Travels to Iran
Talk to any travel writer or avid traveler and they’ll no doubt tell you that Iran is one of the most beautiful and fascinating countries in the world. Americans, of course, have had a painful recent relationship with the country, fed a steady diet of anti-American flag burning. But don’t confuse politics with the people. The current population in Iran is over 77 million and if you talk to any traveler who has recently visited the country, they’ll tell you that the Iranian people are incredibly welcoming. Plus the best form of education is to go to a country and get behind the wall of fear-inducing media to actually see for yourself. After all, Americans who travel overseas are the best diplomats for America. So I was delighted to hear last week that British nationals were told by their Foreign Office that they were no longer being advised to avoid all but essential travel to Iran. I’m hoping Americans will soon follow suit. I’m already working with a highly reputable ground operator in Iran, Darwan Shiraz, whose founder, Abolfazl Moghadam, has been designing tours around his country the past 16 years. On his 2-week Persian Nightingale Tour, you’ll visit the ancient city of Yazd, which UNESCO has declared to be the 2nd most important historic city in the world after Jerusalem. Winding narrow streets lead to exquisite mosques. Tabriz is home to the largest covered bazaar in the world. From a distance, the Kandovan rocky village looks like a termite colony built in the volcanic ash of Mount Sahand. You’ll also spend 3 nights in Tehran to check out Niyavaran and Saad Abad Palaces and to visit the contemporary art museum. The trip is guided and includes all transfers, hotels, and most meals.
The Blue Lagoon
This past June I had the good fortune to travel with a wonderful guide, Pablo Ospina, through his hometown of Medellin, Colombia. Our first stop was Communa 13 to see the magnificent and ever-growing street art in this neighborhood, which not too long ago was one of the most dangerous neighborhoods of South America. While we strolled, Pablo gave me the history of Medellin, this city of 4 million nestled in the valley close to a mile high. When he was growing up, there were car bombs and constant fighting between the government and the guerilla forces of FARC, with the remnants of Escobar’s drug ring thrown in for more chaos. Now the city has rose from the ashes and what a remarkable job it’s doing. Not only is it safe, but it has one of the best climates in the world, 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Many people are retiring to the city to enjoy the weather and the only public transit system in Colombia, which includes cable cars and outdoor escalators.
On our last day in Hong Kong, we went on a group hike on the 
The final two nights of our trip to San Francisco, we stayed in a new boutique hotel called