Margot Bigg

From sleek wellness retreats in the middle of the forest to wilderness getaways designed to bring guests closer to nature, here are five of the finest Indigenous-owned properties in the Pacific Northwest.

Every winter, travelers from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond make their way into the Cascade Mountains of Washington to visit Leavenworth, a remote alpine community that’s known for its civic enthusiasm for all things Christmas – and German.
Here you’ll find a large central square flanked with Fachwerk-style structures, beer gardens adorned with blue-and-white Bavarian burning flags and hand-painted ye olde signage on everything from storefronts to gas station signs.

I first started visiting Bangkok when I was in my early 20s. I was living in India at the time and earning a relatively modest salary, in rupees. Although Bangkok is considered a fairly inexpensive destination compared to North America or Europe, the costs were a bit higher than in Delhi. This meant that I had to work with humble means.

Plan your next trip around one of these six enchanting celebrations.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir stalwart Patz & Hall shared some surprising news in March: Eight years after Ste. Michelle Wine Estates had acquired the celebrated Sonoma winery, it would return to its independent roots. Along with a few investors, Patz & Hall’s founding winemaker James Hall had decided to buy the winery back and was ready to take it to new heights — while betting big on Patz & Hall’s inaugural wine: Chardonnay.

Every day is a good day to enjoy Moscato’s sweet, delicately fruity flavors.

While Oregon has long been a darling among Pinot Noir fans, this versatile state produces so much more, from effervescent bubblies to full-bodied Syrahs, often made from biodynamically grown grapes at small, family-run wineries.

It took me a lot of time outside of Oregon to appreciate how amazing it is to live here. As a born-and-mostly-raised Portlander, I’ve spent much of my life within just a half-hour drive of the Columbia River Gorge, a Tolkienesque land of ancient conifers, gushing waterfalls, wilderness trails, and views so scenic that you may be compelled to pinch yourself.

The Indigenous-owned lodge is only accessible by boat—but anyone can be a citizen scientist there.

As a former longtime Delhiite and frequent traveler to India, people often ask me what the country is like. I never know how to respond, for trying to sum up a nation as vast and diverse as India feels impossible. So, instead, I asked a few experts for their insights....

In many ways, choosing a wine to bring to a dinner party has a lot of parallels with picking out an outfit to wear. When you get dressed to go to an event, you’ll want to make sure that your ensemble suits the occasion — and coordinates with your shoes.
Similarly, when picking out a wine to present to a host, it’s important to find something that pairs well with what is being served and suits the individual tastes of those who will be drinking it. But what about those times when you aren’t su...

Scoop up an 18th-century French town and plop it down in the middle of coastal Tamil Nadu, India, and voilà: you have Puducherry.

The Portland of my childhood was a sleepy mix of wooded hills and a cute, if a little gritty, urban heart. While we didn’t have the glamor of bigger cities such as Los Angeles and New York, we did have access to fresh, local produce galore, grown in the lush farmlands surrounding the city. This drew the attention of culinary wizards, and over the last couple of decades, the City of Roses has developed its own food scene that can compete with much bigger culinary hard-hitters.

This 363-mile-long stretch of Pacific wonderland is not your typical beach destination.

Two Indian cities along the Ganges each have claims to fame.