Inhaltsverzeichnis für August - September 2015 in AFAR

1 NEW YORK CITY Empellón Al Pastor Alex Stupak’s latest Manhattan spot is an ode to the pork-filled taco al pastor. The chef shipped a custom grinder from L.A. to make tortillas in-house. 2 CHARLESTON Minero Sean Brock tested 40 types of corn for his hand-ground masa at the casual Minero. The Southern star chef loves pork, so don’t miss the carnitas tacos. 3 SAN FRANCISCO Tacos Cala This fall, near her seafoodcentric Cala, Mexico City chef Gabriela Cámara will open a taqueria that serves tacos de guisado (slow-stewed fillings).…

WHO Lolis Eric Elie WHERE The Tremé, New Orleans I GREW UP IN THE CARROLLTON section of New Orleans, and when I left for college at the University of Pennsylvania, I thought I’d never return. I believed that my fortunes lay elsewhere. But after a few years away, I took a job as the road manager of Wynton Marsalis’s band— Wynton and I had gone to high school together—and it made more sense for me to make this city my home. When I moved back, I considered living in a few neighborhoods, including the French Quarter, but it was the Tremé’s history and sense of community that drew me here. It’s the nation’s oldest African American residential area, and it has been the site of significant cultural, economic, and political…

3 ESSENTIAL FILMS ABOUT LOVE ON THE ROAD It Happened One Night Sparks fly when Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert drive to New York in this 1934 Capra classic. Before Sunrise By the final Vienna train station scene, only the heartless aren’t rooting for Jesse and Celine. Vicky Cristina Barcelona Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, and Javier Bardem collide in this tangled tribute to love abroad.…

On our third day on the Camino de Santiago, the revered trail that spiders across northern Spain, we took a wrong turn. Chalk it up to rookie eyes and confusing Spanish villages. My husband, Ben, our 8- and 11-year-old daughters, and I missed the yellow arrows that mark the direct trail and accidentally took the twice-as-long route. By the time we realized our mistake, it was too late to turn back. We walked for hours past orderly vineyards, fields of sunflowers, and pine forests. It was the most brutally beautiful 16 miles of our lives. Nine hours after setting out, we arrived in the city of Estella, broken. The next morning we headed off again, briefly fortified by café con leche. Immediately, however, a full-body ache set in. Our packs…

IF THE FIRST RULE OF COLLECTING WILD MUSHROOMS IS “NEVER TAKE ANYTHING YOU CAN’T POSITIVELY identify,” the second must be “you won’t find any along the trail.” In the Rif Mountains of Morocco, that goes for animal trails as well. Goats and cows and even wild boars enjoy mushrooms too, said my guide, Mohammed Elafia, as he pointed to a pale stump nibbled off at ground level. Flashing a patient smile, Mohammed ducked under a low branch, releasing a shower of morning raindrops onto the peaked cowl of his woolen djellaba, the traditional deepsleeved, calf-length robe worn by men in the Rif. Then he disappeared through a tangled lattice of shrubs and bramble. The sky was a whorl of charcoals and pearl grays, and here, at an altitude of 1,700…

AS THE EDITOR OF AFAR, I AM asked, almost daily, “Where should I go next?” It’s a question I’m always happy to tackle. But since my daughter’s birth, I’ve been the one asking that question. For this, our Exceptional Travel Experiences Issue (more on page 73), I’ve decided to flip the conversation and ask you, discerning AFAR readers: Where should my family go this fall? I’ve listed our top contenders, and I especially want advice from parents who have traveled with a baby. Please chime in at afar.com/juliaspinstheglobe. 1. KAUAI Hawaii’s garden isle: Waimea Canyon, the Na Pali Coast, the St. Regis Princeville, and the Palmwood B&B. 2. THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST A meandering desert road trip through Utah’s spectacular Zion, Bryce, and Arches parks. 3. TAHITI Tiaré flowers, Tahitian pearls,…

stay HOW CAN I BREAK OUT OF THE TOURIST BUBBLE? Over on the east coast, around the city of Port Antonio, you’ll find fewer crowds but plenty of culture and landscapes in every shade of green. The renovated Trident (tridentportantonio.com) is a worthy splurge: Watch the sunset from your villa’s Caribbean-facing plunge pool and then check out nearby Geejam, a hotel and recording studio (Björk and India. Arie have made albums here). Your meal of curried fresh-caught shrimp might be accompanied by live mento, a style of Jamaican folk music (geejamhotel.com). For something even more remote, take a 50-minute drive along the coast to the neighboring village of Manchioneal, where you can hike out to the sprawling Reach Falls, which are easily the island’s most enchanting. swim AFTER THE BEACH,…

Rise early. It won’t be hard. In this part of the world, flocks of kookaburras begin giggling at dawn, so you may not need an alarm to be roused out of bed at the brand-new Alex Hotel (2). The colorful rooms are filled with chic woolen blankets, quirky lighting, and other artsy touches from international designers. You’re in Northbridge, a happening neighborhood close to downtown, where you’ll find Greenhouse Perth (3) and a classic Aussie breakfast: a flat white (espresso and steamed milk) and a soft-boiled egg with thin slices of buttered toast “soldiers” for dipping. A short thigh-burning trek leads to the hilltop Kings Park (1), 1,000 acres of indigenous foliage with an aerial view of the city. Seek out the eerily majestic baobabs, a native species of tree…

If you mention us when you book at an AFAR Collection hotel, you could get anything from a complimentary bottle of wine to a discounted rate. Not that we’re telling you to name-drop or anything (we are). Rosewood Mayakoba Riviera Maya, Mexico Las Alcobas Mexico City, Mexico Belmond Peru Cusco, Lima, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley Galley Bay Resort & Spa St. John’s, Antigua The Reefs Resort and Club Southampton, Bermuda Le Guanahani St. Barthélemy, French West Indies Belle Mont Farm on Kittitian Hill St. Kitts Grace Bay Club Turks and Caicos Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve Dorado, Puerto Rico Aqua Wellness Resort Tola, Nicaragua Mandarin Oriental, Miami Miami, Florida XV Beacon Boston, Massachusetts Park Hyatt New York New York, New York Loews Regency Hotel New York, New York…

1 KHAO-SOI ISLAM Located in a predominately Muslim neighborhood, this shop traffics in Thai-Muslim food, including goat biryani and a khao soi that’s heavy on spices and topped with a Burmese-style pickled green. According to some, Khao-Soi Islam’s version most closely resembles its Burmese counterpart. 22-24 Thanon Charoenprathet, Soi 1, 66/(0) 53-271-484 2 KHAO SOI LAM DUAN The owners claim that their 70-plus-yearold restaurant burns through 60 pounds of noodles a day. The khao soi is indeed that good. Richer than most, the broth is particularly fullflavored thanks to a generous amount of curry paste. It’s so popular, in fact, that Lam Duan opened an outpost in khao soi–deprived Bangkok. 352/22 Charoen Rat Rd., 66/(0) 53-243-519 3 KHAW-SOI MRS. SRIPHAN If you can get beyond perching on a tiny plastic…

1 Rent a jet From glamping in Mongolia to a cruise in Greenland, Abercrombie & Kent’s 26-day jetaround-the-world adventure tour is 20 years of vacations packed into one month. Your ride: A 50-seat jet with lie-flat seats and a staff to cater to your every whim. $135,000. aber crombiekent.com 2 Go big in Brazil Trade the office fluorescents for 10 days beneath Brazil’s bright skies. The sweat factor—you’ll bike Rio’s burnished shores, kayak through mangroves in Paraty, and hike in nature reserves— is balanced by indulgence (Ayurvedic massages, helicopter tours). $14,945. geoex.com 3 Sail in Indonesia Grab your nine best friends and book the Amandira, a new five-cabin ship that’s like a seafaring version of Bali’s swanky Amanwana hotel. You’ll spend days snorkeling coral reefs, and evenings sipping French bubbly…

Three years ago, our daughter said to us, ‘Hey why don’t you guys just quit your jobs and travel?’” says Michael, 69. “We weren’t 100 percent sure we were ready for retirement, and we didn’t think we had enough money to travel. But she introduced us to Airbnb, and we did some spreadsheets and it started to feel real. So we got rid of most of our stuff, rented out our Seattle house, reduced our monthly expenses to the barest minimum, and bought two one-way tickets to Paris. And we’ve been traveling ever since.” Says Debbie, 58, “Now we’re more fun, we’re more open-minded—we’re even more in love. We don’t sweat the small stuff. And we’re healthier! We’ve both lost weight because we walk an average of five miles a…

Indigo walls. Azure staircases. Cobalt archways. After a while, moving through the shifting blues of the medina in Chefchaouen can feel more like swimming in the sea than walking around a mountain town. But the famous dipped-in-blue look has less to do with the sea than the sky. The place was given its colorful coat by generations of Jews who fled here from both the Spanish Inquisition and Hitler’s growing reach. Their choice of hue came from the Jewish tradition of weaving blue thread into prayer shawls to remind people of the sky, the heavens, and ultimately, God’s power. (A less poetic explanation is that it’s to repel mosquitos by mimicking the look of running water.) The bulk of the Jewish population left for Israel in 1948. Still, every spring…

COX & KINGS Chile and Argentina: Patagonia and Fjords An immersive multisport experience in Torres del Paine National Park (kayaking, horseback riding), Cox & Kings’ 12-day adventure also includes a four-night cruise from the Beagle Channel to the Cape of Good Hope, with views of icebergs and penguin colonies along the way. From $9,590 per person. coxandkingsusa.com FLY FISHING IN PATAGONIA Writer Chris Woolston arranged his trip with the San Martin de los Andes– based outfitter founded in 1999 by Argentine fishing buff Pablo Zaleski. All skill levels are welcome on these fully customizable trips. Certified guides handle logistics, and the casting waters are legendary: The Malleo River, for instance, is known worldwide for its high density of two-plus-foot trout. From $4,025 per person. flyfishinginpatagonia.com INTREPID Patagonia Trekking The main…

JUST BACK FROM UP OUR ALLEY In Barcelona, associate editor Danielle Walsh’s best discoveries came while ambling along the side streets. I’m convinced the best way to see Barcelona is on foot—not wandering the main drag of La Rambla but exploring the city’s many alleys. In them, I stumbled onto under-the-radar boutiques, old-school tapas joints, and plenty of places to raise a glass. One Friday evening in the shabby-chic El Born neighborhood, I came across natural wine spot Bar Brutal. The briny, crisp Catalonian whites fortified me for a dance party held at the courtyard of the nearby Museu d’Història de Barcelona. The next hazy-headed morning, I recovered over a velvety cortado, Spain’s answer to the cappuccino, at Caravelle in the lively, if somewhat seedy, Raval neighborhood. As it turned…

REASON TO CELEBRATE “I was so glad my trip overlapped with Oaxaca’s Día de los Muertos (Oct. 31–Nov. 2), a festive holiday that honors family members and loved ones who have died. In addition to the parades, the singing, and the celebrating, I got to taste pan de muertos, or bread of the dead, a sweetened roll that’s made with a dense dough and dipped in hot chocolate.” EAT LIST “The dish I like most at the rustic Itanoní Tortillería y Antojería (pictured) is a simple quesadilla with cheese and hoja santa, an aromatic Mexican herb. The married couple who owns the restaurant uses heirloom corn from local sources. For the best mole, I head to the 100-seat Quince Letras, where Celia Florián makes it both in the traditional style…

Small Bars, Big Charm Thanks to looser liquor laws, creative types all over town have turned pleasantly odd spaces into glorious drinking spots. 1 BOB’S BAR The terrace, set in what was once the printing house of Perth’s local paper, is perfect for afternoon drinks. printhall.com.au/bobs-bar 2 THE DOMINION LEAGUE The only medicines now dispensed in this former governmentsubsidized pharmacy are cocktails from a team of local hotshots. dominionleague.com.au 3 THE STABLES BAR Here, you can literally drink like a horse. A hundred years ago, it housed haystacks and stallions; today, it stocks dozens of local wines. thestablesbar.com.au TAKE A DIP Many Australian chefs liven up bread with dukka, an Egyptian blend of spices served as a dip with olive oil. Try it at Bread in Common, with the fantastic…

1 GROOTBOS PRIVATE NATURE RESERVE Walker Bay, South Africa Grootbos sits on a stretch of coast famed for its fynbos, an incredibly diverse natural shrubland. Guests may see one of 765 plant species while hiking the property’s trails. The ocean’s “big five” are the other draw: Boat trips from Walker Bay seek out seals, sharks, penguins, dolphins, and June through December, whales. Rooms are peaceful, set against ancient milkwood trees or fynbos gardens, and the restaurant is good enough that Cape Towners will drive two hours for a meal. Before you head home, plant a tree as part of the lodge’s Future Trees Project. You’ll get the GPS coordinates so you can find it on your next visit. From $226. grootbos.com 2 ANDBEYOND BENGUERRA ISLAND Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique The Instagramworthy…

“When I started out, towing a teardrop trailer through the American Southwest in 2008, I didn’t even have an iPhone. I had a foldout map. To this day, after so many miles through the U.S. and New Zealand, I figure out my daily plan as I go. I never, ever have to suffer through the ‘Where do you want to go? I don’t know, where do you want to go?’ conversation. Each day is a surprise when no one is expecting you. On a whim one night, I pulled off at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico and carried a tent into the dunes. I watched the stars come out in hour after hour of absolute silence. Traveling by myself can be lonely at times, but when I’m up…

1 Crunch the numbers “You know how you go on vacation and get that ‘Ah, what the hell’ feeling about money? Well, we can’t go into that mode,” says Debbie. “Our goal was to spend the same amount of money that we would if we had retired back home. On average, we spend $90 per night on lodging.” 2 Get your bearings “In every city where it’s available, we take a free walking tour on the first day. It helps us get oriented and decide what we’ll do,” says Debbie. “Also, as soon as we arrive at our house, we take inventory and find out where the market is. We get the basics, like cereal and juice. I always try to take local cooking classes. It’s a challenge to cook…

The humble mushroom may not seem worthy of an entire trip. “But once you slow down and move off the beaten trail, you find all these jewels,” says Daniel Winkler, whose MushRoaming tours combine nature and culture. “It’s like Alice in Wonderland over and over again, and I see how much people love it.” Winkler leads expeditions around the world but favors Tibet, where he returns every year in search of Caesar’s mushroom, a vibrant orange variety that can grow up to eight inches in diameter. Post-forage, participants cook their bounty under the guidance of Tibetan hosts. “We have this shared interest with locals who are otherwise not in touch with tourists,” he says. “It just opens doors.” Here are four tour providers that can get you in at the…

Early fall in Ecuador brings dry, cool days and, if you spring for a seat on the recently restored Tren Crucero, an unimpeded view of one of the most challenging rail routes ever constructed. The shiny red train, outfitted with neoclassical antiques and an open-air caboose, traverses tracks built in 1908 that lead from Guayaquil to Quito in the Andes. During the four-day trip, you’ll visit indigenous markets, spend a night in a 17th-century hacienda, and, near Alausí, brave a toe-curling descent down Devil’s Nose. $1,393. trenecuador.com…