“What’s your favorite place in the world?”
As editor in chief of Global Traveler, I’m asked that question often, and it always trips me up. I’ve been fortunate to travel widely — 39 countries so far — yet that’s only a fraction of the 195–205 countries commonly cited. The more I considered the question, the less I wanted to pick a single destination. Over time I realized my favorite places aren’t fixed locations so much as moments: an experience in a specific place and time. With that idea in mind, here are ten of my most memorable destinations.
I DIDN’T MEAN TO BUY A RUG. One spring afternoon my husband, Kevin, and I wandered through Kuşadası. It was quiet before the summer crowds arrived to bask along the Aegean coast of Turkey or to visit the nearby ruins of Ephesus. I’d window-shopped for rugs in Jordan and Morocco and thought it would be fun to visit a carpet shop in Turkey.
Rug shopping in Turkey, Morocco and Jordan is a social ritual: tea is offered, polite conversation flows, and then — with much showmanship — the merchant instructs assistants to unroll carpet after carpet across the floor. Colors and patterns unfurl like the shifting images of a kaleidoscope until one design fits your eye, your space and your budget.
Then it happened: a rug stopped me in my tracks. I went from amused observer to serious negotiator in an instant. Every time I walk into my living room I relive that day. It was a simple, perfect travel memory.
Turkish carpets on display © Chernetskiy | Dreamstime.com
MY VISIT TO JORDAN INVOLVED much more than shopping. Camping Bedouin-style in Wadi Rum remains one of my favorite travel experiences. After sunset I walked a few yards from our candlelit camp to watch the desert dunes barely outlined against the night sky. In that quiet, timeless moment I felt connected across past, present and future.
I FIRST LAID EYES ON the terraced vineyards of Lavaux during an evening cruise on Lake Geneva. Lights on the hills and around winemakers’ homes twinkled like ornaments on a hillside, and the scene — framed by the lake — was unforgettable. The Vaud region on Lake Geneva’s shores always calls me back; its six appellations — Lutry, Villette, Epesses, Saint-Saphorin, Chardonne and Montreux-Vevey — are easily explored on foot, by bike, train or car.
LA RAMBLA IS THE HEART OF BARCELONA. The 0.75-mile boulevard hums with life: shops, cafés, mimes, street artists and vendors. A leisurely stroll down La Rambla offers a concentrated glimpse of Barcelona’s character and the rhythm of its people.
THINK OF İSTIKLAL CADDESI as La Rambla amplified. Early morning the pedestrian avenue is calm: fishmongers lay out their catch, shop doors open, and locals sip tiny cups of strong Turkish coffee as they plan the day. As the hours pass the street swells into a tide of people. Witnessing that energy was so intense that one companion stopped and asked, “Where are they all going?”
The Great Wall of China © Wxmh | Dreamstime.com
WALKING ATOP THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA on a Sunday morning felt like a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The contrast between my awe at being on the ancient wall and the Chinese families and young couples who treated it like a local park stayed with me. I was filled with wonder while many were simply enjoying a day together.
I HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE at the Taj Mahal. I was struck first by its scale and the brilliant white marble, and then by the iconic reflection stretching along the pool beneath a clear sky. Standing there felt like stepping into a postcard, then becoming part of the scene itself.
DUBAI IS STARTLING IN ITS OWN RIGHT, a place of gleaming modernity. Its audacious architecture — lavish hotels, engineered palm-shaped islands and the world’s tallest building — seems almost beyond imagination.
MY INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD’S LARGEST LIVING STRUCTURE came from the air. Flying en route to Lizard Island off Queensland’s coast on a small plane, the pilot circled the reef multiple times and dipped low for a closer view. Seeing the Great Barrier Reef from above, with its intricate colors and patterns, is an awe-inspiring, humbling sight.
I THINK I MAY HAVE LIVED IN FRANCE in a former life. I’m inexplicably drawn to France, especially the Luberon in Provence. The small village of Peypin-d’Aigues and nearby towns like Cucuron and Lourmarin (Loumarin) feel like places I could call home: quiet lanes, stone houses and a slow, savory rhythm to daily life.
Being a travel writer and editor in chief of Global Traveler has opened doors to remarkable places and moments. The world is full of wonder, and while I’ll always be eager to roam, those memories remind me that there’s still no place quite like home.