Bangkok's 137 Pillars Hotel Demonstrates A True Commitment To Sustainability
The lobby welcome guests with local art
My favorite example is the partnership between 137 Pillars Hotels & Resorts and the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai. Together, they raise both funds and global awareness for elephant conservation and reforestation in Thailand. This initiative showcases the significance of elephants in Thai culture and the Elephant Nature Park serves as a sanctuary and rehabilitation center for elephants; the Park rescues and provides a home for distressed elephants.
Who can supporting helping these guys
The 137 Pillars Hotels & Resorts has also undertaken a forestation project. The hotel's owners have donated land in the Ratchaburi province that is designed to create a self-sustaining forest ecosystem that can maintain and regenerate itself. A diverse set of 15,000 plants, as well as 1,600 trees are slated to be planted. During certain times of the year, a percentage of hotel revenues is donated to this effort.
The rooftop pool
The property is also committed to nurturing local culture and sustainability efforts. It offers curated experiences such as a 'Louie,' aka a community tour as well as a visit to Patom Farm where guests can meet and support local farmers who have established organic farming techniques. Guests can also join a terrific art tour where they visit local galleries and exhibitions and really gain a deeper understanding of modern Thai culture, which sometimes gets overlooked during all those temple visits.
Enjoy a sustainable dinner with a view
137 Pillar's restaurants also play a role. The Nimitr Restaurant features local ingredients and authentic Thai cuisine from multiple regions. This is the place to try local favorites such as snow fish with chaplu leaves, pink spinach, white turmeric and sugar lime dressing or grilled beef served with a Northern Thai style aromatic herb salad. A dessert specialty is the pumpkin glazed with honey syrup and served with grated coconut and pumpkin caramel crackers. An employee-run herb garden provides the hotels' restaurants with basil, chili, kaffir lime, okra, spring onions, and edible flowers.
The Trading Post Garden
The hotel also avoids plastics and instead uses biodegradable products, paper straws, wooden key cards and glass bottles.
Lastly, the Nitra Spa utilizes local herbs and remedies and has developed a terrific menu of wellness offerings. Why not indulge in a coffee detox body wrap or a deep tissue sports massage after enjoying a day in Thailand's capital?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Geographic
8 hours ago
- National Geographic
How Hue became the vegetarian food capital of Vietnam
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). The Nguyen emperors weren't noted for their restraint,' says tour guide Quoc Dung as he leads me through the moated palaces and gated courtyards of Hue's Imperial City. Dung — a smartly dressed, well-spoken gentleman — is being diplomatic. The facts give a more accurate picture of the Nguyens, who ruled Vietnam from Hue between 1802 and 1945. Minh Mang (r. 1820-41) had 500 wives and 142 children. Khai Din (r. 1916-1925) refused to go anywhere unless carried in a sedan chair, and insisted that his morning tea be brewed with the dew collected from lotus leaves in the palace grounds. 'They weren't the easiest people to work for,' Dung continues. 'The emperor's meals would consist of an average of 50 courses. But this kept their chefs creative.' Despite their opulent lifestyles, the Nguyen emperors were devout Buddhists who followed meat-free diets on various holy days of the year. This, combined with their less pious proclivity for lavish multi-course meals, led their court chefs to develop one of the world's most elaborate vegetarian cuisines, and the most sophisticated food culture in Vietnam. Today, Hue's heritage of courtly vegetarian food is making it a hub for the growing number of visitors to Vietnam who follow a plant-based diet. 'Whether Hue is Vietnam's food capital is up for debate,' says Dung. 'But it's definitely the country's vegetarian capital.' The sun begins to set, igniting the imperial-yellow roof tiles of the Meridian Gate into a pool of glistening gold as Dung and I leave the citadel and cross the Perfume River, named for the scent of the flowered hills that it carries into Hue's traffic-choked heart. The Walking Street — Hue's historic night market — is already lively. Punters are perched on tiny plastic stools around stalls aromatic with the scent of lemongrass, peanut and Thai basil, and the air resonates with the sound of clinking cutlery and diners slurping noodles. Hue is still regarded as the Buddhist capital of Vietnam. Today is the new moon, one of two days each month when observant Buddhists forgo meat and restaurants across the city serve traditional vegetarian and vegan dishes. Thanks to the Nguyen emperors, Hue is still regarded as the Buddhist capital of Vietnam. As it happens, today is the new moon, one of two days each month, along with the full moon, when observant Buddhists forgo meat for a plant-based diet, and restaurants across the city serve traditional vegetarian and vegan dishes. Dung orders us bowls of sweet, caramelised jackfruit and plates of banh xeo — crispy rice pancakes stuffed with intensely aromatic perilla leaves, mushrooms and pickled vegetables. 'We call them happy pancakes,' says Dung, explaining that the nickname comes not just from their smile-like shape when folded in half, but for their delicious taste and satisfying crunch. As I retire sated to my hotel, I can see why. 'The Vietnamese don't like the supermarket,' says Dung the next morning, as the chaos of Hue's Dong Ba Market unfolds around us. 'Everyone still comes to the market every morning to buy their produce fresh. Having fridges at home hasn't changed that.' We're standing in a thoroughfare, the two of us islands in a seething human river. Scooters weave around us, their riders doing business without leaving their seats, waving wads of notes in one hand and grabbing grocery bags with the other. The smell of petrol mingles with the aroma rising from cauldrons of shrimp paste, while stalls sag under the weight of thousands of snails and clams, foraged from the river. Most of all, though, the market is dominated by a cornucopia of tubers, leaves, flowers and fruiting bodies. Bitter melons, looking like shrivelled cucumbers, are piled high in crates. Baskets overflow with the gnarled roots of galangal, Southeast Asia's answer to ginger. Lotus seeds are strung on threads like bead necklaces. Green peppercorns burst from their stems like bonsai grapes on tiny vines; Dung buys some and we chew on these juicy spice bombs as we browse the market stalls for ingredients. Last night's street food experience stoked my appetite, so I've booked into a cooking class, in the hope of unlocking some of the secrets of Hue's vegetarian cuisine. Chef Nguyen Thi Thuy Nhien says her vegetarian restaurant is one of several in Hue that's focused on healthy eating. Photograph by Meogia Photo, Getty Images Dung buys carrots and king oyster mushrooms, bags of dried banana blossom, fragrant bunches of kaffir lime leaves and a box of savoury green figs — a Hue speciality. Ingredients secured, we get into a waiting car and are taken to An Nhien Garden, Hue's leading vegetarian restaurant, which emphasises plant-based dishes and ingredients sourced from local, organic farms. I'm met by Nguyen Thi Thuy Nhien, the young chef who co-owns this restaurant with her sister. The beautiful old building housing the restaurant is their 16th-century family home, and as she leads me through she explains how they converted part of it in 2021 to create the successful restaurant where we'll be cooking. Dark pillars and folding screens of ironwood are carved with ornate dragons, bats and maze-like symbols representing shou — the Chinese symbol for good fortune and longevity. We emerge into the peaceful garden, decorated with colourful abstract paintings and sculptures, where I'm put to task chopping the vegetables and then the figs, whose insides sweat with beads of white sap as soon as they're exposed to the air. Nhien directs me in the creation of va tron, a vegetarian salad invented in the Nguyen courts, which we assemble by combining the figs, carrots and mushrooms, seasoning them with soy and fish sauce. The result is a light yet satisfying dish with a tofu-like, almost meaty texture. I wash the salad down with tangerine-infused Chinese tea, as Nhien talks about the plant-based revolution taking root in the city, focused on the use of healthy, sustainably sourced ingredients and feeding on Hue's long history of courtly vegetarian cuisine. 'Many of us in Hue are Buddhist, and traditionally we'll eat vegetarian food a couple of days a month,' she says. 'But people got in the habit of eating whatever, as long as it wasn't meat — it could be junk food, it could be anything. Now, we're helping people realise that you only get one body, and you have to love it every day of the month.' Nhien says her vegetarian restaurant is one of several in Hue that's focused on healthy eating; others include The Garden Cafe and Hong Nga, both in the Imperial City. Similar to An Nhien Garden, they're helping to shift the perspective of locals with organic, locally grown produce. 'It's not about going full-time vegetarian,' Nhien says. 'It's just about a little less meat, a little more green — and being a little healthier every day.' Hue's modern domestic airport, re-opened after renovation in 2023, is nine miles southeast of the city centre and connects the city with Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and other destinations within Vietnam. Stay at aNhill Boutique Hotel in Hue's An Tay neighbourhood from 3,090,000 VND (£93) per night, B&B. This story was created with the support of InsideAsia and Vietnam Airlines. Published in the July/August 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-lead-image-oil-nut-bay-FAVCARIBHOTELS0525-eff0202c7925481abd4637e2fb04fd50.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
a day ago
- Travel + Leisure
I've Stayed at More Than 50 Hotels in the Caribbean—These 12 Keep Me Coming Back Again and Again
The Caribbean, with its oversized, over-the-top resorts set along white-sand, sugary beaches, has long been a go-to destination for winter-weary travelers looking to fly and flop. And there are literally hundreds of options that travelers could choose from. As a full-time writer who covers culture, cuisine, and travel, I've stayed at some of the best properties in the region, from an all-inclusive private island in the Dominican Republic to a home away from home in the heart of historic Havana. In fact, I've stayed at more than 50 hotels in the region—and in my opinion, these 12 are the best hotels in the Caribbean. Private plunge pool at Sandal's Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Freshly debuted last spring, Sandals St. Vincent & the Grenadines is the perfect marriage between ultra-luxury and adventure, and it's the first all-inclusive resort of its kind in the archipelago nation that should be on every traveler's radar. This luxe 301-room property has 11 food and dining venues, four pools, and a sumptuous spa. At Buccan, chefs employ traditional solid fuel-driven cooking techniques to prepare island-grown meals. Splurge and stay in one of the property's premium Vincy Overwater Two-Story Villas. These overwater bungalows come complete with butler service, outdoor soaking tubs with rainfall showers, and rooftop lounges for an experience that will make you wonder why anyone would ever fly all the way to the Maldives. Location: St. Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines Nearest Airport: 15 miles to Argyle International Airport (SVD) 15 miles to Argyle International Airport (SVD) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Adults-only Adults-only Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are required at some restaurants. Reservations are required at some restaurants. Accessibility: Two rooms are accessible, and a beach wheelchair is available to borrow. Two rooms are accessible, and a beach wheelchair is available to borrow. Rates: $$$ Wooden deck overlooking the ocean at Secret Bay. I get asked for honeymoon recommendations on a shockingly frequent basis for a single person. Secret Bay is my top pick every time, an all-villa property on the untouched island of Dominica that has been named by T+L readers as the best resort in the Caribbean for three years running. Secret Bay's collection of twenty-three villas has private plunge pools and butler service, and expansive indoor-outdoor living space with views ranging from rainforest to the Caribbean Sea. Simply waking up in paradise is its primary appeal, though you'll be tempted to emerge from your villa yoga classes in the new wellness pavilion, stand-up paddleboarding by the beach, or cooking classes and chef-driven menus at the oceanview restaurant. Location: Portsmouth, Dominica Portsmouth, Dominica Nearest Airport: 23 miles to Douglas-Charles Airport (DOM) 23 miles to Douglas-Charles Airport (DOM) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Family-friendly Family-friendly Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are not required. Reservations are not required. Accessibility: Select villas are fully wheelchair accessible, as are facilities like the bar, pool area, and beach. Staff have received training on the needs of travelers with disabilities. Select villas are fully wheelchair accessible, as are facilities like the bar, pool area, and beach. Staff have received training on the needs of travelers with disabilities. Rates: $$$ Left: Guest room; Right: Walkway at Cottage Club Hotel. Perched on a hillside on one of the smallest islands in the Caribbean, The Cottage Club is a destination so special that I almost feel tempted to keep it to myself. With its stately Great House and a collection of just 10 private cottages built to blend into the white-wall, red-roof Saban architectural aesthetic, The Cottage Club is one of just a few hotels on an island of around no more than 2,000 people. It's hard to say whether it was the unrivaled hospitality or incredible adventurous activities, like world-class diving or summiting the island's volcanic peak, Mount Scenery, that made my visit so memorable. Regardless, untouched-by-time Saba is unexpectedly one of the coolest places to be in the Caribbean. Location: Windwardside, Saba Windwardside, Saba Nearest Airport: 3 miles from Juancho E Yrausquin Airport (SAB) 3 miles from Juancho E Yrausquin Airport (SAB) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Family-friendly Family-friendly Restaurant Reservations: N/A N/A Accessibility: Rooms and facilities are not wheelchair accessible and no real accommodations for guests with mobility issues are provided. Rooms and facilities are not wheelchair accessible and no real accommodations for guests with mobility issues are provided. Rates: $ Nova Lounge at Oil Nut Bay. The North Sound of Virgin Gorda might be the most sought-after zip code in the Caribbean, and at its heart is Oil Nut Bay, which feels like a private island. Cut off from the rest of Virgin Gorda and accessible only by boat and helicopter, its supreme seclusion is a part of its unending appeal. This oversized 400-acre property stretches between both the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts of the island, home to oceanview suites and spacious villas, and estates available for rent when owners are traveling elsewhere. It's pure laidback luxury at the property's private beach club, sports courts, kids' club, and gym, with an overwater bar and restaurant welcoming visitors to spend the entire day in this corner of paradise. The property's brand new overwater spa will debut soon, a perfect excuse for a return visit, if you ask me. Location: Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands Nearest Airport: 12 miles from Virgin Gorda Airport (VIJ) or 20 miles from Terrance B. Lettsome Airport, Tortola (EIS) 12 miles from Virgin Gorda Airport (VIJ) or 20 miles from Terrance B. Lettsome Airport, Tortola (EIS) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Family-friendly Family-friendly Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are not required. Reservations are not required. Accessibility: A selection of single-level villas is available for guests using wheelchairs, and all of the property's restaurants are wheelchair accessible. A selection of single-level villas is available for guests using wheelchairs, and all of the property's restaurants are wheelchair accessible. Rates: $$. Guest bedroom at Playa Grande Beach Club. Hidden away on a still untouched stretch of coastline on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, Playa Grande Beach Club is the utter antithesis of the oversized resorts and busy beaches of Punta Cana. Eating freshly fried plantain chips and sipping coconut mojitos from your private patio or beneath a fringed umbrella on the white sand beach is the name of the game here. With just a handful of private bungalows, ranging from one to three bedrooms, you'll have this corner of the coastline almost all to yourself to enjoy. However, should the inspiration strike to get out and explore, whale-watching in the cooler months and hikes to crystal clear lakes and lagoons in the summer are themselves worth traveling for. Location: Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic Nearest Airport: 49 miles to Gregorio Luperón International Airport (POP) 49 miles to Gregorio Luperón International Airport (POP) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Family-friendly Family-friendly Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are not required. Reservations are not required. Accessibility: Facilities and rooms are not wheelchair accessible and require navigating steps to access. Facilities and rooms are not wheelchair accessible and require navigating steps to access. Rates: $$$ Exterior of Half Moon at night. Take a peek inside the stately Founder's Cove at Jamaica's Half Moon Resort and you'll see photos of superstars, past presidents, and even the Royal Family adorning the walls. What started as a small collection of cottages along a then-untouched Montego Bay beachfront has blossomed into a legacy of luxury that continues today. A championship golf course, numerous sports courts, a new fitness center, and a Salamander Spa with an impressive menu of treatments and wellness experiences keep guests coming back again and again. Locals and visitors alike come from far and wide to dine here, too; the property's historic Sugar Mill Restaurant is one of the most celebrated restaurants in the Caribbean, though the newer Delmare is arguably even better with an Italian-meets-Caribbean menu with standout dishes like Blue Mountain coffee-infused pasta that blew me away. Location: Montego Bay, Jamaica Montego Bay, Jamaica Nearest Airport: 5.5 miles to Sangster International Airport (MBJ) 5.5 miles to Sangster International Airport (MBJ) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Family-friendly Family-friendly Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are required at some restaurants. Reservations are required at some restaurants. Accessibility: Seven guest rooms are fully ADA-compliant, and all resort facilities are wheelchair accessible. A beach wheelchair is available to borrow. Seven guest rooms are fully ADA-compliant, and all resort facilities are wheelchair accessible. A beach wheelchair is available to borrow. Rates: $$ Aerial view of the pool at Alaia Belize. Taylor McIntyre/Travel + Leisure Alaia Belize draws the vacation-ready with its modern, modular design style and luxurious amenities that only add to the island's boundless appeal. Even standard rooms come with private outdoor space to enjoy tropical breezes, but suites offer terraces so spacious they could be an entire room in their own right. Accommodations aside, the resort's pièce de résistance is the adults-only rooftop swimming pool and eatery serving sushi, ceviche, and the freshest shrimp tacos I've ever had outside of Mexico. Grab one of the property's golf carts for an excursion up to the white sand Secret Beach or for a jaunt into San Pedro for some shopping or local bites at Elvi's Kitchen and drinks at the overwater restaurant Palapa. The property's dedicated dive shop makes exploring the reef even easier, offering everything from beginner-friendly PADI certifications to advanced diving classes in preparation for taking on Belize's world-famous Great Blue Hole. Location: San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize Nearest Airport: 1.5 miles from John Greif II Airport (SPR) 1.5 miles from John Greif II Airport (SPR) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Family-friendly Family-friendly Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are not required. Reservations are not required. Accessibility: Elevators and ramps make parts of the property accessible, though rooms and pool areas lack adaptations for wheelchair users. Elevators and ramps make parts of the property accessible, though rooms and pool areas lack adaptations for wheelchair users. Rates: $$ Aerial view of the beach at Baoase Luxury Resort. Baoase Luxury Resort is a serene and secluded property named after an oasis. It's lush and green, and set on a private white cove beach where Balinese-inspired villas and cottages pop up from the sand. This tranquil 23-key spot feels intimately designed for a romantic getaway where you'll be tempted to go no further than your own room, especially if you spring for one with a private pool. When you do, the whole of this infinitely appealing island awaits, still a mostly hidden haven with spectacular snorkeling and beaches that feel blissfully bare compared to those on neighboring islands. The restaurant here is one of the best in the Caribbean, part of a sizzling culinary scene that has contributed to the island's blossoming in a way I could have never imagined when I first visited more than 15 years ago. Location: Curaçao Curaçao Nearest Airport: 9 miles to Hato Curaçao International Airport (CUR) 9 miles to Hato Curaçao International Airport (CUR) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Family-friendly Family-friendly Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are required. Reservations are required. Accessibility: This property is not wheelchair accessible and does not offer any accessibility features for guests with vision or hearing impairments. This property is not wheelchair accessible and does not offer any accessibility features for guests with vision or hearing impairments. Rates: $$$ Guest room at Caerula Mar Club. I had heard that Caerula Mar Club on South Andros Island in the Bahamas was the only resort of its kind on the island, but I didn't realize just how unique it was until I grabbed a paddleboard and took it in from the water. All along the island's palm-fringed coastline, there are barely any other structures in sight, other than this 2021 It List hotel. During my stay at this 23-key boutique property, I met all sorts of guests. Some were here to fish for tarpon and bonefish, while others simply wanted to unplug and unwind for a week. All of them, however, felt lucky to have snagged one of the few precious rooms at this tropical escape. And don't be surprised if you meet a lot of Canadian guests here; Caerula Mar is much more famous than its small size might let on. It was featured in HGTV Canada's Island of Bryan , which followed owners Bryan and Sarah Baeumler throughout the years-long renovation process. Caerula Mar Club's appeal now far surpasses its 15 minutes of fame, and welcomes visitors who come back year after year. Location: South Andros Island, Bahamas South Andros Island, Bahamas Nearest Airport: 3 miles to South Andros-Congo Town-Queen Airport (COX) 3 miles to South Andros-Congo Town-Queen Airport (COX) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Family-friendly Family-friendly Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are not required. Reservations are not required. Accessibility: Some rooms and facilities are wheelchair accessible, though flight transportation to and from the island is not wheelchair friendly, making access challenging. Some rooms and facilities are wheelchair accessible, though flight transportation to and from the island is not wheelchair friendly, making access challenging. Rates: $$ Guest room in La Reserva Vedado. Years of traveling to visit family in Havana have taught me that the best places to stay are found outside the city's tangle of colonial-era streets and in stately, century-old mansions like La Reserva Vedado. This heritage home sits along a quiet side street shaded by banyan trees in one of Havana's poshest neighborhoods, with white columns and an ample patio with rocking chairs greeting guests. To stay here feels like coming home, each of its 11 rooms and suites are uniquely designed but have luxe details like soaring ceilings and original tile floors. The property's lush garden has an intimate cafe and restaurant with indoor-outdoor seating. Sign up for the guest-favorite mojito-making class with the bartender before heading to the nearby Malecón Sea Wall to take in the sun setting over the ocean. Location: Havana, Cuba Havana, Cuba Nearest Airport: 12 miles from José Martí International Airport (HAV) 12 miles from José Martí International Airport (HAV) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Family-friendly Family-friendly Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are not required. Reservations are not required. Accessibility: Certain rooms are wheelchair accessible and showers have grab bars, though restaurant and garden spaces would be more challenging to navigate. Certain rooms are wheelchair accessible and showers have grab bars, though restaurant and garden spaces would be more challenging to navigate. Rates: $ Bedroom in Sara's Cabin at Finca Victoria. It's nearly impossible to pull me away from the culture and cuisine of sizzling San Juan, Puerto Rico, but if there's one place that can do it, it's Finca Victoria in nearby Vieques. A T+L It List property, Finca Victoria feels like any other place in the Caribbean. The property's commitment to wellness goes far beyond the basics: it's the only Ayurvedic hotel in the Caribbean and a popular Panchakarma retreat center complete with complimentary daily yoga classes and a spa menu with everything from traditional massages to Chinese medicine-inspired treatments. Wellness retreat or not, I will never get over the treehouse suites here, which are stunningly beautiful. Larger estate-style rooms and a brand-new Airstream will have you booking your return visit before your first stay comes to an end. Location: Vieques Vieques Nearest Airport: 2 miles to Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport (VQS) 2 miles to Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport (VQS) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Adults-only Adults-only Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are not required. Reservations are not required. Accessibility: The property offers one wheelchair-accessible room, plus a removable ramp that can be added to access many facilities, though paths and unpaved areas may be challenging to navigate. The property offers one wheelchair-accessible room, plus a removable ramp that can be added to access many facilities, though paths and unpaved areas may be challenging to navigate. Rates: $$ A bedroom in a Cayo Levantado Resort villa. Set on the white sands of a palm-fringed private island in the Dominican Republic, Cayo Levantado Resort is tailor-made for beachside indulgence. This It List hotel has pools scattered across the property as well as oceanfront bars and eateries, making it as easy to spend an entire stay just steps from the water. But the real standout amenity of Cayo Levantado Resort is its wellness program, considered among the very best in the Caribbean. I'll be the first to admit that I arrived a total skeptic, but by the end of a breathwork and sound healing session, I was having an out-of-body experience (seriously). Serenity seekers could easily spend days on end at the Yubarta wellness center in the verdant heart of this tropical island, learning aerial yoga, getting energy healings, and sitting in on dream analysis from trained practitioners. Location: Samaná, Dominican Republic Samaná, Dominican Republic Nearest Airport: 35 miles to Samaná El Catey International Airport (AZS) 35 miles to Samaná El Catey International Airport (AZS) Family-friendly or Adults-only: Family-friendly Family-friendly Restaurant Reservations: Reservations are required at some restaurants. Reservations are required at some restaurants. Accessibility: The property is accessible only by boat, a challenge for visitors with mobility concerns, though facilities and rooms offer accessibility measures to make navigating the island easier. The property is accessible only by boat, a challenge for visitors with mobility concerns, though facilities and rooms offer accessibility measures to make navigating the island easier. Rates: $$ Summertime travel has never been hotter in the Caribbean, with many vacationers only now realizing that this warm-weather escape is pretty dreamy year-round. Once the throngs of travelers return home in mid-April, resorts slash rates and bare beaches abound. Many locals insist the islands are at their best in the rainier months of the summertime with all their green tropical lushness, and for travelers who don't mind a passing afternoon shower, I tend to agree! Off-season travel certainly comes with its perks, but it also coincides with Atlantic hurricane season, which stretches from June to November. Visitors should purchase travel insurance and check with their hotel or resort about weather-related cancellation policies prior to departure. Islands outside the hurricane belt, such as Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, or Caribbean-facing coastal spots in the Americas like Cartagena, Colombia, or Bocas del Toro, Panama, can also make convenient alternative destinations during the summertime. Planning a Caribbean vacation spanning multiple islands can be more complex and costly than many travelers realize. While certain islands are well connected by ferries or water taxis, like the British Virgin Islands, in many areas, ferries are infrequent, costly, or non-existent. Even flights between islands are less frequent and more expensive than most travelers realize, often requiring passengers to transit through hubs like San Juan, Miami, or Fort Lauderdale. Can't shake the desire to cross multiple islands off your bucket list in one trip? The ferry system connecting St. Lucia, Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Martinique is one of the region's best.
Eater
3 days ago
- Eater
4 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: August 1
Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: 'Where should I eat?' Here now are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here's our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town. For dinner and cocktails at a museum: Trellis Bar & Lounge at the Getty For dinner and cocktails at a museum: Trellis Bar & Lounge at the Getty. Rebecca Roland The restaurant at the Getty has long been one of the better museum dining options, but it didn't feel like it took full advantage of its settings. The dining room and patio, overlooking the rolling hillsides, are both stunning, but there was just so much untapped potential with the Getty's stone-laden plazas. It seems like the Getty may have been thinking a similar thing, because the latest addition to the museum is an outdoor restaurant and bar right at the top of the colorful entrance steps. Trellis Bar & Lounge serves an easygoing menu of dishes like Thai mango summer rolls, taquitos, and a mezze platter, alongside wine, beer, and cocktails. The no-reservations set up makes it easy to just wander in and settle in for quick drinks between exhibitions, or a full meal at the end of a day. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a quick and affordable lunch: The Kimbap in Koreatown For a quick and affordable lunch: The Kimbap in Koreatown. Rebecca Roland As much as I envy those who can luxuriate over a mid-day chopped salad and glass of wine, lunch, for the most part, is a meal of utility for me. If my refrigerator is running low on leftovers, I'm often looking for something easy and affordable (and can be eaten at my desk). One of my go-to options is gimbap (also spelled as kimbap), preferably with tuna. I've picked up rolls from all across LA, but one of my recent favorites is from the Kimbap in Koreatown. For less than $15, the Kimbap gives you two hearty rolls that can barely be contained by the takeout container. Other filling options include Spam, beef, spicy pork, kimchi, and more. 400 S Western Avenue #102, Los Angeles, CA 90020. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a luxe Chinese meal in Beverly Hills without paparazzi: 88 Club For a luxe Chinese meal in Beverly Hills without paparazzi: 88 Club. Matthew Kang Mei Lin's sophomore effort in Los Angeles (we'll consider her casual restaurant Daybird more of a 1.5) comes in the form of 88 Club, a striking, moody affair with just a few dozen seats and an almost secret side lounge for cocktails. The entire look and feel are incredibly lovely, well-detailed, and luxurious, like a high-end restaurant hidden away in a Singapore or Bangkok hotel that only the well-heeled know about. Thankfully Lin's restaurant, a partnership with restaurateur Francis Miranda, is easy to access right from Little Santa Monica in Beverly Hills. The service is polite and helpful without being too much. In fact, 'not too much' could be the theme here. All the dishes are balanced and refined to a near razor's edge, meant to delight without pizzazz. Lin herself said the menu was 'no thrills' and 'what you see is what you get,' and I'm perfectly fine with that in an age when we've moved beyond rainbow bagels and Instagram bullshit. Starters are modest and refreshing, like a dressed chrysanthemum salad or mung bean jelly noodles. Singaporean fried noodles don't carry the heady spices of something in a hawker center, but doused with Lin's chile oil they're hard to stop eating. The shrimp toast, gorgeous and hefty in the hand, is a must-order. I pined for more of the tangy sweet and sauce sour beneath the fried sea bream, fresh herbs balancing the fish. Across the board, portions and flavors are modest but reveal layers of pleasant complexity, like the blackened edges of char siu iberico pork. I'll even swoon over the desserts, like the mango sago topped with sweet dollops that resemeble Dippin' Dots ice cream. The pro-tip here is to go with four people to reduce the costs and maximize dishes to order; we paid about $100 before drinks, tax, and tip, but the price could easily balloon to $200 a person with lots of cocktails. I'm excited to return to 88 Club and try the rest of the dishes, like the kung pao scallop, but for now, I'll happily marinate in my first visit knowing that Mei Lin, arguably one of the most talented chefs in Los Angeles right now, is back with a full service restaurant. 9737 S. Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a choice selection of wines and grooves played on LA's best sound system: Zizou in Lincoln Heights For a choice selection of wines and grooves played on LA's best sound system: Zizou in Lincoln Heights. Peter Quinn Since Zizou owners Maati Zoutina and Boris Macquin opened their Lincoln Heights wine bar and restaurant in 2024, it's become an LA hotspot. Head there on a random weekday to hear Chaka Khan, Afrobeat, French hip hop, or Bob Marley. It's fairly common for notable DJs to show up and show out on the restaurant's killer sound system, customized by Macquin, who was formerly a sound engineer. Though plenty hang out on lush patio, others might just create their own personal dance floor while enjoying Zizou's sights, sounds, and French or North African family recipes like the chicken tagine or Moroccan salad. Any member of the staff can make a wine recommendation, but if unsure, just ask for a glass of Champagne. Zoutina or Macquin will smile, depart, and return with something effervescent, celebratory, and delicious. Always check Zizou's Instagram to see what kind of programming is on the calendar. 2425 Daly Street, Lincoln Heights, CA, 90031. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Related The 38 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
