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I rarely hold anyone to any standards. How can you know the rules of the road if you don’t drive on it? Like cab-cutting in NYC, spitting in the TLV, bringing pastries in the DAC or looking down in PVG, every place should come with a list of manners, or in some cases, maneuvers.
In Tokyo, tradition is a tall order… so here’s how to not get fired as a foreigner

Slurp yo’ noodles.
Do exactly what your mom to you not to do. The whole point of slippery spaghetti is to eat them super fast, and very hot. So get on with your loud self and embrace the slurping sound. If you’re silent, the Ramen master might take it as a sign of dissatisfaction - so beware and be loud. 

Saved by the Subway.
Don’t even think about taking a cab; Japans rail system is nothing short of sheer brilliance. The uber effecient subway and train system in Tokyo is quite possibly the best invention on earth. For those traveling to more than one city, opt for a Japan Rail pass (7 days, 14 day etc.). It’s worth it. And unlike the swipe and go systems in the US, the JR machines check-point you twice. So save the stub for the way in, and out. Most likely at some point you’ll pay the wrong fare - the Japanese machines can confuse almost anyone. Just go to the Fare Adjusment counter, you cant miss it. And believe me, the guards won’t miss you.

Go Nude.
Nothing does it for me quite like a warm body of water, and Japan is full of them. Onsens, or hot springs, are a huge part of the tradition and culture. But don’t even think about that tankini; Onsens are for nudist only! So strip and sit down (sorry, no nude photo of me here).

Kill your cell. 
Despite being super tech savy citizens, Tokyo can be eerily quiet. You will rarely hear a cell phone conversation, and certainly not one on the train. When riding the rails in Japan, you should turn your phone off when near Priority Seats, keep it in silent mode when in other areas, and refrain from talking on the phone at all times. After all, thats what sexting is for.

Shoe Styles.
Some eating and drinking establishments in Japan offer “zashiki”-style seating where you must remove your shoes when entering. So snuggle in sans sneakers, it’s semi-liberating.

Noteworthy Notes:
Cab doors close automatically, so refrain from slamming them shut. 
Eat all of your food, which isn’t exactly difficult when it’s super delicious
Don’t tip, it can often be seen as rude, or that you’re a silly tourist.
If you’re not an adventurous eater, learn the word for vegetarian. But honestly, just don’t be a vegetarian. 

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This members-only refuge in a converted warehouse in the Meatpacking District attracts a cool crowd of arty and media types plus the odd celeb (hello, Justin Timberlake), and has 24 capacious bedrooms. A stay here gives you access to the club’s restaurant and newly refurbished bar, with velvet banquets, a wood-burning fireplace and fresh, contemporary art — plus the Cowshed spa, rooftop pool and 44-seater cinema.

Soho House New York — part of the London-based Soho House group, a private members’ club — covers more than 45,000 square feet of an old warehouse building in the Meatpacking District. The comfortable sixth floor space, which comprises a restaurant, drawing room and two bars, serves as living room, office and party pad for its members, an international crowd from the media, music, fashion and movie worlds. There’s also a cinema with leather armchairs that shows new releases (booze is permitted), a library and a rooftop pool, which is heated to 80 degrees in winter. 

The 950-square-foot Playground has plenty of seating and an egg-shaped bath. Bedrooms have exposed brick walls and wooden floors, and range from 325 to 950 square feet — immense by New York standards. I couldn’t decide whether to dive into my free-standing bathtub or the baroque kingsize bed first. Statement pieces anchor each room: an Asian-inspired mural, a heavy green desk and a ’50s velvet couch gave mine a bohemian, British vibe. 

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This boutique hotel in Maipu, about 20 minutes from Mendoza City in Argentina’s marquee wine-producing region, has an ultramodern sensibility and a laid-back attitude. Intimate and exclusive, the eight rooms on this five-acre property are the love child of two architects, who built the small cottages to blend in seamlessly with Mendoza’s natural splendor. And you don’t even have to leave to taste the bounty: The hotel has its very own vineyard. Check in and sip your way out to the Hotel El Aguamiel…

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In need of an adventure? This week we’re featuring a six-night trip through some of New Zealand’s most appealing regions: the South Island’s adrenaline capital, Queenstown, famous Milford Sound and the coastal wine and food hub, Marlborough Sounds. Seasonz Travel will take you from the mountains to the sea in style, with top-notch guides and accommodations, including stays in Queenstown’s newest luxury boutique hotel and in a five-star resort secluded deep in pristine Marlborough.

The itinerary mixes adventure with wine appreciation — things New Zealand arguably does better than anyplace else on the planet. You’ll start with a personalized excursion through the burgeoning Otago Valley wine region outside Queenstown, including winery-hopping with Duncan Forsyth of Mount Edward Winery, one of the region’s first vintners and most colorful characters. Then the adventure kicks in, with a helicopter expedition over Milford Sound and a glacier landing in the Southern Alps, followed by optional outdoor activities ranging from birdwatching to Lord of the Rings driving safaris. 

From there you fly to Marlborough Sounds to enjoy a tasting at Cloudy Bay, the winery that put Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs on the map. By the time you return home, you’ll be a newly minted wine connoisseur — and an experienced adventurer. Oh, and did I mention, we’re giving away this trip for two. There, I said it. 

There are things, so sacred, that putting the pen to paper poses a serious problem. No matter how many phrases I form, or big words I use, there are moments, that simply can’t be captured. But as a writer, photographer, and traveler, you must try, and try and try again to get it right. 

The first time I experienced this, was after my first trip to Myanmar - a place so profound that it wasn’t until three years later that I could begin to describe it. 

It’s not my heart-strings (attached to India like a wooden doll) or my need for speed (fueled by Land Rovers in Africa) or my hunger for hamachi (fed at Tokyo’s fish market at 5 am)… it’s my spirituality that was deeply effected. And for a rarely religious person, this was an entirely new place to be visiting. 

Be it Burma, or Myanmar, my awe-struck eyes were in no place to pass political judgement (that’s my poetic way of avoiding the topic right now altogether) but you could sense the tension in air. Before I even arrived, there was fear of being turned away. But after half a day in port, longer than any other port prior, we were cleared by customs. Even still, we were not allowed to disembark the boat until the next morning, so for 12 hours, we sat, and watched the shore, before stepping foot on to the soil. 

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Is there anything sexier than a hardcore travel book…. Introducing Bon Voyage. Bound in its 227 pages are 24 bespoke journeys designed by Jetsetter’s Personal Travel Planning Team, all brought to life by the inspiring images from photographers including Elliot Erwitt, Mark Borthwick and Robert Polidori. From a motorcycle trek across Iceland to an eco-adventure in Honduras and a cultural tour of London, the reader of this book will want to start discovering new places and experiences the book illustrates. So get reading… 

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Every so often a hotel comes around that makes me reevaluate my idea of a perfect pad. And thanks to the Haylofts, I am now craving a collection of 17th-century farm buildings. On the steep slopes of the Italian Alps, near the village of Chiavenna, is a small hamlet of 300-year-old haylofts, today converted into luxury cottages. Despite its seclusion, Zurich and Milan are just two hours away by car, and Lake Como and St. Moritz are less than an hour away. The Mini Cooper-sized cabins aren’t lacking in cool. Expect a bohemian feel, with hand-painted walls, SMEG appliances and custom cabinetry. Bring it. 

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@LoveIsTheNewBlk Asked:
Jetsetfarryn, what are some amazing restaurant recommendations in London and Paris? Thank you!!
Let’s do this.  

Social. Secure a reservation at La Société, an art-sprinkled, ultra-chic restaurant designed by Christian Liaigre and tucked away in a 19th-century building on Place Saint-Germain (Paris) 

Lunch. L’ Avenue. Sit outside and people watch at this perfectly Parisian lunch spot.Tres chic! (Paris) 

Dish. Thoumieux. Anything Thierry Costes is social gold - as is the case with the revamped Thoumieux brasserie. (Paris) 

Try. Foie Gras at Terre et Soleil. Tucked away on a street closed to traffic in the Marais neighborhood of Paris, Terre et Soleil is home to an Italian twist on French Foie Gras. A hot plate of cavatappi pasta, tossed in a cream sauce studded with figs is served up with a fresh slice of house-made foie gras, a must for any France first-timer. (Paris) 

Stroll and Eat. Explore nearby Rue Mouffetard, a street that’s all about food and is home to one of Paris’s hottest street markets. (Paris) 

The Cool Crowd. For Michelin-starred Italian cuisine and a bit of a scene, try celeb-favorite Locanda Locatelli. Just a short walk from the hotel, it serves traditional Italian fare in a sleek and sophisticated setting. (London)

Chaat. Spice up your palate with some of the best Indian food in London. Bombay Brasserie has been around since 1926, and it’s withstood the test of time in a competitive spot for Indian cuisine. (London)

Mild. Suka at the Sanderson Hotel, run by star New York chef Zak Pelaccio, offers colorful Malaysian cuisine in a clean-lined, fresh-looking dining room. Try the spicy watermelon salad or Malaysian barbecue chicken. (London)

Dine It. The three-Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal (of Fat Duck) has launched a restaurant that’s the talk of the town. Reservations at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal are booked six months in advance, so act early. (London)

Buy Burgers at Meateasy (unfortunatley closed). Devour Dumplings at Ping Pong. Snack a sandwich at Raison D’etre. Have your own suggestions?

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oundup of my favorite things this week. 
A sweet spot in Big Sur, a worldwide cut-and-paste project and an instrumentally inclined Brazilian import.
Follow it, don’t judge it! 

Project. INSIDE OUT.
INSIDE OUT is a large-scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Everyone is challenged to use black and white photographic portraits to discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world. These digitally uploaded images will be made into posters and sent back to the project’s co-creators for them to exhibit in their own communities. People can participate as an individual or in a group; posters can be placed anywhere, from a solitary image in an office window to a wall of portraits on an abandoned building or a full stadium. These exhibitions will be documented, archived and viewable virtually. It’s quite simple: Upload it. Receive it. Paste it. 

Music. Gui Boratto.
Brazil’s Gui Boratto is many things. He is not, however, a DJ. That said, his 2007 debut, Chromophobia, was one of those rare techno albums that transcended the genre, largely thanks to Boratto’s use of colorful synths and unique ability to embed sticky pop hooks within a larger, dancefloor-oriented template. That effort continued on his 2009 follow-up, Take My Breath Away, and he just dropped his third full-length on September 12, the appropriately titled III. There’s nothing like a Brazilian import, especially when he comes with instrumental snacks. So listen up. 

Hotel. Ventana Inn & Spa, Big Sur.
Overlooking a stretch of wild and unspoiled Big Sur coastline where the Santa Lucia range plunges into the Pacific, Ventana Inn & Spa sits on 243 wooded acres some 1,200 feet above the pounding surf. Each of the 60 rooms and suites has big windows and decks looking out onto California’s most spectacular scenery — towering redwoods, craggy canyons and whitecapped waves. Nature lovers and spa aficionados come here for scenery, tranquil vibes and restorative treatments. 

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Here at Jetsetter, we work round-the-clock to bring you hotels and trips that unlock classic and under-the-radar destinations around the world, and we hope you’ll forgive us if we take a moment to brag about a few milestones. In the last 365 days, we’ve debuted Jetsetter 24/7, our black book of hotels available year-round; Personal Travel Planning, and the brand-spanking-new Jetsetter Homes. To toast another landmark year, here are some hand-picked hotels fit for a party. It’s our party, we can stay if we want too… Kampaii!

Turkey. Barbaros Bay - Kempinski Hotel.
Thirty minutes from Bodrum, Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay is a sprawling spa resort in a postcard-perfect setting. Views of the Aegean take center stage, whether through floor-to-ceiling windows in rooms and suites, in some of the six on-site restaurants or from the enormous infinity pool — one of the largest in Turkey. The private beach and 60,000-square-foot Six Senses Spa (with a traditional Turkish hammam) make this destination for sun-worship and spa time, but the city action and historic sights in Bodrum are just a short drive away.

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Last year, Condé Nast added restauranteur to its’ list of professions and now, the Vogue Café, Kiev, and GQ Bar, Istanbul, are set to join Moscow’s Vogue Café, GQ Bar and Tatler Club next year.

Stuart Nielsen, director of restaurants for Condé Nast International, said: “Turkey and the Ukraine are both exciting emerging markets with a strong appetite for luxury brands in retail and hospitality. Vogue Café and GQ Bar address this powerful consumer desire.” Nielsen said more openings would be announced in the coming months, including in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

Condé Nast will also launch men’s title GQ to a Turkish audience for the first time in March next year. The magazine, edited by Mirgun Cabas, will be published under a licensing agreement between Condé Nast and the Dogus Media Group. Love it, hate it, don’t care about it? (Source: MediaWeek) 

I have fallen for a book. American Fashion Travel: Designers On The Go. A stylish scrapbook sure to spark wanderlust from the travels of America’s best-known fashion designers. Featuring personal anecdotes, memorabilia, photos, and an original travel questionnaire. Discover what Donna Karan always remembers to pack in her carry-on, where Tory Burch loves to shop, and what Yigal Azrouel calls his favorite hotel. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), you had me at stylish, scrapbook.