Photo Courtesy of Jen Bianco

[Editor's note: it's not entirely a coincidence that today we're adding an Easter Island hotel to our listings: the incomparable Explora Rapa Nui.]

The pyramids at Giza. The Great Wall of China. The Taj Mahal. UNESCO World Heritage sites are almost universally hot travel destinations, and with that distinction comes the nuisance of modern day crowds. As a seasoned traveler I like to believe that crowds no longer faze me. I’ve grown to expect the throngs of tourists, the tour bus traffic, and the self-loathing I feel in hypocritically despising their presence.
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Photo Courtesy of Maha-Online on Flickr

Kavitha Iyer was a finalist in our food photography contest, and we liked her so much we invited her back for this illustrated narrative of her recent trip to Montreal.

July is the time of year when all of Montreal is outdoors (and not underground). The skies are blue, the cafe patios open and the squares and parks filled with activity. Our first day began with a relaxed breakfast at Narcisse, followed by a walk through the historic part of town. Rue de la Commune, which fronts the river and port, is where we discovered the Bixi, Montreal’s equivalent of the Vélib in Paris. This is a great asset for the visitor as an inexpensive way to get around a city which has dedicated bike routes on even the major roadways. We saw the Bonsecours Market, an old municipal building which now houses exhibits and retail spaces. A block away, Place Jacques is quite the tourist hub. Flanked by restaurants with open patios, it gets more crowded as the day progresses. Our evening took us to the Jazz Festival, a summer ritual featuring hundreds of indoor and outdoor concerts around the Place des Arts Square. Read more »

We interviewed Carrie and Alex Vik, the co-owners of the Estancia Vik José Ignacio, on the occasion of their hotel’s inclusion in Volume 8 of our Tablet10 series. Here, in an online exclusive, is the full text of the interview.

What’s the concept behind the Estancia Vik?

Alex: We wanted to do something that highlighted how beautiful this part of Uruguay is, and all the tremendous things that they have when it comes to art, architecture, design and nature. Almost like an homage to Uruguay. We wanted something that we could use when we’re down there with our family, our cousins, uncles and aunts, and when we’re not there, to share with everybody.

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Photo Courtesy of Cedric, Hong Kong

Want to share what you’re seeing? Send us a photo and say where it is. We’ll pick one each week and ask your fellow Global Nomads to guess where. The winner receives a free copy of our Tablet 10 Magazine.

Where is this week’s photograph?

Entry #2 - Convergence by Wajid Drabu

First things first: congratulations to our contest’s new winner, Wajid Drabu, whose above entry garnered the most votes from actual individual people.

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