In many ways, modern travel is at its most vibrant in the cafe of a city, and Amsterdam is no different. Everyday life overflows here, as old friends catch up while young creatives furiously work away in the corner, with plenty of fantastic coffee and cakes to be enjoyed along the way. To be clear, if you want a coffee or a light meal in Amsterdam, then a coffeeshop is not the place to stop. Despite the name, those joints serve cannabis (yes, pun intended); you’re after a koffiehuis (or cafe).
Amsterdam’s centuries-old cafe and restaurant culture deserves celebrating, and what better way to pay homage than by nipping in for a hot cup of coffee and a delightfully massive cake? These are the best cafes in Amsterdam. Expect plenty of gorgeous canalside views, you lucky thing.
With snow-capped mountains framing fall colours in the valley, Whistler offers a breathtaking setting for a world-class celebration of food and drink from the Sea-to-Sky region and beyond.
Cornucopia is back for its 25th anniversary with a reimagined schedule of tastings, events, seminars and celebrations throughout November. With extended dates and a diverse schedule of events, Whistler’s signature fall festival invites the epicurious to let their taste buds (safely) run wild in this spectacular mountain playground.
A night out in Amsterdam is one of the world’s great travel experiences. Not convinced? Visitors to this famous city have been stopping for a drink or three since the 1600s when sailors and traders alike exchanged tales over tipples before going their separate ways. The Dutch capital’s sightseeing options are among the best on the continent, but the best bars in Amsterdam keep the fun going late into the night.
Amsterdam’s eclectic soul shines brightest in its bars, where the traditional taverns of yesteryear sidle up to sleek lounges, hyper-stylish cocktail bars and craft breweries that continue this city’s proud history of revolution and innovation. You don’t need too much of a reason to stop for a drink in Amsterdam, and these bars should be high on your must-see list.
While the creek that fuelled Vancouver’s nineteenth-century brewery boom is long gone from Mount Pleasant, this historic neighbourhood remains the city’s go-to spot for craft beer – it’s easy to hit half a dozen tasting rooms in an afternoon on foot. The otherwise nondescript industrial and office buildings of this ever-evolving area are festooned with multi-storey murals, while its classic brick warehouses and storefronts are home to great vintage stores, galleries and artists’ studios. The neighbourhood vibe is perhaps best captured by Dude Chilling Park, so named after a guerrilla art installation mimicking an official city sign kept appearing with this name. Locals rallied to make the sign official, and it now has public art status.
The perfect day: Line your stomach with a peanut butter and jelly doughnut, plus locally roasted coffee, at 49th Parallel before strolling down Main Street to the cluster of breweries between 8th and 2nd avenues. Finish your night with craft cocktails at The Narrow Lounge or catch a show at the Fox Cabaret.
Plan your trip: For the Vancouver Mural Festival, in August, which culminates in an epic street party with multiple stages across Mount Pleasant. –Christina Newberry
This post originally appeared in the Time Out list of the word’s coolest neighbourhoods 2021.
Odds are, you’ve spent a lot more time outdoors this year than usual. City parks and restaurant patios have become sacred spaces for spending time with loved ones or simply escaping the constant pull of the home office. We’ve learned to head outside to reconnect with others and ourselves, to find our centre and replenish our physical and mental reserves.
As travel resumes, British Columbians have the chance to dive deeper into nature, exploring the vast wilderness of this province that we call home. It’s a summer to spend the days watching wildlife in wild spaces and falling asleep to the sound of the wind in the trees. Whether you’re looking for a back-to-basics getaway or a luxurious holiday in the great outdoors, there’s no shortage of options right here in beautiful BC.
The view Amsterdam is an unusually flat city, so you don’t need to get up high to be above it all. From the 11th floor, SkyLounge offers unparalleled up-close views of the Basilica of Saint Nicholas and Amsterdam’s iconic canal houses, with sightlines stretching all the way out to Schiphol airport.
The vibe Perched on top of the DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station hotel, this breezy rooftop is usually buzzing with locals, expats and tourists alike bobbing their heads to the DJ’s tracks while planning out a weekend’s worth of mischief.
The drinks When you think Amsterdam, you naturally think tropical cocktails. No? Well, they’re in high demand here, though those with more refined tastes can always opt for something based on champagne or gin instead.
Don’t miss Sunset, when the city glows with that unbeatable Dutch light. Just remember that the golden hour ranges from 4pm in December to 10pm in June. Christina Newberry
Read the full list of the world’s 25 best rooftop bars at Time Out.
This southern stretch of the Okanagan is a sunny vacation paradise with good food, great wine, and sandy beaches for that perfect summer weekend escape.
NO. 1
Walnut Beach Resort
When you're lying on the sand under a straw umbrella, you know you're on vacation. When it's 30+ degrees and someone delivers a freshly made cocktail straight to your waterfront lounge chair, you've taken it to the next level. There's only one licenced beach in Osoyoos, found at the Walnut Beach Resort (@walnutbeachresort). Private for hotel guests only, it's a serene place to wiggle your toes in the sand, gaze out at the lake and pretend you're in Mexico. I love the large pool and hot tubs, too, but it's hard to beat the beach.
The work landscape underwent massive changes in 2020. This came with a new and urgent focus on digital tools that empower teams to collaborate with coworkers they may never have met. Workflow management — and integration tools in particular — have become critical for teams that need to accomplish, track, and manage everything from repetitive tasks to complex large-scale projects…
Companies of all sizes are moving their infrastructure, digital assets, and work processes into the cloud. Gartner expects companies to spend $116 billion on SaaS tools in 2020. That massive investment represents multiple tools all being used at the same time. The average mid-market business used 137 SaaS tools in 2019. That's an increase of 30 percent from the year before. This increase isn't just present at the business-level; individual employees are using 10 apps or more. The sheer number of tools used by the average organization creates a new obstacle for collaboration: the tool silo…
