Best Wine Tours Photo: Santa Margherita wine tour © SANTA MARGHERITA By Kristy Alpert JUST AS A GOOD WINE CAN ENHANCE an experience within a destination, a good destination can help enhance the experience with a bottle of wine. Wine tourism is on the rise around the world, cultivating a…
Moscow: Culinary Capital Russia Photo: © KRISTY ALPERT By Kristy Alpert MY EXCITEMENT WANED as he approached, holding a straw and a bottle of what appeared to be Russian vodka. I had come to the White Rabbit restaurant specifically to uncover something unexpected about a rumored underground culinary scene supposedly…
Four Seasons Hualālai Spa Photo: Treatment room © FOUR SEASONS HUALALAI SPA By Kristy Alpert I WAS STILL GETTING RE-ACCUSTOMED TO WALKING on solid ground as I took my first step into the refreshingly cool waters of the Waiea (“Water of Life”) stream running through the open-air gardens at the…
Responsible Travel Photo: © YAMNUSKA MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES By Kristy Alpert – April 1, 2018 TRAVEL HAS ALWAYS HAD A WAY of connecting people to the land, literally stepping us out of our comfort zones and onto an entirely new terrain with different sights, sounds and adventures. Exploring makes the world…
Nepal/Everest Trekking Tours Photo: Bridge in Sagarmāthā National Park © KRISTY ALPERT By Kristy Alpert – January 1, 2018 WHEN JAPANESE MOUNTAINEER Takashi Miyahara arrived in Nepal back in 1962, he did so with a one-way ticket and a dream to build up the country he had fallen in love…
Dogsled, Lapland Finland, November 2017 Photo: © VADYM LAVRA | DREAMSTIME By Kristy Alpert – November 1, 2017 AS A KID GROWING UP IN TEXAS, the closest I ever came to dogsledding was when I strapped on a pair of inline skates and took my black Lab out for a…
World’s Best Wine Regions August 2017, Features Photo: Old clay pots used for winemaking in Tbilisi, Georgia © DMYTRO LOBODA | DREAMSTIME.COM By Kristy Alpert – August 1, 2017 ONE BY ONE I SLIPPED off my sandals and let my toes sink into the cool, lush lawn that stretched from…
Finding Om in India Photo: Group at Rishikul Yogshala © RISHIKUL YOGSHALA By Kristy Alpert – June 1, 2017 I WAITED MY ENTIRE LIFE to be where I stood, the Taj Mahal long acting as a sort of mecca in my long list of bucket-list experiences. I expected that moment to…
Eco-Friendly Journey of Thailand’s Isles Photo: Canoeing in the waters off the Thai islands © KRISTY ALPERT By Kristy Alpert AS I FLOATED just above the water in a three-person sea canoe, I found myself grinning with every ripple and splash from the Andaman Sea. All around us rose clusters of…
Kicking Back in the Maldives By Kristy Alpert – December 1, 2016 For most of the world, imagining paradise requires closed eyes and an active imagination, but on the island chain of the Maldives, it’s as simple as opening your eyes to the tranquil scene that surrounds you. Located off the…
