Valeria Sandoval

I'm drawn to hotels that build their sense of place from the ground they sit on, and Zannier Phum Baitang does exactly that. It's a "green village" of stilted wooden villas set among working rice paddies just outside Siem Reap. I conducted a site inspection here in April 2025 and was struck by how completely the property leans into traditional Khmer architecture rather than importing a generic resort aesthetic. The single image I keep coming back to is the view from the pool at sunset, looking out over the paddies as the light drops, one of the most beautiful hotel moments I've experienced in the region. For travelers who want somewhere genuinely rooted in Cambodia rather than a chain hotel near the temples, this is a special place.

Three weeks is what Japan deserves, and it's what let this trip breathe. We followed the spine of the classic Golden Route, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, but wove in Kanazawa and Hiroshima, the two stops that turn a familiar route into something more textured and personal. What I loved most was the rhythm of it: the full-tilt energy of Tokyo, the hush of Kanazawa's old streets, food worth planning a day around, and day trips that opened up whole other cities. This is the trip I'd point a first-timer toward when they want to actually feel Japan, not just tick it off.

Siem Reap doesn’t need to be rushed. Most guides try to squeeze the temples into three frantic days, but I spent over a week here and it completely changed the experience. Spacing out temple visits, embracing pool days, and letting myself settle into the city’s quieter side made this one of my favorite trips. This is a guide for slow travelers, the ones who want to feel a place, not just check it off.

Nxabega is where luxury and the wild meet without either one compromising the other. After visiting several camps across our Botswana itinerary, this was the one that struck the perfect balance: refined enough to feel spoiled, wild enough to feel the bush right at your doorstep. The Okavango Delta invites you to slow down and pay attention to the smaller things, and Nxabega creates exactly the right setting for that. For anyone considering Botswana, this camp is a reminder that the most meaningful safari experiences don't ask you to choose between comfort and authenticity.

Cape Town is one of those rare cities where dramatic natural beauty and rich cultural history collide at every turn. Dorp Hotel captures that magic perfectly, perched high on Signal Hill above the colorful Bo-Kaap neighborhood. From the sweeping views of Table Mountain to the wildly creative interiors, it felt like we were in a friend’s home secluded from the busy streets.

Costa Smeralda is synonymous with superyachts and velvet ropes, but beyond the glossy marina of Porto Cervo lies a wilder, quieter coast that most visitors never find. Think hidden coves with no sunbed fees, family-run pizzerias where the owner pulls your Margherita from a wood-fired oven, and boat trips to granite islands where the only crowd is seabirds. This is my guide to experiencing The Emerald Coast the way it deserves to be seen.

137 Pillars House, one of the finest boutique hotels in Southeast Asia, is a lovingly restored 19th-century teak homestead with only 30 suites, exceptional service, and a deeply personal atmosphere that larger properties simply cannot replicate. It was the setting for my own destination wedding, an intimate celebration that was unconventional in every way, from the traditional monk blessing to the flower-filled family dinner in the courtyard.

Chobe Under Canvas was the experience that cemented my love for mobile camping, the perfect balance of wild and luxurious. Falling asleep to the sounds of the bush, with no screens or distractions, felt like a reset I didn't know I needed. Watching an elephant herd walk through camp under moonlight on our very first night reminded me why I fell in love with safari in the first place.

London rewards the curious. There is always another layer, another room, another street. This guide is for people who care about how things look, how they were made, and who made them. As a local with a deep love for the city’s creative and design culture, these are the places I keep coming back to and keep recommending.

I’m unashamedly animal-obsessed, and when I started researching Cape Town, wildlife was the first thing I looked into. What I didn’t expect was just how much there was to find. The land alone stopped me in my tracks. Cape Town is a buzzing city with extraordinary nature at its doorstep, and if you’re willing to venture just a little beyond it, the encounters are unlike anything else. Just make sure you go with ethical operators—these animals deserve to be treated with respect.