Oceanfront digs (minus the beach bunnies) at Casa del Mar

April 2, 2010

SANTA MONICA, CA – Though many of Los Angeles’ finest hotels are concentrated in Beverly Hills and Hollywood, it’s hard for me to visit the city without itching to stay somewhere close to the beach. That iconic expanse of sparkling blue Pacific rimmed with white sand and palm trees never… (more)

Beauty of the Breakfast Buffet

November 27, 2010

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – One of my favorite things when traveling is to partake in the hotel’s breakfast buffet. Aside from the early morning homage to gluttony, this is also a fabulous way of getting a sense of the region’s cultural influences. Breakfast buffets can be broken into several different sections.… (more)

Friday Finds: Tumblr Edition

July 15, 2011

Our Tumblr, Purple On The Go is a great way for us to post real-time updates of what we’re doing, where we are, what we’re eating, and of course, where we want to go. Turns out, there are countless other bitten-by-the-travel-bug bloggers out there, too.  This week, click through some… (more)

Not exactly flying under the radar: Da Dong Roast Duck

April 23, 2010

BEIJING, CHINA – They say birds of a feather flock together, and in the case of Da Dong Roast Duck, those-in-the-know flock for the bird. In the ever ongoing “Who has the best Beijing duck in town?” debate, Da Dong consistently flies to the top of the list. So, we… (more)

The Hunt: Historical Landmarks

November 10, 2011

Global – Every week, The Purple Passport team goes out in search of a designated item in whatever city our team members happen to be in at that time. We wanted to share with you, our readers, some of our finds from around the world! This week’s theme was historical… (more)

The alchemy of trendy and moneyed on Robertson Boulevard

January 23, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA – If Rodeo Drive is a little bit “fancy” (i.e., prim and proper), and Melrose Avenue is a little bit “rock-’n-roll” (i.e., indie), then Robertson Boulevard is a modern day mash-up.  The stretch of boutiques between Beverly and Wilshire Boulevards has all the moneyed, celeb glory of… (more)

Tiki to the Max at Mahiki

February 23, 2011

LONDON, UK – Dreary winter days seemingly without end can definitely have a girl longing for a tropical beach, even while on holiday in London. The other night, I realized the closest I’d get to the tropics was imbibing a sultry cocktail and, as such, decided that something Polynesian was… (more)

Ancient massage saves the day at Happy Foot Reflexology Center

April 19, 2010

HONG KONG, CHINA – After a much too long (and cramped) recent international flight to Hong Kong, my husband and I were dying for a little R&R, Chinese style. Which is why, upon arrival, we headed for a couples’ foot massage at the Happy Foot Reflexology Center smack in the… (more)

East Coast v. West Coast: the Pastrami Debate

July 31, 2010

LOS ANGELES, USA – In quibbles over whether New York or LA is the best urban turf in America, two topics are bound to come up: the quality of the nightlife, and the quality of the pastrami. New York clearly edges out LA as the city that never sleeps, but… (more)

An open-door policy at The Original Pantry Café

April 30, 2010

LOS ANGELES, USA – At The Original Pantry Café, a vintage downtown greasy spoon, they take their motto of “Never closed, never without a customer” very seriously. Started as a round-the-clock counter grill in 1924, the diner didn’t interrupt service a smidge the day in 1950 it moved to its… (more)