1) Landaa Giraavaru, Maldives Photo: The Silver Spoon Landaa Giraavaru is an island in the Baa Atoll in the Maldives (UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve). Frankly, any of the beaches in the Maldives are incredible! 2) Krabi, Thailand Photo: Nina R Krabi is on the west coast of southern Thailand at the mouth of the Krabi River where it flows into Phang Nga Bay. There are great Thai houses close to...

Nantucket is one of my favorite places to visit in the US. The island is littered with my cousins. I love to go up to sail, but also to shop the sophisticated stores along the main drag. They have everything from woven sandals from Morocco to blankets from Maine. The shop Bodega does a fantastic job with our prints. My favorite hotel there is Greydon House, a lovely 20 room...

Years (and years) ago, I was planning to shoot a new season of prints in Jaipur and needed a local photographer.  I had heard rumors about a Belgium fellow who was fluent in Hindi, a brilliant photographer, and he lived in Jaipur. My connection with Jonas Spinoy was fortunately made. From Goa to Kashmir, Jonas has shot many of our collection photos, and we have had many adventures together. I...

Ikats, Ikats, Ikats My first visit to Uzbekistan was ten years ago, arranged by Raisa, a local travel agent who helped Aid to Artisans set up a network of weavers in the Fergana valley.  It’s a great story: Aid to Artisans gave these talented weavers small grants of $500-1000. The money enabled them to attend textile shows in Santa Fe, where they sold everything they’d made! Ten years later, I’m back...

With so much to see and eat in Istanbul, I was lucky to spend a full week there, but still only touched the surface! The dollar is strong, so why not stay at the Soho House? You don’t have to be a member. Right across the street, the old US embassy is now a swinging club with a great hammam. Don't pass a hammam by - they’re in every corner...

  Bohemians, forget Berlin; Mexico City is the place for you now. I booked my trip with Maricarmen at International Travel Group in Mexico City, who helped me with my flights and where to stay. I started at the Camino Real Hotel. A mysterious Noguchi fountain spouts endless streams of water in front of pink and yellow buildings designed by Ricardo Legorreta for a soothing dose of vitality after a...

  The Tree of Life It was fun to re-visit the city where my career first began. Twenty years ago, I attended the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India. I met three lovely students, remarkably cool in the March heat, which was rising daily. They were amused that a foreigner would come to Ahmedabad at such a time. I told them of my interest in Indian textiles. They offered...

Hop off the plane and Uber straight to the Taj Hotel. If you have the dough, go for the old wing; if not, the new tower is not so bad, but make sure to request an ocean view.  Right outside the hotel, in pomp and failed circumstance, sits The Gateway of India-—lovely to walk around morning, noon and night, as the light dramatically shifts. Just around the corner you’ll spot the...

“We are all of us pilgrims that struggle along different paths towards the same destination.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Years ago, I wandered the streets and back alleys of Varanasi, not sure where I had landed and not really old enough to process it all. I warn people not to go there on their first trip to India- it’s too raw, too intense. Having turned fifty, I feel ready to...

One does not travel any more than one falls in love, to collect material. It is simply part of one's life. - Evelyn Waugh   My Kenyan safari starts in Nairobi. Don’t miss the house of Karen Blixen of “Out of Africa” fame, a modest bungalow surrounded by unruly gardens. Some of the clothes worn in the movie are on display and will help you get into the spirit of...