Known for its traditional trulli homes, pristine beaches and olive groves, Ostini, in Italy's Puglia province, is a maze of pretty white streets and fortified with ancient walls.

getting there
Fly into Brindisi or Bari with BA, Alitalia or good old Ryanair. Or take the train into Ostuni station, minutes from the heart of the city.

sleep
Nestled in a hillside, the Villa Lalapanzi is about a 20-minute drive from Ostuni (toward Cisternino). Ultra-private, the luxurious villa sleeps 8 people comfortably, boasts fantastic views, traditional trulli construction, and a pristine swimming pool. Not to mention a modern kitchen, a barbecue and the loveliest outdoor table you will ever dine around. From €1,130/ week.

eat
Drive 25 minutes (or 10km) out of town to the agriturismo Masseria Lamiola Piccola for an unforgettable lunch in a breathtaking setting. Take a tour of the grounds where some rural architecture dates back to the 17th Century. Feast on food harvested from the hotel-restaurant’s farm, including extra virgin olive oil, and sample orecchiette, the local pasta, and burrata, a soft, milky and delicious alternative to mozzarella. Email lamiolapiccola@libero.it for reservations.

drink
Caffé Centrale by Ostuni’s town hall in the Piazza della Liberta works double overtime as a favourite spot for a morning coffee and a drink in the evening. From €3 glasses of Prosecco to Sidecar and Mimosa cocktails, its prime location is the best for people-watching and within a stone’s throw of lively pizzerias and artisanal gelaterias.

visit
Pack a picnic and hop a cab to Pilone Beach, a white sand oasis less than 20 minutes from Ostuni Centre. Be warned, the waves are rougher than they look. 

Ciao Bellas!

See photos from our Italian holiday, today on our Editors' Diary.

Grab the girls and head to the mountains for a weekend of spas, steaks and sun. 

dine
The brand new Sidecut steakhouse at the Four Seasons Hotel boasts an infrared grill that creates the perfect crispy char. Customize your steak with a choice of dipping sauces and rubs, like the spicy and smoky Edison’s Medicine. Sit on the pretty patio and marvel at the serene views. Is that a bear up there? www.fourseasons.com/whistler

drink
The Bearfoot Bistro’s new Miami-style poolside patio opened officially on July 1. If you can’t take the heat, duck into the restaurant’s new Belvedere Ice Room, don a Canada Goose-down parka, and taste specialty vodkas stored in a wall of ice. Now that’s cool. www.bearfootbistro.com

recover
The new Scandinave Spa off the Lost Lake Trail is a self-contained hydrotherapy haven. Detox in the Finnish sauna and steam room then refresh in the hot and cold plunge pools. Relaxation rooms stocked with contemporary magazines and a policy of silence will help with your head, as will a restorative bowl of lemongrass-miso soup in the bistro. From $55, www.scandinave.com

relax
Consider taking the Rocky Mountaineer train to Whistler and arrive already relaxed after a spectacular 3-hour journey through valleys, rivers and waterfalls not seen from the highway. A complimentary drinks cart (remember those?) is a welcome retro touch. Now that’s our idea of “personal training.” From $129, www.whistlermountaineer.com

More than just two-steppin’ and trailers, in Austin, Texas you’ll find slow food cuisine, effortless cool and lots and lots of tequila. Yee ha!

sleep
With its rock ’n’ roll décor and laid-back vibe, the Hotel Saint Cecilia is like having your own SoCo bolthole. Our poolside bungalow was fitted with a shower for two (or three), vintage turntable and mini-bar filled with flatbread and brie. We sat on our private terrace, sipping spicy margaritas and listening to Al Green records from the hotel library. Rooms from $350, 112 Academy Dr., Austin, TX, 512-852-2400, www.hotelsaintcecilia.com

eat
The burgeoning 2nd Street District is home to La Condesa serving up Mexican City street food with a modern edge. Give them three days notice and they’ll roast a whole suckling pig just for you! We tried mini tostados with squid, tuna and chipotle mayo ($12) followed by Carne Aasada ($32). With over 80 varieties on offer, do indulge in tasting flights of Mezcal and Blanco tequilas (from $15) while the ‘sommelier’ explains smoky vs. smooth.  Muy caliente! 400a West 2nd St., Austin, TX, 512-499-0300, www.lacondesaaustin.com

eat more
Austin’s hippest new 'hood lies east of the I-35 where we discovered East Side Show Room, a former 1920s grocery store revamped with a breezy back patio, local art and farm-raised food (all suppliers are listed on the menu) like antelope tartar ($14) and snapper baked in parchment paper ($22). 1100 East 6th St., Austin, TX, 512-467-4280, www.eastsideshowroom.com

do
Take yourself to the roller derby show for live bands and babes on skates. Every weekend the Lonestar Rollergirls compete on a banked-track, knocking down teams like the Tonya Hardings and Rhinestone Cowgirls. We wouldn’t want to meet these gals in a dark alley but after a couple of Shiner beers we found ourselves cheering wildly for the Cherry Bombs. Tickets from $13 at www.txrd.com

see
For something tamer, the LBJ Library and Museum celebrates the former president and his flower-loving wife, Lady Bird. Her hosting prowess, elegant gowns and pink-toned office reminded us that Jackie wasn’t the only glam first lady of the 1960s. 2313 Red River St., Austin, TX, 512-721-0200, www.lbjlibrary.org

shop
At modish boutique by george (524 North Lamar Blvd., 512-472-5951, Austin, TX) you’ll fawn over Balenciaga purses, silk Dries Van Noten dresses and sassy platforms from Fiorentini & Baker. Can’t break the bank? We took the staff’s advice and drove 30-minutes south to San Marcos Premium Outlets (the third largest in the world) for jaw-dropping deals on Fendi frocks, La Perla panties and Ferragamo flats. Premium Outlets, 3939 South IH-35, San Marcos, TX, 512-396-2200.

For more on Montreal editor Marianne Wisenthal’s Austin adventure, visit today’s Editors’ Diary.

If it’s good enough for Jennifer Aniston, it’s good enough for us. Mexico’s pristine and serene San Jose Del Cabo on the Sea of Cortes (think Cabo’s sophisticated sister) had us at “Ola.”    

stay
At the Mexican-owned Marquis Los Cabos resort, they’re so serious about relaxation, they’ll bury your BlackBerry for you. While pondering the hotel’s impressive collection of art and sculpture, enjoying spacious private casitas and eavesdropping on the international clientele, you won’t miss it a bit.

swim
The resort’s pool is a good metaphor for the pleasures you’ll have: absolutely infinite. If the soft, sandy beaches, crashing surf and grey whale sightings don’t get you, how about baby sea turtles?

spa
Sunrise yoga on the breezy spa deck will get those limbs limber for beach walks. Follow with an all-organic Holistic Breakfast of egg white omelets and celery smoothies and you’ve now earned those margaritas.

do
Take a trip onto the charming village of San Jose, where the boutique hotel Casa Natalia tucked off the main square offers sublime cocktails in a romantic courtyard, perfect for a marriage proposal. www.casanatalia.com

I Do
The stunning arch of the open-air lobby of Marquis Los Cabos mimics the shape of the Baja Peninsula. Could there be a more memorable setting for a sunset wedding?

To view rates and packages, visit www.marquisloscabos.com

Sure, we go to Paris to admire the impressionists in the Musée d’Orsay or drool over fashion history in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, but we always end up spending most of our time indulging ourselves in food, drink, and shopping.

sleep
Located in the working class 20e arondissement, the Philippe Starck-designed hotel Mama Shelter offers urban-oasis styling on a budget. With quirky touches like plastic masks for bedside lamps (our room had Shrek and Princess Fiona), chalkboard ceilings, and elevators wallpapered with fun facts, as well as hallway mirrors listing neighbourhood concerts and events, it’s clear that this Mama is the loving kind. Rooms start at €99/night. 109 rue de Bagnolet, 75020, Paris, +33 (0)1 43 48 48 48, www.mamashelter.com

eat
Tucked away from the noisy red-light atmosphere of Le Pigalle is the charming garden courtyard restaurant at the Hotel Amour. Far from its old clientele during its by-the-hour days, the restaurant and bar now cater to a chic crowd who like to dine on tartare de boeuf, then play foosball in the basement. Hotel Restaurant Amour, 8, Rue Navarin, 75009 Paris, +33 (0)1 48 78 31 80, www.hotelamourparis.fr

drink
Hidden behind a vine-covered black gate is Le Très Particulier, the private bar at the Hotel Particulier Montmartre. Knock and say you are there to “boire un verre,” and then let David, the New York bartender, fix you one of his original creations. Reservations are a must. 23, Avenue Junot, 75018 Paris, +33 (0)1 53 41 81 40, www.hotel-particulier-montmartre.com

shop
Forget Colette! Merci is the newest lifestyle concept store creating a buzz in Paris. Browse the airy loft for clothes, books, furniture and even flowers. With proceeds going to a foundation helping children and women in Madagascar, designers including Annick Goutal, Yves Saint Laurent, and Stella McCartney offer custom items at 30 per cent off. Merci, 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris, +33 (0)1 42 77 78 92, www.merci-merci.com

We used to travel with enough toiletries to sink the Titanic until we wised up to the beauty of multi-use products.

From the lovely Salt Marsh Sisters comes the Medicinal Floral Body Powder ($14), which does triple duty as a deodorant, foot powder and post-bath body duster.

Made with organic Arrowroot powder and wild flowers found in and around the salt marshes of the eastern shore of Nova Scotia, this gorgeous-smelling product fits snugly into any carry-on pocket.

Now, about those shoes.

http://saltmarshsisters.ca/

Give winter the cold shoulder with a sojourn of sun, sand and shopping in South Beach.

stay
We’re not sure what we love most about The Betsy: the colonial, beach-style rooms (stocked with Frette linens, Dylan’s Candy and Malin + Goetz products), the location (slap bang on Ocean Drive), the restaurant (Laurent Tourondel's fabulous BLT), or simply the overall vibe (heightened by some great music styling). From $300/night, www.thebetsyhotel.com

eat
If you’re lusting after sushi try Bond St, where the fish is fabulously fresh and inventively prepared. You’ll find a wonderful plate of melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi at DeNiro’s Ago and for fantastic steak try Prime One Twelve.

drink
From the Setai to the Delano to the Shore Club, every SoBe hotel boasts a great people-gazing bar. We settled comfortably into the sofas at the W South Beach and sipped cocktails, flicked through fashion tomes and counted collagen implants.

shop
South Beach has The Webster, Barneys and Intermix – but savvy shoppers know to cab it to the design district. En Avance is worth a visit for a smattering of big name and on-the-up designers  and if you’re shopping with your guy, be sure to check out the bespoke suits at Duncan Quinn. The Louboutin store is a real thrill and for mega splurge furnishings pop into Fendi Casa or Kartell.

With its boho vibe and colourful baroque architecture, Mexico's San Miguel Allende is a tropical hotspot for artists, writers and expats.

stay
It was a last minute booking, but thank goodness we found a room at Casa Luna Quebrada. Cooking classes, communal breakfasts, a lush open courtyard and hippie-chic bedrooms, make this colonial villa the perfect place to stay. www.casaluna.com

shop
Ceramics, antiques and folk art are sold in abundance in this charming town. Artists' studios and galleries are mostly open to the public and the many flea markets sell anything from fresh food and flowers to woven rugs and traditional Talavera pottery.

eat
Street tacos are tasty, but if it’s haute Mexican you’re after, look no further than La Capilla. The setting (a renovated chapel) and view (Gothic-style church) are breathtaking. 10 Cuna de Allende, 52 415 152 0698.

do
Spend a day splashing in the hot springs at La Gruta, a private park on the road to Dolores Hidalgo (daily 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; US$5). If you get peckish, the lawns are covered in banana trees.

The idea of monogrammed steamer trunks is so luxe, but not without a personal butler in tow.

Until our life turns into an Agatha Christie novel, we’re sticking to lightweight luggage that we can hoist on and off a belt without chipping a nail.

At the sleek new Rimowa store on Bloor Street there are plenty of jet-setting options. The signature grooved surface (in a range of gorgeous colours) and ultra light weight (the new Salsa Air series starts at 1.2 kg) makes it a favourite among high-flyers like Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Reese Witherspoon – and us.

With or without Butler Beddoes.

Rimowa, 101 Bloor St. W (and St. Thomas), Toronto, 416-922-2644, www.rimowa.com

Why bother with an ashram in India when a good old map will do?

Find yourself on any one of Ork’s eye-grabbing city maps (from $22). Start with a walk around Central Park followed by a lazy lunch in the Haight. End the day with a top-notch supper in Lincoln Park followed by a late-night dip in Lake Huron.

Other city maps include Portland, Seattle and Boston. Toronto is in the works.

Om-tastic.

www.orkposters.com