What's more, it wasn't far from Khao San Road, Grungy Backpacker Central, where I stumbled upon this magic booth of crisp. Behind it was a man, grey-bearded and wrinkled (and surprisingly clean looking despite the heat and what I imagine must have been a good 10 hours standing in front of his wok-turned-deep fryer), with just the right touch. He turned out countless batches of the stuff, each time producing bourbon-colored, tender chicken wings--a true feat, since, when frying chicken, the oil must return to a cool enough temperature not to burn the product but must stay hot enough to cook it through. (I can't even do it with professional tools.) If I spoke Thai, I would have asked how he spiced his flour--there was something distinctly south Indian about the flavor--but alas, I left him to his secrets.

The October issue of Condé Nast Traveler reveals another hot Bangkok street spot: Sukhumvit Road Soi 38. Here, from 6 P.M. until 2 A.M every night, a few dozen carts serve up pad thai with fluffy prawns, egg noodles with barbequed-pork gravy, and porridge made with pig's liver, stomach and kidneys. Just the thing before you hit the hay, huh? Check out the October issue, our Asia issue, for more Far East eats.

Further reading:
* The New York Times reports its Bangkok favorites
* Jaunted's BKK food field trip
* Travel idea: Thai cooking school at the Oriental Bangkok
* Read all Catch of the Day posts

View Larger Map

The Layover Nation Contest, a challenge to readers to identify some of the coolest things to do in and near major airports between flights, had entrants flooding the Perrin Post, our sister blog, with quick excursions.  The contest is over, but not without creating fodder for our reporter Michael Kinsley, who will set off to report on the chosen excursions--and many more--for the magazine next month.

Check the Daily Traveler late this month for Kinsley's mini-blog. Meanwhile, we are happy to feature some of those layover ideas here on the Daily Traveler. This week we are tackling Latin America and the Caribbean.   

Taj's impressive facade, nestled
in Bhutan's forest. 

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

This seven-story structure is a welcome addition to the emerging kingdom's small capital city. Offering an appealingly chic design, it also reflects traditional architecture, with its exterior walls painted a saffron hue with swirling dragons and Buddhism's eight sacred symbols. The 66 elegant rooms--the smallest of which measure 450 square feet--are a haven with high ceilings, dark-brown lacquered wood floors, walls mounted with mandalas, heated floors in bathrooms, and cushioned daybeds from which to gawk at the Himalayas. Early-morning risers may catch sight of the monk who chants prayers in the outdoor courtyard, also where traditional dancers perform most nights around the sunken fire pit. Mirrored walls affixed with an auspicious 108 Tibetan horns decorate the walls at the restaurant Chig Je Gye, where the impressive Bhutanese menu includes a milky river-weed soup and ema-datshi, the national dish of melted cheese with grated chilies. Rimps, the lobby-level tea lounge with dramatic carved walls rising another four stories, serves a tasty salted butter tea and offers a selection of authoritative reads on the region. Beneath the indoor pool is the aromatic Taj Spa.

Address: Chubachu, Thimpu, Bhutan
Tel: 975-2-33-66-99

When to go: Avoid July and August, when rains can cause landslides along Bhutan's snaky roads.
Which room to book: The most romantic are the two Duplex Suites; each has a spiral staircase that leads to a cozy attic bedroom, as well as jaw-dropping views from the sunlit bathroom.

Further reading:
* Taj Tashi Thimpu's Web site
* Hot List 2008
* View all DT Hot List posts

Ortigia's cool logo.
Photo: Ortigia

by Ondine Cohane

I recently discovered my favorite new toiletries line on a trip to Sicily. Ortigia makes everything from scented candles to body lotions and soaps. The thing that struck me first was how gorgeous the packaging is: The Sicilian Lime candle's glass holder has an image of two leopards under a tree, not to mention it comes in a beautiful silver-lined box. The scents are delicate and evocative--especially the orange blossom and pomegranate--and after I read that the products were made from natural and local ingredients, I liked them even more. Which means I bought as many items as I could put in my luggage from this shop in Syracuse, Le Antiche Siracuse (Via Roma, 9; 39-0931-461-365).

Ten days later, in Venice, I found a wonderful shop near Campo Santo Stefano called Chiarastella Cattana. The boutique sells handmade textiles (tablecloths, pillowcases, and bedspreads), which the owner gets from small artisanal workshops around Venice. If you're traveling across the pond, you should definitely take a look at this store; the selection is small but really unique. And it also carries the Ortigia brand!

Five days later my friend Lucy arrived in Tuscany from France, where her mother has just launched a Web site selling items from small French and Italian producers. "But this is what I liked the best," said Lucy, producing a Coral Shell Ortigia candle from her bag. After looking more closely at the Ortigia Web site, I discovered that it has a stand-alone store in London's Sloane Square. Now I have a number of places to pick up what seems to be the stocking stuffer of the year.

Some looks from Erin Fetherston's spring 2009 runway show.
Photo: New York Magazine

by Eimear Lynch

New York fashion week is a destination unto itself, an assiduously secured world of sharp-eyed skinnies scanning bystanders for clothes and celebrity. It's an event not exactly known for its worldliness--"I'm part Norway-an," I heard a makeup artist tell a model backstage--so over the course of the big week, I asked those at the center of the storm where they go to decompress.

It was Ireland, in the case of makeup master Bobbi Brown, who spent 10 days there in June. She, her husband, and their sons started in Dublin, where they stayed in the the Merrion Hotel and saw the city like true tourists, on a double-decker bus. While she traveled as an American, she drank like a local: "I love whiskey," she told me between surgeon-like makeup applications backstage at the Erin Fetherston spring runway show. While the boys golfed, Brown got an "amazing" deep-tissue massage and manicure at Doonbeg Golf Club in County Clare. She also enjoyed a "fabulous time" drinking tea with Bono's wife, shopping with the help of "the most amazing employees" in Brown Thomas, eating salmon and peas throughout Ireland and touring the Guinness factory. "It was great," she said, amazingly genial given the bevy of hair-twirling twigs awaiting her attention.

Fetherston was surprised to be asked about her favorite holiday spot. "Well..." She surveyed the spring line that had kept her from her travels. It had clearly been a while. "My last great trip was to Mallorca," she said, where she stayed in a friend's house in the "great seaside village" of Deia. "I actually thought about the trip as I was designing this collection. The sky there was full of colors, which helped define my palette," she told me, explaining the pastel clouds that hung from the racks around her. "It became about those beautiful women in the summer with sun-kissed skin, being elegant and chic yet totally at ease and laid back." I asked where she ate while in Deia and she wrinkled her nose. "I just went to the beach," she said, as if there was time for nothing else. Following the show, she hopes, will be a trip to Tulum, Mexico. Will we see hints of the site's Mayan ruins in her next collection? Maybe, she said: "You never know when inspiration will strike."