Recommend January 2013 - (Page 96)

Sao Paulo Because of its reputation as a concrete metropolis, visitors are surprised by Sao Paulo’s lovely natural areas. The Botanical Garden is small and delightful, with some 340 species of Brazilian ﬂora and green houses with orchids and rainforest species. The city is also home to Latin America’s largest urban park, the 400-acre Ibirapuera Park, an oasis of green where in addition to gardens and lakes there are museums, a planetarium and the Japanese Pavilion. And beyond the greenery, many of Sao Paulo’s main attractions are reminiscent of Europe: the iconic churches are the Monastery of Sao Bento, whose basilica dates back to 1598, and the 20th century Metropolitan Cathedral, a building with Gothic and Byzantine elements, accommodates 8,000 worshipers. Meanwhile the Municipal Theater was inspired by the Paris Opera, and Sala Sao Paulo has been turned into a strikingly contemporary symphonic hall. The city is Brazil’s ﬁnest destination for art lovers who may ﬁnd that museum buildings are often as noteworthy as the exhibitions. Top of the line is the Art Museum of Sao Paulo (a.k.a. MASP), where top Brazilian artists keep company with such painters as Rembrandt and Picasso; another standout is Pinacoteca do Estado with more than 3,000 works of art in a collection featuring Brazilian painting from the 18th and 19th centuries, and adds sculptures by Rodin and Niki de Saint-Phalle. Sao Paulo is also a world-class city when it comes to shopping, from bargain hunting in Sunday’s Liberdade ﬂea market to high-end boutiques focused on Brazilian designers along ritzy Rua Oscar Freire. On weekends, Paulistas head for the beaches—such as Sao Sebastiao, Toque Toque Grande and Maresias. Sao Paulo is the closest international gateway to Foz do Iguacu, where Parana River waters feed 275 cataracts in the 1.5-mile wide precipice that forms a breathtaking natural border between Brazil and Argentina. The most famous hotel here, and the one with the best falls views and access, is Hotel das Cataratas, now an OrientExpress property; it’s the only hotel located inside Iguacu National Park. Avenida Paulista CHILE BRAZIL FACTS November to May; of course, travelers coming to ski at the nearby resorts will head for the “winter” months: July/August/September FUN-FACT: Measuring some 3,000 miles north to south, almost a third of long, skinny Chile is occupied by the driest desert in the world: the Atacama BEST TIME TO GO: GETTING THERE: Santiago Centerpiece of the Central Valley, Santiago is home to a third of Chilean people. Its city proﬁle combines French classic, Bavarian baroque and Spanish colonial with 21st century skyscrapers and glass towers—bisected by the Mapocho River. Heart and soul of historic Santiago is the Plaza de Armas, dominated by the Metropolitan Cathedral and the colonial San Francisco church and its Cloister Museum. Other ﬁne museums range from the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art whose distinguished collection occupies the former Royal Customs House to the Museo de la Moda, a fascinating new fashion museum in residential Vitacura. In the bohemian Bellavista quarter, don’t miss La Chascona, once home to Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda. Tops on every visitor’s list is a morning meander around the Mercado Central, whose castiron ceiling towers above the fresh produce piled high in market stalls; next door is the ﬁsh market, a showcase of Neptune’s domain. One of the reasons Chile’s capital has become a hot destination it its bevy of stylish places to stay—newly making waves are the Lastarria Boutique Hotel whose 14 rooms occupy a stunning 1920s residence and the 87-room Noi Vitacura with Andean views from its rooftop pool. There are always ﬁne places to dine—Chilean dishes at Conﬁteria Torres and El Hoyo, seafood at La Mar Cebecheria and Aqui Esta Coco. The place to buy Chilean food products to take home is the Coquinaria gourmet market, while Pura is one choice for ﬁnding stylish and locally made handicrafts. Santiago sits right in the middle of long skinny Chile. From the capital, drive a couple of hours west to the Paciﬁc and the captivating seaport of Valparaiso and the close-by beach resort of Viña del Mar. It takes no longer to reach the start of the major routes through Chile’s Wine Country—the place for tasting the famous fruits of the vine and for spending a night or two at the wine estates’ deluxe lodgings. And in winter (JuneOctober), following a less-than-two-hour drive up into the Andes, you’re ready to check into the excellent ski resort complex of Valle Nevado. Delta ﬂies from Atlanta to Santiago passport. Chile charges a reciprocity fee of $140, paid on arrival in U.S. dollars or credit card, valid for the life of the passport CURRENCY: Chilean peso MUST-TRY LOCAL FOOD: There is no shortage of places to sample unbeatable shellﬁsh—razor clams, mussels, oysters, sea urchins, and above all centolla (king crab)—from Santiago’s Mercado Central to the wildly popular Aqui Esta Coco restaurant BEST BUYS: Pueblito de los Dominicas or Patio Bellavista are fun places to buy quality handmade crafts: lapis lazuli jewelry, silver work of the Mapuche indigenous people, alpaca woolen sweaters and woodwork INFORMATION PLEASE: Turismo Chile— chile.travel ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid 72 http://www.chile.travel

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend January 2013

Editor's Note
Hotel Desk: The Westlake Village Inn
Tour Talk: Brendan Vacations' Boutique Journeys
Four Cheers for River Crusing
A-ROSA Silva
Delta Air Lines' 2013 Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America Travel Guide
China Remains a Time-Tested Destination
What's Hot in Vegas for 2013
Back to the Gulf
Authentic Morocco in An (Argan) Nutshell
Festive Europe

Recommend January 2013