The New York Theatre Workshop is an intimate performing arts theatre noted for its quality production of new works by several now well-known playwrights and located on funky East 4th Street.
Jonathan Larson’s Rent was developed and first performed here. It’s part of Downtown’s Theater Row and offers neighbourhood and cultural events throughout the year. The theatre is an excellent opportunity to see raw talent at its best or you may even be lucky enough to see a real celebrity honing their craft. James Bond’s Daniel Craig appeared in Othello at the NYTW to rave reviews.
NYTW also has an impressive selection of masterclasses, workshops, artist residencies and fellowships. You could do a lot worse than attending an artists’ summer residency in NYC.
Located on the hip Lower East Side that’s bustling with bars and restaurants it would make perfect sense to have a bite before a show or finish with a nightcap.
South of legendary party town Acapulco you’ll find Playa Ventura, a fishing village with a perfect golden arc of sand. The area sees just a smattering of visitors, including the turtles who lay their eggs on some protected parts of Casa de Piedra Beach, so it’s perfect if you’re after sunshiny days and quiet nights. Catch a wave off the shore, watch the pelicans diving for fish or stare out to sea looking for dolphins, Playa Ventura is one of those beaches you need to get lost to find.
As the sun sets locals cook fresh seafood on barbecues and cold Corona’s are sold at local prices.
Once the sun is down make your way to one of the few bars in the main square. Here you’ll find yourself mixing with the locals hopefully with a local band looking after the soundtrack.
Everest and Mont Blanc are synonymous with hiking glory but the Rila Mountains in Bulgaria are not only in league with these champions, they’re also far less trodden. Settle in with a guided tour of Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, followed by a light walk up Vitosha Mountain for spectacular city views. From here, the challenge begins.
Navigate woodland to the glittering Strashnoto and Urdini lakes; scramble to the summit of Mount Musala, the Balkans’ highest peak at 2925 metres, where rugged green vistas stretch for miles; and scale the rocky trails of Mount Malyovitsa, bunking down at the legendary Ivan Vazov mountain refuge for the night. Make your final descent to the tenth-century Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and wander among its striking architecture and art while giving thanks for Mother Nature’s incredible creations.
Quaff the finest wines on a cycling adventure through the motley landscape of South Africa’s wine regions as you peddle past desert dunes, forested mountains and sapphire waters. The circular route, beginning in Cape Town, will see you ride along tarmac roads – with a couple of climbs thrown in – to the famed Boschendal Winery and sampling a drop or two from one of the 29 cellars located at Rosenview Winery in Stellenbosch.
Other highlights include standing on Cape Agulhas, South Africa’s southernmost point; sinking local beers at the Birkenhead brewery; spotting southern right whales in Hermanus; and cycling one of South Africa’s most jaw-dropping circuits, the Cape Argus route. In the evenings, kick back in your comfortable lodge and toast to a day well spent.
In a bid to escape the bedlam of Los Angeles, a move to Berlin in the late 70s would be a pivotal experience for David Bowie. While living on Haupstrasse in the quiet district of Schöneberg, he once described his experience of the city to Uncut magazine as a place of “virtual anonymity” and could often be found popping into cafe Neues Ufer for an espresso. The cafe’s name means ‘The New Side’ (formerly it was Anderes Ufer, aka ‘The Other Side’). Coincidence? We think not. During his self-imposed exile, he penned the enduring hit Heroes, which was inspired by a young couple kissing against the Berlin Wall, a moment he was said to have witnessed from a window in Kreuzberg’s Hansa recording studio (he would later reveal the couple was his producer, Tony Visconti, and his girlfriend).
Today, Neues Ufer is one of Berlin’s oldest gay cafes and retains its original ambience, with the addition of a few photos of the famous rockstar. Join the Bowie Berlin Walk by Berlin Music Tours where you’ll discover his other haunts in the Kreuzberg and Mitte districts before finishing off with a bevvy at this enduring favourite.
If you were asked to make a wish list of tropical island destinations, chances are Japan would not be on it. That’s about to change as word spreads about Okinawa, a string of hundreds of islands stretching almost a thousand kilometres from the southern-most tip of the mainland toward Taiwan.
Miyako Island is at just about the centre point, favoured with long stretches of white sand like Aragusuku and Yonaha-Maehama beaches. It has many of the same natural attractions as everyone’s favourite beach destinations, like Thailand and Hawaii, but with a fraction of the crowds. It’s also a major destination for snorkelling and diving in the coral reefs…and don’t forget to sample the Miyakojima cuisine, start with the Miyako soba, and finish with the Miyako beef.
Forget Eat, Pray, Love – if anyone has inspired a pilgrimage to India’s ashrams, it’s The Beatles. Chaurasi Kutia, the ashram of guru and creator of transcendental meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whom the group was so enamoured by, was the holy site where the band famously spent weeks penning songs that would eventually fill the vinyl of the White Album.
While it’s rumoured the Beatles left shortly after they arrived (Ringo Starr left after just 10 days, while Paul McCartney only stayed for a month) this ashram is a famous part of the Beatles’ history. Until recently, the abandoned buildings – like the Beatles Cathedral Gallery, which was brought to life by the art of street artist Pan Trinity Das – had been reclaimed by the surrounding wilderness. In 2015, the grounds were reopened to the public and are now run by the forest department.
Also called 108 Ashram, Chaurasi Kutia, is located in an area known as “Ground Zero” which is surrounded by ashrams and temples and is rich with history and culture from the centuries old tradition of famous yogis and rishis attending pilgrimages and retreats.
Travel north from the main island of Efate and you’ll discover Penama province and its jewel Maewo. With its rivers, waterfalls and an abundance of postcard-perfect tropical scenery, it’s an island the Ni-Vanuatu people refer to as the “untouched of the untouched paradise”.
From above, it looks like an emerald dropped into the blue ocean, so remote that it’s hard to imagine anyone actually living here. As you descent to the tiny airstrip, you’ll spy waterfalls splashing over cliffs and some thatched roofs emerging through the jungle near the sea.
Your guide will meet you at the door of the plane with a smile and a warm welcome handshake and the walk inland begins. You’re heading towards Naone, Vanuatu’s second tallest waterfall. The bush is dense, damp and cooler than the exposed airstrip. A path that has to be negotiated rock by rock extends upriver .
Eventually you’ll hear a deep, thunderous sound and see a massive amount of water cascading from the rocks. While the height may only be 20 metres or so, the waterfall is wide, full and more imposing than you might have expected. The pool beneath the cascade is inviting and you’ll be welcomed in by a few locals already cooling off.
After a good dip and chat climb further up the rocks to an elevated spot from which to jump. Take care because the rocks are slippery and green with algae. Make it to the top, though, and you’ll feel like the king of the castle as fond childhood memories come flooding back. Take your stance and count – one, two, three – before plunging into the water below. It’s worth the hike up and the nostalgia will drive you to jump again and again.
For the adventurous there really is only one way to explore Gaua, a remote island in the northern Torba Province of Vanuatu. And you’ll want to explore because this is one island that has little development and few tourists – a win-win for anyone who likes to get away from it all.
The three-day Lake Letas and Mt Garet trek is chock-full of activities: hiking, canoeing and staying at local campsites overnight. But it is the trek up active volcano Mt Garet you’ll really remember.
You’ll walk through villages and coconut plantations, over rivers and across huge ash plains. A lush track through the dense bush takes you to several stunning viewpoints at an altitude of about 500 metres where you can in active volcano Mt Garet in all its smoking glory.
Yes, your feet may become sore and your muscles may ache yet you’ll be rewarded in spades by the natural beauty and the kindness of locals you’ll encounter as you make your way down to Lake Letas. After a refreshing dip, paddle across Vanuatu’s largest lake by outrigger canoe, soaking up the amazing panoramic view.
It’s a good thing you’ll have done some training and preparation before your trip, because it’s 45 minutes up a steep incline to the peak of Mt Garet from where an amazing view of the surrounding tropical jungle and lake awaits you.
Best of all, everyone you encounter on Gaua will greet you with smiles and make you feel welcome. Get to know the real pace of life on Gaua visiting a traditional village. You’ll meet everyday people – villagers, children, even the school principal – who will stop for a chat.
Being one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world, Vanuatu’s traditional practices, including ceremonial dance, magic and ritual, are alive and well. Ambrym is considered the black magic epicentre of Vanuatu and it’s where the Rom dance is performed.
The Fanla or Rom dance is connected to circumcision and initiation traditions for young boys and is an ancient ritual shrouded in secret knowledge. Costumes are kept in hiding until the ceremony begins and some of the masks can’t be used more than once.
Deep in the dense forest, there is a clearing where large drums sit. The rhythmic beating of drums and shakers begins as warriors dressed to represent evil spirits emerge, adorned in a mix of leaves and huge, brightly painted masks. The men stomp their feet in time to the drums, eerie chanting and soft flute music. Make no mistake, this is an experience that will give you goosebumps. This is no tourist show – it is genuine heritage and belief, wrapped in the supernatural and rich in symbolism.
The dance, while a form of magic, is also a method for younger members of society to move up the ranks. It’s also believed the fertility of the crops is affected when these dances are performed, and masks are burnt at the end of the ceremony to ensure evil spirits do not haunt the wearer or plague the village.
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