Cricket's Nomad Tips

Singapore

liI've been here for work five times, and it isn't one of my favorites.  It is quite sterile - like "Its a Small World" for Asia.   If you are there for work, I recommend heading on a one-hour ferry to the Banyan Tree.  Did this in March 2007 with my Yahoo! friends Bennett, Patrick and Meg.  So relaxing and fun - part atmosphere, more about amazing friends.

Top 5 Days

1. Indonesia - Take a 1-hour ferry over to Bintan and go to the Banyan Tree.
2. Little India – packed with finds, has been compared to its mother country, but sanitized in the Singapore way.
3. Tanjong Pagar – Peak around, as this is a great mix of colonial style, mixed with Chinese and Indian Temples.
4. Raffles area – Named after Sir Stanford Raffles, who colonized the area.  Worth a walk about.
5. Sultan Road – Fun, energetic bar area.  I’m already too old to enjoy it – unless I go for an urban cougar night to mingle with the 22 year olds.

Top 5 High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels

1. Ritz Carlton – Only cause they have bathtubs overlooking the city. (Not low maintenance).
2. Raffles – a bit stuffy, but the home of the Singapore Sling gets extra credit.
3. The Fullerton – used to be a tax office.  Lovely.
4. Banyan Tree – In Bintan.  This place is wonderful to relax.  Friends and I got our own villa with an infinity pool.  The spa services are amazing and the water is warm and perfect.  You feel like you are a world away.
5. New Majestic – Never been, but a friend recommended this as an alternative to the larger hotels.

Top 5 Foodie Finds

1. Singapore Sling – these were created at the Long Bar at Raffles. 
2. Dim Sum – Also called Yum Cha.  I could eat these little hearts of delight all day long.
3. Sticky Rice – A cool Thai restaurant.
4. Crab – This is the specialty of the area.
5. Dinner on the Rocks – Friends and I did this at the Banyan Tree.  They set up a beautiful table on the rocks on the beach.  Nothing around but good wine, food and friends.

Top 5 Misses

1. Night Safari – you do see real animals but it is all so staged that everyone
2. Opulence – Feels like Hong Kong or Beverly Hills in that people love their material goods.  Major brands like Burberry, Dolce and Gabbanna and Tiffanys are all over the place.
3. Orchard Road – Not my style of shopping. 
4. Nightlife – Just never found my spots here.
5. Stay Inside – Air con is the bomb here cause it is hot and muggy.

Top 5 Tips

1. Get in, get out – The big advantage is that you can get to other great Asian cities easily.  The town is so squeaky clean that I haven’t seen the soul. 
2. Dim sum and noodles for breakfast -- Why not?
3. Take cabs – there are car services but they offered a $35 flat rate when our cab was only $5.50.
4. ? – I haven’t read much about the history of this area to recommend anything.  Maybe that’s why I haven’t connected to the people and area.  My bad.
5. Tipping – Skip it, no need to tip here.

Top 5 Skips

Here are 5 places I would skip:

1. Peducah Kentucky - everyone in my family knows why
2. Singapore - go somewhere in Asia that is the real deal
3. Seoul, Korea - only good thing I can think of is their whiskey and karaoke
4. Any Club Med or large tour group - I like to do it on my own, or have small tours.  And having someone whistling in my face about joining the volleyball match is my idea of hell on earth.
5. Mt. Kilimanjaro - I was just so dang sick at the top and the camping was freezing and there are hoardes of people.  I would prefer to rough it and challenge myself in an environment that was prettier wilderness with less folks.  Still, nice to have it under my belt.

Wine Country, Northern California

Wine Country, California
Every Year: 1998 to present
This is one of my favorite places to relax and unwind.  Life is so simple with the best vineyards, world-class restaurants and town folk all passionate about food and wine.  I f I needed a day of relaxation or needed to see the sun, would head up here with friends from SF for the day or weekend.

Top 5 Days

1. Bike through the vineyards - Rent bikes from downtown Sonoma or Calistoga (they will have suggested route maps) for an easy pedal through to 5 vineyards.  Really, it is flat, so you don't have to be in great shape and you'll burn off those cab calories.
2. Massage and Mud Bath in Calistoga - Indian Springs is so retro and coo.  The pool is warm year round.
3. Vineyard to vineyard with a driver - pack a picnic lunch from Oakville Grocery Store and relax and do winetasting all day.  Set up a couple of full tours at the small wineries and just pop into others.  Some favorites are Clos Pegas to view art, Benziger (not Beringer) for truck tour on the growing process, Round Pond is amazing and make sure to hit one of the sparkling vineyards.  Stay clear of the really big vineyards.
4. Stroll through Healdsburg - this is a darling town, then head to the JimTown Store.
5. Golf or lay by the pool - the spas and service everywhere here are great.

Top 5 Foodie Finds

1. Bistro Jeanty - One of my world favorites!  A darling French restaurant where you can sit outside and enjoy dinner followed by wine and cheese.
2. Redwood - in Yountville but you almost feel like you are in NYC.  Awesome, hip pizza joint.  Amazing meatballs and buffalo motzerella.
3. Bouchon - Oysters and crisp whites. Or mussels and fries.
4. Taylor's Refresher - Best burgers and malts around town.
5. Round Pond Winery - Go for the most amazing $25 tasting on a deck overlooking the vineyards and get 3 little fab appetizers.

Top 5 High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels

1. Hotel Healdsburg - very hip, no country frills here.
2. The Kenwood Inn - I adore the Italian-style pool and rooms.  This is away from it all in Sonoma.
3. Solage - Amazing food, great pool, workout classes included.  And they have 2 bikes at every cottage.  SO cute.
4. Bardessono - Green, hip in Younteville.  Pair this with French Laundry and you've got a Bucket List!
5. The Farmhouse Inn - This is my friend Amy's favorite, so it can't be wrong.  In Sonoma.

Top 5 Misses

1. Snobby, cigar-smoking East-coast blokes.
2. The heat - it is a scorcher here in the summer
3. Expensive wine tastings.  If you buy a bottle, most places won't make you pay.
4. Frilly hotels - too much "I Heart Country" here.  Just plan ahead to avoid a teddy bear on your pillow.
5. If you aren't a foodie or wine fan - then pass on wine country.  If you think you have the potential to be a foodie or wine lover, then I promise you will be after a few days here.

Top 5 Tips

1. Book hotels and restaurants before - the great little hotels and eateries book early.
2. Experiment - try new foods and wines.  I spent a week here learning and asking everything I could about pairing cheese and wine.  Basically, I learned it is all good.  ;) Oh, and it is fattening... 12 pounds later.
3. Engage waiters, bartenders, sommeliers - they live for food and wine.  Tell them what you like, what you are eating, price range and ask for recommendations.  This is how I've discovered my all-time favorite wine:  Hourglass.
4. Share tastings - most places will let you share a tasting with your friend.  This will also help you avoid the mid-day hangover.
5. There's more to wine country than Napa - I prefer Sonoma, Healdsburg and Calistoga.  Not near as touristy.

Isle de Pins, New Caledonia

New Caledonia / Isle de Pins
April 2007
I wouldn't recommend New Caledonia's main island, but a puddle jump over to Isle de Pins is worth a getaway.  This is just so hard to get to.  Did a lovely, relaxing trip with my Aussie friend, Steven.

Top 5 Days

1. Kayak - straight from the beach you can power over to tiny islands.
2. Swimming - our bungalow had steps down into the water.  A morning swim is lovely.
3. Spa - Balinese Massage
4. Pack a beach picnic - Take a boat to an even smaller island of pine trees
5. Sit on your lovely deck with a book.  You feel like you are on the end of the earth.

Top 5 High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels
We only stayed at 2 hotels and the other is on the misses list

1. Le Meridian Isle de Pins - we had an amazing bungalow looking over the water out an island filled with palm trees.  The perfect sized resort - only 32 rooms and you are totally isolated here.

Top 5 Foodie Finds

1. French Wine - Great French Wine Everywhere
2. Sushi - local sashimi is great
3. Dinner on the Deck - with a view this lovely, why go out to dinner?
4. Breakfast pastries - the French know how to do it up.
5. Seafood - fresh, as it can be caught straight from the hotels

Top 5 Misses

1. Noumea - yuk.  Casinos.  McDonald's.  Big Chain Hotels.
2. Le Meridian Noumea - maybe the worst hotel I've stayed at in the Starwood system.
3. French attitude - definitely not service oriented (except at Isle de Pins hotel)
4. Prices - the conversion from US and AUS is high, so everything is expensive.
5. Tourism - never heard of New Caledonia?  Yep, at least on the main island they don't cater to tourism.

Top 5 Tips

1. Island Transport - It took us forever to figure out how to get a flight to the Islands.  Have the hotel do it for you.
2. Pines - yep, this is a unique island called the "jewel of the pacific."  Have never seen an island like it.
3. French Dictionary - Very few people speak English, so we wished we had one when
4. Get New Caledonia Dollars - before arrival.  ATM'S and banks are hard to find.
5. Natives - are beautiful and an exotic mix of native tribes with French influence.

Top 5 Wanderlust Places

Top 5 Wanderlust Places
Updated July 2009

This is soooo tough to keep this to only 5 spots.  A am constantly checking my dream book (National Geographic's 50 places from 1999... tattered and torn), showing off my Top Cities book and moving the pins in my wall map.  At the moment:

1. Coastal Norway
2. Columbia
3. The Canadian Rockies
4. The Italian Dolomites
5. Cuba

Top High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels Yet

My Top 5 High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels of All Time

As of July 2016 - will be edited frequently

1. The Esperanza, Cabo, Mexico
2. The Hotel de la Paix, Cambodia
3. Explora, Torres de Paines, Patagonia
4. La Miravetta, Sorrento, Italy
5. The Jenny Lake Lodge, Tetons, Wyoming (run by the National Parks Serice!)

 

Sante Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe
My sister Lisa, her husband and her darling twins lives in Albuquerque, so I have been able to spend a lot of time here.  It is unlike anything else in the US - it has a wonderful spiritual aura, amazing art and incredible New Mexican food.

Top 5 Days

1. Shop the Plaza for jewelry, art - Tne Native American Indians are here every day, but more on Saturdays.  Check out the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.
2. Canyon Road -  the 5th Avenue of unique art galleries and boutiques.  There is wonderful Native American art, but all other styles too.  Start from the bottom of Canyon Road, working towards the top, where most of the great restaurants are.  End your day with dinner at Geronimo's.
3. Nedra Matteucci gallery on Paseo de Peralta - inside exhibits plus lovely grounds with water, fountains, statues - a fun place to take kids, as there are many life-size statues
4. Ski/snowboard Pajarito Mountain - northwest of Santa Fe in Los Alamos.
5. Hiking - hit the trails in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Top 5 Foodie Finds

1. Rancho de Chimayo - My little brother Paul's favorite.  Mmmm... chips and salsa, margaritas and chicken sopapillas.  And go to the little church there.  Make it a day and drive the high road to Taos, stop at Chimayo en route to Bandelier.
2. Santa Fe School of Cooking - take a cooking class
3. Pasqual's - near the Plaza. Always busy, so make reservations, or sit at the communal table - great New Mexican food
4. Tomasito's - casual, outdoor dining, great New Mexican food - red or green?
5. La Casa Sena - beautiful courtyard dining, delicious food.

Top 5 High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels

1. Hotel Santa Fe - only Indian-owned hotel in the city.  Nice suites.
2. Don Gaspar Inn - my folks stayed here and had a lovely casita with a private, patio and a bedroom, bath, kitchen, large living room, and a small front porch. It's a bed and breakfast with NM breakfasts - anything from tamales, chili rellenos, fresh fruits, muffins.  The Inn sits on property close to the Plaza that had once been a large farm with an orchard, so it's lush and beautiful... and only about 5 blocks from the Plaza.
3. Rent a House in Taos - Close by and great if you want to ski/snowboard. 
4. Inn at the Anasazi - lovely, the nicest in town, but still casual.  Kivas in every room.
5. El Farolito Bed and Breakfast Inn - My sister and her husband always stay here - a great high-style B&B. Within walking distance of the Plaza.

Top 5 Misses

1. Celebrations Restaurant - We had a hilariously horrible family meal here. 
2. Casinos - d-e-p-r-e-s-s-i-n-g.
3. Dry, mountain air - I always feel exhausted the first couple days I am here.  Take lots of moisturizers.
4. Foliage - Sante Fe has lots of trees, but if you head further south, it is dry and I miss the trees.
5. Overpriced stores - the clientele here is high rollers, so food, art, etc... can be very expensive.

Top 5 Tips

1. Read local author Willa Cather - Death Comes for the Archbishop
2. Native American Jewelry and Art- I can't get enough of it.
3. Red or Green??? - this is the big question everyone will ask when you order food.  They make their own chili sauces.  It is like asking red or white when referring to wine.  I love em both, to I get my sopapillas with split sauce.
4. Read and understand Indian History - It is such a sad history.  When you are here, the environment is so unique that almost feel like you are outside the US.
5. Get out of Sante Fe for a day - head south of Santa Fe, Highway 14, or the Turquoise Trail, beautiful scenery and mountains, vistas, and the little artist's colony of Madrid - old mining town - great galleries and shops.

Los Angeles

 

I spent a year and a half here, and know Venice and Santa Monica really well.  I loved my little Spanish bungalow in Venice - so I didn't leave my oasis much. 

 

Top 5 Days

1. Hike back to the Malibu "secret spot" - Definitely get to the beaches of Malibu, as they are so much more beautiful than Venice and Santa Monica.  Directions to the best spot that my little sister Meggi revealed to me:  Head north on the Pacific Highway/Highway 1 to the northern most part of Malibu.  You'll pass Geoffrey's and take a left at the Sunset restaurant.  Head into the parking lot to the left and go all the way down til you see a rock climbing wall.  Take a stroll through the sand and hike back as far as you can go on the rocks.  Sit, relax and enjoy the thunderous waves.
2. Getty Museum - This is an amazing view of the city and the building is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.  Richard Meier's modern, stark-white design contrasts the Renaissance art inside.  Take a tour of the gardens and sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.
3. Main Street Farmer's Market - This is on Santa Monica's Main Street, around Ocean street.  Get there early on Sunday morning and enjoy the local organic produce.  All the local restaurants have booths.  Try fresh-squeezed orange juice and a crepe.  Spend the afternoon on the Santa Monica beach.
4. Bike Ride the Venice/Santa Monica Strand - Rent a bike in Venice and ride up and down the boardwalk. Check out the most eclectic mix of folks you have ever seen:  oiled-up muscle builders, strung-out homeless, tree-hugging yogis and has-been actresses. 
5. Stroll Abbott Kinney - This may be one of the hippest blocks in the world.  Stroll through the vintage shops, stop at Taco Bus for a taco and go to Jin Patisserie for lovely tea and amazing chocolate desserts.

5 High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels

1. Friend's House - Everything here is pretty expensive... stay at a friend's pad.  People have big places here, unlike NY or SF, so someone is bound to have a extra bedroom.
2. Viceroy - Great style, great poolside in Santa Monica.  A great way to check out the Hollywood scene.  You're bound to see a star, or at least a lot of great-looking wait staff on their way to stardom.  The scene at night is fun, and if you stay here you can actually get a poolside cabana.
3. Oceania - A darling Melrose Place-style hotel in Santa Monica.  A great place to stay if you have an extended visit, as the rooms are big and comfy.
4. W Westwood - This is better than the average W because it has a very cool 50s style outdoor pool.  Tucked away in cute neighborhood, though nothing is too close by.
5. Ambrose - In Santa Monica, but not right on the beach.  You get a nicer hotel, without the insane prices. They have a vintage taxi that will take you around the city.

Foodie Finds

1. Hama Sushi - In Venice.  It may look a bit scary when you walk in cause it isn't fancy.  Great sushi and a fun energetic local place.
2. AOC - Gorgeous tapas and wine list in a fancy bar-like atmosphere.  Get the figs and sit at the bar and a hot bartender will over serve you. On 3rd Street in Hollywood.
3. Little Door - Great fish and steak in Hollywood.  This is where the real deals really get done in Hollywood, but it isn't over the top.  Great service in a delightful outside setting.
4. Via Vento - Neighborhood Italian spot on Main Street in Santa Monica (or maybe Venice officially).  Candlelit dinners and authentic Italian.
5. Lilly's - On restaurant row (Abbott Kinney) in Venice.  Sit in the back garden.  If Lilly's is full, try Joe's or Primativo nearby.  Follow up with a glass of wine at The Other Room down the street.  If the line is long, they let in folks with Venice ID first.  So unlike anywhere else in LA, where only a $600 bottle of vodka or star will get you a table.

5 Misses

1. Nightclubs - Go to one like LAX only if you have a VIP table.  Such a ridiculous scene just to have a good drink.  And if your visions of LA are hot starts in nightclubs, then stay home and watch E!  You rarely see real stars out - well, maybe Tara Reid or Paris.
2. Hollywood - There isn't really much to see.
3. Downtown - Just a huge sprawling mass of buildings.  No heart of the city and no NY-style vibe.
4. Santa Monica Boardwalk Amusement Park - Crowded, dirty, boring.
5. Beverly Hills Home Tour - This will make you never want to come to LA again, but is a hilarious way to hear stories about all the stars.  There are tours leaving all day from the Chinese Theater.  You won't see any stars, but lots of paparazzi stalking stars homes.  Do it if you love the stars.

5 Tips

1. Avoid the 405 - Parking lot and so frustrating.
2. Rent a Car with a GPS - The town is so confusing and one wrong turn could mean extra hours on the highway. 
3. Swimming - You can't swim in the beaches most of the year cause it is too cold.  If the weather is good, go up to Malibu, as the beaches "seem" cleaner.
4. Hike - Most people don't think of mountain hiking in LA, but the Santa Monica mountains are so lovely and a great way to see the city.
5. Decide on one area of town to explore - The town is huge and it can take hours to get from one side to the other.  I recommend sticking on the West side.