The scene from the summit of Aiguilles de Chamonix, a jagged mountain high in the middle of the Mont Blanc massif, is the single most spectacular in the whole of the Alps. It might be the best mountain view that doesn’t involve hiking, flying or driving available anywhere.

Here’s how to make the trip:

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The trip to the panoramic view atop the Alps starts in lovely, if touristy, Chamonix. The French town, which hosted the first winter Olympics in 1924, is perhaps the best base for exploring the Mount Blanc region. The trip to the top of Aiguille du Midi starts in the center of Chamonix; that’s where you get on the Aiguille du Midi cable car. (The name translates literally as “Needle of the South,” due to its position relative to the town).

After 20 minutes on said cable car you’ll be transported from 1,035 meters above sea level to a lofty 3,842m (12,604 ft). That’s the highest vertical ascent of any cable car on the planet. At the top you’ll notice a rather dramatic difference in your breathing, especially if you are making a day trip from Geneva (or similarly low altitude location).

One way to ease up to the higher altitude is to stop at Plan de l’Aiguille, the cable car’s half way station. Plan de l’Aiguille is at 2,317 meters and is the starting point for hikes of virtually all lengths and difficulty levels.

Once at the cable car’s top terminus, near the peak of Aiguilles de Chamonix, you’ll be at 3,842 meters. This being France, you’ll immediately come across a restaurant. The 3842 Restaurant (and associated gift shop) is one of those places built for exclusively tourists whose existence you’ll initially decry—Why did they have to put a large artificial building on a unique natural spot?!—and then later be secretly glad is there. The top of Aiguilles de Chamonix is cold, and windy, and there’s something calming and decedent about enjoying the view from behind an oversized window while sipping a glass of wine.

In any case, the 3842 Restaurant is not your final destination. Nor is the viewing platform above it. To complete your journey you must cross a short but precarious-looking bridge (see photo, below) and then take an elevator the final 42 meters up through solid rock.

Now you are at the top. The view across three countries is breathtaking, almost literally so. This is as close as you can get to Mount Blanc, western Europe’s highest mountain, without climbing it or crashing an airplane onto it. On a clear day, it is possible to see the Matterhorn, Monta Rosa and the Grand Combin from this vantage point.

There are all sorts of variations on the itinerary outlined above. There’s hiking, climbing and even paragliding to partake of en route. You can ski down from Aiguilles de Chamonix or walk from Plan d’Aiguille (the cable car mid stop) to the Montenvers Station and take the train back down to Chamonix. Consult a good guidebook for more info.

Whatever route you take, bring a great travel camera and enjoy the view. There’s no where else in the Alps like it!

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The island that is the resort’s home—the locals call it Makunufushi—is a gorgeous bump of white sand in the Indian Ocean. It’s spotted with Frangipani flowering plants and surrounded by corals and clear tortoise waters.

But what the island does not have is as important as what it does. There’s no traffic. There’s no noise. There’s no hustle or bustle. There’s also no nightlife, no shopping and no local culture. That’s because there’s virtually nothing on Cocoa Island except for the resort.

In the Maldives, it’s common for resorts to occupy entire islands. But even by Maldives standards, the Cocoa Island resort is devoid of activities. You can walk the entire circumference of the island in around 10 minutes! That makes being happy with the Cocoa Island Resorts’s accommodations, restaurant and those few activities that are on offer especially important. Our look at each”

The Rooms of the Cocoa Island Resort

Cocoa Island offers several room categories but the most distinctive (and, happily, also the least expensive) are in the above-mentioned Dhonis.

There are two types to choose from: Dhoni Suites and Dhoni Loft Suites. Both types feature modern interiors—a surprise given how rustic they look from the outside. And both types offer the exact same amenities, including an 42” HD satellite TV, a Nespresso coffee/tea maker, wifi access, iPod dock, fresh fruit brought to the room daily and, best of all, a private ocean-side deck.

The difference between the types? The Dhoni Loft Suites have two floors, which makes for better views from the bedroom and allows for more living space downstairs. Dhoni Loft Suites also have larger floor-to-ceiling windows. They tend to run US$100~150 more per night than the regular Dhoni Suites, a premium some will find worth it and others not. Check out the floor plan comparison, below, and the photos towards the bottom of this page.

Eating and drinking

The resort’s Ufaa Restaurant and Faru Bar are the only choices on the island.

The restaurant describes itself as offering “modern interpretations of Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine.” Its menu is more diverse than that, though, and includes Thai, Chinese and creative Western selections, many with copious amounts of fresh local seafood. Spiced tea smoked duck and scallop salad, anyone? The quality of the dishes is high (as are the prices) but, even so, how many meals in a row do you want to eat at the exact same place? Ufaa is excellent for two days and fine for a third. Much beyond that and some Cocoa Island guests start hankering for other options.

As for the bar, it’s adjacent to the beach-side infinity pool, comfy and highly hangoutable^†. It offers a perfect mix of being indoors and outdoors and provides a welcoming communal atmosphere for meeting other guests.

Resort activities

As mentioned, there’s relatively little in the way of activities on Cocoa Island. What there is invariably involves lots of water and/or expense. Every guest gets their own snorkeling gear (which they’re free to take home with them). Upon request a staff member will lead you on a guided snorkel trips, not that a guide is needed—jump in the water from your private Dhoni Suite deck and you’ll likely see tropical fish, stingrays and sea turtles. You can also go windsurfing and catamaran sailing using the resort’s equipment.

Other activity involve booking through the resort’s travel desk. Scuba diving, visits to other islands and even a submarine experience are among the options. Costs are high. Eg. a private two-hour visit to a village on a nearby island costs $200 (!) per a couple.

The one activity you should consider is the $70-per-person sunset fishing cruise—we recommend it even if you’ve never fished before. In addition to catching some beautiful views, the helpful staff will make sure you catch some fish, which the resort chef will cook for you in a method of your choosing.

Our Verdict

The Cocoa Island Resort is not a place one goes for activity-filled vacation. Though that’s true for nearly all the hotels in the Maldives. If you are looking for a high-end luxury beach resort with lots of cultural and outdoor offerings, there are many better options. (St. Lucia’s superb Jade Mountain Resort comes immediately to mind).

If you are looking for a luxury resort to chill and relax—one with impeccable service and one of the most gorgeous beaches and collections of marine life on Earth—then Cocoa Island is ideal.

What’s especially great about Cocoa Island is what we began this review with: the Dhoni boat accommodations. They aren’t as weird and quirky the places we write about in our unusual hotel section. But then if you are traveling for a honeymoon or some special occasion you probably don’t want weird and quirky. What you probably want is a travel experience that’s distinctive, uncommon and memorable. The The Cocoa Island Resort is certainly all those. And more.

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^† Spot Cool Stuff is declaring “hangoutable” to be a real word.

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Dhoni Suite Photos

Regular Dhoni Suite

Dhoni Loft Suite

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Here’s what is known:

• Sometime in the early 1930s, someone planted about 400 trees near the town of Greifenhagen in what was then Germany.

• Something stunted the growth of the trees and caused them to grow horizontally—all facing due north—for some period of time.

• Somehow, around 1940, the trees curved back towards the sky and started growing back up.

The sometime, someone, something and somehow of those facts are all unknown.

The growth of the trees could simply be the coincidental result of natural factors such as soil type, tree infestations, erosion, snow falls, and/or the availability of light.

Another theory holds that the trees were purposely grown to be curved, perhaps by a boat maker or a carpenter. The curvature of the trees certainly bears a resemblance to the hull of a small boat.

Spot Cool Stuff has been working on a third hypothesis that involves an extraterrestrial plot against humanity.

Regardless, the trees were planted in politically contested territory that saw a great deal of fighting towards the start and end of World War II. After the war ended in 1945, new international borders were drawn and the Crooked Forest ended up 3 kilometers inside Poland. (The town of Greifenhagen was officially given it’s Polish name, Gryfino). Whoever planted the trees either perished in the war or felt unable to return to their land that was now in a new country.

Today, there’s no sign pointing the way to the Crooked Forest but it isn’t hard to find. Use our map, below, and ask locals to point you to “Krzywy Las” if you get lost. The way to the forrest makes for a nice bicycle ride from Gryino or the German town of Mescherin. That is, if you dare to visit it

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Oak Bar

go for an aperitif

The ‘60s were all about having a freewheeling, party-time attitude. The best way to channel that era today s by heading to an elegant bar for a very potent cocktail. First up, visit the Plaza Hotel for the city’s most famous Old Fashioned (Don’s drink of choice), courtesy of The Oak Bar. Opened originally in 1907 as a men’s-only bar, The Oak Bar combines old-world charm and elegance in an iconic venue. This classy joint is definitely a place to “see and be seen” while indulging in an extensive collection of wine, cocktails and spirits.

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Smoke Jazz & Supper Club-Lounge

go for a jazzy dinner

Next up, time to dine . . . and wine again! Supper clubs are not a relic of the past. The Smoke Jazz & Supper Club-Lounge on Manhattan’s Upper West Side is an intimate eatery featuring some of the best live jazz music in the city. But don’t let the name fool you—even Betty Draper would have to put out her cigarette in this smoke-free restaurant. House specialties include red velvet cake, classic onion soup and upside down bread pudding.

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Bonnie and Clyde the Musical

go for a Broadway show

Now that you’re well-fed (and slightly tipsy), it’s time to take in a show that Don himself might have enjoyed. Try Bonnie and Clyde the Musical, a sexy, old-school love story drenched in danger and sin. If that’s no playing or is sold out, consider catching Academy Award-winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Death of a Salesman.

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Duane Park After Dark / Rhinestone Follies

go for burlesque entertainment

The Mad Men era was all about pushing the limits while exercising some sense of restraint and modesty, so hail yourself a taxi and check out a burlesque show for some risqué fun. Duane Park After Dark and the Sweets Shops is a celebrity hot spot that hosts burlesque, vaudeville and cabaret acts. Even Lady Gaga has gotten up and grabbed the mic at this ultra-chic, one-of-a-kind party palace. And for an even steamier act, head to the Tropicana show at Rhinestone Follies, featuring their buxom babes in all their glittery glory.

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Beauty Bar

go for a nightcap

While it might be getting late, no respectable “Mad” man or woman can head home without one last stop at the bar to cap off the night. For a truly 1960s experience, we suggest Beauty Bar, a downtown hangout literally housed in a ‘60s hair salon, with hair dryers and all! They even offer “Martinis and Manicures” every night till 11pm for the ‘60s bargain price of $10 for both!

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Wondering what to wear for your Mad Men night out in New york? Whether you go with your best double-breasted suit or cinch your waist in an elegant A-line dress, it doesn’t really matter—so long as you have a drink in hand!

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Which is why Spot Cool Stuff is thrilled that there’s one company is getting the bag-with-built-in-battery right: Powerbag.

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In Buddhism, there’s an unwritten rule among monks that they shouldn’t discuss their religion unless they are asked about it. (Spot Cool Stuff sometimes wishes that the clergy of other religions would adopt a similar rule). As a result, Buddhist monks have to get creative about their outreach to the public.

For instance: In McLeod Ganj, India, the main Tibetan Buddhist monastery hosts regular monk tea times that anyone can attend. In Chiang Mai, Thailand, the clergy at one monastery run a “monk’s table” open house where the public is invited to ask monks about absolutely anything they like, from job advice to the nature of the afterlife. (It’s a great travel activity when in northern Thailand; further details about the exact time and place of the monk’s table can be found in the Lonely Planet Thailand” guidebook).

Unlike those two examples, the idea behind Vow’s Bar is less to encourage the people to come to the monks and more to bring the monks to the people. After all, Tokyo is the sort of place where a good percentage of the population can be found in bars.

Aside from its robed servers and the mandala on the wall, Vow’s looks like so many bars scattered around the Japanese capital. It’s cozy (read, small) and dimly lit. Shelves of alcohol line the shelves. Pop songs play over the stereo.

As for the drink selection, you’ll find the typical choice of shochu, beer and whiskey. Though the house specialty drink is a bit unusual—shakunetsu jigoku, which translates as “Burning Hell.” Though, presumably, a trip to Vow’s Bar and a chat with the bartenders can help you avoid that fate.

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That’s right, jolly ol’ Saint Nick makes his home in Japan, at the eyepopping Chapel Christmas, in one of Japan’s thousands of “love hotels.” Santa’s a nice chap, but he’s never naive. He knows when you’ve been bad or good, and he knows there always a little of both going on at Chapel Christmas.

“Love hotels” are aptly named in Japan, with rooms usually booked by the hour, for the purpose of discreet romantic trysts. In fact, love-hotel venturers will often encounter a pair of human hands behind a pane of frosted glass, adding to the fantastical sense of otherworldly clandestineness. Some love hotels have no windows at all. (Almost makes you want to call home: “YOU’LL NEVER GUESS WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO ME AND THE SAUCY SWEDISH MISTRESS, HONEY!”).

Which is why a seemingly wholesome, yet possibly bizarrely sexy, definitively Christmas-themed, 24-7, “clandestine” yet Vegas-Strip-worthy rendezvous spot (in Japan) has earned our official Spot Cool Stuff: Death by Paradox: Synapse Explosion Award. There are love hotels, and there are hotels we love, and there are love hotels we love to love, and there is the Christmas Chapel in Osaka, Japan, which will forever remain in a category of its very own. A one-of-a-kind destination, mighty special, mighty odd, and possibly, depending on the company you keep, mighty titillating. Don’t worry. We won’t tell.

Stockings may wind up on the floor instead of over the fireplace, but jolly old Saint Nick doesn’t mind one bit at the Chapel Christmas, because he’s off-duty and just glad you’re having a good time. And here’s a Secret Santa tip for the savveler (savvy traveler—we keep trying to get it into the Oxford Dictionary, but they’re not biting—yet): Japan’s love hotels (Noel-themed or nay) are often a terrific deal if you’re looking for more than just a quick…visit. Rates at the Chapel Christmas depend on the time of year and time of day but average around ¥3,000 (about US$32) for an hour or ¥7,000 for a 12-hour overnight; save a few extra yen with an online “Thank’s Coupon.”

So if you find yourself in Osaka midsummer, hankering for Christmas, skip the reindeer and call a cab. You sure won’t forget it.

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Why do we like the igloo rooms of Iglu-Dorf? Because they are igloo rooms. Made from real snow and ice.

Every Iglu-Dorf hotel is carved out of snow. Which means every one is built from scratch each year. And we aren’t talking about snow huts of the sort you could concoct in your back yard. Iglu-Dorf properties aren’t even of what you might think of when you imagine Eskimo accommodations. Instead, an Iglu-Dorf hotel is a snow compound complete with check-in desk, bar, restaurant and whirlpool/spa area, all connected via underground (or, rather, under-snow) hallways.

So, you might be asking, is staying at in igloo hotel an unbearably cold experience? Yes and no.

No, it isn’t (necessarily) unbearable. Yes, it is (at least in part) cold. Temperatures inside the tend to stay around -3°C (27°C) with no wind chill. That means you’ll be wearing a coat, and probably a hat and gloves, when at the bar and in your igloo room. And going to the restroom is an undeniably chilly affair. But the beds are warm—each features a high-end sleeping bag and/or a pile of sheepskin blankets. Meals tend to be warming too—think stews and fondue. Upon request, the staff will bring hot tea or coffee to you in your bed in the morning. And what better excuse than the cold to consume lots of schnapps in the evening?

Another great feature of staying at an Iglu-Dorf hotel: the communal atmosphere. The bar often hosts movies nights and other social events. During the day guests can opt to participate in staff-organized snowshoe tours, sledding matches and skiing expeditions.

Most Iglu-Dorf locations have four categories of igloo rooms to choose between: standard, romantic, family and “hot.” Some of the romantic igloos have private hot tubs. The family igloos are good for groups of friends, too. As for the “hot” rooms, they are like luxury tents with heaters and normal hotel room furnishings; these rooms are aimed for people who want some of the igloo hotel experience but are worried about being perpetually cold. Spot Cool Stuff understands this concern. But, really, how can you stay in an igloo hotel and not sleep in a snow igloo?

Iglu-Dorf Locations

Currently there are seven Iglu-Dorf locations, all in Europe:

Davos, Switzerland – Romantic igloos and what’s probably the world’s coolest whirlpool (see top pic) located above 2600 meters of altitude. Note that “hot” igloos are not offered at this location.

Engelberg-Titlis, Switzerland – Inside some of the igloo rooms here are works of art hand created by Inuit Eskimos.

Gstaad, Switzerland – Located in south western Switzerland at around 1550m of altitude, Gstaads is the lowest elevation to host an Iglu-Dorf resort. The igloo suite here encompasses a private whirlpool and is amazing.

Zermatt, Switzerland – Excellent views of the Matterhorn; located near a boutique hiking hut we previously reported on.

Zugspitze, Germany – The highest igloo hotel in the world; there are views of four countries from here.

St. Moritz, Switzerland – The ritzy resort of St. Moritz is one of the least likely places to host an igloo hotel. Yet here one is. There’s a great communal Jacuzzi but no igloos in the “romantic” category.

Andorra – Most people don’t know that it’s possible to have breakfast on the coast of Spain and then have lunch in an igloo in the same day. But then the tiny country of Andorra isn’t one most people know about in general.

For more visuals, check out the photos and video below.

Iglu-Dorf hotels are generally open from Christmas until around mid-April. Bring your sense of adventure. And a good pair of socks.

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