It's been two years, Globepouncers. Time for our biennial top-fives! See the 2019 edition here.
As of spring 2021, these are our streamlined picks:
Countries
Japan
Georgia
Jordan
Cyprus
Austria
Not much has changed here except that Georgia has crashed the party. The food and wine are divine; there are beautiful mountains; the capital, Tbilisi, is charming; there's plenty of history; and the driving isn't so bad. We look forward to visiting again.
Japan still reigns supreme: cute, connected, clean, and cultured. Jordan remains our go-to for archaeological adventure, hummus, and the friendliest people in the world. Cyprus is relaxed and super-manageable with ancient Greek ruins, hiking, and excellent beverages, and Austria might just be the most beautiful place on Earth, especially in the Alpine region.
Cities
Tokyo
Berlin
Istanbul
Salzburg
Rome
Japan strikes again! Not much change on this list either, but Istanbul has invaded to knock London off. We take the bustle and ancient East-meets-West history in Istanbul - as we do the modern East-meets-West history of Berlin - over London in this edition of Top-Fives. I don't think I'll ever be able to push Rome off this list because of my semester abroad there, and Salzburg is our ideal small city.
Historical Sites
Jerash, Jordan
Baalbek, Lebanon
Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Giza Plateau, Egypt
This list might be the hardest one. There is so much incredible history in the world, and these lists evolve not just because we see new things but also because of how our memories age.
Jerash replaces Petra here due to climate and crowding (or lack thereof). Northern Jordan cools off nicely, and it's surprisingly green. We also didn't have to constantly battle vicious flies in Jerash or fight off offers to ride horses and camels. In fact, we really enjoyed talking to the locals selling coffee at Jerash's Temple of Artemis.
In Istanbul, our heart belongs to the Basilica Cistern because it's a change of pace. It's underground but not a catacomb, not expressly religious in nature - it's still a historical ruin, but it's different than anything else we've seen. It's also nice and cool down in the Basilica Cistern - I suppose the heat in Vietnam has influenced this list to a not insignificant degree.
Hotels and Resorts
Rooms Kazbegi, Georgia
Topas Ecolodge, Sapa, Vietnam
Villa Maison, Con Dao, Vietnam
Sailing Club Resort, Mui Ne, Vietnam
Erguvan Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey
Covid-19 has tipped this list decidedly toward Vietnam, where we've seen far more than we ever thought we would in the last year alone, but Rooms Kazbegi is still the gold-standard: the food is the best, the rooms and the lounge are ski lodge-cozy, and the hiking and scenery are excellent.
Topas Ecolodge is a very, very close second - two saltwater infinity pools and panoramic views of Vietnamese rice terraces will do that - but you can't walk off campus without being followed by trinket-peddlers. Villa Maison and Erguvan Hotel are both boutique hotels, which are officially our new favorite thing, and The Sailing Club Mui Ne is a pristine beach resort that won The Boss' heart with - what else? - coffee.
Outdoor Markets
Dry Bridge Market, Tbilisi, Georgia
Saida (Sidon) Old Souk, Lebanon
The Original Farmers Market, Los Angeles
Mercato Metropolitano, London
Mutrah Gold Souk, Muscat, Oman
Two newcomers storm this list: the Dry Bridge Market and Mutrah Gold Souk. I fell hard for all the old Soviet military memorabilia at the Dry Bridge Market, and The Boss patiently humored me while I was in treasure-hunting mode. The Mutrah Gold Souk is on Muscat's lovely corniche and contains all the treasures of Arabia one might expect.
Breweries
Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln, Salzburg, Austria
Augustiner Bräu München, Germany
Aphrodite's Rock Microbrewery, Paphos, Cyprus
Founder's Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan
Heart of Darkness, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
We remain confident that there is no better place in the world to have a beer than Augustiner Bräu in Salzburg. Augustiner Bräu in München (Munich) is the only outfit that still brews in town, and their bierhalle is nothing to sneeze at, either. Outside of the German-speaking world, Aphrodite's Rock remains the best we've ever sipped.
Our newcomers at four and five rep both home home and current home. As much as I wanted to be a rebel and not go for the biggest breweries in their respective towns, Founder's and Heart of Darkness (HOD) are the biggest because they are the best. Founder's is legendary - a pioneer of craft brewing. A trip to GR requires a stop at the Founder's taproom.
HOD makes the best beer in Saigon and makes new beers and collaborations more often than anyone else in town. Kurtz's Insane IPA, Dream Alone Pale Ale, and The Island IPL are all absolute knockouts, and HOD regularly trots out respectable limited releases and small batches. Also, being a literature teacher, I love that the brewery is named after Joseph Conrad's seminal novella, and all the beers are text references. Yay books!
Airports
Queen Alia, Amman, Jordan (AMM)
Hong Kong (HKG)
Tokyo-Narita (NRT)
Luang Prabang (LPQ)
Abu Dhabi (AUH)
That's right - they're all in Asia. They're more comfortable and more streamlined than their Western counterparts. Yes, they're newer, mostly, but Western airports - especially older US airports - can do better. Significantly better. Regardless of age.
In some cases, these hubs are better connected to town (see: NRT, HKG). In some cases, they're more relaxed (see: LPQ). In some cases, it takes only 10-15 minutes to get from the front door to the gate (AUH). In all cases, they are less hassle. Small US airports such as Lehigh Valley and Kalamazoo are comparable regarding lack of hassle, but they also have so much less traffic that the comparison is unfair. Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and Phoenix (PHX) are better comparisons...and, admittedly, newer builds than, say, O'Hare, JFK, or Philadelphia...but this list is meant, in part, to make a point.
Anxious about flying? See Globepouncing's Tips on Flying.
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