I recommend you try Switzerland for a good bath. To be more precise: an internationally celebrated, meticulously designed, town-owned thermal bath in an Alpine commune.The Therme was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, and his sensory approach to building can be felt in every slab of locally quarried stone.But first, you’ll need to have your wits about you for the drive from Zurich — which involves barreling th

The more you learn about North Korea, the uglier the picture gets. This is a brutal, backwards, repressive regime, one that would make Hitler proud. If youre inspired to get involved and give back, here are some resources.GIVE BACK: CHARITIES IN NORTH KOREAHelping Hands Korea (HHK)HHK endeavors to assist North Koreans in crisis by providing famine relief as well as assisting North Korean refugees in China.North Korean Freedom CoalitionA non

TACLOBAN, Philippines – Philippine president Benigo Aquino has declared a state of calamity in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Towns have been destroyed, coastlines have disappeared. See before and after photos of the devastation.The death toll is at 10,000 so far, but is expected to go much higher. Some areas in central Philippines are desolate, its too soon to assess the damage, though this is a disaster as bad as the 2004 tsun

Charyn Pfeuffer traveled all over the world during her year-long voluntour — raising thousands of dollars, clocking hundred of charitable hours, learning dozens of life lessons — and put all of her newfound love into one sweet and furry souvenir.GUATEMALA – Like a true methodical Taurus, I dote on anniversaries, round numbers, and dates of significance more than I should. So it isnt surprising that the 20-year ann

Blame it on the family Winnebago tours of the southwest, vacations watching killer whales breaching off the Alaskan coast, or her husbands proposal on a hilltop in Rioja, but all those days away from home fuel Schuyler Baileys constant urge to explore. The San Francisco-based editor and writer spent a few days in Central California this spring. SOLVANG, California – Some people travel for the sites, others for spiritual awakening. This

Meghana Gandhi is more than a little obsessed with global retail experiences. Needless to say, Tokyo was a slice of heaven for her.TOKYO, Japan – I tell people that Tokyo is like Times Square on crack, but that only captures a fraction of what the city is about. Its energy is unparalleled; its architecture, strikingly modern; its style, diversely edgy. Contrasts — between tradition and subversion, between bustle and quiet —

Travel the globe without leaving the island. Japanese interpretations of foreign fashion, food, and pastimes bring the world home to Tokyo.Australia1. Make it a gday and fuel-up Aussie backpacker style with an acai bowl at Bondi Cafe.2. Take a Tokyo Bike for a spin. The rental company started in Yanaka but has popular branches in Sydney and Melbourne, too.3. Nip a bottle of shiraz or GSM (the indigenous grenache/syrah/mouvedre blend) at Dan

When youre overwhelmed by Japans big shopping districts (and the even bigger bucks you need to carry in your wallet), remember to take delight in the little things. Stylist and shopping junkie Monica Barnett shows us how.TOKYO – I love meeting at coffee shops with friends to hash out details on an upcoming style project, chat about the new handbag or shoe in one of our favorite stores, or dream about the next-big-thing on our to-do lis

Fathom creative director Crystal Meers reports from Tokyo Fashion Week.Just back from: Tokyo.Was it your first time? Nope, it was my fourth. I went seven years ago with NYLON. Before that, once in high school and once after.How long were you there? One week.Why did you go? Tokyo Fashion Week. JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) hosted journalists and buyers wanting a a peek at whats happening on the runways, showrooms, shops

Hometown: Born in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Been in NYC for 17 years. I now live in DUMBO.Occupation: Writer.Favorite destinations: Rome, London, Kefalonia, Anguilla.Dying to visit: Seville; anywhere I havent been yet in Spain.Bizarre travel rituals: I once flirted my way to first class on a flight to Athens, and Ive never stopped trying since. No plane food ever — arrive at destination hungry. Airplanes are the only place Im bl

Michiel van Ogtrop runs Travelteq, a beautiful Amsterdam-based leather goods brand fit for the modern traveler. And where does he suggest you take your Florentine vegetable-tanned leather portfolio? First stop: Amsterdam.AMSTERDAM – I was born in Milan, but Amsterdam has been my home since 2001. The liberal and creative city has an international-but-cozy feel to it. Lately, there has been a ton of innovation in hotels, restaurants, and the

What Im about to share will sound a little douchebaggy.My husband and I are proud to have never taken our tykes to Disneyland. Yeah, were those parents — gluttons for punishment who insist on lugging our spawn on multi-legged flights to culture-rich locales where well all, you know, learn stuff, have adventures, become better people. And ultimately drive ourselves insane with annoyance and exhaustion.The culmination of that

Chances are slim that you can pull off a Moroccan escape this weekend. But theres still time to bring the mood of the medina into the bedroom. Heres how.Make Moroccan Pillow Talk1. Set the stage by laying out a Moroccan wedding throw from Shop L-atitude.2. Buy or borrow a few decorative platters and pile with oranges, almonds, pistacchios, and dates.3. Fill a beautiful bowl with yogurt, Moroccan honey, and rose syrup.4. Gift a copy of

When in Fez, keep your eyes peeled and your mouth open (and your pockets lined with cash). Fathom contributor and global textile hunter Joanna Williams takes to the souks like a local.FEZ, Morocco – It feels like only yesterday that I was walking the cobblestone sidewalks of Fez, sampling street food and hunting for textiles. My mission was to source fabrics for my design studios and spend time with my best friend, who had recently moved fr

Its supporters and champions claim that Burning Man offers a little something for everyone. Even the means to say goodbye.BLACK ROCK DESERT, Nevada – Nietzche has a parable about mortality: Everyone is busy building sand castles, he says, but some people notice that the tide is coming in. The day my father died, I all but drowned.Hed written to me a few months before he passed away: One day, when you have the time and inclination

For most of my adult life, I had thought that New York City sample sales — in which harried women argue over who grabbed an item first and, in the absence of fitting rooms, strip down between racks — were about as unique as shopping experiences get. Until I shopped in Delhi.For the uninitiated, a day of casual browsing in Delhi can involve undergoing airport security-style inspection to enter endless, sterile mega

This week on Fathom, were looking at the worlds forbidden places – destinations that are hard to get to, are fraught with peril, or simply have really bad PR. North Korea certainly qualifies as all three, for many good reasons. It is not a hospitable place, not even for many of its own citizens. But our goal at Fathom is to deliver the world to you, so were happy to share the eye-opening experience our pals at Classe Touriste (one of Fathom

Paris and Milan arent the only global capitals of fashion. Lanee Lee checked out the stunning handiwork and styles in Nairobi.NAIROBI, Kenya – I am not the shopaholic fashion type. Id rather have my teeth cleaned than scout the boutiques. Then I visited Nairobi on a stopover to a Great Migration safari in Kenya, and I was transformed into a fashion hound.I couldnt help myself. The tribal-inspired clothing and accessories led my credit card

Nothing makes you feel young on your birthday like a evening spent among very old things. During a trip to Italy one fall, Fathom founders Pavia Rosati and Jeralyn Gerba explored a centuries-old retreat in the Apennine Mountains and stayed to celebrate. SPOLETO, Italy – If you could have your birthday dinner anywhere in the world, where should you?I will tell you.Go to the Umbrian region of Italy, to the small medieval town of Spo

Fathom co-founders Jeralyn Gerba and Pavia Rosati have moved the office to Spoleto, Italy, for a month. Heres whats happening.SPOLETO, Italy – Im happy to report that not a whole lot has happened since Pavias first post. After all, we are in a sleepy Umbrian town at the foothill of the Apennines; it seems wrong to rush around like the wound-up New Yorkers we usually are.Instead, we are — aside from our massive laptop usage — pos