Thursday, September 29, 2011

CANADA

(does not include Banff, British Columbia, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver & Vancouver Island)

GENERAL
Toronto to Vancouver – VIA Rail (“Canadian”); 888-842-7245; viarail.ca; traverses northern Ontario lakelands, Saskatchewan and Manitoba prairies, and Canadian Rockies on 3-day/4-night, spectacular, journey; refurbished, 1950s Art Deco trains in 2 classes; “Comfort” – has reclining seats, domed viewing car, and coffee shop; “Silver & Blue” – has sleeping accommodations, meals, plush bar/lounge, and private sight-seeing car; with 48-hours advance notice, passengers can request unscheduled stops on some segments; runs March 31st through May 31st at special rates.



ALBERTA
Fort Smith
Sights & Sites
Wood Buffalo National Park – Highway 5 (small satellite office in Fort Chipewyan); 867-872-7900; pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nt/woodbuffalo/index.aspx; located in northeastern Alberta & southern Northwest Territories; largest national park in North America & 2nd largest in world; established in 1922 to protect world’s largest free roaming Wood Bison herd, currently at 5K; 1 of 2 known whooping crane nesting sites; contains 1 of world’s largest fresh water deltas, Peace-Athabasca Delta, formed by Athabasca, Birch & Peace Rivers; also known for karst sinkholes in north-eastern section; designated UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983; large bat, night hawk & owl populations; moose, black bear, wolf, lynx, beaver, brown bear, snowshoe hare, Sandhill Crane, Ruffed Grouse & Red-sided Garter Snakes; only natural nesting habitat for Whooping Crane.

Jasper
Hotels
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge – 1 Old Lodge Road; 780-852-3301 or 800-257-7544; fairmont.com; charming cabins and luxurious suites.

Lake Louise
Hotels
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise – 111 Lake Louise Drive; 403-522-3511; fairmont.com; breathtaking location and view; 19th Century resort in Banff National Park; excellent restaurant.
Post Hotel & Spa – 200 Pipestone Road; 403-522-3989 or 800-661-1586; posthotel.com; Banff National Park landmark; scenic location on river; outstanding restaurant.
Restaurants
Post Hotel Dining Room – 200 Pipestone Road; 403-522-3989; posthotel.com.

New Brunswick
Sights & Sites
Mount Head – Longview (Highwood River Valley); weblex.nrcan.gc.ca/html/010000/GSCC00053010227.html; remarkable stratigraphy; panorama viewpoint is at Eden Valley, caan be seen from Highways 40S & 541.

Waterton
Hotels
Prince of Wales Hotel – off Highway 5 (in Waterton Lakes National Park); 403-859-2231 or 406-892-2525; glacierparkinc.com; historic; perched between 2 lakes with high mountain backdrop; fantastically ornamented with balconies, eaves, high steeple, and turrets; lobby’s 2-story windows look out over valley and townsite.
Sights & Sites
Waterton Lakes National Park – Waterton Park; 403-859-5133; pc.gc.ca.




LAKE SUPERIOR
Dorion
Sights & Sites
Eagle Canyon Suspension Bridge – 275 Valley Road; 807-857-1475; eaglecanyonadventures.ca; Canada’s longest suspension bridge; stretches 600 feet across deep canyon.

Thunder Bay
Hotels
Eldorado Beach Bed & Breakfast – 2845 Eldorado Beach Road; 807-983-2276 or 866-205-0855; cozy; good strudel.
Sailboat B&B – 807-628-3333; sailsuperior.com; 38-foot anchored.
Restaurants
Hoito – 314 Bay Street; 807-345-6323; hoito.ca; Finnish food (sweet pancakes, mojakka (fish soup), and sisu (clabbered milk)).
Services
Sailboat Tours – 807-628-3333; sailsuperior.com.
Shopping
Silver Islet General Store – 367 Marion Street; 807-683-8512; every Saturday night in summer, ice cream and tea (note that darkness arrives at 11 p.m.).
Sights & Sites
Fort Williams Historical Park – 350 King Road; 807-473-2347; fwhp.ca.
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park – from Thunder Bay, take Trans-Canada Highway 11/17 for 18 miles (Ontario, Canada); 807-473-9231; ontarioparks.com; 154 foot, “Little Niagara.”
Ouimet Canyon – pass Lake Thunder Bay; 807-977-2526; ontarioparks.com; 350 foot deep scar in earth; cantilevered platform allows you to stand out over gorge.
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park – pass Lake Thunder Bay; 807-977-2526; ontarioparks.com.



MANITOBA
Churchill
Hotels
Seal River Heritage Lodge – Kleefield; 204-377-5090 or 866-846-9453; churchillwild.com; exclusive; swim with beluga whales and see polar bears; fly-in access only.
Services
Wat’chee Expeditions – 353 Kelsey Boulevard; 204-675-2114; watchee.com; for aurora borealis and polar bear watching.



NEW BRUNSWICK
St.-Andrews-by-Sea
Hotels
Fairmont Algonquin Hotel – 184 Adolphus Street; 506-529-8823 or 866-540-4403; fairmont.com/Algonquin; Canada’s 1stseaside resort town; built in 1880s; Tudor-style hotel located at original Loyalist town’s center; fireplaces in all larger rooms; “cure all” saltwater baths drawn from Passamaquoddy Bay; access to Katy’s Cove private beach; whale watching, hiking, golfing, and biking.



NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR
Newfoundland
Fogo Island
Hotels
Fogo Island Inn – Highway 334; 709-658-3444; fogoislandinn.ca; uber-modern and expensive.
Foley’s Place Bed & Breakfast – Kelly’s Island Road (Tilting); 709-658-7288 or 866-658-7244; foleysplace.ca.
Peg’s B&B – 60 Main Street (Fogo); 709-266-2392; pegsbb.com.



NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Yellow Knife
Sights & Sites
Aurora Village – 4709 Franklin Avenue; 867-669-0006; auroravillage.com; aurora borealis-viewing destination; go mid-August to late April.



NOVA SCOTIA
Cape Breton Island
Hotels
Cabot Links – 15933 Central Avenue (Inverness); 902-258-3330; cabotlinks.com; on golf course but setting so magnficent, worth staying even if not golfer.
Highlands Links – 275 Keltic Inn Road (Ingonish); 902-285-2600; highlandslinksgolf.com; on golf course but setting so magnficent, worth staying even if not golfer.
Sights & Sites
Cabot Trail – from Baddeck to St. Ann’s; cabottrail.com; 185 mile highway skirting island’s northern coastline.

Baddeck
Hotels
Chanterelle Inn – 48678 Cabot Trail; 902-929-2263 or 866-277-0577; chanterelleinn.com; tucked away on remote hillside where chef-owner forages for mushrooms.

Glenville
Bars & Nightclubs
Glenora Inn & Distillery – 13727 Route 19 (trunk); 902-258-2662 or 800-8390491; glenoradistillery.com; traditional ceilidh music.

Halifax
Hotels
Westin Nova Scotian – 1181 Hollis Street; 902-421-1000 or 877-993-7846; thewestin-novascotian.com; ask for view over harbor and islands.
Restaurants
da Maurizio – 1496 Lower Water Street; 902-423-0859; damaurizio.ca; among city’s best restaurants; Italian.
Sights & Sites
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia – 1723 Hollis Street; 902-424-5280; artgalleryofnovascotia.ca; Atlantic Canada’s largest art museum.
Canadian Museum of Immigration – 1055 Marginal Road (Pier 21); 902-425-7770; pier21.ca.
Halifax City Hall – 1841 Argyle Street; 902-490-6456; halifax.ca; built in 1880s.
Halifax Public Gardens – 5691 Spring Garden Road; 902-446-4232; halifax.ca/publicgardens; Victorian gardens that date to 1841.
Lunenburg – 1 hour south of Halifax; UNESCO World Heritage site; well-preserved 18th Century architecture (painted houses).
Maritime Museum of Atlantic – 1675 Lower Water Street (Pier 21); 902-424-7490; museum.gov.ns.ca/mma.

Ingonish (includes Ingonish Ferry)
Hotels
Castle Rock Country Inn – 39339 Cabot Trail (Ingonish Ferry); 902-285-2700 or 888-884-7625; ingonish.com/castlerock; across harbor from Keltic Lodge Resort; comfortable alternative.
Keltic Lodge Resort & Spa – 383 Keltic Inn Road; 902-285-2880 or 800-565-0444; kelticlodge.ca; high on acliff surrounded by Atlantic Ocean; view of majestic Cape Smokey rising out of sea; open since July 1940; accommodations in historic Main Lodge, Inn at Keltic, and cozy 2-4 bedroom cottages with fireplaces and verandas; heated outdoor pool, nearby ocean beach (Ingonish), hiking wilderness trails, lawn games, whale watching, Aveda Spa, and boat cruises.

Mabou
Bars & Nightclubs
Red Shoe Pub – 11573 Route 19 (trunk); 902-945-2996; redshoepub.com; live music.

Petit Etang
Shopping
La Boulangerie Aucoin – 14 Lapointe Road; 902-224-3220; aucoinbakery.com; bakery.



ONTARIO
Cloyne
Sights & Sites
Bon Echo Provincial Park – Route 1; 613-336-2228; ontarioparks.com; favored destination for painters and photographers, north of Napanee; renowned for Mazinaw Rock, with tremendous echo properties; canoeing and hiking paradise of deep, blue lakes, sandy beaches, granite outcrops, and lush green forests.

Grafton
Hotels
Ste. Anne’s Country Inn & Spa – 1009 Massey Road; 905-349-2493 or 888-346-6772; steannes.com; set on 500 acres; 28 guest rooms, handful of which in small cottages; organic cuisine.

La Malbaie (formerly Murray Bay)
Hotels
Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu – 181 Rue Richelieu; 418-665-3703; fairmont.com.
Manoir Charlevoix – 1030 Chemin du Golf; 418-665-4413; manoircharlevoix.com.

Niagara Falls (includes Niagara-on-Lake & Virgil)
Bars
Edgewaters Tap & Grill – 6342 Niagara Parkway; 905-356-2217; niagaraparks.com/dining; good place to sample Niagara region wine.
Hotels
Doubletree Fallsview Resort & Spa – 6039 Fallsview Boulevard; 905-358-3817 or 800-222-8733; niagarafallsdoubletree.com; on hill overlooking falls.
Sterling Inn & Spa – 5195 Magdalen Street; 289-292-0000 or 877-783-7772; sterlingniagara.com; in former dairy building transformed into boutique hotel; 41 spacious rooms; quiet, style oasis.
Restaurants
AG – 5195 Magdalen Street (at Sterling Inn & Spa); 289-292-0000; sterlingniagara.com; soothing, upscale restaurant.
Edgewaters Tap & Grill – 6342 Niagara Parkway; 905-356-2217; niagaraparks.com/dining; try Great Canadian Sandwich “EH” (with Canadian bacon).
Peller Estates – 290 John Street East (Niagara-on-Lake); 905-468-4678; peller.com.
Shopping
Inniskillin Winery – 1499 Line 3, Niagara Parkway (Virgil); 905-468-2187; inniskillin.com; tours.
Kurtz Orchards Gourmet Marketplace – 16006 Niagara Parkway (Niagara-on-Lake); 905-468-2937; kurtzorchards.com; munch free samples breads, cheeses, jams, nut butters, and tapenades.
Sights & Sites
Queen Victoria Park – 7400 Portage Road South; 905-357-9340; niagaraparks.com; bounded by steep Fallsview moraine and Niagara River Great Gorge; contains beautifully maintained gardens and valuable collection unique international and native plants; rock garden, hanging baskets, Hybrid tea rose garden, and attractive carpet-bedding displays.
Reif Estate Winery – 15608 Niagara Parkway (Niagara-on-Lake); 905-468-9463; reifwinery.com; gimmicky, pleasant Wine Sensory Garden.

Ottawa
Sights & Sites
Canadian Museum of Nature – 240 McLeod Street; 613-566-4700; nature.ca/en/home‎; taxidermy.
Canadian War Museum – 1 Vimy Place; 819-776-8600 or 800-555-5621; warmuseum.ca; war museum in capital since 1880, in various places around town; this is grandest and newest, opened in 2005 (buy combination ticket to also enter fine Canadian Museum of Civilization); with intentional irony, designed by architect Raymond Moriyama, among more than 20K Japanese-Canadians interned during WWII; important to see William Nicholson’s Canadian Generals.
National Gallery of Ottawa – 380 Sussex Drive; 613-990-1985; gallery.ca; designed by Moshe Safdie; large and varied collection (paintings, drawings, sculpture & photographs), although focus on Canadian art; strong contemporary art collection (Andy Warhol, Barnett Newman, and Louise Bourgeois; largest work is entire interior of Rideau Street Chapel; also includes works by Francis Bacon, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Georges Braque, Canaletto, Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall, John Constable, Lucas Cranach Elder, Salvador Dalí, Honoré Daumier, Gustav Klimt, Fernand Léger, René Magritte, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, Jackson Pollock, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Auguste Rodin, Peter Paul Rubens, Vincent van Gogh & Benjamin West.



STRATFORD
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
Jenn & Larry’s Brittle & Shakes – 49 York Street; 519-508-4949; facebook.com/JENNandLarry/info; 50s-style drugstore.
Revel Caffe – 50 Wellington Street; 519-305-1600; revelcaffe.com; excellent coffee; mediocre food; vegetarian alternatives.
Scooper’s Ice Cream Treats – 578 Boston Avenue; 203-384-0384; scoopers.foodpages.ca; Justin Bieber’s favorite childhood hangout.
Hotels
Three Houses Bed & Breakfast – 100 Brunswick Street; 519-272-0722; thethreehouses.com; 3 Edwardian, Italianate houses from 1870s; ask for Yellow Room.
Restaurants
Evergreen Terrace Cafe – 80 Wellington Street; 519-814-7974; facebook.com/pages/Evergreen-Terrace-Cafe/191478947554419.
Shopping
Jenn & Larry’s Brittle & Shakes – 49 York Street; 519-508-4949; facebook.com/JENNandLarry/info; 50s-style drugstore.
Milky Whey – 118 Ontario Street; 519-814-9439; themilkywhey.ca; cheese shop.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

SILICON VALLEY

(includes Los Gatos, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sunnyvale & Woodside)

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
Amour Patisserie – 13 North Santa Cruz Avenue (Los Gatos); 408-402-3689; amourpatisserie.com.
Coupa Cafe – 538 Ramona Street (Palo Alto); 650-322-6872; coupacafe.com; for coffee.
Dolce Bella Chocolates & Cafe – Westgate West, 5325 Prospect Road (West San Jose); 408-446-4296; dolcebellachocolates.com; breakfast lunch and dinner; great cocoa.
Fleur de Cocoa – 39 North Santa Cruz Avenue; 408-354-3574; fleurdecocoa.com; in addition to cocoa, try award-winning French mousse cakes, pastries, chocolates, sandwiches, petits-fours, etc.
Hobee’s – 800 West Ahwanee Avenue (Sunnyvale); 408-524-3580; hobees.com; coffeeshop.
Icing on Cake – 50 West Main Street (Los Gatos); 408-354-2464; icingonthecakebakery.com; amazing cupcakes.
Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Co. – 101 West Main Street (Los Gatos); 408-354-1155; lgcrc.com; old-fashioned wooden floors and bar; each cup hand-crafted.
Manresa Bread – 320 Village Lane; 408-354-4330; manresarestaurant.com; try spiced sourdough (studded with almonds, apricots, black pepper, cardamom, cloves & hazelnuts).



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
Antonio’s Nut House – 321 California Avenue (Palo Alto); 650-321-2550; antoniosnuthouse.com; low-key, neighborhood bar.
Black Watch – 141 North Santa Cruz Avenue (Los Gatos); 408-354-2200; darkly-lit, Scottish bar; cash only.
La Bodeguita del Medio – 463 California Avenue (Palo Alto); 650-326-7762; labodeguita.com; Cuban-style bar and restaurant; hand-rolled cigars.
Madera – 2825 Sand Hill Road (Menlo Park, at Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel); 650-561-1500; rosewoodsandhill.com; indoor-outdoor bar-restaurant; hot-spot for venture capitalists.



HOTELS
Avatar Hotel – 4200 Great America Parkway (Santa Clara); 408-235-8900 or 800-586-5691; jdvhotels.com; conference center modeled to look like garage.
Cardinal Hotel – 235 Hamilton Avenue (Palo Alto); 650-323-5101; cardinalhotel.com; make sure to ask for room with private bathroom.
Garden Court – 520 Cowper Street (Palo Alto); 650-322-9000; gardencourt.com; elegant and private.
Hotel Keen – 425 High Street (Palo Alto); 650-327-2775; hotelkeen.com; for room with view other than bank building, ask for odd-numbered room on 3rd floor; particularly good is 302 (mini-suite with floor-to-ceiling windows at hotel front); inexpensive and innovative; almost no amenities (lobby tiny); also, bathroom separated from room by heavy curtain.
Hotel Los Gatos – 210 East Main Street (Los Gatos); 408-335-1700; hotellosgatos.com; Mediterranean blended with California; reminiscent of private villa; pool, outdoor jacuzzi, tranquil patio areas; complimentary access to fitness club across street; Dio Deka, popular Michelin-rated restaurant located on property; try to get Room 129 (ok, so it has handicapped shower with no bath, but it also is enormous, opens onto the pool, and has a fireplace).
Rosewood Sand Hill – 2825 Sand Hill Road (Menlo Park); 650-561-1500; rosewoodhotels.com/en/sandhill; 121 rooms and handful villas on 16-acre estate with stunning rose gardens overlooking hills.
Toll House Hotel – 140 South Santa Cruz Avenue (Los Gatos); 408-395-7070 or 800-238-6111; larkspurhotels.com; charming-ish hotel near San Jose.



RESTAURANTS
Alice’s Restaurant – 17288 Skyline Boulevard (Woodside); 650-851-0303; alicesrestaurant.com; family favorite; isolated, in mountains.
Angelica’s Bistro – 863 Main Street (Redwood City); 650-365-3226; angelicasbistro.com; live jazz and crepes.
Buck’s of Woodside – 3062 Woodside Road (Woodside); 650-851-8010; buckswoodside.com; breakfast and brunch place; famous for flapjacks.
Coupa Cafe – 538 Ramona Street (Palo Alto); 650-322-6872; coupacafe.com.
Dio Deka – 210 East Main Street (Los Gatos, at Hotel Los Gatos); 408-354-7700; diodeka.com; Greek food; Michelin-rated.
Dolce Bella Chocolates & Cafe – Westgate West, 5325 Prospect Road (West San Jose); 408-446-4296; dolcebellachocolates.com; breakfast lunch and dinner; great cocoa.
Donato Enoteco – 1041 Middlefield Road (Redwood City); 650-701-1000; dontaoenoteca.com; grilled calamari and buckwheat pasta; lovely wrap-around patio.
Flea Street Café – 3607 Alameda de las Pulgas (Menlo Park); 650-854-1226; cooleatz.com; California cuisine.
Henry’s Hi-Life – 301 West Saint John Street (San Jose); 408-295-5414; henryshilife.com; barbecue & steaks; open since 1960.
I Gatti – 25 East Main Street (Los Gatos); 408-399-5180; igattirestaurant.com; Italian.
Gourmet Haus Staudt – 2615 Broadway (Redwood City); 650-364-9232; gourmethausstaudt.com; charming, informal pub where Apple employee left his iPhone prototype.
Junoon – 150 University Avenue (Palo Alto); 650-329-9644; Junoon.com; Indian.
Kanpai Sushi – 330 Lytton Avenue (Palo Alto); 650-325-2696; kanpaipaloalto.com; sushi chefs from Nobu.
Kaygetsu – 325 Sharon Park Drive (Menlo Park); 650-234-1084; kaygetsu.com; great Japanese food; not cheap.
Lisa’s Tea Treasures – 1175 Merrill Street (Menlo Park); 650-322-5544; lisasteamenlo.com; affordable afternoon tea.
Lisa’s Tea Treasures – 377 Santana Row, #1145 (San Jose); lisasteatreasures.com; old English ambience with extensive tea array and gift shop.
Mandaloun – 2021 Broadway Street (Redwood City); quirky cocktails and exotic appetizers; excellent.
Manresa – 320 Village Lane (Los Gatos); 408-354-4330; manresarestaurant.com; American-European with emphasis on fresh ingredients.
Martins West – 831 Main Street (Redwood City); 650-366-4366; martinswestgp.com; gastropub; cozy, brick-walled spot; try savory soda bread pudding.
Old Port Lobster Shack – 851 Veterans Boulevard (Redwood City); 650-366-2400; oplobster.com; very authentic, east coast.
Palacios – 115 North Santa Cruz Avenue (Los Gatos); 408-402-3811; palaciorestaurant.com; authentic, fresh, Mexican food.
Purple Onion – 26 East Main Street (Los Gatos); 408-354-4125; purpleonionlg.com; charming destination for early and midday dining; beautiful patio and full range coffee drinks.
Reposado – 236 Hamilton Avenue (Palo Alto); 650-833-3151; Mexican food in modern, stylish setting.
St. Michael’s Alley – 140 Homer Avenue (Palo Alto); 650-326-2530; stmikes.com; 3 elegant dining areas with great bar; American fare.
Sultana – 1149 El Camino Real (Menlo Park); 650-322-4343; patio; Turkish food.
Trevese – 115 North Santa Cruz Avenue (Los Gatos); hulking Victorian mansion; 3 stars.
Village Pub – 2967 Woodside Road; 650-851-9888; thevillagepub.net; lunch place; thick burgers and fries, or duck-&-lentil salad.
Xanh – 110 Castro Street (Mountain View); 650-964-1888; xanhrestaurant.com; sprawling Vietnamese fusion restaurant with handsome patio and dining rooms bathed in blue and green lights; on weekends, bar-lounge turns into quasi-nightclub.



SERVICES
Spa Los Gatos & Aqua Salon – 100 South Santa Cruz Avenue (Los Gatos); 408-354-5901 (spa) or 408-399-5282 (Rae Ann Caparelli); thespaoflosgatos.com (spa) or raeannbeautytips@aol.com (Rae Ann Caparelli); local spa with excellent colorist-hairstylist, Rae Ann.



SHOPPING
Chocolate Dream Box – 710 Blossom Hill Road (Los Gatos); 408-356-2626; chocolatedreambox.com; chocolates.
Infiniti Boutique – 120 West Main Street (Los Gatos); 408-399-7071; European accessories and clothes.
Monique’s Chocolates – 539 Bryant Street (Palo Alto); 650-323-9669; moniqueschocolates.com; handmade chocolates & custom-to-order hot chocolate.
Salt – 78 West Main Street (Los Gatos); 408-395-0800; shop-salt.com; women’s boutique.



SIGHTS & SITES
Art Museum of Los Gatos – 4 Tait Avenue (Los Gatos); 408-354-2646; museumsoflosgatos.org; non-collecting museum that has 6-8 exhibits annually.
Computer History Museum – 1401 North Shoreline Boulevard (Mountain View); 650-810-1010; computerhistory.org.
Filoli Estate – 88 Canada Road (Woodside); 650-364-8300; filoli.org; early 20th Century estate with lovely gardens and walking paths.
Elizabeth Gamble Garden – 1431 Waverly Street (Palo Alto); 650-329-1356; near downtown; peaceful, small urban oasis.
Google Garage – 232 Santa Margarita Avenue (Menlo Park); where Larry Page and Sergey Brin thought up Google (which really began in their dorm at Stanford).
Los Gatos Historic Commercial District – Los Gatos (bounded by Elm Street [Old Town Parking Lot], Main Street, Los Gatos Creek, and North Santa Cruz Avenue); nps.gov/nr/travel/santaclara/los.htm; well-preserved Mission/Spanish Revival and Romanesque architecture from 1949-1975; 19 buildings across 50 acres.
Los Gatos Mountain Trails – Los Gatos; discoverlosgatos.com; trails start downtown and branch into hills; leisurely hike, Scout Trail, starts just east of freeway overpass on East Main Street, offering charming shady creek-side groves leading up mountain.
Hakone Gardens – 21000 Big Basin Way (Saratoga); 408-741-4994; hakone.com; popular wedding venue on 18 acres; oldest Japanese-style residential garden in Western Hemisphere; notable features include bamboo garden, Zen garden, strolling garden (Hill and Pond Garden), tea houses, and 19th Century Japanese home and storefront (replica).
Highway 9 Loop – travels 35 miles from State Route 1, near Santa Cruz, to State Route 17 (Los Gatos), passing through San Lorenzo Valley and Saratoga Gap (Los Gatos & Saratoga); cahighways.org/009-016.html#009; winds through mountains.
History Museum of Los Gatos – 75 Church Street (Los Gatos); 408-395-7375; museumsoflosgatos.org; at Forbes Mill Annex (previous flour-wheat storage facility built in 1855-1880, partially torn down in 1915; archival materials, objects, and photographs relating to greater Los Gatos’ civic, cultural, and industrial past; also ethnological and historical objects.
HP Garage – 367 Addison Avenue (Palo Alto); where William Hewlett and David Packard made their first ‘puter in 1938-1939.
Japanese Friendship Garden – 1300 Senter Road (San Jose); 408-271-6840; sanjoseca.gov/facilities.aspx?pagenum=31&RID=350&Page=detail.
Jobs-Wozniak Garage – 2066 Crist Drive (Los Altos); where Steven Jobs and Steven Wozniak built their first ‘puter in 1976.
Lomo Prieta Winery – 26985 Loma Prieta Way (Los Gatos); 408-353-2950; lomaprietawinery.com; tremendous view.
Montalvo Arts Center & Gardens – 15400 Montalvo Road (Saratoga); 408-961-5800; montalvoarts.org; villa (1912) and estate encompassing 175 acres; gardens and untouched natural areas; 2 theaters, art gallery, historic Villa Montalvo, artist residency complex, & hiking trails through surrounding Redwood-studded hills.
Regale Winery & Vineyard – 24040 Summit Road (Los Gatos); 408-353-2500; regalewine.com; beautiful Italian villa-style building; lovely landscaping includes fountains, outdoor fireplaces, bench walls for seating, olive orchard, vineyards, and bocce ball court.
Rosicrucian-Egyptian Museum – 1660 Park Avenue (San Jose, at Naglee Avenue); 408-947-3635; egyptianmuseum.org.
Uvas Canyon County Park – 8515 Croy Road (Morgan Hill, Santa Clara); 408-779-9232; sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Pages/UvasCanyon.aspx; 1.133K wooded acres nestled in upper Uvas Canyon (on eastern side Santa Cruz Mountains); camping, hiking & picnicking; 6 miles of hiking trails including 1-mile Waterfall Loop that travels along Swanson Creek past many waterfalls.
Vasona County Park – 333 Blossom Hill Road (San Jose); 408-356-2729; sccgov.org/sites/park; 151-acre park; hiking, picnics, recreation, and sports; Vasona Lake allows non-power boating year round and there are rowboats and paddleboats available to rent.
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve – Portola Road (Portola Valley, Highway 280, exit Alpine Road in Portola Valley, south on Alpine Road about 2.9 miles to Portola Road (1st top sign), right on Portola Road, .8 miles to parking lot on road’s left side); 650-651-6900; openspace.org; 1,312 acres of grassland ridges and redwood forests, laced with hiking trails.

NAPA WINE REGION

(does not include Mendocino Coast; includes Angwin, Bodega Bay, Calistoga, Middletown, Napa, Pope Valley, Rutherford, St. Helena & Yountville)

ANGWIN
Shopping
Outpost Wines – 2075 Summit Lake Drive; 707-965-1718; outpostwines.com; unprepossessing outside masks among best California vintner’s vineyards.



BODEGA BAY
Sights & Sites
Sonoma Coast State Beach – 3799 Westshore Road; 707-875-3483; parks.ca.gov/?page_id=451; Campbell Cove.



CALISTOGA
Hotels
Calistoga Motor Lodge & Spa – 1880 Lincoln Avenue (Calistoga); 707-942-0991; calistogamotorlodgeandspa.com; bright boutique hotel with own hot springs (2 miles from Old Faithful Geyser & 11 from Robert Louis Stevenson State Park); bright, modern rooms feature rainfall shower-heads, Keurig coffeemakers & minifridges, plus flat-screen TVs & free Wi-Fi; suites add living rooms & pull-out sofas; complimentary continental breakfast & parking, plus onsite, natural mineral-water pools & mineral-water Jacuzzi.
Calistoga Ranch – 580 Lommel Road; 707-254-2800; aubergeresorts.com/calistogaranch; cedar bungalows nestled in woods with outdoor decks & showers; 157, redwood-filled acres of hiking trails; note that bedrooms & living areas are separated by open-air deck, which is not pleasant when weather bad.
Francis House – 1403 Myrtle Street (Calistoga); 707-341-3536; thefrancishouse.com; National Historic Landmark carefully been brought back to life after having been shuttered for more than 50 years; region’s only example of French 2nd Empire architecture, notable for its mansard-style roof; 5-room luxury inn; exposed stone walls are foils to modern furnishings, books & art; smart TVs hang above antique desks, king & queen beds swathed in plush premium linens; carrara marble covers spacious bathroom surfaces, as well as fireplace mantle in what is now living room (backdrop that once also served as set for Peyton Place, 1960s teen soap that helped launch Mia Farrow); outside, lounge by heated pool, or in infrared sauna & salt room; surrounding gardens are bedecked with gravel paths, citrus trees, fragrant flowering jasmine vines & two French limestone fountains; no restaurant, but Calistoga’s main drag, Lincoln Avenue, is just blocks away; can arrange reservations at Charter Oak, French Laundry, and/or Single Thread.
Solage Calistoga – 755 Silverado Trail North; 707-226-0800; aubergeresorts.com; upscale resort 4 miles from Castello di Amorosa castel & winery & 8 from Robert Louis Stevenson State Park; chic studio rooms & suites in wooden cottages with vaulted ceilings; free high-speed Internet & bicycles; some quarters feature fireplaces, patios & outdoor hot tubs; restaurant serves organic farm-to-table menu, along with patio lounge; yoga classes, mud baths & hot-springs mineral pool.
Restaurants
Puerto Vallarta Market – 1009 Foothill Boulevard; 707-942-8664; vallartamarket.net; counter at back serves great burritos, quesadillas & tacos al pastor.
Solbar – 755 Silverado Trail (at Solage Calistoga Hotel); 707-226-0850; aubergeresorts.com/solage/dine/solbar; lovely outdoor patio; hearty cuisine and healthy, lighter dishes.
Services
Calistoga Spa Hot Springs – 1006 Washington Street; 707-942-6269; calistogaspa.com.
Sights & Sites
Castello di Amorosa – 4045 North St. Helena Highway; 707-967-6272; castellodiamorosa.com; tours by appointment; 121K square foot replica of 13th Century castle; theme-parkish but worth visit.
Indian Springs – 1712 Lincoln Avenue; 707-942-4913; indianspringscalistoga.com; old-fashioned, no-frills volcanic mud bath.



MIDDLETOWN
Sights & Sites
Langtry Farms – 22000 Butts Canyon Road; 707-987-2772; langtryfarms.com; winery; largest private landholder in Northern California, this is 22K square acre estate.



NAPA
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
Model Bakery – 644 1st Street, Building B; 707-259-1128; themodelbakery.com; 100 year-old Napa institution; giant English muffins.
Ritual Coffee Roasters – 610 1st Street, Suite 12; 707-253-1190; ritualroasters.com.

Bars & Nightclubs
Back Room Wines – 1000 Main Street; 707-226-1378; backroomwines.com; great place to discover what “cool kids” are drinking; is it $15 or $50 contests are riots.
Bounty Hunter – 975 1st Street; 707-226-3976; bountyhunterwinebar.com; “blind tastings” contest in which, if you guess country & varietal, you get glass for penny.
Carpe Diem Wine Bar – 1001 2nd Street; 707-224-0800; carpediemwinebar.com; housed in former Alexandria Hotel.
Compline Wine Bar, Restaurant & Merchant – 1300 1st Street (Napa); 707-492-8150; complinewine.com.
Oenotri – 1425 1st Street; 707-252-1022; oenotri.com; best cocktails in town; try Tequila Blossom (tequila, Luxardo maraschino & grapefruit juice).

Hotels
Andaz Napa – 1450 1st Street; 707-687-1234; napa.andaz.hyatt.com; 141 rooms; subdued and comfortable.
Archer Hotel – 1230 1st Street (Napa); 707-690-9800; archerhotel.com/napa; upscale hotel with polished rooms (flat-screen TVs, Nespresso machines, minibars, Wi-Fi, wine coolers & welcome sweets); chic suites feature furnished balconies, fireplaces and/or 4-poster beds; upgraded suites add living areas & wet bars; renowned steakhouse, rooftop bar & gym.
1801 1st Luxury Inn – 1801 1st Street; 707-224-3739; 1801first.com.
Milliken Creek Inn & Spa – 1815 Silverado Trail; 707-255-1197 or 800-835-6112; milikencreekinn.com; wooden shingled summer house on river for romantic getaways; no restaurant, gym, or pool.
Poetry Inn – 6380 Silverado Trail; 707-944-0646; poetryinn.com; stunning location; 5-room property.

Restaurants
Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ – 975 1st Street; 707-226-3976; bountyhunterwine.com.
Compline Wine Bar, Restaurant & Merchant – 1300 1st Street (Napa); 707-492-8150; complinewine.com.
Gott’s Roadside Burgers – 644 1st Street; 707-224-6900; gotts.com; 21st Century version 1950s burger joint; self-serve; try ahi poke tacos; wine and traditional diner standards, too; relatively pricey.
Hog Island Oyster Bar – 610 1st Street; 707-251-8113; hogislandoysters.com/bars/napa; oyster bar.
Kitchen Door – Oxbow Market, 610 1st Street; 707-226-1560; kitchendoornapa.com; homey, simple food.
Miminashi – 821 Coombs Street (Napa); 707-254-9464; miminashi.com; buzzy izakaya with homemade ice cream.
Morimoto Napa – 610 Main Street; 707-252-1600; morimotonapa.com; contemporary sushi restaurant; large windows and water views (over river); try kakuni (pork-belly cooked for 10 hours and served over rice congee).
Norman Rose Tavern – 1401 1st Street; 707-258-1516; normanrosenapa.com; gastropub; try buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches, mac & cheese, and/or lamb burgers.
Oenotri – 1425 1st Street; 707-252-1022; oenotri.com; Italian food.
Tannya’s Taqueria – 1601 Jefferson Street; 707-224-9000; walk-up window; try tacos al pastor.

Shopping
Ashes & Diamonds – 4130 Howard Lane (Napa); 707-666-4777; ashesdiamonds.com; winery.
Fatted Calf – 644C 1st Street; 707-256-3684; fattedcalf.com; dried meats, as well as confits; good for outfitting picnics.
Oxbow Public Market – 610 and 644 1st Street; 707-226-6529; oxbowpublicmarket.com; covered marketplace with specialty food stalls, such as Kara’s Cupcakes and/or 3 Twins (ice cream).
Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Food – 1924 Yajome Street; 707-259-1232; ranchogordo.com; heirloom legumes and related produce.

Sights & Sites
Darioush – 4240 Silverado Trail; 707-257-2345; darioush.com; flashy, namesake winery designed to evoke Persepolis by way of Vegas; travertine-clad villa with 3-story, indoor waterfall, and 16 uplit granite columns capped with double bullheads.
Hess Art Museum – 4411 Redwood Road (at Hess Collection Winery); 707-255-1144; hesscollection.com; contemporary art by Andy Goldsworthy, Anselm Kiefer, Robert Motherwell, etc., in 3-story gallery.
Odette Estate – 5998 Silverado Trail; 707-224-7533; odetteestate.com; in summer, has “Secret Cinema drive-in-movie-nights”; tickets include dinner & tasting flight, with food truck on-site.
River-to-Ridge Trail – 2295 Streblow Drive (Kennedy Memorial Park, trailhead); 707-257-9529 (Kennedy Memorial Park information); ridgetrail.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146&Itemid=146; 2.5 miles, one way; neighborhood bike, horseback ride, or walk from Napa River banks to Ridge Trail route in Skyline Wilderness Park hills.
Di Rosa Estate – 5200 Sonoma Highway; 707-226-5991; dirosaart.org; former winery, now museum to display art collection; tremendous grounds; arrange private tour for full effect.
Robert Sinskey Vineyards – 6320 Silverado Trail; 707-944-9090; robertsinskey.com; “flight attendants” help visitors pair estate’s food-friendly wines with almonds, bread, etc.; $50 farm-to-table tour lets guests pick fruits and vegetables from organic gardens.
Uptown Theater – 1350 3rd Street; 707-259-0123; uptowntheaternapa.com; Art Deco; recently renovated; live performances.



POPE VALLEY
Hotels
Aetna Springs – 1600 Aetna Springs Road; 707-965-2115; aetnasprings.com; under renovation.



RUTHERFORD
Hotels
Auberge du Soleil – 180 Rutherford Hill Road; 707-963-1211; aubergeresorts.com/aubergedusoleil; 3-acre sculpture garden; not family friendly; beautiful.
Sights & Sites
Hall Rutherford – 56 Auberge Road; 707-967-0700; hallwines.com; paintings and sculptures throughout vineyard grounds and wine caves.
Quintessa – 1601 Silverado Trail; 707-967-1601; quintessa.com; 1 of most scenic regional properties.



ST. HELENA
Hotels
Harvest Inn – 1 Main Street; 707-963-9463; harvestinn.com; set on 8 acres of vineyards; country-chic rooms, suites & cottages with views of gardens, vineyards or Mayacamas Mountains; some have fireplaces, separate sitting areas, whirlpool tubs & private decks; 2 heated outdoor pools (1 is adults-only) & 2 hot tubs.
Inn at Southbridge – 1020 Main Street; 707-967-9400; southbridgenapavalley.com; upscale hotel in wine country; bright, sophisticated rooms have vaulted ceilings, fireplaces, down comforters & Juliet balconies; complimentary amenities include breakfast featuring pastries, seasonal fruit, juices & Napa Valley coffee.
Meadowood Napa Valley – 900 Meadowood Lane; 707-963-3646; meadowood.com; New England-looking, country club-ish, on 250 acres; 3 Michelin stars.

Restaurants
Charter Oak – 1050 Charter Oak Avenue; 707-302-6996; thecharteroak.com; casual, family-style Californian eatery that elevates seasonal salads & hearth-cooked mains; exposed brick, rustic wood, custom slab tables; inviting bar & some outdoor tables.
Farmstead – 738 Main Street; 707-963-9181; longmeadowranch.com/Farmstead-Restaurant; showcases seasonal, ingredient driven American farmhouse cooking; chef Seamus Feeley creates authentic farm-to-table menu; family-style and a la carte items; menu foraged entirely from local sources and feature Long Meadow Ranch’s all natural grass-fed beef, organic and sustainably produced eggs, fruits, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, and honey; also local artisan producers represented.
Gott’s Roadside Burgers – 933 Main Street; 707-963-3486; gottsroadside.com; 21st Century version 1950s burger joint; self-serve; try ahi poke tacos; wine and traditional diner standards, too; relatively pricey.
Restaurant at Meadowood – 900 Meadowood Lane; 707-967-1205; meadowood.com; elegant, simple, sophisticated restaurant; highly regarded.

Services
Culinary Institute of America – 2555 Main Street (in 1888 Greystone Cellars building); 707-967-2320; ciachef.edu/california; cooking classes & tours; restaurants.

Shopping
Flats – 1219-B Main Street; 707-967-0480; Jan Niemi’s ballet flats are handmade in Tuscany and come in vibrant colors.
Jan de Luz – 1219 Main Street; 707-963-1550; jandeluz.com; French antiques, soaps, linens, etc.
Martin Showroom – 1350 Main Street; 707-967-8787; martinshowroom.com; furniture and sculpture.
Napa Valley Olive Oil Mfg. Co. – 835 Charter Oak Avenue; 707-863-4173; unassuming barn famous for EVOO, bottled on premises each morning.
St. Helena Olive Oil Co. – 1351 Main Street; 707-968-9260; sholiveoil.com; housed in former Bank of Italy building; extra-virgin olive oils from 7 Napa vineyards.
Sunshine Foods – 1115 Main Street; 707-963-7070; sunshinefoodsmarket.com.
Woodhouse Chocolate – 1367 Main Street; 707-963-8413; woodhousechocolate.com; chocolates and truffles.



YOUNTVILLE
Bars & Nightclubs
Pancha’s of Yountville – 6764 Washington Street; 707-944-2125; facebook.com/pages/Panchas-of-Yountville/101110929948886; dive bar that is family-owned & inside barn.

Hotels
Bardessono – 6526 Yount Street; 707-204-6000; bardessono.com; weathered steel, polished concrete, reclaimed wood; in-room spa treatments; for eco-minded sybarites.
North Block Hotel – 6757 Washington Street; 707-944-8080; northblockhotel.com; fantasy version of Italian courtyard house; noisy courtyard dining is in rooms’ earshot.
Vintage House – 6541 Washington Street; 707-944-1112; vintagehouse.com.

Restaurants
Ad Hoc – 6476 Washington Street; 707-944-2487; adhocrestaurant.com; casual joint with perfect fried chicken every other Monday; boxed lunches available, too.
Bistro Jeanty – 6510 Washington Street; 707-944-0103; bistrojeanty.com; fine French bistro.
Bottega – 6525 Washington Street; 707-945-1050; botteganapavalley.com; Italian.
Bouchon – 6534 Washington Street; 707-944-8037; bouchonbistro.com; Michelin-starred; festive, closely packed tables & patio overlooking main drag; roasted lamb.
French Laundry – 6640 Washington Street; 707-944-2390; frenchlaundry.com; 3 Michelin stars; call 2 months to calendar day for reservations.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

SINGAPORE

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
Colonial District
Tiffin Room – 1 Beach Road (at Raffles Hotel); 011-65-6337-1886; raffles.com; high tea.

Chinatown
Shots – 8 Ann Siang Road (Ann Siang Hill); 011-65-6224-8502; shots.com.sg; espresso bar and café, run by photographer who displays works by his contemporaries on walls.
Tong Ah Eating House – 36 Keong Saik Road (Bukit Pasoh Extension Shop Houses); 011-65-6223-5083; facebook.com/pages/Tong-Ah-Eating-House/104880472914605; open-air kopitiam in triangular building; founded in 1939.

Duxton Hill
Pigeonhole – 52-53 Duxton Road; 011-65-6226-2880; thepigeonhole.com.sg; for coffee or even imported cider; café and event space.

Far East Square
Ya Kun – 18 China Street; 011-65-6438-3638; yakun.com; original store of what is now international coffeeshop chain.

Great World City
Toast Box – 1 Kim Seng Promenade (Stall #01-52); 011-65-6836-0913; breadtalk.com; chain throughout city; try kaya (sweet coconut-egg jam).

Kampong Glam
Café Fables – 55-57 Haji Lane (2nd floor); 011-65-6298-0838; athousandtales.com; above vintage shop (Thousand Tales); cocktails and/or coffee; charming.
Pluck – 31/33 Haji Lane; 011-65-6396-4048; pluck.com.sg; half store and half ice-cream parlor.

Katong
Chin Mee Chin Confectionary – 204 East Coast Road; 011-65-6345-0419; famous kopitiam (coffeeshop); old-fashioned; makes own kaya (coconut-egg custard).

Lavender District
Heng Seng Leong Kopitiam – 10 North Bridge Road; 011-65-6292-2368; old-fashioned coffee shop; ask for kopi (coffee with sugar and condensed milk) or kopi peng (same on ice).

Marine Parade
Chin Mee Chin Confectionary – 204 East Coast Road; 011-65-6345-0419; facebook.com/pages/Chin-Mee-Chin-Confectionery/164620966892008; old-school kaya toast destination with nostalgic atmosphere and local comfort food; Kaya Bun sets apart Chin Mee Chin’s kaya (eggy, coconut jam) toast; serves sliced-into-half buns, spread with thick layer kaya & topped with salty butter; since 1960s things haven’t changed much: tiled floor, marble-top tables, ceiling fans & steel cabinets displaying baked goods.

Somerset
Killiney Kopitiam – 67 Killiney Kopitiam; 011-65-6734-9648; killiney-kopitiam.com; original store of what is now international coffeeshop chain; opened in 1919; more extensive breakfast menu than usual kopitiam.

Tiong Bahru
Drips Bakery – 82 Tiong Poh Road (Stall #01-05); 011-65-6222-0400; drips.com.sg.
Hua Bee Restaurant – Block 78 Moh Guan Terrance (Stall #01-19); 011-65-6754-6386; legendary kopitiam.
Liang Liang Garden – 30 Seng Poh Road (Stall #02-75 at Tiong Bahru Market); shaved ice with fruit and vegetables; try Milo Dinosaur (shaved ice in ground peanuts & powdered chocolate, with red beans, pandan jellies & sweet corn).



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
CBD
Tippling Club – 38 Tanjong Pagar Road; 011-65-6475-2217; tipplingclub.com; modern, cozy setting.

Chinatown
Le Carillon de l’Angelus – 41 Robertson Quay (Ann Siang Hill); 011-65-6738-7429; winebar with great cheese plates.
Nutmeg & Clove – 17 Ann Siang Road; 011-65-6423-9885; facebook.com/nutmegandclove; try Simha Swizzle (vodka, yuzu marmalade, cardamom bitters, and citrus).
Ying Yang – 28 Ann Siang Road (at Club Hotel); 011-65-6808-2188; theclub.com.sg; black-and-white rooftop bar; try Litchi Martini.

Dempsey Hill
Oosh Bar & Lounge – 22 Dempsey Road; 011-65-6475-0002; oosh.com.sg; on 100K' sq lush green property; “nature enclave” bar; live musicians at main bar; Balinese garden; excellent cocktails and décor.
White Rabbit – 39C Harding Road; 011-65-6473-9965; thewhiterabbit.com.sg; charmingly restored chapel with stained-glass windows; garden bar outside with topiary sculpture; well-heeled young crowd.

Duxton Hill
Buyan – 9-10 Duxton Hill; 011-65-6223-7008; buyan.sg; Russian restaurant with bar.

Kampong Glam
Bar Stories – 57A Haji Lane (2nd floor); 011-65-6298-0838; athousandtales.com; above vintage shop (Thousand Tales); cocktails and/or coffee.

Marina Bay
SkyPark – 10 Bayfront Avenue; 011-65-6688-8868; marinabaysands.com; tremendous rooftop bar with outdoor seating and views over city.

Marine Parade
Immigrants – 467 Joo Chiat Road; 011-65-8511-7322; immigrants-gastrobar.com; gastrobar; rock music blares as servers mix drinks behind bar built with construction-site-style corrugated zinc sheeting; setting Singaporeans describe as lepak (Malay for relaxed).

Mount Emily
Wild Oats – 11 Upper Wilkie Road; 011-65-6336-5413; wildrocket.com.sg; lower-key experience with hidden-away location (in residential maze); elegant, sprawling colonial mansion with tranquil terrace; ambitious bar food menu.

Orchard Road
Manhattan Bar at Regent Singapore – 1 Cuscaden Road (at Regent Hotel); 011-65-6725-3377; regenthotels.com; Gatsby-esque, glamorous hotel bar; try New York Sour.
Sky Bar – 2 Orchard Turn, Level 55-56 (at ION Orchard Hotel); 011-65-6592-5118; saltgrill.com; stunning views with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Sentosa
Shack – 120 Tanjong Beach Walk; 011-65-6278-9934; theshack.com.sg; breezy, unpretentious beach hangout; in old shipping container with recycled beer barrels for tables.

Somerset (next to Orchard Road shopping district)
KPO – 1 Killiney Road; 011-65-6733-3648; imaginings.com.sg; bar and lounge (sharing space with post office); 2nd floor open at night with outdoor balcony.

Tiong Bahru
Social Haus – 11 Yong Siak Street; 011-65-6557-0286; facebook.com/SocialHaus.Sg; airy bar that serves beer, chips, fish, and sliders.



HOTELS
Airport
Crowne Plaza – Changi Airport (Terminal 3), 75 Airport Boulevard; 011-65-6823-5300 or 877-227-6963; ichotelsgroup.com; newly constructed; very affordable.

Center
Hotel Fort Canning – 11 Canning Walk; 011-65-6559-6769; hfcsingapore.com; 86-room colonial building on 44 acres; 2 swimming pools; spa; restaurants; 1st choice hotel in Singapore.
Fullerton Hotel Singapore – 1 Fullerton Square; 011-65-6733-8388; fullertonhotel.com; landmark on Singapore River, with 20' Doric columns; home to former colonial administration; Anderson Bridge views.
Klapsons Boutique Hotel – 15 Hoe Chiang Road; 011-65-6521-9000; klapsons.com; 5-star luxury, contemporary design; each guestroom individualized; opulent pampering ranging from Egyptian cotton sheets and goose down bedding, to Nespresso machine and Wi-Fi.

Chinatown
Club Hotel – 28 Ann Siang Road; 011-65-6808-2188; theclub.com.sg; 22-room luxury boutique hotel in fashionable district; stately 1900s heritage building; stylish antique and contemporary minimalism blended with oriental highlights.
Scarlet – 33 Erskine Road; 011-65-6511-3333; thescarlethotel.com; expensive, small rooms in boutique hotel.

Colonial District
Raffles – 1 Beach Road; 011-65-6337-1886; raffles.com; 1887 neo-Renaissance edifice set among sprawling gardens; Noel Coward and Rudyard Kipling stayed here.

Kampong Glam
Sultan Hotel – 101 Jalan Sultan; 011-65-6723-7101; thesultan.com.sg; 64 rooms in 10 buildings linked together in historic area; Arabic-ish in design; breakfast included; might be 1st-choice.

Little India
Wanderlust Hotel – 2 Dickson Road; 011-65-6396-3322; wanderlusthotel.com; 29-room, 4-floor boutique; every room unique; iconic design alongside whimsical eclectic art installations.

Marina Bay
Conrad Centennial – 2 Temasek Boulevard; 011-65-6334-8888; conradhotels1.hotel.com; 31-story business hotel.
Fullerton Bay Hotel – 80 Collyer Quay; 011-65-6222-8088; fullertonbayhotel.com.
Oriental – 6 Raffles Boulevard; 011-65-6338-0066; mandarinoriental.com; tremendous views through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel – 10 Bayfront Avenue; 011-65-6688-8868; marinabaysands.com; 3 55-story towers; 50 restaurants; huge casino; most innovative feature is 3-acre Sands SkyPark (cantilevered platform with observation deck, restaurant, and 490' infinity pool that connects 3 towers’ tops).
Pan Pacific – 7 Raffles Boulevard (Marina Square); 011-65-6336-8111; panpacific.com.
Ritz-Carlton Millenia – 7 Raffles Avenue; 011-65-6337-8888; ritzcarlton.com; 4.2K piece art collection (including works by Chihuly and Hockney); fantastic skyline views; exceptionally large rooms; lotus garden.

Orchard Road
Four Seasons – 190 Orchard Boulevard; 011-65-6734-1110; or 800-819-5053; fourseasons.com; modern exterior contrasts with traditional interiors.
Regent Hotel Singapore – 1 Cuscaden Road; 011-65-6733-8888; regenthotels.com/EN/Singapore; within walking distance to many top attractions, yet tucked away in quiet neighborhood; luxury hotel.
Shangri-La – 22 Orange Grove Road; 011-65-6737-3644; shangri-la.com; 3-wing spread near Orchard Road with 200 koi fish in ponds; pretty but oddly eclectic architecture.

Sentosa Island
Capella Singapore – 1 Knolls; 011-65-6377-8888; capellahotels.com/singapore; vertiginously-designed; on 30 rolling acres.



RESTAURANTS
Bedok
Leng Heng BBQ & Claypot Deluxe – 1220 East Coast Parkway (at East Coast Lagoon Food Village); 011-65-6445-0513; run by energetic “auntie”; black pepper crabs will clear sinuses; claypot duck with salted vegetable soup is among best on island.

Botanic Gardens
Au Jardin Les Amis – 1 Cluny Road (EJH Corner House); 011-65-6466-8812; lesamis.com.sg.

Bukit Merah
Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha – 27 Outram Park, HDB Outram 1-521; 011-65-6222-9610; famed for pungent bak kut teh (pork-rib soup).

Bukit Timah
Violet Oon’s Kitchen – 881 Bukit Timah Road; 011-65-6468-5430; facebook.com/VioletOonsKitchen; restaurant run by Singapore’s cuisine grand dame and her children.

CBD
Tippling Club – 38 Tanjong Pagar Road; 011-65-6475-2217; tipplingclub.com; modern, cozy setting; modern, Matrix-like menu; tasting.

Chinatown
Blue Ginger – 97 Tanjong Pagar Road; 011-65-6222-3928; theblueginger.com; Peranakan cooking; modern and traditional mix beautifully; paintings by local artists; try appetizer kueh pie tee (bite-size “top hats” filled with turnip, egg, and prawn with sweet chili sauce); for entree, try either ayam panggang “Blue Ginger” (grilled chicken dark meat with mild coconut-milk sauce) or ayam buah keluak (traditional chicken dish made with hard black Indonesian nut with sweetmeat inside); for dessert, durian chendol (red beans and pandan jelly in coconut milk with durian purée).
Burnt Ends – 20 Teck Lim Road; 011-65-6224-3933; burntends.com.sg; for swanky barbecue.
Dim Joy – 80 Neil Road; 011-65-6220-6986; dimjoy.com; handmade dumpling plates; leave room for sweet custard buns; this is must visit restaurant.
Lolla – 22 Ann Siang Road; 011-65-6423-1228; lolla.com.sg; inspired yet simple, small-plates combining fine ingredients & seasonal produce with Mediterranean influences.
Restaurant Andre – 41 Bukit Pasoh Road; 011-65-6534-8880; restaurantandre.com; affordable French food; 8-course, seasonal tasting menu; very expensive.
Shots – 8 Ann Siang Road (Ann Siang Hill); 011-65-6224-8502; shots.com.sg; espresso bar and café, run by photographer who displays works by his contemporaries on walls.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice – 1 Kadayanallur Street (Stall #01-10 at Maxwell Food Centre); 011-65-9691-4852; Tian Tian became arguably most famous Hainanese chicken rice stall in world after Anthony Bourdain ate there; ridiculously long lines; order chicken rice with chicken thigh.
Tong Ah Eating House – 36 Keong Saik Road (Bukit Pasoh Extension Shop Houses); 011-65-6223-5083; facebook.com/pages/Tong-Ah-Eating-House/104880472914605; open-air kopitiam in triangular building; founded in 1939; try braised tofu with minced pork, claypot-cooked chicken in ginger garlic, oyster omelet, and/or tender beef with noodles.

Clarke Quay
Kith Café – 7 Rodyk Street (Robertson Quay, nos. 1-33); 011-65-6341-9407; kith.com.sg; where neighborhood families and fashionable couples breakfast.

Colonial District
Empire Cafe – 1 Beach Road; 011-65-6412-1816; raffles.com.
Restaurant FiftyThree – 53 Armenian Street; 011-65-6334-5535; fiftythree.com.sg; local cooking with “molecular” twist; in charming, 2-story colonial-style wooden row building; very expensive and experimental.

Dempsey Hill
Long Beach Seafood – 25 Dempsey Road; 011-65-6323-222; longbeachseafood.com.sg; tables crammed together in big indoor pavilion, complete with festive lights; among best places for fresh seafood: garoupa (grouper), sea bass, marble goby, kingfish, prawns, crab, and crayfish; house specialty is pepper crab, chopped and smothered in thick black pepper and soy sauce; make sure to order buns so you can sop up sauce.

Duxton Hill
Buyan – 9-10 Duxton Hill; 011-65-6223-7008; buyan.sg; Russian food served in ornate rooms.
Wok & Barrel – 13 Duxton Hill; 011-65-6220-0595; thewokandbarrel.com; creative Singaporean food; try nasi lemak.

East Coast
Long Beach Seafood – 1018 East Coast Parkway; 011-65-6445-8833; longbeachseafood.com.sg; tables crammed together in big indoor pavilion, complete with festive lights; among best places for fresh seafood: garoupa (grouper), sea bass, marble goby, kingfish, prawns, crab, and crayfish; house specialty is pepper crab, chopped and deliciously smothered in thick black pepper and soy sauce; make sure to order buns so you can sop up sauce.
Geylang
Char Restaurant – 393 Guillemard Road; 011-65-6842-7759; char.com.sg; 2 brothers quietly trying to revolutionize Chinese-style roast meat scene.

Holland Village
Big D’s Grill – 46 Holland Drive, 01-359; 011-65-9662-7040; former coffee shop in small hawker center’s middle; simple plastic tables and fluorescent lighting; European and Peranakan food; try loh kai yik (braised chicken stew in fermented soy bean sauce), sambal buah keluak (Peranakan dish made with minced pork and ground buah keluak, Indonesian nut called Asia’s truffle).

Junction 8
Din Tai Fung – 9 Bishan Place 01-41 Junction 8 Shopping; 011-65-6356-5228; dintaifungusa.com; excellent café chain that elevates street food into something elegant; try xiaolong bao (soup dumplings).

Kampong Glam
Altazzag Egyptian Restaurant – 24 Haji Lane; 011-65-6295-5024.
Café Le Caire – 39 Arab Street; 011-65-6292-0979; cafelecaire.com; Middle Eastern café with hookahs.
MoSi Cafe – 32 Haji Lane; 011-65-6296 8420; yum.sg; Moroccan and Singporean food.
No Signboard Seafood – 414 Geyland Road; 011-65-6842-3415; nosignboardseafood.com.
Sin Huat – 659 Geylang Road; 011-65-6744-9755; what’s special about this place certainly isn’t decor (standard coffee-shop plastic) or service (waiting times sometimes stretch to hours and chef infamous for temper (cynically mimics orders upon occasion)); food is draw; wildly popular Sri Lankan crab bee hoon (prepared 1 dish at time), Chinese “escargot” accompanied by addictive chilli dip, and meaty prawns steamed with garlic and chilli; bring chilled Sancerre.

Kampong Java
Sabar Menanti – 747 North Bridge Road; 011-65-6298-1389; sabarmenanti.com.sg; name means “wait patiently”; Malaysian; try beef rendang.

Kranji
Poison Ivy Bistro – 100 Neo Tiew Road (in Bollywood Veggies); 011-65-6898-5001; hungrygowhere.com/singapore/poison_ivy; food made from using veggies from onsite farm; nothing to write home about, but rural location makes it special & is convenient stop if doing Kranji Heritage Trail.

Little India
Komala Vilas – 76-78 Serangoon Road; 011-65-293-6980; famous with Singaporeans; no ambience (pure fast food); vegetarian dishes in southern Indian style; try dosai (huge, thin pancake used to scoop up curries and gravies).
Morsels – 35 Mayo Street; 011-65-6396-6302; morsels.com.sg; farmhouse chic interiors; try steamed clams in fig broth with kimchi and smoked lamb ribs.
Muthu’s – 138 Race Course Road; 011-65-6392-1722; local institution; most famous dish is fish head curry (cheek meat is best part); also try crab masala, chicken biryani, and mutton curry.
Yakader – 665 Buffalo Road (junction of Bukit Timah, Sungei & Serangoon Roads (Stall #01-259 at Tekka Centre); mygola.com/singapore/restaurant/yakader-muslim-food-at-tekka-it4368; halal Asian-Muslim food; try biryani & fried chicken on banana leaf.

Marina Bay
Singapore Food Trail – 30 Raffles Avenue; 011-65-; singaporefoodtrail.com.sg or facebook.com/singaporefoodtrail?sk=info; not restaurant but “1960s-themed food street”; hawker stalls which, although corporate managed, have authentic, good food; good place to sample various foods; look for bak kut teh soup (meaty pork ribs simmered in complex herb and spice broth), chicken rice, rojak (bean sprout, pineapple, and turnip salad with brown, sweet prawn paste sauce), fried oyster omelets with popiah (springroll made with crepe-like skin), and hokkien noodles.
Rasapura Masters – 10 Bayfront Avenue (at Marina Bay Sands Hotel); 011-65-6688-8868; marinabaysands.com; sprawling, upscale foodcourt that seats 960; try Lau Di Fang’s “scissors-cut curry rice,” Ng Ah Sio’s bak kut teh soup, and Yong Tau Foo’s Singapore-style tofu.
Sky on 57 – 10 Bayfront Avenue (at Marina Bay Sands Hotel); 011-65-6688-8868; marinabaysands.com; Chef Justin Quek considered celebrity; Asian-French fusion.

Marine Parade
Chin Mee Chin Confectionary – 204 East Coast Road; 011-65-6345-0419; facebook.com/pages/Chin-Mee-Chin-Confectionery/164620966892008; old-school kaya toast destination with nostalgic atmosphere and local comfort food; Kaya Bun sets apart Chin Mee Chin’s kaya (eggy, coconut jam) toast; serves sliced-into-half buns, spread with thick layer kaya & topped with salty butter; since 1960s things haven’t changed much: tiled floor, marble-top tables, ceiling fans & steel cabinets displaying baked goods.
Immigrants – 467 Joo Chiat Road; 011-65-8511-7322; immigrants-gastrobar.com; gastrobar; menu includes heritage food like seh bak (hearty stew of pig’s ears, heart, intestines, and stomach braised hours in spices and soy sauce), Eurasian-style bagadale (cutlet made with minced crackers, pork, potatoes, and spices), singgang (Eurasian mash of soft wolf herring cooked with 7 spices and coconut milk, served with chilled cucumber sticks for swiping it up), sambal buah keluak (Straits Chinese dish featuring pork, paired with pungent black Southeast Asian nut filling), and ayam kalasan (Malay-style chicken marinated in coconut and various spices and then deep-fried); served in tapas-size portions on sort of cheap enamel dishware that hawkers and housewives once commonly used; blanched and chilled fresh cockles are served with complex, fiery chile sauce that will have you reaching for cold chaser.

Mount Emily
Wild Oats – 11 Upper Wilkie Road; 011-65-6336-5413; wildrocket.com.sg.
Wild Rocket – 10A Upper Wilkie Road (at Hangout Hotel); 011-65-6339-9448; wildrocket.com.sg; contemporary gourmet take on Singaporean and Western cuisine; try roast Chilean sea bass masak merah (spicy-sweet Malaysian tomato-based paste typically served with chicken) with kaffir leaves or crab-meat linguine in chili tomato cream.

Novena
Cafe de Hong Kong – 586 Balestier Road; 011-65-6255-3865; cafedehongkong.com; try deep-fried, salted egg yolk prawns; serves among best French Toasts in Singapore, as well authentic Hong Kong style cuisine requiring hours of preparation.

Orchard Road
Les Amis – 1 Scotts Road (02-16 Shaw Centre); 011-65-6733-2225; lesamis.com.sg; grande dame; mingle with Singaporean celebrities and tycoons at island’s finest French restaurant; standouts are langoustines with Iranian caviar cream and roasted suckling pig with truffles; enter from street on Claymore Hill.
Din Tai Fung – Paragon b1-03/06, 290 Orchard Road); 011-65-6836-8336; dintaifungusa.com; excellent café chain that elevates street food into something elegant; try xiaolong bao (soup dumplings).
Din Tai Fung – 435 Orchard Road (Stall #02-48/53 at Wisma Atria); 011-65-6732-1383; dintaifungusa.com; excellent café chain that elevates street food into something elegant; try xiaolong bao (soup dumplings).
Iggy’s – 581 Orchard Road (at Hilton Hotel); 011-65-6732-2234; iggys.com.sg.
Mandarin Court – 333 Orchard Road (at Meritus Mandarin Oriental); 011-65-6831-6288; meritushotels.com.
Salt Grill – 2 Orchard Turn, Level 55-56 (at ION Orchard Hotel); 011-65-6592-5118; saltgrill.com; stunning views with floor-to-ceiling windows; try rabbit confit, kingfish sashimi, and/or Petuna ocean trout in tarragon potato salad; strawberry soufflé for dessert is must.

Rochester Park
Min Jiang – 5 Rochester Park, North Buona Vista Road (One North, at Goodwood Park Hotel); 011-65-6774-0122; goodwoodparthotel.com; try smoked duck.

Sentosa Island
Cassia – 1 Knolls (at Capella Singapore); 011-65-6591-5045; capellahotels.com/singapore; Chinese-fusion.

Somerset
Five & Dime – 297 River Valley Road; 011-65-9236-5002; fiveanddime.com.sg; honest & simple comfort food, kick-ass cocktails & good coffee.

Tampines
Din Tai Fung – 4 Tampines Central 5 (Stall #02-0/131 at Tampines Mall); 011-65-6787-0998; dintaifungusa.com; excellent café chain that elevates street food into something elegant; try xiaolong bao (soup dumplings).

Tiong Bahru
Open Door Policy – 19 Yong Siak Street; 011-65-6221-9307; odpsingapore.com; new bistro in otherwise semi-rundown area; steak tartare with truffle mayonnaise, peach bellinis, and affogatos.
178 Lor Mee – 30 Seng Poh Road #02-58 (Stall #02-80 at Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre); famous for chwee kueh (steamed rice cakes with preserved radish) and lor mee (dark sauce noodles); also, must try shark fritters.
Orange Thimble – Block 56, Eng Hoon Street, Stall #01-68; 011-65-9750-3989; theorangethimble.com; art-themed, modern cafe.
Sin Lee Foods – 4 Jln Bukit Ho Swee (Stall #01-164); 011-65-6377-3170; facebook.com/sinleefoods; atop hill facing greenery & occasional passing traffic; airy, modern cafe managed by chefs trained in top New York & French kitchens; try salted-egg sweet potato fries with crispy curry leaves.
Social Haus – 11 Yong Siak Street; 011-65-6557-0286; airy bar that serves beer, chips, fish, and sliders.

Vivo City
Toast Box – Harbour Front Walk; 011-65-6272-4434; breadtalk.com; chain throughout city; try (kaya) sweet coconut-egg jam.



SERVICES
Clarke Quay
Vanguard – 7 Rodyk Street (Robertson Quay, nos. 1-30); 011-65-6835-7228; vanguard-designs.com; bicycle rentals; just remember, cannot ride bikes through tunnels.

Kampong Glam
Sanctum – 11 Haji Lane; 011-65-6299-0170; sanctumsg.com; yoga classes, tarot reading, and shiatsu massages.



SHOPPING
Bukit Merah
Ikkan Art International – 39 Keppel Road, 1-5; 011-65-9088-7056; ikkan-art.com; art.
Light Editions – 39 Keppel Road, 2-2B; 011-65-6223-1102; lighteditions.com.sg; regional photography; by appointment.
Valentine Willie Fine Art – 39 Keppel Road, 2-4 (Tanjong Pagar Distripark); 011-65-8133-4760; vwfa.net.

Chinatown
Asylum Shop – 22 Ann Siang Road (Ann Siang Hill); 011-65-6324-8264; theasylum.com.sg; cutting edge European designer labels.
Maxwell Road Food Centre – 1 Kadayanallur Street (Maxwell at Neil Roads); expatliving.sg/Wine_and_dine/restaurants/Maxwell-Food-Centre-Your-guide-to-Singapores-iconic-hawker-centre-in-Chinatown-34233.ece; 250+ vendors; try Hokee (No. 79 – soup dumplings) and Tian Tian (#11, for chicken rice); meals to hunt out include char kway teow (lard-fried noodles laced with eggs, Chinese sausage, shrimp, cockles, and bean sprouts, and/or Hainanese Chicken Rice (boiled chicken with oily rice and spicy sauces).
Patissier – 4 Mohamed Sultan Road (Ann Siang Hill); 011-65-6737-3369; thepatissier.com; take-away bakery housed in historic shophouse fronted by floral tiles; try pavlova-inspired passion fruit meringue.
Style: Nordic – 39 Ann Siang Road (Ann Siang Hill); 011-65-6423-9114; stylenordic.com; Scandinavian design boutique.
Woods in Books – 55 Club Street (Ann Siang Hill); 011-65-6222-9980; woodsinthebooks.sg; whimsical children’s bookstore.

Duxton Hill
Littered With Books – 20 Duxton Road; 011-65-6220-6824; 2-story, independent bookshop.

Kampong Glam
Blackmarket – 19 Jalan Pisang; 011-65-6296-8512; theblackmarket.sg; in century-old shophouse; exposed brick walls, dangling telephones, and Orangina bottle chandelier; designer store selling approximately 30 Singapore labels.
Blog Shop – 25 Haji Lane; 011-65-6396-6170; theblogshop.sg; rock star fashion items.
Dulcetfig – 41 Haji Lane; 011-65-6396-5648; dulcetfig.com; vintage clothing.
Haji by Paper People – 49 Haji Lane; 011-65-9169-0351; paperpeople-shop.com; paper goods.
Know it Nothing – 51 Haji Lane; 011-65-6392-5475; knowitnothing.com; trendy shop that features both tiny gallery and men’s wear.
Pluck – 31/33 Haji Lane; 011-65-6396-4048; pluck.com.sg; half store; half ice-cream parlor.
Salad Shop – 25 Haji Lane; 011-65-6299-5805; thesaladshop.com.sg; chic basics like stylish summer dresses, many quite affordable.
Strangelets – 87 Amoy Street; 011-65-6222-1456; strangelets.sg; whimsical, hand-crafted goods.
Thousand Tales – 55 Haji Lane; 011-65-6298-0838; athousandtales.com; vintage furniture.
White Room – 37 Haji Lane; 011-65-6297-1280; atwhiteroom.com; clothing.

Newton
Newton Food Centre – 500 Clemenceau Avenue North; yoursingapore.com; also known as Newton Circus; great place for street foods; try barbecued skate wing.

Orchard
Bird & Co. – 8 Grange Road (Cineleisure); 011-65-6733-1170; booksactually.com; bric-a-brac and paper goods.
Blackmarket – 181 Orchard Road; 011-65-6634-5201; theblackmarket.sg; designer store selling approximately 30 Singapore labels.
Hansel Shop – 333 Orchard Road (02-14 Mandarin Gallery); 011-65-6337-0992; ilovehansel.com; Jo Soh’s couture designs, favored by Katy Perry.
Tang’s Playlab – 310 Orchard Road; 011-65-6737-5500; tangs.com; casual, hip clothing and various other items.

Tiong Bahru
BooksActually – 9 Yong Siak Street; 011-65-6222-9195; booksactually.com; accordions, cameras, toys, and typewriters; also, books and magazines; regularly invites emerging artists, authors, and playwrights to hold events and readings.
Flea & Trees – Block 68, Seng Poh Lane, #01-10; 011-65-8139-1133; tinytrunk.com/shops/flea-trees; books, clothing, odds & ends.
Strangelets – 7 Yong Siak Street; 011-65-6222-1456; strangelets.sg; curiosities and home furnishings.
White Canvas Art Gallery – 78 Guan Chuan Road; 011-65-6220-8723; whitecanvas-gallery.com; art; artist-led dinners and talks.



SIGHTS & SITES
Alexandra
Gillman Barracks – 9 Lock Road; gillmanbarracks.com; colonial-style 1930s arcade named after British General Webb Gillman; £5 million refurbishment resulted in complex housing lofty exhibition spaces, palm-fringed cafes & Centre for Contemporary Art, where artists, collectors & curators congregate, lecture & work in residence.

Bishan
MacRitchie Reservoir Park – Reservoir Road (off Lornie Road); 011-65-6471-7808 (National Parks Board); nparks.gov.sg; beautiful park especially notable for “Treetops Walk,” several long hiking routes’ highlight; brings through different stages mature secondary forest; free-standing suspension bridge connects 2 highest points (Bukit Peirce and Bukit Kalang) and offers bird’s eye view; distance to Treetops Walk from Park entrance approximately 4.5 km (1.5-2 hour walk) and 2.5 km (45 mins-1 hr walk from Venus Drive carpark (note that walkway only allows for 1-direction traffic and bridge entrance is from Ranger Station via Peirce track.

Botanic Gardens
Singapore Botanic Gardens – 1 Cluny Road; 011-65-6471-7138; sbg.org.sg; 150 acres with meandering pathways and pretty lakes; make sure to visit orchid area, with more than 1K species and 2K hybrids.

Bras Brasah
Peranakan Museum (Old Tao Nan School) – 39 Armenian Street; 011-65-6332-7591; peranakanmuseum.org.sg; 1st of kind in world, exploring Peranakan cultures in Singapore and other former Straits Settlements in Malacca and Penang, and other Peranakan communities in Southeast Asia; Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for descendants of 15-17th Century Chinese immigrants to Indonesian archipelago and British Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore); community members in Melaka, Malaysia address themselves as Nyonya Baba (Nyonya is term for women & Baba for men); term applies especially to British Straits Settlements of Malaya and Dutch-controlled island of Java and other locations’ ethnic Chinese populations, who have adopted Nusantara customs — partially or in full — to be somewhat assimilated into local communities.

CBD
Asian Civilisations Museum – 1 Empress Place (City Hall); 011-65-6332-7798; acm.org.sg; collection includes artifacts reflecting Singapore cultural background, including basketry, ceramics & textiles.
‎●8Q Singapore Art Museum – 71 Bras Basah Road; 011-65-6332-3222; singaporeartmuseum.sg; contemporary art.
National Art Gallery of Singapore – 61 Stam­ford Road, Stam­ford Court #04–01; nationalartgallery.sg; scheduled to open in 2015.
Telok Ayer Market Lau Pa Sat – 18 Raffles Quay; 011-65-6220-2138; laupasat.biz; historic building, now food centre.

Chinatown
Museum of Contemporary Arts – 27A Loewen Road; 011-65-6479-6622; mocaloewen.sg; Asian art works; 2.5 acre garden.

Dhoby Ghaut
National Museum of Singapore – 93 Stamford Road; 011-65-6332-3659; nationalmuseum.sg; oldest museum in Singapore, dating back to 1849 when started as section of library at Singapore Institution; 1 of 4 national museums in country (others being 2 Asian Civilizations Museums at Empress Place Building & Old Tao Nan School (Peranakan Museum), and Singapore Art Museum); focuses on exhibits related to Singapore history.

Esplanade
Esplanade – 1 Esplanade Drive; 011-65-6828-8377; esplanade.com; performing arts complex.

Kranji
Kranji Heritage Trail – from Woodlands Road to Lorong Tawas, off Jalan Bahar; kranjicountryside.com; Kranji Heritage Trail includes 14 markers, each having QR Code to access information via smart phone: (1) Kranji War Memorial, (2) WWII 1st Japanese Landing Site, (3) Kranji Army Barracks, (4) Kranji Railway Train Crossing, (5) Neo Tiew, (6) Bollywood Veggies, (7) Hay Dairies, (8) Hausmann Marketing Aquarium, (9) Jurong Frog Farm, (10) Kok Fah Technology, (11) Lian Wah Hang Quail & Poultry Farm, (12) Nye Phoe, (13) Sungei Buloh & (14) Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle; bridges past and present through area’s early farming history, as well as through historical sites; other landmarks include “Pier,“ late Howard Cashin’s house, “Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle“ (built around Thow Kwang Dragon Kiln, which Tan family has operated since 1965).
Kranji War Memorial (Tanah Perkuburan Perang Kranji) – 9 Woodlands Road; singaporecity360.com/kranji-war-memorial; dedicated to men & women who died defending Malaya & Singapore against invading Japanese forces during WWII; comprises Memorial Walls, Military Graves, State Cemetery & War Graves.
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve – 301 Neo Tiew Crescent; 011-65-6794-1401; sbwr.org.sg; 1st wetlands reserve to be gazetted in Singapore; globally important as stop-over point for migratory birds; 130 hectares; ASEAN Heritage Park since 2003.

Marina Bay
ArtScience Museum – 10 Bayfront Avenue; 011-65-6688-8868; marinabaysands.com/ArtScienceMuseum; focuses on art and science’s overlap; make sure to go also to SkyPark, where have 360º views (as well as world’s largest infinity pool).
Gardens by Bay – 18 Marina Gardens Drive; 011-65-6420-6848; gardensbythebay.com.sg/en; 250 acres reclaimed land in central Singapore; 3 waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden & Bay Central Garden; aim is to raise life quality by enhancing greenery and flora in city.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

OAHU

(does not include Honolulu; does include Kailua, which is different from Kailua-Kona on Big Island, Hawaii)

HONOLULU COUNTY
HALEIWA
Foodtrucks
Mackey’s Sweet Shrimp Truck – 66-632 Kamehameha Highway; 808-780-1071; mackeyshrimptruck.com; roadside takeaway stand offering fusion of Hawaiian fare & seafood; lunch specials.

Services
Sea & Board Sports Hawaii – 62-400 Joseph P. Leong Highway; 808-352-9775; hawaiisuptours.com; to get started on surfing gear.
Sullivan Estate & Spa Retreat – 66-140 Kamehameha Highway; 808-638-7020; SullivanEstate.com; spa described as “1st holistic anti-stress center on earth.”



KAHUKU
Foodtrucks
Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck – 56-505 Kamehameha Highway; 808-293-1839; giovannisshrimptruck.com; mainstay eatery for boiled shrimp in garlic sauce & plate lunches; casual digs & picnic tables; try shrimp scampi.
Romy’s Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp – 56-781 Kamehameha Highway; 808-232-2202; romyskahukuprawns.org; more of roadside shack; not worth special trip (notwithstanding advertising as “must see” site) but worth stopping.

Hotels
Turtle Bay Hotel – 57-091 Kamehameha Highway; 808-293-6000 or 800-203-3650; turtlebayresort.com; 5 miles of beaches & 42 stylish beach cottages.

Restaurants
Kaimuki Superette – 56-505 Kamehameha Highway; 808-293-9878; kaimukisuperette.com; pro-move is to obtain take-out eats here for Diamond Head hike; try shinsato pork sandwich with greens & ricotta.

Shopping
Kaimuki Superette – 56-505 Kamehameha Highway; 808-293-9878; kaimukisuperette.com; for octopus roll; sister restaurant to Town Restaurant (in Honolulu); fresh salads & sandwiches; also for poke (cubed ʻahi (yellowfin tuna) sashimi marinated with sea salt, small amount soy sauce, inamona (roasted crushed candlenut), sesame oil, limu seaweed & chopped chili pepper); ʻahi caught fresh & dropped off in morning; 5-generation-old family recipe; find in back of shop.



KAILUA & LANIKAI (includes Kaneohe)
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
Agnes’ Portuguese Bake Shop – 46 Hoʻolai Street (Kailua); 808-262-5367; agnesbakeshop.com; best malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts).
Island Snow – 130 Kailua Road (Kailua); 808-263-6339; island-snow-hawaii.myshopify.com; where Obama goes for shave ice.

Beaches
Kailua Beach – 450 or 526 Kawailoa Road (Kailua); 808-263-5959 or 808-266-7652; hawaiiweb.com; half mile soft white sand; local favorite for water sports; beachwear boutiques, dive shops & kayak rentals located nearby; close to several small islands make it ideal for adventuring by kayak; closest to shore is barren Flat Island & farther off to east are Mokulua Islands (commonly known as “Moks” or “Twin Islands”); to east is Kailua’s sister beach, Lanikai Beach, which is another beautiful sand stretch, though less accessible because within residential housing area so parking is limited.
Kalama Beach – 248 North Kalaheo Avenue (Kailua); 808-266-7659; hawaiiweb.com; family-friendly beach with mild waves; great for learning how to body board & surf.

Diving
Sea Tiger – on Oahu south shore, about 10 minutes by boat; oahudiving.com/seatiger.htm; intermediate-advanced dive; 168' artificial reef, sunk in 1999; amazing array marine life, including squirrelfish & filefish, morays, endangered green sea turtles, spotted eagle rays & reef sharks; main deck sits at 80', while hull hits sand at about 127'; originally named Yun Fong Seong No. 303, ship apprehended by Honolulu Harbor Police carrying 93 illegal Chinese immigrants (Hawaii’s largest illegal immigrant seizure).

Restaurants
Baci Bistro – 30 Aulike Street (Kailua); 808-262-7555; bacibistro.com; Italian.
Buzz’s Original Steakhouse – 413 Kawailoa Road (Kailua); 808-261-4661; buzzssteakhouse.com.
Cinnamon’s – 315 Uluniu Street (Kailua); 808-261-8724; cinnamons808.com; breakfast & lunch menus include cinnamon buns, crab cakes & red velvet pancakes in casual space.
Crepes No Ka Oi – 131 Hekili Street (Kailua); 808-263-4088; crepesnokaoi.com; savory & sweet Hawaiian crêpes; bright cafe with high ceilings & local art.
Kalapawai Cafe – 750 Kailua Road (Kailua, at Kalapawai Market); 808-262-3354; kalapawaimarket.com; especially for lunch; sandwiches & salads before 5PM & contemporary dinners with table service at night.
Moke’s Bread & Breakfast – 27 Hoolai Place (Kailua); 808-261-5565; mokeskailua.com; laid-back, family-run breakfast & sandwich joint.
Ohana Bar-BQ – 16 Kainehe Street (Kailua); 808-263-0024; for lunch; good Korean food at reasonable prices.
Saeng’s Thai Cuisine – 315 Hahani Street (Kailua); 808-263-9727; restauranteur.com/saengs; Thai, including vegetarian.

Services
Kailua Sailboards & Kayaks – 130 Kailua Road, #101B (Kailua); 808-262-2555 or 888-457-5737; kailuasailboards.com; for lessons & rentals.
Pat’s Kailua Beach Properties – 204 South Kalaheo Avenue (Kailua); 808-262-4128; patskailua.com; for local lodgings.

Shopping
BookEnds – 600 Kailua Road (Kailua); 808-261-1996; facebook.com/BookEnds-117821588274574/info/?tab=overview; bookstore with good Hawaiian title selection.
Kalapawai Market – 307 South Kalaheo Avenue; 808-262-4359; kalapawaimarket.com; good for snacks & souvenirs.
People’s Open Market – 21 South Kainalu Drive (Kailua, at Kailua District Park); 808-522-7088; honolulu.gov/parks/dprpom.html; open on Thursdays from 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.

Sights & Sites
Haiku Stairs – Haiku Road (Kaneohe); unrealhawaii.com/2010/05/haiku-stairs; worth special trip; steep hiking trail consisting of metal steps & ramps (4K steps).
Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden – 45-680 Luluku Road (Kaneohe); 808-233-7323; aloha-hawaii.com/oahu/hoomaluhia-botanical-garden.
Kailua District Park – 21 South Kainalu Drive; 808-266-7652; facebook.com/Kailua-District-Park-200126490021574/info?tab=overview; swimming & tennis.
Kawainui Neighborhood (Kaha) Park – 750 Kaha Street (Kailua); 808-381-7202 (community coordinator); kahagardens.com; walk Kawainui Marsh Trail.
Lanikai Pillbox Trail – 382-498 Kaelepulu Drive (Kailua, across from entrance to Mid Pacific Country Club); best-of-oahu.com/lanikai-pillbox-hike.html; also known as Kaiwa Ridge Trail; WWII pillboxes; this sometimes narrow, short trail is among best & most breath-taking hikes on Oahu.
Obama Summer Home – 57-A Kailuana Place (Kailua); paradisepointestates.com/the-estate/obama-winter-white-house.
Ulupo Heiau State Historic Site – 1200 Kailua Road (Kailua); 808-587-0300 (main Parks number); dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/ulupo-heiau-state-historic-site/; on Kawai Nui Marsh’s eastern edge; ancient site associated in legend with menehune and, later, with high Oahu chiefs such as Kakuhihewa (15th Century) and Kualii (late 17th Century); peaked in importance in 1750, before being abandoned after Oahu conquered in 1780s; massive stone heiau platform.



KAMPALA
Shopping
Rare Hawaiian Honey Company – 66-1250 Lalamilo Farm Road (Kampala); 808-775-1000 or 888-663-6639; rarehawaiianhoney.com; company owes existence to single 1K acre Kiawe forest on island’s dry side; Kiawe (pronounced “kee ah’ vay”) is Hawaiian name for mesquite species (Prosopis pallid) native to Ecuador & Peru; world’s rarest gourmet honey produced from these special trees; Kiawe Honey unique in that it naturally crystallizes into very creamy, white honey with very delicate tropical flavor; certified 100% organic.



WAIMANALO
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
Keneke’s – 41-857 Kalanianaole Highway; 808-259-9800; kenekes.net; good for coffee & shave ice.
Beaches
Waimanalo Beach – 41-741 Kalanianaole Highway (at Huli Street); en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waimanalo_Beach,_Hawaii; just 30-minute or so drive from Waikiki but world away; with ample parking, showers & bathroom, this should be enough; but beach is stunning with piercing aquamarine colored ocean, clean sand & trees; and it is not crowded; downsides include fact that you cannot leave anything of value visible in your car (local boys will smash your window & grab); also, sketchy tent encampment in 1 parking lot.

Restaurants
Keneke’s – 41-857 Kalanianaole Highway; 808-259-9800; kenekes.net; good for lunch.

Shopping
Frankie’s Nursery – 41-999 Mahiku Place; 808-259-8737; frankiesnursery.com; for fresh & obscure fruit.

Sights & Sites
Makapu’u Lighthouse – Kalanianaole Highway (at Oahu’s southeastern-most point); 808-587-0300 (main Parks number); dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/hiking/oahu/makapuu-point-lighthouse-trail/; hike Makapuu Point Trail and make sure to see lighthouse; lovely views.



WAIMEA VALLEY
Sights & Sites
Waimea Valley Visitor Center – 59-864 Kamehameha Highway (Hale’iwa); 808-638-7766; waimeavalley.net; among Oahu’s last (partially) intact ahupua'a (native Hawaiian land use system); site stretches from mountains to sea; 1.8K-acres; includes only fully restored heiau (temple) dedicated to Lono, agriculture, fertility, music, and peace deity dating back to 1470; Waimea Falls, trails, arboretum (+5K tropical plant species), and Kamananui Stream; Ku’ono Waiwai is store located at Visitor Center; also Waimea Valley Grill; will arrange guided hikes.



KAUA’I COUNTY
HANALEI
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
Hanalei Taro & Juice Co. – 5-5070 Kuhio Highway; 808-826-1059; hanaleitaro.com; great juice & smoothies.
Restaurants
Hanalei Taro & Juice Co. – 5-5070 Kuhio Highway; 808-826-1059; hanaleitaro.com; lunch.

Services
Hanalei Taro & Juice Co. – 5-5070 Kuhio Highway; 808-826-1059; HaraguchiRiceMill.org; private farm tours.

Shopping
Hanalei Taro & Juice Co. – 5-5070 Kuhio Highway; 808-826-1059; hanaleitaro.com; farmstand.

MAUI

DIVES
Lanai.
Manta Point.
Molokini Crater – sheltered reefs inside; plunging wall on outside.
Red Hill.
St. Anthony.
Turtle Point.



MAUI COUNTY
Haiku
Shopping
Ke’anae Landing Fruit Stand – 210 Keanae Peninsula Road; 808-344-1885; keanaemaui.com; make sure to purchase Aunty Sandy’s banana bread.

Hana (includes Kaupo, Keokea, Kula & Wailuku)
Beaches
Hamoa – south of Hana; among Maui’s most beautiful and pristine beaches.
Wai’anapanapa – 54 South High Street (Wailuku); 808-984-8109; hawaiistateparks.org; black beach; O’Keeffe swam here and wrote Stieglitz about cave she visited; have to swim under ledge to find it; note also that, visible from parking lot, is “lava bridge,” painted by O’Keeffe (natural arch formed by waves, on cliffs).
Hotels
Hana Kai – 4865 Uakea Road; 808-248-8426; hanakaimaui.com; many rooms offer balconies over surf.
Travaasa Hana – 5031 State Highway 360 (Hana, on Hamoa Beach); 808-248-8211 or 855-868-7282; travaasa.com/hana; former Hotel Hana Maui, itself formerly sugar plantation; black-sand beach and rainforest waterfalls.
Restaurants
Grandma’s Coffee House – 9232 State Highway 37 (Keokea); 808-878-2140; grandmascoffee.com; on Haleakala Volcano’s slopes; organic coffee from local farm; deck has tremendous views.
Shopping
Hana Farms – 2910 State Highway 360; 808-248-7371; hanafarmsonline.com; produces various exotic tropical foods (hot sauces, tropical jams and jellies, etc.); also, best banana bread on Maui, as well as pizza.
Hasegawa General Store – 5165 State Highway 360; 808-248-8231; hanamaui.com; run by same Japanese family since at least 1930s; souvenirs, as well as actual grocery items.
Kaupo General Store – State Highway 31; 808-248-8054; among only buildings on Piilani Highway; frozen in time.
Sights & Sites
Cafe Attitude – State Highway 360 (10 miles southeast of Hana (not far past Laulima Farm), property marked by sun & moon on each gatepost); lovely outdoor “café” every Sunday night; community style dinner and with open mic session for evening’s remainder; little white lights line beautiful wooden framed structure; organic meals.
Haleakala National Park – State Highway 378 (Kula); 808-572-4400; nps.gov/hale/index.htm; 3 wilderness cabins built by CCC are maintained by National Park Service; arrange by advanced reservation; accessible only by trail.
Hana Cultural Center & Museum – 4974 Uakea Road; 808-248-8622; hanaculturalcenter.org; Hana is Queen Kaahumanu’s birthplace (King Kamehameha I’s wife); features courthouse, jail (used 1871-1978), stone lamps, poi boards, tapa cloth, quilts, fish hooks, etc.; also pre-contact Hawaiian Village reconstruction.
Hawaii Nature Center/Iao Valley – 875 Iao Valley Road (Wailuku); 808-244-6500; hawaiinaturecenter.org; offers self-guided hike brochure for visitors to use while walking beautiful, vertiginous trails, leading to “Iao Needle.”
Kaeleku Caverns – Ulaino Road (off State Highway 360); 808-248-7308; trek into huge lava tube system, marked by colorful rock formations.
Kahanu National Tropical Botanical Garden – 1819 State Highway 360 (at mile marker #31); 808-248-8912; ntbg.org/gardens/kahanu.php; showcases many native and Polynesian introduced (“canoe”) plants (such as taro, ipu, sweet potato, banana, coconut, etc.); contains Pi’ilanihale Heiau (Hawaii’s (and maybe Polynesia’s) largest heiau); 464 acres; home to worldvs most diverse collection (120 varieties); also, largest remaining wild hala forest in Hawaii; note that closes early (2 pm); guided tours on Saturday from 10 am to noon with reservation.
Maui Historical Society/Bailey House Museum – 2375A Main Street (Wailuku); 808-244-3326; mauimuseum.org/built in 1833, Bailey House showcases Hawaiian artifacts and culture, as well as furnishings and paintings.
Maui Ocean Center – 192 Maalaea Boat Harbor Road; 808-270-7000; mauioceancenter.com; aquarium and marine science center.
Ohe’o Gulch – State Highway 360 (between Hana and Kaupo, in Haleakala National Park, Kipahulu Visitor Center, near Hana Highway’s end); 808-248-7375; nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/kipahulu.htm; reached via Highway 36, curvy, often wet road; stunning, 7-tiered swimming hole cascade.
Tedeschi Vineyards – State Highway 37 (Kula, on Ulupalakua Ranch); 808-878-6058; mauiwine.com; surprisingly palatable pineapple-based champagne.
Wai’anapanapa Coastal Trail – Kainalimu Bay (start); 3 mile trail follows coastline from just north of Hana Bay to beyond Waianapanapa State Park; trail begins in Kainalimu Bay and follows coastline along Hawaiian “King’s Highway” (still visible in places where smooth stepping stones set into cinders and rough lava; views over Hana Forest Reserve (with densely vegetated cinder cones); about 2 miles down coast is Wai’anapanapa State Park; continues past park around Pukaulua Point nearly to Hana Airport; about half way between Waianapanapa and Hana is heiau (Hawaiian temple site), cleared of vegetation; boots recommended because of sharp lava.
Wai’anapanapa State Park – Wai’anapanapa Road (off State Highway 360); 808-984-8109; hawaiistateparks.org/parks/maui/waianapanapa.cfm; 122 acres of natural features include: seabird colonies; anchialine pools; native hala (Pandanus tectorius) coastal mesic forests; lava tubes; heiau (religious temples); sea stacks & blowholes; and small black sand beach.
Whispering Winds Bamboo Farm – Kipahulu; 808-248-7561; whisperingwindsbamboo.com; bamboo and tropical hardwood plantation; purpose to develop non-invasive bamboo for use in making homes, furniture, clothes, and even food source; beautiful place to visit; informational tours (includes continental breakfast and lunch, involves driving in caravan fashion with guides at front) available or take stroll through grounds, which include plant nursery and tropical fruit orchard on 180 acres; 36 bamboo propagated.

Kahakuloa
Shopping
Julia’s Best Banana Bread – 7465 Kahekili Highway; juliasbananabread.com; considered best banana bread on island.

Kahului
Shopping
Maui Coffee Roasters – 444 Hana Highway; 808-877-2877; alohacoffee.net; organic beans from across Hawaii.

Kapalua
Services
Kapalua Spa – 2000 Village Road; 808-665-4386; kapalua.com; 30K sq ft spa.

Kihei
Hotels
Mana Kai Maui – 2960 South Kihei Road; 808-879-1561 or 800-525-2025; crhmaui.com; ocean views, full kitchens; great value.
Restaurants
Matteo’s Pizzeria – 100 Wailea Ike Drive; 808-874-1234; matteospizzaria.com; fresh, thin-crust margherita pizza, and pasta dishes.
Services
Scuba Shack – 2349 South Kihei Road, #8; 808-891-0500; scubashack.com.

Kula
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
Grandma’s Coffee House – 9232 Kula Highway; 808-878-2140; grandmascoffee.com; began roasting and blending Maui Organic coffee in 1918; 4 generations later, family still grows and roasts coffee; also notable for homemade banana bread.

Lahaina
Bars & Nightclubs
Chez Paul – 820 Olowalu Village; 808-661-3843; elegant French bistro with live jazz on Saturday nights.
Kaanapali Beach Hotel – 2525 Kaanapali Parkway; 808-661-0011; kbhmaui.com; old-fashioned “tiki bar.”
Dives
Shark Fin Rock – small wall that breaks surface.
Hotels
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa – 200 Nohea Kai Drive; 808-661-1234 or 888-591-1234; maui.hyatt.com; recently renovated and flamboyant.
Restaurants
Chez Paul – 820 Olowalu Village; 808-661-3843; elegant French bistro with live jazz on Saturday nights.
Mala Ocean Tavern – 1307 Front Street; 808-667-9394; malaoceantavern.com; like being on ocean without leaving land; casual restaurant on water – ask for outdoor table; good brunches; huevos rancheros.
Merriman’s Kapalua – One Bay Club Place; 808-669-6400; merrimanshawaii.com; west Maui spot; blends international flavors with local ingredients; ocean-front position with Molokai views; try wok-charred ahi, kalua pig ravioli, and corn chowder with pancetta.
Star Noodle – 286 Kupuohi Street; 808-667-5400; starnoodle.com.
Services
Hawaiian Rafting Adventures – 1223 Front Street; 808-661-7333; goscubadivemaui.com.
Lahaina Divers – 143 Dickinson Street, #100; 808-667-7496 or 800-998-3483; lahainadivers.com; make sure to take Molokai Hammerhead Dive.

Makawao
Restaurants
Hali’Imaile General Store – 900 Haliimaile Road; 808-572-2666; bevgannonrestaurants.com/haliimaile; out-of-way “destination” restaurant worth drive through sugar fields; regional fare featuring local, organic ingredients, served in plantation setting.
Shopping
Hot Island Glass – 3620 Baldwin Avenue; 808-572-4527; hotislandglass.com.
Viewpoints Gallery – 3620 Baldwin Avenue; 808-572-5979; viewpointsgallerymaui.com; landscape artists.
Sights & Sites
Mt. Haleakala – Haleakala National Park; 808-572-4400; nps.gov/hale.

Olowalu
Dives
Olowalu Reef – off Maui’s west end; Manta cleaning-station.

Wailea
Bars & Nightclubs
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea – 3900 Wailea Alanui; 808-874-8000; fourseasons.com/maui; excellent bar with pianist nightly and excellent local art collection.
Hotels
Hotel Wailea – 555 Kaukahi Street; 808-874-0500 or 800-800-0720; hotelwailea.com; boutique.
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea – 3900 Wailea Alanui; 808-874-8000 or 800-819-5053; fourseasons.com/maui; recently renovated.
Sights & Sites
Black Rock – Kaanapali (just outside Lahaina); lava outcropping; great snorkeling; spotted eagle rays and giant green sea turtles.
Kapalua Adventures – 2000 Village Road (Kapalua); 808-665-4386; kapalua.com; 2-mile zip-line course requires no athleticism; takes you over bamboo forests, gulches, and ridges, with coast in distance.
Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge – Milepost 6 (Mokulele Highway 311); 808-875-1582; fws.gov/kealiapond; 700-acre wetland and seabird sanctuary home to endangered Hawaiian stilts, black-crowned night herons, Hawaiian coots, and ruddy turnstones (when migrating).
Keawakapu Beach – between Kihei and Wailea; Maui’s “hidden jewel” beach; talcum soft sand, public roads, clean beaches, and hump-backed whales.
Makena Landing Beach Park – Makena Road; recreationparks.net/HI/maui/makena-landing-beach-park-wailea-makena; can snorkel off landing, surf and tide permitting.
Maui “Upcountry” to Lahaina Drive – hourlong drive; Pacific Ocean on left and West Maui Mountains on right.

Wailuku
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
Four Sisters Bakery – 1968 East Vineyard Street; 808-244-9333; facebook.com/pages/Four-Sisters-Bakery/111563198884698; nondescript inside and out but sells great banana bread.