Bonjour Paris! – Metropolis Magnifique

June 15, 2011

PARIS, FRANCE – Ah, Paris. It’s hard not to sigh when you utter the name of the French capital. Unequivocally, it’s one of the world’s most breathtaking cities. From museums bursting with masterpieces to public gardens laden with bright blooms, Paris is equally alluring both indoors and out. Add in… (more)

Beijing hair gets a British branding at Toni & Guy

May 18, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – British hair salon chain Toni & Guy claims to be “the most powerful hairdressing brand in the world.” I’m not exactly sure how one might wield hairdressing power (lobby the U.N. for more humanitarian hairstyling missions?), but at least in the case of Toni & Guy, there’s… (more)

Tempting Tuesday: “Beauty and the Beach” at The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach

April 26, 2011

PALM BEACH, FL – In Palm Beach speak, Easter weekend means more than just pastel fashions and more Peeps than you could ever possibly eat: for locals, it also implies the unofficial end of The Season. With the steamy Florida summer starting to set in, this is when the snowbirds… (more)

Getting (self) centered at Eau Spa by Cornelia

March 31, 2011

PALM BEACH, USA – In most instances, few of us would want to be slapped with the label “self-centered,” a term that typically connotes selfishness and a neglect for the needs of others. But at the Eau Spa by Cornelia in Palm Beach’s five-star Ritz-Carlton, self-centeredness gets a makeover…and emerges… (more)

Tempting Tuesday: Let yourself go at the Peninsula Spa Beverly Hills

March 8, 2011

LOS ANGELES, US – The Hollywood awards season may have wrapped up last weekend, but that’s no excuse to drop the red carpet look and let yourself go…unless by “let yourself go” you mean “surrender to the treatments of talented spa therapists.” Here to offer lavish assistance in that arena… (more)

Tempting Tuesday: Kick off spring with sun salutations at Yoga Yard

March 1, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – Spring is within touching distance in Beijing. Last weekend’s snowstorm aside, the sun is out, the birds are chirping, and the mercury is edging up to 50 degrees. Brisk winds from up north (think Mongolia) still make it a bit chilly for extended outdoor cavorting, but, from… (more)

Hot Springs-ing it in Taipei

January 22, 2011

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – A favorite Taiwanese pastime brought over by the Japanese during the colonial period, hot springs bathing is a wonderful way to not only soak up some mineral-rich water (long believed to provide therapeutic benefits to the skin and an assortment of ailments), but also to soothe away… (more)

Purple Beijing!: From Imperial Hutong to Designer High Rise

December 20, 2010

BEIJING, CHINA –  Beijing is a city whose grand, imperial past is inseparable from its sprawling, concrete-jungle present. At its founding, the emperor’s throne in the magnificent Forbidden City was placed precisely at the city’s dead center, while surrounding neighborhoods were coaxed into concentric circles around it, ensuring a master-planned… (more)

Now Premiering: Los Angeles!

September 29, 2010

LOS ANGELES, USA – Divine fashions. Swank cocktails. Fabulous food. Star sightings. And a dash of paparazzi. Have you landed at the latest Hollywood film premiere? Nope, you’ve landed on The Purple Passport’s new Los Angeles guide. That’s right: LA is now “up in lights” on our site, and we’ve… (more)

Many hands make light work at Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat

August 31, 2010

BEIJING, CHINA – Sometimes it seems as if I don’t have enough hands to deal with the demands of navigating my way through a city like Beijing. Juggling camera, cab fare, map, umbrella, and cup of tea while traversing the cobblestones of the Forbidden City or maze-like hutongs is enough… (more)