On a recent visit to Valparaíso, Fathom assistant editor Berit Baugher had the pleasure of meeting Vincent Juillerat, the owner of newly opened Hotel Palacio Astoreca, a former Victorian mansion with impressive design and jaw-dropping views of Chiles most famous seaport. He gave us a list of his favorite places to eat, drink, and enjoy the citys thriving art scene.Museo de Bellas ArtesCerro Alegre Palacio Baburizza; +56-32-225-23-32A beauti

If youre in Paris before February, dont miss the temporary exhibit of outsider art at The Museum of Everything. The work is stunning in its complexity, diversity, and depth.PARIS – Disbelief and awe were the prevailing sentiments at the end of my visit to The Museum of Everything.Despite memorizing stacks of art flash cards in elementary school, spending countless hours in art history classes and at galleries, museums, and auction

Theres more to Bali than the beaches, as Maria Russo of The Culture-ist (one of Fathoms 24 Best Travel Blogs and Websites) learns on a trip through the blissful countryside.So, what brought you to Bali? Visiting Bali has been a fantasy of mine for years. I envisioned staying among ripples of verdant rice fields, watching farmers tend to their fields, and listening to the coo of turtledoves resonate from swaying frangipani trees overhead. An

Charming maestra tequilera Bertha Gonzalez Nieves, co-founder and CEO of Casa Dragones Tequila, is our go-to for what to do in Mexico City, her hometown. She loves art, she loves food, she loves to party: Shes our kind of girl. Fine spirits abound when shes around — and not only those of the liquid kind.FIRST WE GALLERY-HOP, RUN, AND CHILLKurimanzutto Art Gallery Gob. Rafael Rebollar, 94; +52-55-5256-2408 The leading and hottest conte

Its that time again, where the indie world converges in Texas for the South By Southwest festival. Start-ups will be hyped, bands will blow up, films will hit the stratosphere. (Or so they hope.) Tickets will be scalped, parties will be crashed, and kegs will be emptied. (Yep, thats a definite.) We turned to  music festival veteran Maura Johnston for her hard-won tips on how to survive the awesome madness. AUSTIN, Texas – The Sout

Hometown: Napa Valley, California.Occupation: Professional party thrower.Favorite destinations: India!! Buenos Aires, Turkey, Brazil, Bavaria, Morocco, and Mexico.Dying to visit: I’d love to revisit Brazil in depth.Bizarre travel rituals: Pack completely, unpack, eliminate, and repack.In-flight relaxation regime: Pop two Lunestas with a glass of red wine. Put on my sleeping mask and wrap myself up in a silk scarf.Always in carry-on: Silk sc

Imagine the architecture, culture, and food youd find at the crossroads of Central Europe, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Thats Croatia for you. Bart van Poll of Spotted by Locals (one of our 24 favorite travel blogs and websites) corralled locals for recommendations in the capital city.ZAGREB, Croatia – Its the largest city and the capital of Croatia. We asked out local spotters for their favorite things to do

As the fashion crowd leaves another Paris Fashion Week, Swedish writer and fashion editor Petra Dokken reports on the spots she always returns for. Nevermind whats hopelessly trendy; shes after the small corners of chic.PARIS – I had always been enamored with the fashion world and could think of nowhere better to be than Paris, sitting in a Haussmann-façade balcony, smoking cigarettes, wearing red lipstick, gazing over the rive gauche. So I

VENICE – Are you planning a trip to Venice before November? Why not? The Biennale is on, the art is fantastic, and the city is electrifying. A first-timer takes us on a tour.

The quirky, from-the-land, DIY spirit is alive and well in Woodstock, albeit in a 21st-century guise. Hipsters are the new-age hippies here, peddling hunting jackets and homemade soap, looking for fresh air, peace, quiet, and a proper (seasonal, sustainable) dinner to top it all off. Fathom contributor Anna Balkrishna tells it on a mountain.CATSKILL MOUNTAINS, New York – You know youre a New Yorker when you measure your love for the city by

When all those creative Brooklynites need a place to exhibit their work or do their performance art or dance until the wee hours of the morning, where do they go? theARTcorps founder Steve Rogensteins home, otherwise known as indie party venue 12-turn-13. On any given evening, Rogensteins raw loft space may be transformed into a fantasy apiary for aspiring beekeepers, a kitschy campground movie set, or a raging disco dance floor.

When youre itching for a chateau on a trip to Paris, consider Vaux le Vicomte. Its an intimate alternative to the flash of Versailles, but dont let the gentle charm fool you. This old house was built on scandal and a lifelong prison term. A reader story.MAINCY, France – A friend who lives in Fontainebleau suggested that we take the kids to see Vaux le Vicomte, the nearby, privately owned and run château that is celebrating the 400th anniver

INSTAGRAM – In this weeks InstaTrip (our roundup of our favorite Instagrams of the week), we continue our visit to the Amalfi Coast and Capri. Feel free to stay put on your armchair.

Just beyond the well-traveled lands of the Mediterranean lies the Balkan city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, rich with history, culture, and food. Fathom reader and contributor Emily Abernathy-Jones shares a fascinating overview.SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina – It has been nearly twenty years since Bosnia has seen war. The country is still recovering, and its battered reputation doesnt even begin to hint at the simple, rugged beauty

Luxury that is never stiff, just soft and inviting. Refinement with Parisian flair; chic thats eco- and canine-friendly. Petra Dokken falls in love with the Mandarin Oriental Paris.PARIS – Hotels can be a horror away from home or happy memories waiting to happen. I can read recommendations and look at websites, but I can never know how Ill feel about a hotel until I stay there. The energy and the vibe, the smells and the sounds — they

Fashionable Fathom contributor Ruby Nichols recently ventured to Japan to discover and photograph design awesomeness for her Almanac of Style blog. She landed on the magical island of Naoshima, a place where nature, art, and architecture meet.NAOSHIMA, Japan – Floating in the Seto Inland Sea of southern Japan is a relatively unkown gem known as Naoshima, a.k.a. Art Island. Its a breathtaking wonderland of museums, installations, and outdoor

Fathom has teamed up with Qantas, the premier Australian airline, to show you all the reasons why your next trip should take you Down Under. No, its not too far. Yes, its easier than you think.We continue the adventures of Alvie and Joey, four animated shorts about two friends who go on holiday and have very different experiences. In this episode, they discover that some things are better on paper.Travel brochures and websites dont always t

Fathom has teamed up with Qantas, the premier Australian airline, to show you all the reasons why your next trip should take you Down Under. No, its not too far. Yes, its easier than you think.Presenting the adventures of Alvie and Joey, four animated shorts about two friends who go on holiday and have very different experiences. In this installment, they learn how important it is to travel with the right kind of crowd.What did we just lear

Not sure which direction to go in sprawling Mexico City? Why not walk like an Azteca?TeotihuacanCarretera Mexico Teotihuacan Km 46Take a taxi or bus just 30 miles outside the city to the huge and holy pyramid complex built by Mesoamericans 500-1000 years before the Aztecs.XochimilcoGuadalupe I. Ramírez No. 4, Barrio el RosarioTaxi an hour south of the city center to see the spectacle of the Aztec canals. Board a brightly painted wooden traj

In a city with so much to offer, you can plan your route by following brain and then belly.PARIS – Cultural institutions are best discussed over a flaky bite. And the fastest way to follow the trail of crumbs is a rented Vélib city bike.1. See the post-impressionists at Musée d’Orsay, then shoot down rue du Bac to Pâtisserie des Rêves, where le Paris-brest comes laced with liquid praline to impress. The seven-minute ride could be just five