Thrill of the new...
Five things to see and do in our new destinations
We’ve just added ten new destinations to DK Travel packed full of new sights, hotels, restaurants and other brilliant travel tips. And from night markets to tumbledown Islamic ruins and Portuguese folk music, these are just a few of our very favorite things to see and do in them...
1. Buy up Bangkok
It’s hard to think of anywhere that can match Bangkok for the variety of its shopping experience. For starters, there are the markets (which are pretty high on the list of things to see and do, before you’ve even thought about buying anything): Pharurat Market in Little India, the flower market of Pak Khlong and the truly vast Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Slightly less exotically, Bangkok’s also overflowing with places to pick up some counterfeit clothes and accessories on Silom, Patpong and Sukhumvit. Downtown, meanwhile, there are any number of shopping malls to choose from, including the trendy Gaysorn Plaza and six floors of Siam Paragon.
Sold on the night markets? Find out more about the top ten markets in Bangkok
2. Go museum mad in Mexico City
Museums in Mexico City are a pretty varied bunch. They cover everything from obscure offerings like decorative furnishings (Museo Franz Mayer) and cartoons (Museo de la Caricatura) to more mainstream art, history and culture in the Museo Nacional de Arte, the Museo de Historia Natural and the monumental Museo Nacional de Antropología.
The last of these is really something else altogether: the largest museum in Latin America, it contains an awe-inspiring collection of pre-Hispanic archaeological findings. And if all that culture gets tiring, you can slip off to the nearby Bosque de Chapultepec (the city’s park) to catch your breath!
Making for Mexico City’s museums? See more museums in Mexico City
3. Explore Islamic Marrakech
Dotted amongst its many other things to see and do, Marrakech has its fair share of evocative Islamic architecture. Along with the Medersa Ben Youssef, there’s the crumbling Badii Palace and, rising high above the noise and swirling smoke of Jemaa el Fna, the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque. None, though, are as mysterious as the Saadian tombs...
The tombs were (re)discovered by accident in the 1920s by a French official. “You have uncovered our secret,” he was told by the tombs’ guardian, “but be careful what you do with the knowledge. You must not make it a show for your people to come and stare at.” Still relatively unvisited – perhaps because so many people miss the tiny crack of an entrance – they’re well worth hunting down.
Intrigued by Islamic Marrakech? Learn about our top ten features of Moroccan architecture
4. Eat yourself to a standstill in San Antonio
A good helping of food in Texas is definitely not for the faint of heart. From Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery, to Bohanan’s Prime Steak and Seafood and the chain Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q, there are several places to eat in San Antonio where the portions are as big as they are tasty.
Eating out in San Antonio can be a pretty high-class affair, too, with upmarket riverside restaurant Biga on the Banks worth a try, and Le Rêve offering award-winning French food. When you get down to it, though, it’s really all about the ‘Tex’ and the ‘Mex’...
Hungry to find out more? See our top ten Texan restaurants
5. Fall for fado in Lisbon
Fado is a mysterious thing: of slightly uncertain origins (it’s thought to date back to Moorish times), like the Blues or Spain’s flamenco, it’s a soulful lament. Only one thing can be said with any real certainty: once you hear it, you’re never likely to forget it.
Actually, make that two things… even in Lisbon, it can be a bit tricky to find! There are plenty of touristy places (for which, read ‘expensive’) in Bairro Alto, while the better fado spots – like Clube de Fado and Parreirinha de Alfama – are generally to be found in Alfama.
Fascinated by fado? Check out our top ten fado venues in Lisbon
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