Vedema Resort wows with discreet luxury
Hotels with dazzling Aegean Sea views may tempt most visitors who stay on the Greek island of Santorini. We’ve been tempted too – and stayed in smashing cave hotels high up on the cliff-tops both in...
View ArticleEphesus: Where poppies bloom among ancient ruins
We couldn’t miss Ephesus in Turkey. Where breezes carry the imagined laughter and chatter of Romans bartering with shopkeepers among centuries-old marble stalls. Where the façade of the famous Celsus...
View ArticleCappadocia Cave Cities: Making like troglodytes in inner Turkey
Remember Star Wars and the surreal desert planet where Luke Skywalker grew up? (That’s Tatooine – for all you Star Wars fans.) Turkish tour guides will tell you Cappadocia was the film set for Star...
View ArticleThree Top Istanbul Boutique Hotels: From hip to historic
Where did Agatha Christie write “Murder on the Orient Express”? Room 411 in the opulent Pera Palace Hotel (so it’s believed), built in 1892 for passengers journeying on the Orient Express train from...
View ArticleReveling in ruins on Voyages to Antiquity cruise
Romantic Venice. Diocletian’s Palace – the 1,700-year old beating heart of Split, Croatia. Dubrovnik. The medieval walled city of Korcula, believed to be the birthplace of Marco Polo. Montenegro (of...
View ArticleMagical Mallorca vacation in the Mediterranean
Imagine a place where you’re buried standing up. That’s Deia, on the island of Mallorca (also spelled “Majorca”). Home to artists, poets (Robert Graves lived here for the last 50 years of his life) and...
View ArticleOn Mallorca, sleep in a castle or farm “finca”
The sunny Mediterranean island of Mallorca is known for one of the world’s most famous Gothic cathedrals, sweet swimming coves and great hiking trails. We loved it (especially since we visited the...
View ArticleEsbelli Evi cave hotel offers fairy-tale charm in Cappadocia, Turkey
Occasionally when traveling, you stumble across a truly special hotel – one that charms you right down to your soul. Esbelli Evi in Cappadocia, Turkey is such a place. While making like troglodytes in...
View ArticleTurkish Delight Part 1 – Istanbul
Feast like a sultan, gape at glittering palaces and soak in a steamy hammam. Welcome to Istanbul! For most visitors, Istanbul is the starting point for a visit to Turkey. Tops on our list of must-see...
View ArticleIkies: Santorini cave hotel a sunset dream
Don’t think Santorini’s cave hotels are hobbity holes. Take Ikies Traditional Houses. Yes, its 11 rooms and suites are carved out of pumice in the cliffs of the caldera (the front façades are covered...
View ArticleCasa Dell’Arte: Artful hotel on the beach in Bodrum
Don’t be surprised if you bump into billionaire Roman Abramovich at Casa Dell’Arte, a quietly elegant boutique hotel on Turkey’s Bodrum Peninsula. Casa Dell’Arte is also an art gallery, and Abramovich...
View ArticleTurkish Delight Part 2 – Bodrum
Why all the buzz about Bodrum? Both a peninsula and a town, Bodrum is an hour’s flight away from Istanbul on the southwest coast of Turkey. And after exploring Istanbul’s palaces and mosques, we’re...
View ArticlePeachy Mykonos beach hotels
On the beach? Check. Close to the colorful tavernas and restaurants in Mykonos town? Check. With character and charm? Check. These two Mykonos beach hotels we’ve stayed at fit the bill. Kivotos Club...
View ArticleHi, we’re Santorini donkeys. Welcome to our island!
Hello there! We’re Santorini donkeys. We live on the Greek island of Santorini. (Ours is the island where the top was blown off by a volcanic explosion around 1628 BC, leaving behind only a...
View ArticleGrace Santorini: Swooning over forever sea views
We swoon over hotels with swimming pool edges high above the sea – like the Grace Santorini. Perched atop the volcanic crater rim of the Greek island of Santorini, the Grace is a favorite with...
View ArticleAhhh… Turkish hammams cleanse body and soul
Steam, scrub, soap suds and a silky massage. Ahhhh… Few bathing rituals are as decadent as a Turkish hammam experience. The post Ahhh… Turkish hammams cleanse body and soul appeared first on Sand In My...
View ArticleThe 3 top yachting destinations
Looking for pinch-me-I’m-dreaming scenery, historical heritage or grand adventure? Why not charter a yacht? One that would make Jack Sparrow drool with envy. The post The 3 top yachting destinations...
View ArticleGetting drenched! And 3 top Rhodes boutique hotels
Like drenched cats, with wet suitcases and a wicked wind blowing, we huddle under a canopy, not knowing where to find our hotel on this Greek island. The post Getting drenched! And 3 top Rhodes...
View ArticleIstanbul’s Sumahan on the Water: A converted Ottoman distillery
Take the mahogany water taxi across the Bosphorus Canal to Sumahan on the Water, and you leave the cacaphony of Istanbul for another world. The boutique hotel’s complimentary boat service transports...
View ArticleVoyages to Antiquity cruise in the Aegean
If we were 17th century Venetians, we’d have to cross a drawbridge (or wade through the sea) to enter Monemvasia. Today a modern causeway links the medieval fortress town, built atop a steep rock...
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