Rebecca Etter, Travel Assistant

Ever since I first read about the Saugerties Lighthouse in upstate NY, I've wanted to stay there. This 1869 lighthouse turned bed and breakfast is surrounded by the Hudson river, and can only be accessed by boat or a nature trail. The Lighthouse has the feeling of being a bit disconnected (living in a city this is part of the Lighthouse's allure for me), but with the ability to step out the front door and jump in the Hudson, I can guarantee that no guest would miss watching TV.

I love the clothes that Bruno Cucinelli makes. Although they are completely unaffordable, they are what I would wear head to toe if I were rich and a spendthrift. When I read this article in Travel & Leisure about a medieval town that he essentially is restoring and repopulating, by making it his headquarters, I was so mad I didn't know about it when I was in Italy last summer. It seems like a perfect place to go have a lovely walk around, a delicious lunch, and possible score a bit of a deal on his lovely pieces.

Posted by: Yolanda Edwards, Travel and Lifestyle Editor

Photos from brunellocucinelli.com

I would love to stay at any property from urbanorentals.com, whose apartments and villas are based in and around Merida, in the Yucatan in Mexico. The owners have done an impeccable job in restoring and furnishing them, and most of them have pools. Further, the owners have a blog which tells you what is going on each day in town, and where the best shopping is, so you have the best insider knowledge going in. The only reason i haven't made it there yet is because there are not any nonstop flights from New York into Merida. I know you can fly through Houston, and you can also drive the 2 1/2 hours from Cancun... I almost forgot the best part--they are not expensive. Can you believe that you can stay in a beautiful 2 bedroom with a pool for $275 a night?

Posted by: Yolanda Edwards

My good friend (and writer for us--who is also featured in our April 09 issue), Janine di Giovanni, told me about The Dune Hotel in India. While we haven't featured it in the magazine because it is incredibly far to go, it is a place that is intriguing, and inexpensive, and apparently lots of European families go there. Its an eco-getaway, on the sea, with organic food, lots of yoga, and tons of kid activities.

I-escape has done a great review of it.

Posted by: Yolanda Edwards

I just read about this amazing place to stay in Transylvania (for those that
are geographically challenged like I am, it's in Romania, and is a 3 hour
drive from the airport in Bucharest). Not that it is convenient in the
least, or that I have any plans to be in Romania any time soon...but check
out how cool these guesthouses are:

First of all, they are on the estate of Count Kalnoky, whose family has
owned it since the 13th century. The guest cottages are from the 1800s,
filled with Transylvanian antiques, wood stoves, local textiles, and wool
mattresses.

Food is prepared in the main guesthouse, with vegetables from the kitchen
garden (organic), and milk and meat comes from animals raised in the little
village the guesthouses are in, Miklosvar.

There are so many activities to do, from horse back riding to hiking to bat
watching...

Check out the website, and do look at the press section-- there are so many
articles from British papers that rave on about it.

Posted by: Yolanda Edwards

Yolanda Edwards | Travel & Lifestyle Editor

How genius is this--you can actually stay on a houseboat in Amsterdam...

The Hotel Acacia has two houseboats you can stay in...a modern one, and an 'authentic' one, each with small kitchen, bathroom, tv, and phone. I would have died to know about this when I was there a couple of years ago...because the houseboats are so enticing (Clara kept asking to go on one), and you see them everywhere. Plus, even though I found amazing markets with such great product, I didn't have a kitchen, and I was stuck with eating out, which wasn't so great...so having a kitchen would have been the perfect situation. There's even a very cool houseboat rental setup called City Mundo Amsterdam, that is so cheap, and is available as long as you stay 3 nights.

Photo taken from four houseboat options available to rent on City Mundo Amsterdam