Owner, Acupuncturist Gotham Wellness
Meal you would travel for: Raw fish fresh off the line of a fishing hook and a bottle of Savignon Blanc in a small boat at sunset in the middle of Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand.
Most interesting thing you've ever eaten while traveling: A bowl of curried bugs and vegetables in Fiji.
One unusual item you've brought back from a trip: A set of Russian nesting dolls in the shape of Arabian Sheiks from the International Airport of Oman.
Do you have a favorite thing you collect when you travel? Cookbooks. Which I never end up using.
Travel pet peeve: Anti -Americanism.
Biggest overall travel tips: Trust your instincts. Be respectful. Also, don't order the "Hindu" meal on an airplane thinking you'll get Indian food. I did it once, and it turned out to be pretty much just lettuce - rabbit food, really.
Best post-break up trip: Wherever they manufacture sweet, handsome men. I have yet to find the factory.
Traveling with a tour group - yay or nay? Yay, as long as you aren’t treated like cattle. I’ve made some of my best friends in the world through shared travel experiences. Why not?
Name a book you'd recommend for jauntsetters: Anything by Pico Iyer. . .
Best hotel you've ever stayed at: Actually, it was a nondescript airport hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I had a 16 hour layover from India to New Zealand, and was dirty and exhausted from traveling. I was driven by golf cart to my cell of a room , took a shower, passed out for 15 hours in a clean bed, then woke up to a complimentary breakfast buffet of croissants and fresh juice. At the time, I couldn’t have asked for more.
A place you'd like to return to: Nungui, Zanzibar. I lived with a Muslim family during the month of Ramadan in Stone Town Zanzibar in 2000. I was able to spend a night in Nungui, and was blown away by its beauty. The sand was the softest I’ve ever felt, like walking on flour. The ocean was turquoise, and there were overhangs of coral mini-caves that you could rest under to take a break from the sun. I would have like to have spent more than one night there…I also spent 6 weeks in New Zealand and was enchanted with Farewell Spit, in the South Island. Sand dunes, seals, and caves that become inaccessible during certain tide periods, deserted ocean. It felt like The Land Before Time. I would love to return there again for longer.
Best solo getaway for a jauntsetter: Northern California. I lived in Berkeley, CA for a year and would take frequent road trips to nearby beaches north and south of San Francisco. I loved driving through the Eucalyptus trees to Stinson Beach, and Bolinas in Marin. There are fantastic look-outs along the way, as you descend through the forest. You can hike in Mt. Tam and Muir Woods; or go a little further north to Point Reyes and Bodega Bay, or south to Point Lobos State Park. Pick up some food at a farm stand or fish shack on your trips, and picnic on the beach. Northern California is actually one of the few places where I feel safe being alone in the forest, and there are lots of small, quality places to stay, plus excellent local food to eat. On that note, there's this lovely 16th Century style British Inn and Pub that's on the way to all the beaches and forests, near Muir Beach. It's the perfect place to stay and take day trips out of, or to stop in for some fish n' chips.
Favorite escape: Nosara, Costa Rica. I’ve been going to Costa Rica for over 15 years, and Nosara is my favorite spot. A sleepy town with over 7 km of pure, uninterrupted coastline, with warm, ocean water, and uninterrupted waves. If you go during the low season (after May 1st) you might only see a handful of people at a time. It's an excellent place for surfing. In fact, there's noot much to do but surf, practice yoga (on the beach), dance (at Bar La Banana), eat (Shlomo at Kaya Sol makes a mean falafel, and a great smoothie involving Tahini, coconut water, dates, raw cacao ) nap (The Harmony Hotel is the most upscale spot), or have a drink at sunset at La Luna, a charmingly dilapidated mansion that sits atop Playa Pelada.
Best budget trip: I once stayed at a $5/night hand made wooden house in Bastimentos Island in Bocas Del Toro, Panama on stilts in the ocean, called Tio Tom’s, which was owned by Germans. We could see starfish in between the planks of the wood floor, coconut rice and fish for $2, only our room had walls, the rest of the little house was open to the ocean, amazing snorkeling just a jump in the ocean away, handmade canoes to paddle, only hammocks to sit in, an outdoor shower, and a creepy pet parrot with clipped wings that spoke patois and liked to sidle up alongside me during dinner.
Do you ever travel for business? Yes. I run a Business Bootcamp for holistic practitioners in Belize (massage therapists, acupuncturists, yoga teachers etc.) where participants can write off their vacation as a business expense and earn 18 CEU’s while practicing yoga and exploring the Mayan jungle. The next session is January 30th to February 6th, and the cost is $1499 (all inclusive) if you register by November 1st. I also lead affordable surf and yoga retreats in Costa Rica ($875 including accommodations, daily yoga classes, daily surf lessons, breakfast, and a welcome dinner). The next one is May 1st to the 8th. For me, it’s business and pleasure combined!
