🌼Union Station This Beaux Arts wonder, completed in 1907, was was the first major structure in the country to be built of Bethel, Vermont, white granite, a stone prized for its strength and brightness. The station brought Washington, D.C.’s two rail hubs under one roof, allowing the railroads to dismantle central trackwork and create the National Mall. The station itself, designed by architect Daniel H...

Beautiful train stations are arguably a city’s most treasured architectural landmark. With nonstop flights going seemingly everywhere, people tend to prefer the sky over the rail. That said, there’s something nostalgic—and even glamorous—about boarding a train that simply cannot be replicated in any other form of transportation—especially planes, which are getting more modern by the year. After all, trains...

Looking for the best chole bhature in Delhi? Making your way through a pile of piping hot golden bhaturas, with a thin crisp layer topping a bed of pillowy comfort, paired with spicy, tangy chole, is a thing of wonder that Delhiites know all too well. Whether you like yours with a homestyle lightness or with extra masala, with onion, potato, or paneer, thick or runny, there’s a place for every kind...

A mosaic of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures, food, and architecture, Malaysia’s tropical island state of Penang is one of the most multicultural spots on earth. Due to its riot of Sino-European shophouses, Chinese temples and clan houses, mosques, Hindu temples, British colonial buildings and some of the best street food in Asia, its capital, George Town, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site for...

Jodhpur’s treasures not just lie in its forts and palaces, but also in its street food. To experience authentic Jodhpuri food, you don't need to make a reservation at a fancy restaurant. Instead, explore the narrow by-lanes and hole-in-the-wall shops of Jodhpur's Old City. With interesting anecdotes attached to dishes—some invented purely by accident—many shops have served unique dishes for over a century...

It’s the sorpotel of a vegan’s dreams. Tender, juicy, with a tangy kick from vinegar and a lingering heat from red chillies. This preparation may even please purists who scoff at vegetarian versions of what is traditionally a pork dish, because it contains a beloved Goan staple: the cashew apple. People who have cooked and eaten cashew sorpotel will tell you that the cashew apple doesn’t just have...

Temperatures are beginning to rise and the longing for a cool dip in the sea and an even cooler drink afterwards is getting hard to ignore. If you’re planning a beach trip soon, there’s a lot to explore in Kerala. From surfing hotspots to unmatched seafood delicacies, these are some of the best beach experiences in Kerala. 🌵Go on an underwater safari at Kovalam BeachA cluster of three adjacent crescent...

One evening at Juhu beach, past the chana jor garam vendors, shirtless men getting massages on the sand and the families with excited toddlers on picnic mats, photographer Shaunak Modi was in a tide pool photographing cuttlefish eggs. It was egg-laying season and Modi knew the drill—look long and hard enough and you would spot the embryos swimming inside the eggs. Then suddenly, before his eyes, an...

India’s heritage and culture are so much more than just monuments and sites; it is reflected in everything from oral traditions, performing arts, social practices and festive events. According to UNESCO, intangible heritage represents inherited traditions from the past but also contemporary rural and urban practices that are inclusive, representative and community-based. On this World Heritage Day, here...

🌸Crumlin Road Gaol, Northern Ireland Crumlin Road Gaol, a Victorian-era prison in Belfast, is said to be one of the most haunted sites in Northern Ireland. Often referred to as Europe’s Alcatraz, the jail contained some 25,000 inmates (men, women, and children) during its 150 years of operation, publicly hung many prisoners, and buried their bodies within the prison walls. The institution officially shut...