The author of critically acclaimed book Lightning People escapes New York for Greece.HYDRA – I went to Greece for the first time in 2003. It was on that trip to a few islands in the Cyclades — in fact, on the back of a motorbike one hot afternoon on Naxos — that I began to piece together what would become my first novel. Lightning People takes place mostly in New York City and involves a number of disparate characters tryin

Haiti is beautiful, and Im not saying that because Ive been going there my whole life. Much of the Caribbean country, the western half of the island Hispaniola, is unknown to travelers. Most people have only seen Haiti in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake, and though its impact is impossible to dismiss (youre bound to see at least one tent city on the road from the airport), the country holds much more.Haitis main airport is in t

When you travel with old people, the goal is not always family bonding or imbibing foreign cultures or enjoying the sights and sounds of the journey. No: The goal is to get them home alive and in one piece.I love my parents. I love traveling in India. I am dreading taking my parents to India in November. It turns out that everyone who has traveled with her parents has a horror story. Financial Times US editor Gillian Tetts parents came to r

Hometown: Live in New York City, born and raised in Seattle.  Occupation: Writer and editorFavorite destinations: Too many. Block Island. Sonoma and San Francisco for the eats, Montana for the space, Seville for the tradition, Berlin for the freedom, Hong Kong for the audacity, Copenhagen for the design, Buenos Aires for the fun. Colchagua Valley, the San Juan Islands, California National Parks...Dying to visit: Tokyo! Cambodia. Nicara

Hometown: San Diego, CA.Occupation: Digital stuff.Favorite destinations: Paris, Beirut, Dubrovnik, Vietnam.Dying to visit: Sub-Saharan Africa.Bizarre travel rituals: Upon arrival, unpack and repack my suitcase several times.In-flight relaxation regime: The upgrade.Always in carry-on: Raw cashews.Concierge or DIY? DIY.See it all or take it easy? TOUT!Drive or be driven? Be driven. Im an excellent DJ.Travel hero: My mom.Weirdest thing se

Our Irish correspondent in Zurich gets a peek under the conservative Swiss skin and finds quite an eyeful.   Just when I thought Id come to grips with Zurich style — neat court shoes, Louis Vuitton handbag, discreet diamonds, and, in winter, fur coats with a small rat-sized dog — I got stymied at the swimming pool.Chanel two-pieces are unrobed to reveal, of all things, sizeable tattoos. And it seems that

Anne Ditmeyer, graphic designer and design*sponge contributing editor, lives and works in Paris. (Its the dream.) She records tales of travel adventure as well as the charms of everyday life in her excellent blog Prêt à Voyager. Local breakfast spot: Any local boulangerie. If Im venturing out, I head to rue des Martyrs. Chouquettes, croissant aux amandes and vennoise chocolat are my personal favorites. Where you go when you need inspiratio

Is the kindness of strangers a cause for celebration or concern? An encounter with a generous Turkish innkeeper makes Los Angles reader Dana Carmel Bell reconsider her skepticism.CAPPADOCIA, Turkey – Its a land of fairy chimneys, cave dwellings, and ancient underground cities that once housed thousands of early Christians seeking refuge from persecution by Romans, and later, from raiding Muslims. Today, Cappadocia, which translates as

In a leafy park in Sydney, Fathom assistant editor Berit Baugher stops to smell the handmade pizza. And stays for the jumbo movie screen.SYDNEY – An early evening stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens lead me to one of my favorite Sydney experiences. The OpenAir Cinema was on my list of things to do, but I hadnt put effort into mapping directions to the venue or pre-ordering tickets. I resigned myself to the fact that Id never get to it,

Hometown: Los Angeles via New York City via Sag Harbor via San Francisco.Occupation: Writer, editor.Favorite destinations: New York, Jamaica, Japan, France, England, Big Sur, the Studio at Verana in Yelapa, Emilys couch in Chelsea, Portland, Oregon.Dying to visit: Sweden, Denmark, Russia, India, Ireland, Blackberry Farm. Bizarre travel rituals: Packing beauty products 24 hours in advance; packing clothes an hour before running to

Hometown: San Fernando Valley, CA (like, totally)Occupation: author, designer, co-founder of Thunderwing PressFavorite destinations: Paris, Reykjavik, Santa Fe, Asheville, Kauai, Los Angeles, and the Pacific NorthwestDying to visit: Maine, Istanbul, The Cotswolds, Venice, Capri, Mustique, MarrakechBizarre travel rituals: Going through my OCD-worthy filing cabinet of travel location clippings, all kept in folders organized by country or stat

Dear Fathom: My sister and I are traveling this summer and wed like to meet locals who can show us the real France and not the typical tourist traps. How can we do this without feeling silly?The best way to see a city is through the eyes of someone who lives there, but meeting strangers doesnt come naturally to everyone. We turned to experts Thomas Beug and Tim Kafalas, two freewheeling Brooklynites who created the independent travel show&n

Hometown: Racine, Wisconsin.Occupation: Executive editor, Bon Appétit.Favorite destinations: Paris, Point Reyes, Andalusia, Sicily, driving anywhere in the South.Dying to visit: As much of Japan as possible, Vietnam, Marseille.Bizarre travel rituals: Travel pants (loose, wide, soft) have been joined by travel socks (warm, yet no elastic at the top). Can I be saved?In-flight relaxation regime: Wheels up = Ambien with a melatonin chase

Hometown: Princeton, New Jersey.Occupation: Writer/editor.Favorite destinations: South Africa, Guatemala, and Thailand.Dying to visit: Bali.Bizarre travel rituals: I pack in a way that I can remember where everything is, so if I take something from a bag I make sure I put it back exactly where I got it.In-flight relaxation regime: Read, watch a movie or two (if its a long flight), and then slide on my eye mask and doze for as long as I can.

Hometown: New York City. Occupation: Explorer/ gold/ diamonds/ cashmere/ tea. Favorite destinations: London, Paris, Rome, Venice, Istanbul, Bangkok, Jaipur, Tokyo, St. Barths. Dying to visit: Africa. In-flight relaxation regime: Sleep. Concierge or DIY?
 Nothing beats a good concierge, but theyre hard to come by, so I tend to

Hometown: Born in Rome, Italy. Grew up in Paris, France. Currently live in Los Angeles and Brooklyn.Occupation: Fashion stylist.Favorite destinations: Austin, Texas, Sitges, Spain, Nashville, Tennessee, Camden, Maine, Tuscany.Dying to visit: New Orleans. Bizarre travel rituals: I usually travel with my emotional support animal, my dog Waffle. In-flight relaxation regime: I fall asleep before take off. Otherwise, the dumber th

What do you do when your mother announces to the family that shell be spending 30 days traversing northern Spain on foot? If youre art and fashion publicist Catherine Sohn, you take her to the outdoors store to introduce her to a revolutionary material called fleece, then pack your knapsack and join her for the first leg of the journey.  So, what brought you to Northern Spain? To share a memorable experience with my mother. For many ye

Hometown: New York, for the past 20 years. (I was born in Mendoza, Argentina).Occupation: Designer and writer.Favorite destinations: Bhutan, Chile, Bangkok, Argentina. But Im fickle: My favorite destination is usually my latest trip.Dying to visit: China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Burma, Finland.Bizarre travel rituals: I always do a mini-facial at duty-free with cleansing lotion and lather on thick moisturizer before getting on the plane. I also

Hometown: Dana Point, California.Occupation: Designer, shop owner, and blogger at The House That Lars Built.Favorite destinations: Going home to California, Curitiba, Brazil, Iceland, Venice, Stockholm, and Washington, D.C.Dying to visit: Vienna, for the Sound of Music sing-along tour. I plan on going in full costume.Bizarre travel rituals: Not a ritual but a nasty habit: I tend to always forget either my toothbrush or paste.In-flight relax

While traveling alone in Berlin, one woman finds that cultural and emotional gaps can be bridged with a slice of cake. BERLIN – As my birthday approaches, Im struck with a stomach-churning malady that causes me to re-evaluate and regret every major life decision Ive ever made. Theres one reliable cure for when the feeling gets so acute that I begin sketching Tippy the Turtle in hopes of starting anew at art school: I run as