published articles

THE POETRY OF HANGZHOU, NY TIMES

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:02:18 +0200

ON a misty afternoon in February, Lingyin Temple, a fourth-century Buddhist site that is one of China’s most important sanctuaries, felt more like a carnival than a place of worship. In large multigenerational packs, festive families were gathered for the Lunar New Year holiday, tossing fistfuls of ceremonial paper money into huge open fire pits and waving incense sticks as they jostled through crowds on their way to visit the 80-foot-high Buddha that is the building’s centerpiece. All the while they were downing fried tofu on sticks and corn on the cob and taking photos of everything on digital cameras. My family and I, possessing the only Western faces in the crowd, qualified as a photo coup — especially my towheaded toddler. “Look over here, foreign baby!” a young mother shouted as she held up her baby next to mine. The holiday period may officially last only a week, but the celebratory mood in Hangzhou seems to have permanently taken over this ever more vital city.
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36 HOURS, BOLOGNA, NY TIMES

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:59:35 +0200

VIBRANT, independent and home to one of Europe’s oldest universities, Bologna is a dynamic counterpoint to more popular, touristy cities like Rome and Florence. About 50 miles north of Florence, the city is as famous for its cuisine as it is for its fiery left-leaning politics. Market stalls brimming with asparagus and fava beans, specialty shops selling cured meats, and osterias serving fresh pasta with the city’s signature ragù (known as Bolognese in the rest of the world) offer compelling reasons to linger. And then there are architectural masterpieces like the church of Santo Stefano and the iconic Due Torri (Two Towers). Grittier than in most of its northern counterparts, Bologna’s politics — the last mayor, Flavio Delbono, resigned when it was alleged that he was using public money on his mistress, and now residents are waiting to see if the new mayor, Virginio Merola, will make good on his promise to spruce up the city center — somehow only adds to the excitement of a visit here.

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36 HOURS, SINGAPORE, NY TIMES

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:55:31 +0200

JUDGING from the number of cranes that dot the city’s skyline, Singapore is booming. In the last few years, casinos and hotels have sprung up; museums and galleries in former colonial landmarks have flung open their doors; and international designers have staked out prime real estate alongside up-and-comers just starting to make their fashion mark. Throughout the city, street vendors and sleek restaurants — new and well-established — serve up the city’s renowned mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic cuisines. And, best of all, sexy lounges and rooftop bars are helping the city-state shake off its formerly staid image.

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41 PLACES TO GO IN 2011, NY TIMES

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:28:08 +0100

From the beaches of Mexico to the wilds of Kurdistan, the places on this year’s list take you to the end of the world and back.

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36 HOURS IN VENICE, NY TIMES

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 23:25:02 +0100

WITH its picture-perfect canals and waterside palazzi, Venice is a romantic idyll. No wonder 18 million tourists pile onto the floating city each year. But what is surprising is that the embattled residents still manage to carve out a hometown for themselves — a pastiche of in-the-know restaurants, underground bars, quiet piazzas and calmer, outlying islands. And that’s not counting all the cultural offerings that Venetians take full advantage of. The cool art scene now goes beyond the Biennale. And instead of sinking, architectural icons have re-emerged as new landmarks.

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MAYAN RIVIERA 101, SHERMAN'S TRAVEL

Mon, 4 Oct 2010 14:26:37 +0200

Powdery beaches, cerulean waters, scads of non-stop flights--The Yucatan’s coast charms don’t change, but the top hotels do. From spa junkie havens to boho beach retreats, we’ve fashions the essential guide.
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VENICE BIENNALE, BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:41:09 +0200

An insider's guide to Venetian distractions during the city's big show
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AMENITIES ARMS RACE, BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:49:37 +0200

Properties old and new are getting creative to lure business travelers. Here are the best perks

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36 HOURS IN FLORENCE, NY TIMES

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:18:16 +0200

WITH its Renaissance treasures and centuries-old stately palazzi, Florence is sometimes treated like a living museum rather than a vibrant city with contemporary culture. That myth is harder to sustain these days, thanks in part to Matteo Renzi, the city’s 35-year-old mayor, who was elected last year with promises to stir up the Tuscan capital. Evidence of a more youthful and revitalized Florence is everywhere. Dilapidated piazzas have been refreshed, contemporary art galleries have sprung up, and old-school palazzi have been turned into trendy restaurants. Traffic has also improved, making the city even more pleasant to navigate.
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AFTERNOON ESCAPES, BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:07:22 +0200

Get from the office to one of these hidden beaches in two hours or less: Hong Kong, New York, LA, San Francisco, Tokyo, Chicago and London.

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A TASTE OF PIEDMONT, BON APPETIT

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:59:04 +0200

As the birthplace of Slow Food and home to some of the world's most revered wines, this northern Italian region arguably has the country's richest culinary scene. New hotels and restaurants in and around the capital city, Turin, are putting Piedmont in the spotlight.

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SIMONSEEKS

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:33:05 +0200

See my favorite spots in New York City at:
SIMONSEEKS.COM

BEST ITALIAN BEACHES, CONDE NAST TRAVELER

Fri, 21 May 2010 16:07:23 +0200

When it comes to the art of living, Italians are masters, and this talent extends to the seaside. Combing coasts in 8 regions—Tuscany, Sardinia, Puglia, Sicily, Capri and Amalfi, the Italian Riviera, Maratea, and the Veneto (tough job, but someone had to do it)—Ondine Cohane discovers 50 fabulous playgrounds. Herewith, your guide to la dolce vita by the sea
SEE FULL ARTICLE AT CONCIERGE.COM

ROME RENEWED, SHERMANS TRAVEL

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 20:07:56 +0100

A wave of creative development is remaking the Eternal City, yet again. With important new architecture, fashionable town house hotels, up-and-coming neighborhoods, and a popping art scene, there’s almost as much to see from this millennium as from those gone by.

SEE FULL ARTICLE AT SHERMAN’S TRAVEL

HOW TO EXPERIENCE VENICE AT ITS BEST, FINANCIAL TIMES

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:00:28 +0100

After living in Italy for several years and visiting Venice often, I’ve developed a few strategies for navigating the city’s clogged arteries and avoiding the tourist crush for which the city is so often maligned.

FROM FINANCIAL TIMES, CLICK FOR ARTICLE

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FT Venice 2010.pdf

PALERMO BB22, NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:32:54 +0100

Palermo, Sicily
Epic operas, all-you-can-eat seafood, and fewer tourists inflating the prices.
Home to some of Italy’s most underrated cultural attractions (not to mention lower prices than you’ll find in overtouristed Florence and Venice), the Sicilian capital is a masterpiece of hodgepodge architecture and noisy street culture. Make your first stop the sprawling Palermo Cathedral, a onetime mosque, and the Cappella Palatina, a twelfth-century gem inside the Palazzo dei Normanni. Then stroll twenty minutes to the newly renovated, and aptly named, Teatro Massimo, Italy’s largest opera house, where you can buy tickets to see Verdi’s Nabucco, now running through January (from $30; teatromassimo.it). Wander the Galleria d’Arte Moderna, which moved last year from the edge of town to a fifteenth-century cloister in the city center (galleriadartemodernapalermo.it). Hide out in the wood-paneled back room of Cana Enoteca (canaenoteca.it) to sample new wines from the up-and-coming Mount Etna region. Now eat! Antica Focacceria San Francesco (39-091-320-264) serves Sicilian classics like arancini di riso (rice balls filled with tomato sauce and peas or mozzarella). Join the nightly street party/gossip session at Trattoria da Salvo on Via Torremuzza, where there’s just-caught seafood on the grill (no phone). Stay at BB22, a chic bed-and-breakfast down a blind alley near Vucciria, Palermo’s colorful food market (from $165; bb22.it).

CONCIERGE.COM IT LIST 2010

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:26:40 +0100

We're declaring 2010 to be Travel's Comeback Year. And not just because of the recovering economy: A combination of changed political circumstances, increased access, and once-in-a-lifetime events is opening up some of the world's most beautiful hideaways for your traveling pleasure. The ten destinations on our 2010 It List are next year's travel trophies, the spots that most people can't find on a map, or even (in the case of Kyrgyzstan) pronounce. From forbidden locales like Burma and Cuba to familiar-but-refreshed spots like Venice and Marrakesh, here are the places on our radar next year. Pack your suitcase—and your atlas
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FLORENCE: 2009 GO LIST

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 16:26:40 +0200

Florence | Food & Wine.pdf

VERNAZZA: INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:14:56 +0200

IHT Sep 23 09.jpg

CONQUER A NEW FRONTIER: ISTANBUL GQ August 09

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 16:54:42 +0200

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YES, TAKE HER TO PARIS GQ August 2009

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 16:42:48 +0200

Just do it on the cheap. It will be cooler and sexier, and trust us, she’ll never notice.
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MEXICO’S OAXACA: AHEAD OF THE WAVE Conde Nast Traveler UK September 2009

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:25:21 +0200

The Mexican State of Oaxaca offers culture, cuisine, sun, surf and some seriously good deals. Go now before word gets out, says Ondine Cohane.
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ECUADOR: SMALL WONDER Conde Nast Traveler US August 2009

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:06:53 +0200

Take the highest mountains outside of Asia, add English meadows, Alpine cows, and Amazonian rain forest, and mix with the Spanish and Incan cultures, and you get some idea of the extraordinary assets of the tiny country called Ecuador. Which is, says Ondine Cohane, one of Latin America's best kept secrets
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New NYC restaurants worth seeking out:

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:39:01 +0200

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Understated Luxury in Mexican Riviera: Financial Times

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:17:16 +0100

This high-end hotel seeks to minimise its impact on the environment, says Ondine Cohane

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Fontainebleau Hotel: Sunshine and Stardust: Financial Times

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:34:38 +0100

A s soon as it opened in 1954, the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami was bathed in A-list glamour.
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Affordable Europe: Conde Nast Traveler US

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:55:08 +0100

Everything you would expect, plus a whole lot more for a whole lot less: Ondine Cohane finds four rising destinations that rival the qualities of the familiar classics without either the crowds or the cost. How does $2,500 a week sound, including the flight across the pond? The quest begins with a Mediterranean port, then on to a Spanish cultural powerhouse, an English water-sports mecca, and a gem of a Portuguese city. Plus—the art of tracking the best deals for flights to get you there
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Not Your Godfather’s Sicily: Conde Nast Traveler US

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 02:44:37 +0100

Away from the island's familiar sweet spots, a new generation of Sicilians is reshaping its wine, food, and hotels: "Our vocation," says one, "is to make Sicily less rough but still authentic." Mission accomplished. Ondine Cohane discovers an old place with a new lease on life

How to Spend It Magazine Travelista, December 2008

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:31:44 +0100

CONCIERGE.COM IT LIST 2009

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:18:53 +0100

Travel in 2009? With Wall Street and Main Street gasping, and paranoia rampant? Well, we can think of no better time to shut off CNBC and get a breath of fresh air. Each year, we comb the globe looking for the emerging places that will be on everybody's lips two years from now (and when, hopefully, better news in general will also be what people are talking about). This gives you at least a year to get the most out of these travel finds without fighting the masses. Some of our picks for 2009 have never really been on most travelers' radars (Bolivia); others places were once glamorous, lost it, and now are once again on the upswing (Acapulco). And some are always popular but have become much more accessible due to really sweet deals (New York City). Let us introduce you to the It List of 2009—the places that will make you feel all right about the world again.

Quick Trips, Surfing Getaways: Conde Nast Traveler US

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Where to: Get off the beaten path in Mexico…Eat the best post-swim muffins in Montauk…Find the top surfing competitions in Hawaii…Catch the biggest waves in the Midwest (and, yes, you read that correctly)

How to Spend It Magazine Travelista, June 2008

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

June Column

How to Spend It Magazine Travelista, April 2008

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

April 2008

World’s Sexiest Pools: Concierge.com

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 19:17:33 +0100

Hotel pools are inherently sexy. It's a truth that Hollywood has long understood: From 1940s scenes of Esther Williams in the Raleigh's curvaceous pool to Chevy Chase cavorting with Christie Brinkley in National Lampoon's Vacation, there's something slightly illicit about all that rippling water, whispering that you should shed your clothes. Some pools are special for their location or design, others for privacy. And of course some are simply suited to ogling other guests through dark sunglasses and practicing the art of the pick up. Whatever your water-based desire, we urge you to take a look at our picks and step into liquid.

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How to Spend It Magazine Travelista, Jan 2008

Sat, 5 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0100

January Column

Mozambique: Once and Future Eden: Conde Nast Traveler US

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Mozambique is an African hope fulfilled: recovered from a civil war and balancing the conservation of great natural beauty with sophisticated resorts. Ondine Cohane explores an Indian Ocean renaissance

CONCIERGE.COM IT LIST 2008

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Call it travel evolution. While some vacationers always turn to the Same Old year after year (Mickey!), the ever-curious vanguard are on the hunt for the Next. Sometimes their discoveries are exotic and far-flung, other times they are the once-beloved places seeing a renaissance. The 10 places you'll be hearing about this year share a few common denominators: a new crop of hotels provides creature comforts; the natural appeal is preserved and protected; the buzz has enough substance to make a journey worthwhile. From a low-key Latin beauty to an African gem with spectacular beaches to a couple of resurging cities, these are the places to head next.

Istanbul Spotlight: Sherman’s Travel

Sat, 1 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Istanbul has always boasted an awe-inspiring mix of history, architecture, and atmosphere stemming from its melting-pot Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman past. But recently is has embarked on yet another change. A strong economy and new openness has meant that everything from contemporary art to music to nightlife has blossomed...

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Where to Go Next: Florence: Food & Wine Magazine

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0200

GQ GUIDE TO LONDON

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0200

A man’s guide to the coolest city on the Planet

A Gallic Surfing Safari

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0200

Ondine Cohane scours the French countryside for gnarly waves and tasty oysters

Brazil’s New Beat

Tue, 15 May 2007 00:00:00 +0200

Halfway between Rio and São Paulo, Ondine Cohane discovers hidden beaches, colonial villages, and palmy, pristine deserted islands.

Italian Dolomites: Region of the Heavens

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0100

The Italian Dolomites, a striking mountain enclave at the heart of Europe, have remained surprisingly low-key. Now they are changing the whole idea of how sophisticated a great skiing area can become. Ondine Cohane explores a truly cool culture.
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Pacific Mexico: The Simple and the Sublime

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0200

For 750 miles, Highway 200 in Mexico tracks a coast that mixes great surfing, funky bars, cowboys, mountain towns, and beachside havens of great luxury. Ondine Cohane takes the trip

Puglia: Something New Under the Sun

Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 +0200

Look out, Tuscany, here comes Puglia. Down in Italy's heel, a rich and ancient culture is taking on a high-stepping style. Ondine Cohane catches the moment—and the cucina.
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Honduras: Dive Right In

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 15:03:31 +0100

Swap the turkey for freshly caught lobster, and the Boxing Day movie for a white-water rafting adventure. Ondine Cohane enjoys a Caribbean Christmas on Honduras, whose pristine reefs, white sands and Mayan ruins mean there’s something for everyone.
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Vietnam: Oriental Express

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 00:00:00 +0100

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Langkawi: The Next Nirvana

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 00:00:00 +0200

Just over the horizon from some of Asia's high–profile resorts lies a group of pristine islands only now registering on the radar. Ondine Cohane finds abundant wildlife, untouched rain forests, alabaster beaches, spicy street markets, and some new enclaves of luxury—all sharing a Malaysian idyll called Langkawi

Nicaragua: Where Ondine Cohane gets Sporty

Sat, 5 Mar 2005 19:18:22 +0100

Surf the breaks with the bold…Swing the treetops with monkeys… Climb the volcano with hot hands…Walk to the waterfall with butterflies…Dive the reef with green parrot fish. You're in the new Action Central!