Trieste, Italy

Trieste is a lively little town, within an hour of Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. It is a lovely town to walk and explore. Full of cafes, architecture, music, and lively happy hours.

Stay Here

Starhotels Savoia Excelsior Palace is located right on the water front in the center of town. Great location and views. Contemporary rooms. Accommodating staff. http://www.starhotels.com/en/our-hotels/savoia-excelsior-palace-trieste/

All of the Eating:

Al Bagatto was the best meal in town. A few highlights were the amberjack, red shrimp pasta, eggplant pasta and homemade Tiramisu. 

There are a ton of great spots for a quick espresso, but I really liked Adoro Cafe.

Pizza is a big deal in Italy and Trieste does not disappoint. Must try Marinato and d'Napoli, both were amazing.


Must try local wine varietals, Schioppettino, Friulano, Ribolla gialla and Verduzzo.

Outside of town:

Castello Miramare is just a few minutes outside of Trieste, an incredible castle built by Maximiliano and Carlotta, but also used by the Allied forces in WW2 as a base. .

Portopiccolo Sistiana is a small vacation community, looks a bit like Greece with white washed buildings. Lovely beach club, can rent a bed by the pool with service for the entire day.The Adriatic is amazing. http://www.portopiccolosistiana.it/en/_1.htm

Rovinj, Croatia

Rovinj:

Roving is a lovely Croatian seaside town, that you could cozy up in for a few days, or tackle all in one day. There are a few touristy sites to see, but the highlight was eating at Kantinon. 

Kantinon specializes in Istrian delicacies and local ingredients, and of course, local wines. Really lovely staff. Good for just an appetizer even and a glass of wine, though they have a whole menu of tapas which are worth trying. http://www.maistra.com/things-to-do/kantinon-tavern

Venice, Italy

If you can only do one thing (or two):

Go to the Hotel Danieli, its just past the main square. Take a left, cross a tiny bridge and then its on the left side. Go into the lobby, and there is a nice lobby bar, but go straight past it, past the sign that says hotel guests only, take the elevator up to the rooftop terrace. Super expensive drinks, but the view and peace and quiet are worth it. Great escape from the tourists. 

You'll want to visit St Marks Basilica, its the main attraction in Venice, and its free, but there was an HOUR line to get in. Forget waiting in that line- go to this website, choose individual traveller, and its 2 Euros for ZERO wait time. There is an entrance in the front of the building, no line. You show them either a printed confirmation from this or just a barcode on your phone. 

http://www.venetoinside.com/attraction-tickets-in-veneto/tickets/skip-the-line-saint-marks-basilica/

That website has other skip the line tickets etc. for other sites in Venice too and I believe that they have deals on taxis etc.

Rome, Italy

All of the eating:

Roscioli is one of the best restaurants and is a favorite with locals too. Very un-pretentious, great service. You walk in and there are cases in the front, and it almost looks like more of a market. They specialize in a few things: highest quality mozzarella and charcuterie that you order a la carte, marinated tomatoes that are outstanding (and they sell bottled), and they are known for having the best Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara pasta dishes in all of Rome. Decadent but worth it. Lovely meal. You may want a reservation. http://www.salumeriaroscioli.com

Dal Bolognese  is a very nice restaurant. You get the sense that its a bit more dressy, but still casual and popular with locals. Wonderful Bolognese obviously, and their nut ice cream dessert is outrageous.

Pizzarium Bonci is a bit off the beaten (very beaten) tourist path, but so worth checking out. You can a slice of pizza and a slice of real Rome. This is where the locals eat, and they will be surprised that you've found it. Very good slices of pizza with awesome toppings.

Touristy Stuff:

Get a guided walking tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum, just so that you don't have to wait in line for tickets. Or book your tickets ahead of time. Its a crazy line for tickets and to go through security. You skip security if you buy through a tour. Don't really eat at any of the places near there, total tourist traps, not good food. 

The Hop on Hop off bus in Rome isn't a bad way to see things. But mostly recommend walking around at night. Everything is open late, and is less crowded, and its much less hot. 

If you just do one thing:

Eat at Roscioli. There's two ways to heaven in this town. One has super long lines, and one is heaven in a bowl of pasta. So, I say, skip the Vatican, and book a table instead.

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Stay Here:

Sunset at Na Balam

Privledges Aluxes Hotel- Nice mid-size resort at North End of the island. The food was just ok, best not to buy all inclusive package. Some rooms have views of the local cemetery, so if that isn't your thing, then best to request a room overlooking the pool or beach. Great location for walking into town for dinner or renting golf carts.  http://www.privilegehotels.com

NaBalam Resort: Great no frills resort with simple rooms, but on a spectacular beach with great food and beach service. Less expensive than Privledges Aluxes. An easy 10 minute walk into town. The yoga classes at Na Balam are incredible. We loved taking class with Lal! Worth going back just for his classes. The beach at Na Balam is particularly nice because its shallow and clear for at least 20-30 feet. If you don't stay here, you can always rent a beach bed for the entire day for around $20USD.  http://nabalam.com

All of the Eating and Touristy Stuff:

Isla Mujeres is a long skinny island (around 7 miles) , and can be split up into three areas: North End, South End and Mid-Island. 

Best way to get around the island is in golf carts. It takes about 1 hour to drive around the entire island in a gold cart. They can be rented near the marina at various locations.

The South End's main attraction are some ruins, which aren't terribly impressive. It's still worth going to see this site because there is a great path that leads down to the ocean, and a great photo op at the Easternmost point of Mexico. There are also tons of iguanas and crabs to see. The South End also has the Zoetry Hotel. Its possibly the nicest hotel on the island, but is removed from most of the restaurants and nightlife. At night you would need to take a taxi to the North End for dinner, unless you eat at the hotel restaurant called Casa Rolandi, which serves Italian food. 

Beaches at the North End

The North End has the nicest beaches and the majority of the restaurants which line Hidalgo Street. We liked Lola Valentina for healthy options, blended drink, and had good meals there for breakfast and dinner. Olivia has decent Mediterranean food but usually requires a reservation. There are many pizza places on Hidalgo Street, and they are all decently good. 

The Mid-Island actually has the best food on the entire island, according to both locals and tourists. Two must try are Mango Cafe for breakfast or lunch, and Bastos Grill for lunch or dinner. 

If you're an animal lover, its worth checking out the local animal rescue group, Isla Animals. They do a great job with spaying and neutering the local strays, raising awareness in the community and getting a large number of animals adopted. http://islaanimals.org

Isla Mujeres has some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world. There are many companies who can take you out on a day trip. They all generally go to the same locations: The Farolito (lighthouse) and the Museo (and underwater sculptural museum).

Getting Around:

You can take a taxi anywhere on the island for around $5, and anything on the North End is walkable. Golf carts are rented by the half day or day.

The ferry to and from Isla leaves every 30 minutes and is around $14 roundtrip. No need to buy advanced tickets. There is a taxi stand outside both ends of the ferry. Its around a 10 min walk from the ferry to the Privledges Aluxes Hotel.