I have dreamed for decades of seeing a blue whale – the largest animal that’s ever lived (as far as we know at least). When I first investigated the possibility, the only places… Read More

The Joseph Magnus story began in the middle of the 19th century when he was informed that his father had been killed during the Civil War. His late father had been a merchant, and Magnus fol… Read More

In the very heart of the Mediterranean Sea  ̶  south of Sicily, north of Libya, and east of Tunisia  ̶   lie the islands of Malta. They make up a smal… Read More

Kudos to Lincoln Center’s continuing commitment to inviting cultures from around the world to New York City in their Summer for the City offerings. Thanks to this program, we were intr… Read More

The Thracians made the earliest wines and declared Dionysus the “god of wine.” The Egyptians made beer 5,000 years ago, and the Incas made corn liquor (chicha) 3,000 years in the… Read More

Viking River Cruises have some of the most appealingly seductive television ads. Often, when watching them, I wondered how accurate they were. Well, after having experienced a Viking Cr… Read More

Conde Nast Traveler has named its top 100 restaurants in the world, and Nuema in Quito is number 61. It’s nestled in the Illa Experience Hotel & Spa, and I had the extraordinary op… Read More

The 5-star Illa Experience Hotel & Spa opened its doors in December 2017 by Latin Trails in the historic part of Quito just a few blocks from the Plaza Grande and surrounded by artists&r… Read More

This quick and easy take on a Greek classic – shrimp and feta with orzo – will have dinner on the table in 20 minutes from start to finish if you use precooked shrimp as we now d… Read More

If you’re looking for something fun to do in New York City this summer, try the One World Observatory, which boasts the highest observation deck in the city with three floors and 360-d… Read More

TRAVEL NEWS JetBlue news. Starting September 6, 2024, JetBlue will allow a free carry-on bag to those flying via Blue Basic fare. Good! It’s ridiculous to have to pay more for a car… Read More

The 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City seems to have recovered the losses of exhibitors during the COVID period, making it as large as (or possibly even… Read More

The 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City seems to have recovered the losses of exhibitors during the COVID period, making it as large as (or possibly even… Read More

If Washington State wines are not on your radar, they should be. It has a particularly ideal climate for winegrowing with 17 hours of sunlight and cool nights that help maintain the acidity… Read More

First, the location: Holbox is a 26-mile-long island off the northeast corner of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, two hours north of Cancun, plus a 30-minute ferry ride – but worth ev… Read More

Vermouth is an aged, aromatic, fortified European wine flavored with botanicals, such as citrus peel, star anise, basil, thyme, and wormwood, to name a few. According to ancient Greek fol… Read More

When I want a fine dining experience in Manhattan that’s still within reason from a price perspective, La Grande Boucherie is my go-to restaurant – and has been for years. The Fr… Read More

When Europeans of the 15th century tried to imitate the beautiful Chinese porcelain imported by traders through the Silk Road, they were not very successful. Clay pottery was used in Euro… Read More

“The best thing about Milan is that it is on the way to Turin,” said one Torino to me. We were driving alongside the magnificent Alps that are a backdrop to Turin. This sophistic… Read More

It’s the beginning of what is supposed to be a very hot summer, so we thought a cold glass of a bubbly would be a great antidote to the heat. Sparkling wines, whether they are calle… Read More

I sat down to watch the Tony Awards Sunday night, June 16, with trepidation. It had been a particularly stuffed season, especially with musicals, which is my favorite genre. I expected to be… Read More

Don’t rely on AI to create your itinerary! A recent study found that AI itineraries are ridden with errors. They’ll recommend visiting places when they aren’t open or place… Read More

Anybody who knows me well knows that I’m an avid fan of theater in NYC. I see almost all shows on Broadway (some more than once), and I can rattle off the names of numerous Broadway cr… Read More

If you’re longing for a European vacation, but it’s not in the immediate future, why not get that taste of Europe by visiting the northeast mountains of Georgia where the tiny ha… Read More

Beef is a cornerstone of traditional Argentine cuisine. The ideal land and climate to raise cattle made Argentina a leading producer of top quality, lean yet amazingly flavorful grass-fed be… Read More

When you think of Louisville, Kentucky, you probably think horses and bourbon, but the city has a great deal to offer the traveler at any time of year – not just during the Kentucky De… Read More

I have struggled with motion sickness my whole life, and sometimes, I can be miserable on a boat, even while others think the water is nice and smooth. So over the years, I have found tha… Read More

“It’s so close to London. Come visit!” insisted my great-niece. “You can get around on foot or by bike on the cobblestones.” That sounded dandy, so off we we… Read More

I have been plagued with severe ear pain and popping on airplanes for many years, so I’ve found a few tricks that work well for me. Hopefully, they’ll work for you, too. I&rsq… Read More

Recently, exceptional cultured clams have been making an appearance in East Coast fish stores and supermarkets. They have unique regional flavors that stem from subtle water quality and sali… Read More

Americans arrested: Five Americans have been arrested recently in Turks and Caicos in separate incidents because they’ve left firearm ammunition in their luggage, purportedly by accide… Read More

The success of two films – Boy on a Dolphin (1957) with Sophia Loren, Alan Ladd, and Clifton Webb, and Phaedra (1962) with Melina Mercouri and Anthony Perkins – catapulted Hydra… Read More

Hello, all you current and to-be dads, and welcome to our very first LuxuryWeb Magazine Father’s Day Gift Guide. We have a few suggestions that you might want to pass along to spouses… Read More

Most Saharan Berbers are still living the same way they did 10 centuries ago in the Western Sahara and the Atlas Mountains. They are both a tourist attraction and an international lesson on… Read More

Lisbon, Portugal has many wonderful museums, but my two personal favorites are the National Coach Museum (Museu National dos Coches) and the Maritime Museum (Museu de Marinha). First, let… Read More

The unprecedented affluence of the early 21st century and the newfound willingness of the American public to try the pleasures of foods and fresh products from other countries has caused bot… Read More

As usual, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) audience was buzzing with excitement and especially so because not only was it Mother’s Day, it was also a much-anticipated perf… Read More

Mona Lisa News: The Louvre in Paris is considering moving the Mona Lisa to a larger room in the basement to make it easier for the crowds to get a good look. Train between Spain and Moroc… Read More

Risi e bisi is a traditional Italian dish from the Veneto, initially cooked as a special festive dish in Venice, Vicenza, and Verona. It was served to the Venetian Doges and the ruling famil… Read More

“It is a new social and cultural reality in Spain” according to the Spanish Culture Ministry. This Friday, Spain scrapped their “Annual Bullfighting Award,” prompt… Read More

In a recovering country, “luxury” is a relative matter. And on those terms, the five-star Baghdad Hotel is one of Iraq’s luxury hotels. It was the propert… Read More

One of the best known Istanbul restaurants is located in the space above the main entrance of the Egyptian (Misir) Çarşisi (Bazaar), one of Istanbul’s highly respected reta… Read More

Do wine bottle closures matter to you? Do you think that screw-capped bottles contain cheaper or lower quality wines? Are you a die-hard cork devotee? I think I have a definitive answer t… Read More

The day I had to leave Rapa Nui, I teared up. I so wanted more time there. While the island is part of the country of Chile, it’s actually in Polynesia and is similar to Hawaii in that… Read More

The 5-star resort property of Nayara Hangaroa on Easter Island, which I will call Rapa Nui for the rest of this article, is an exceptional experience that I can’t possibly recommend en… Read More

May is the month when flowering trees are in bloom. The air is permeated with fragrance, and the sounds of coughing and sneezing can be heard throughout the land. This Mother’s Day… Read More

Automatic airline refunds!: The Department of Transportation in the U.S. is instituting new rules that require airlines to give automatic refunds if a domestic flight is delayed by three hou… Read More

In the late 1990s, I visited Iguassu Falls in Brazil for the first time, and I stayed at Hotel das Cataratas – a sprawling, bright pink, 1950s hacienda-style property right across the… Read More

I visited Iguassu Falls in the late 1990s, and I have wanted to go back ever since. I finally got my chance. As someone who has traveled the world and seen many awe-inspiring places, I have… Read More

Bolgheri is a central Italian village of Castagneto Carducci, a commune in Tuscany in the province of Livorno that is well-known to wine lovers for the exceptional quality of the bottles cre… Read More

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will be premiering two new works at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC): Amy Hall Garner’s first work for the Company, CENTURY, an… Read More

Just as I’d been told, many of the landscapes in Iceland looked like they belonged on another planet. Our tour took us from the northern part of the country down the east coast and wes… Read More

Monterey Bay Aquarium is perhaps the most celebrated aquarium in the U.S. and for good reason. Not only are there rare animals and other sea life on display, but all you have to do is w… Read More

It’s hard to imagine that there was no museum about the history of Broadway until late 2022, but that’s the truth. Thankfully, we now have the Museum of Broadway to commemorate t… Read More

Even my Lyft driver didn’t know about the Hollywood Cars Museum in Las Vegas, which is just a short drive from the strip. This little-known museum has a host of vehicles from… Read More

Balmoral Castle News! According to The Royal Butler, King Charles has decided to allow the public to visit the interior of Balmoral Castle for the first time. It’s located in Aberdeens… Read More

Be sure to look up occasionally at the Museum of the American Revolution. There are exhibits over your head, such as this one of a Patriot working to rip down the statue of King George III i… Read More

My friend and I were wandering around Lisbon one day and stumbled upon a beautiful Italian restaurant called La Mafia se Sienta a la Mesa. We couldn’t have made a better choice for lun… Read More

New restaurants appear in Northern New Jersey all the time. However, some are just run of the mill eateries serving the same tired dishes that have been served for ages, while a few others a… Read More

Southwest Airlines is planning to start its first red-eye flights within the next couple of years. Istanbul Airport has been named the best airport in the world for the fourth time in a r… Read More

The ultra-modern, 5-star Capitol Hotel Tokyu is located in the trendy Akasaka area of central Tokyo, not far from the Imperial Palace. The locale couldn’t be more convenient. There&rsq… Read More

After the fire in 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris will reopen on December 8, 2024. Galapagos Islands entry fees are increasing as of August 1, 2024. They haven’t increased these… Read More

At a recent major wine event in New York City promoting Barolo and Barbaresco wines and general tourism to Piedmont, Italy, I heard a rumor that one of the best and most influential Italian… Read More

She comes in a tiny package but with a huge voice. Pretty as a picture and full of good humor, Emmy and Tony Award-winner Kristin Chenoweth was in top form strutting her stuff on the NJPAC (… Read More

I don’t understand why there are so few articles written about sweet wines, except for articles about madeiras, ports, and sherries. It seems that a number of wine writers veer away fr… Read More

It was a dizzying way to start our trip – especially after a late night landing in Quito and only four hours of sleep. But here we were standing on a mountain more than two miles high… Read More

The Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel is true to its name in more ways than one. Not only are the building and grounds palatial, but so is the ambience and the service. Of all the fine hotels I… Read More

I did the “trifecta” in Ecuador, visiting the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon, and the Andes. It was my second time in the Andes region (the first time was about 13 years before)… Read More

The main draw of Tokyo’s Hotel Chinzanso is its 17-acre garden, and while that garden is nothing short of spectacular, there’s certainly a lot more to love about this hotel. Form… Read More

Sherry is one of the two spectacular fortified wines produced in the Iberian Peninsula, in the wine-growing maritime region of Jerez, mostly from white grapes. The other is Port, produc… Read More

Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) is considered one of the world’s premier beach destinations, prized for its exquisite sandy beaches, new hotels, all-inclusive resorts, and luxury rent… Read More

(The featured photo is of an ancient Roman amphitheater in Amman, Jordan by Melanie Votaw.) In only a few days, I covered a lot of terrain in Jordan. I was able to see several historical… Read More

January may be an odd time to visit Beijing because it’s very cold and dry, but the plus side is that the crowds are seriously reduced from the warmer months, when I’m told you c… Read More

I came to New York City in 1967 with the dream of becoming an award-winning advertising photographer. I had worked as an assistant in 1964 London in the studio of David Bailey, a famous phot… Read More

Don’t use Google to look for airline phone numbers! It turns out scammers are putting bogus numbers on Google and posing as airlines. When you need a number, ALWAYS go to the official… Read More

The town of Voss is within striking distance of Norway’s most prominent fjords, the Hardangerfjord and the Sognefjord. Traveling from Bergen by train to Voss takes about an hour and ta… Read More

In our office, we received a box with three fruity Johny Bootlegger liquors that can be excellent bases for cocktails or can be sipped as after-dinner drinks. Included in the box was also a… Read More

If you’ve never been to Asia, Singapore is a great introduction to the continent. I think of it as “Asia Lite.” Yes, you’re in Asia, but English is universally spoken… Read More

As far as this travel, food, and wine writer is concerned, Spain has surpassed most traditional European countries lauded by gastronomes for food and wine excellence. Whether your food pr… Read More

A couple of my friends have told me they wouldn’t want to visit Japan because of how the country came across in the 2003 Bill Murray film “Lost In Translation.” Well… Read More

One of the most elegant hotels in London’s Mayfair, Claridge’s has been the favorite residence of visiting industrialists, international aristocracy, statesmen, and illustrious c… Read More

Air travel safety record is good! This may come as a surprise, but the International Air Transport Association report on plane safety in 2023 says the number of accidents last year was the l… Read More