If Wales isn’t already marked on your map for its luxurious lodging options, two North Wales hotels aim to persuade you otherwise. Country house hotels are riding a wave of popularity in the United Kingdom and Wales is on the crest. With televisions shows like Downton Abbey and The Crown basking in the global pop-culture limelight, Brits and foreigners alike are flocking to elegant, small hotels to feel pampered in a discrete environment. If … [Read more...]
About Allison Tibaldi
Allison Tibaldi is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She is a senior editor at offMetro.com and a contributor to CNN, HGTV, Travel Channel, Business Insider, USA Today, USA Today 10 Best, Travel Weekly, am New York, Time Out New York, Paste Magazine, Family Traveller and Family Travel Forum. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. Her background as an Early Childhood Educator gives her an added understanding of what it takes to travel with kids in tow. She never misses a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine.
All The Tea In Victoria, British Columbia
The history of tea drinking spans thousands of years and crosses many continents. If you didn’t know Victoria, British Columbia had a thriving tea culture, get ready to sip it in. This gorgeous city on Vancouver Island’s southern coast is as tethered to tea as peanut butter is to jelly. The island’s First Nations people have utilized the native plants and berries that grow here so prolifically to make freshly foraged medicinal teas for … [Read more...]
A Food Lover’s Guide to Nassau and Paradise Island, The Bahamas
With its crystal-clear blue waters and heavenly beaches, vacationers appreciate the Bahamas for its abundance of sun, sand and surf. While it is a fine holiday for those seeking natural gifts of the aquatic sort, if you live to eat, this nation of 700 islands is a foodie destination par excellence. Nassau and Paradise Island are ground-zero for epicureans looking to titillate their taste buds. Surrounded by clean water, you know the fish is … [Read more...]
Petit St. Vincent: A Caribbean Gourmet Getaway
The Grenadines are a chain of Caribbean islands that have been only lightly touched by mass tourism. For water enthusiasts, it’s a treasure chest of crystalline seas, undisturbed coral reefs and top-notch diving. I’ve visited a number of Instagram-worthy Caribbean Islands but the Grenadines are my numero uno. Time spent in this part of the world is an instant elixir to my stress-filled urban existence. As a foodie, no vacation is complete if … [Read more...]
Suzhou, China: An Edible Garden of Eden
If I were a philosopher, my motto would be “I eat, therefore I travel.” My first step towards understanding a culture is through food. Taste is the silent thread that binds me to fellow gastronomes around the globe. This is especially true when I visit a country where I know not a soul nor a single word of the native language, my exact situation during my recent visit to Suzhou, China. As alien as I felt upon arrival, I correctly suspected that … [Read more...]
Adventurous Eating In Merida, Mexico
Merida’s visual beauty is sublime, but it’s the tantalizing aromas wafting through its vibrant plazas and candy-colored streets that grab my attention. If you’re like me and gastronomy shamelessly rules your travel decisions, book your ticket to Merida pronto. Culinary travelers have struck gold as Merida offers the Yucatan’s distinct flavors as well as a range of sophisticated international influences. Your taste buds are guaranteed to be in … [Read more...]
Guide to Houston, Texas
Houston combines Texas authenticity with artistic flair. If you like cowboy boots and rodeo with your cutting-edge art scene, mosey on over. In addition to world-class museums, innovative visual experiences should please even self-proclaimed museum haters. The culinary panorama is in the spotlight, with over 10,000 restaurants to tickle your palate. From inexpensive neighborhood spots to chef-driven eateries drawing big spenders, you’ll never go … [Read more...]
Daytona Beach, Florida: Dining Delights
When you hear the words Daytona Beach, I’d bet money NASCAR, Spring Break and sandy stretches of the Atlantic Ocean come to mind. While these are some of its prized attributes, this down-to-earth Florida beach town is making unexpected waves in the culinary arena. It has blossomed into an emerging destination for travelers looking to combine a seaside holiday with delicious dining. Daytona Beach enjoys a throwback quality rich in … [Read more...]
A Grape Grows in Myanmar
The vines of Burgundy, Tuscany and Napa Valley produce some of the world’s most polished pours. While you can use many superlatives to describe these oenophile’s Disneyland, it’s a stretch of the imagination to describe any of these famed wine-producing regions as undiscovered. While Myanmar is no threat to Bordeaux as the next global grape deity, I was surprised that any wine at all is being produced here. The pagoda-laden landscape may not … [Read more...]
Amsterdam On a Budget
Amsterdam is a city of many faces. For some, the Red Light District acts as a magnetic force. Its famed coffee shops serve a tempting menu of legalized cannabis, offering a range of highs from mellow to skyscraper. For those seeking lustier pleasures, prostitution is legal and as easy to find as North Sea herring. For others, it’s the cultural gems, from Rembrandt to Van Gogh, that entice. If you haven’t considered this forward-thinking … [Read more...]