Travel (save for the armchair variety) tends to involve a lot of standing and walking and being outside. And a surprising percentage of one’s physical comfort starts with one’s feet.

For the previous few months Spot Cool Stuff has been trying out different socks; some were provided to us and others we purchased ourselves. The central take-away from this sock testing frenzy: Don’t purchase generic socks, or at least not exclusively. There’s an impressive variety of socks on the market, produced by several dozen small- and medium-sized manufacturers. Spending a bit more on their socks is worth it, especially for travel.

As for specific sock suggestions, here’s a review of some of our favorites:

Best Walking Sock

Thoro Experia

Look up “Quality Socks” in the dictionary and there could be a picture of a pair of Thoro Lite Running Mini Crews . . . or a picture of Thoro Moderate Cushion Hiking Socks with Coolmax . . . or, now that we think about it, any of the offerings by Thoro. Thoro socks are well constructed (using environmentally friendly methods) and smartly designed. Looking for light running socks? Or warm hiking ones? Thoro socks are intuitively named by weight and suggested use. We also like that Thoro makes dress and casual socks—if you were to buy all of your socks from a single manufacturer mentioned in this review, Thoro would be that one.

For travel that involves a lot of walking around, our favorite Thoro socks are in the Thoro Experia line. These socks have sculpted cushioning around the heals and forefoot—exactly where you need it most. Experia socks also feature a pad that protects the achilles tendon and a breathable frame that feels snug, but not tight, around your feet.

Runner up: DeFeet socks (especially for hotter weather)

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Best Toe Sock / Best For People Who Dislike Socks

Injinji Performance

I just don’t like things between my toes! is many people’s first reaction to toe socks. Spot Cool Stuff can’t help but think that the majority of those people are reacting to the concept of a toe sock, not the reality offered by Injinji. The company holds patents on—and has won awards for—their toe socks. Injinji socks don’t make your toes feel cramped. The exact opposite; for people who dislike wearing socks a pair of Injinjis is the next best thing to going barefoot. With your toes more free to move individually, your foot behaves more like it does in its sock-less state.

We are fans of all Injinji toe socks except the offerings in their Outdoor Series. Especially cool is the Performance Midweight Toe Sock, which features lush cushioning underfoot while remaining breathable around the top and sides. Injinji also makes compression socks that help prevent fatigue and greatly reduce foot and leg swelling during airplane travel.

All Injinji toe socks offer excellent moisture wicking. The downside is that all Injinji toe socks take a bit more time and effort to put on than your typical non-toe socks. It’s time and effort Spot Cool Stuff finds well worth it.

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Cold Weather Walking Sock

FITS

We tested our pair of FITS socks by walking out into the snow with him on—without shoes! Our feet did get a bit cold and wet. But we able to walk back inside and go about our business without our feet being uncomfortable.

That’s the power of FITS and why we love them for cold weather walking.

Note that by “cold weather walking” we don’t mean crossing the Siberian tundra or ascending K2. But FITS socks are ideal for, say, shopping at an outdoor market in Berlin on a crisp December day or walking around San Francisco on a crisp August one. When there’s a chill in the air FITS will keep it from your feet.

Some other aspects of FITS socks we like: their odor resistance (though not optimal, you can wear FITs for two consecutive days without washing them), their seamless design, the ultra-fine Merino wool from which they are made and the double welted top that prevents the sock from sliding down the leg.

Runner up: Darn Tough Socks (also made with Merino wool)

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Best Moisture Management Sock

Dahlgren Socks with Dri-Stride

Water is the biggest enemy of sock comfort. Both outside wet conditions and inside sweaty conditions can infect socks with moisture. And since socks are usually enclosed by a shoe there’s no convenient place for that moisture to go.

Dahlgren socks are superior when it comes to pulling moisture away from your feet. That is thanks to Dahgren’s ingenius Dri-Stride Technology, which divides each sock into different “zones” (although this division is not at all apparent when wearing the socks). Places where moisture is most likely to gather are absorption zones. Along the top of the foot is the wicking zone that moves the moisture to the evaporation zone that’s located at the top of the sock. In other words: Dahlgren socks literally remove water from your shoes—and do that better than any other socks.

Runner up: Bridgedale, Injinji (see above)

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Best Security Sock

National Geographic Pocketed Security Socks

Spot Cool Stuff’s own view is that security fears while traveling are generally overblown. For those who disagree, National Geographic makes a pair of socks with a semi-hidden zippered pocket into which you can fit a few bills and a key. (A credit card will fit too, but might not bend around your ankle). These socks are also handy when you are heading out sans pockets and want some cash with you.

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Best Waterproof Sock

SealSkinz Water Blocker

No so-called waterproof sock is really that waterproof. Spot Cool Stuff was not wowed by any of the ones we tried. Virtually all of them fell into one of two categories:

1) Socks that were effective at keeping water out but that possessed all the comfort and durability of wrapping your feet in plastic; or

2) Socks that were pleasant to wear for prolonged periods but weren’t, in fact, waterproof.

In our experience, the best of the mediocre lot of waterproof socks are made by SealSkinz (a company whose waterproof gloves we are big fans of). The SealSkinz Water Blocker features an in-cuff seal that manages to strike a good balance between comfort and water resistance in a way other socks did not.

Depending on what water activity you are engaged in, you may want to consider getting a pair of Seirus Hyperlite Stormsocks Waterproof Socks. The name is a misnomer: These Seirus socks are NOT waterproof. They act more as a wetsuit for your feet, allowing water to flow in while also trapping a layer of warmth around your feet. That old saying “If you can’t beat em’, join em’” applies well to the task of waterproofing socks.

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Best Looking / Best Baby Sock

Mismatched Socks

Symmetry is a highly overrated quality in socks. And that’s why we love Mismatched Socks, made of recycled yarn in Vermont, USA. Mismatched Socks don’t have the high-tech features of the socks reviewed above, but sometimes you have to disregard practicality and dare to mismatch.

Especially cute are the Mismatched Dragonfly baby socks.

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Best Use For Old Socks

Sock Puppets

After reading this review post you are surely asking yourself After I upgrade to cool new socks what should I do with my old ratty ones? Our solution: Make sock puppets. The excellent guidebook Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-Off Socks and Gloves gives all manner of useful tips and creative ideas to try.

You’ll have fun making sock puppets. Your kids will love them. Your dogs will chew them.

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The wonderfully cool thing about The Hüttenpalast is that the accommodations are all three of those—at once!

At Spot Cool Stuff we’ve reviewed more than our share of unusual hotels. But rarely have we found one that offers such an unconventional experience with such a relatively high level of comfort at such a relatively low price^†.

Der Hüttenpalast—literally “the hut palace”—occupies a portion of a building that was formerly a vacuum cleaner factory. Walking into the hotel one very much gets the feeling of, well, walking outside. The huge windows let in more sunlight than you’d get standing on the street outside the Hüttenpalast. The sunbeams illuminate an open area with trees and plants scattered throughout.

Adding to the illusion of being outdoors while inside the Hüttenpalast are the caravans—camping trailers where guests stay. There are three to choose from:

• Die kleine Schwester (“the little sister”) is our favorite of the three. That’s largely because it has a sunroof through which one can gaze out upon stars (aka tiny glow stickers on the ceiling) while laying in bed at night.

• Das Schwalbennest (“the swallow nest”) is a 1960s retro camper with cool little lamps hidden around the interior. It’s the largest of the Hüttenpalast’s three caravans.

• Der Herzensbrecher (“the heartthrob”) is the best choice for the clastrophobic; large windows around the side create a bright, open feel.

The nightly rate for a caravan camper is €45 for a single occupant and €65 for a couple. The rate includes a very basic breakfast (a croissant and coffee) and use of the wifi. Several Berlin hostels offer dorm beds and basic rooms for less than that, but good luck finding a better deal at even an average Berlin boutique hotel.

In addition to the caravan camper accommodations, the Hüttenpalast also has three indoor “cabins” (so called—they are more like huts); they are the same rate as the caravans and are a good substitute if the trailers are full. There are also regular rooms, though they are most expensive and least interesting of the choices.

In addition to running a hotel, the Hüttenpalast has a great little restaurant on its grounds. The restaurant is open to non-guests, so if you want to check out the caravans without spending the night in one, we strongly suggest stopping by for breakfast or lunch.

Most of your waking hours in the Hüttenpalast will be spent either in the restaurant or in the hotel’s lounging areas set up for guests. There are tables, couches and even hammocks for hanging out. It’s cool and comfortable, but not private. A highly social person would definitely enjoy the Hüttenpalast more than a recluse.

In addition, there are two downsides staying in a Hüttenpalast caravan: First, you’ll need to share a bathroom (gender separated) with your fellow “campers.” Second, the hotel’s location, in the Neukölln borough south of the city center, is considered suboptimal by some travelers. In Spot Cool Stuff’s opinion, we’re fond of the Hüttenpalast’s multicultural residential neighborhood of cobblestone streets, kid’s parks and Turkish cafes. But it’s not super-convenient for visiting Berlin’s major attractions, though there is a subway station a few blocks walk away.

If you are looking for an unusual place to stay but want a hotel that offers more privacy and with a more central location (albeit with higher nightly rates) check out our review of the luxuriously weird Propeller Island City Lodge.

For travelers with an adventurous spirit, the Hüttenpalast is an outstanding and economical choice. It’s all the fun of caravan camping outdoors, indoors.

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^† Regular readers might remember our review of the Kadir Treehouse in Turkey. That was a good value too, though not nearly as luxurious as Hüttenpalast. The Rooms Deluxe Hostel in Valencia, Spain and the Arkabarka Floating Hostel in Belgrade are two other superlative value unusual hotels that immediately come to mind.

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Photos of the Hüttenpalast Caravan Campers

Photos of the Hüttenpalast Indoor Cabins

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Though it set sail on its half voyage more than a century ago, the RMS Titanic is still infamous for having provided its passengers with a rather suboptimal travel experience. So it seems peculiar that anyone would want to recreate it. Yet that’s exactly what one billionaire plans to do.

Clive Palmer, a mining magnate and one of Australia’s richest men, has announced his intention to build the Titanic II.

Unlike the original Titanic, which was built in Northern Ireland, the Titanic II will be constructed in China. And the Chinese navy is being invited to escort the cruise ship on its maiden voyage.

Like the original Titanic, the Titanic II will be designed to be unsinkable^†. So what could possibly go wrong?

The plan is for the cruise ship to be built to current standards using modern technology and incorporating the latest safety equipment. Besides that, Palmer claims that his Titanic II will be as close to a reproduction of the original as possible. It will have the same dimensions, the same decor, the same number of guest cabins and the same amenities as the original. Though we have to imagine that the accommodations in “steerage class” will be upgraded and that the Titanic II will include a few more lifeboats.

The design details for the Titanic II will be worked out over the next few months, allowing construction to begin at the state-owned CSC Jinling Shipyard next year. If all stays on schedule, the Titanic will set sail—again—from England to New York City in April of 2016^‡.

If Palmer’s recreated Titanic proves to be popular, we can see other billionaires rushing to replicate other formerly disastrous travel experiences. Anyone up for a ride on the Hindenburg II?

But before you rush out reserve your ticket for the Titanic II, please keep this in mind: Sequels are almost never as good as the original.

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^† In his press conference, Palmer specifically said of the Titanic II: “It is going to be designed so it won’t sink.” That statement will surely be looked back upon as the moment the project went horribly wrong.

^‡ If you can’t wait that long and desire to get a taste of Titanic travel, but without all the expense and risk of death, we suggest the Titanic Experience in Orlando.

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That was the philosophy of a group of Thai monks in the early 1980s who looked at the innumerable glass beer bottles littering their eastern Thailand hometown of Khun Han and saw more than trash. They saw potential.

At first, the monks picked up a few of the bottles to create artistic decorations from. Then they gathered more discarded vessels to build a modest monk living quarters. Eventually, they decided to construct an entire temple out of found beer bottles.

And suddenly, those innumerable beer bottles littering the town became, well, numerable. By the time their temple was finished the monks had gathered over 1.5 million used bottles for the temple’s construction. Although locals rounded down when they gave the temple its nickname: Wat Lan Kaud or “The Temple of One Million Bottles.”

The temple, formally known as Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew, is today the pride of the town.

Travelers are very welcome to visit the temple^†. You’ll know when you’ve come upon it because the wall around the temple compound is built from beer bottles too—green Heineken bottles and brown Chang Beer bottles, to be specific. Inside, the temple’s walkways are made from beer bottles, as are the temple’s crematorium and visitors’ restrooms. Even the temple’s water tower is made of beer bottles, which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “water on tap.”

One thing you won’t see these days on a visit to Khun Han are many beer bottles littering the streets. The townspeople bring virtually all their used bottles directly to the temple. One wonders what the monks will build from them next.

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^† Resist the urge to sing “99 bottles of beer on the wall.” And, as with visiting all temples in Thailand, don’t wear shorts or skirts that end above the knee.

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It’s the Tentsile.

Suspend one between trees and the Tentsile provides a cocoon-like sleeping and living area above the forest floor. It might not be “the world’s most versatile tent” that the manufacturer claims it to be. But it is one of the coolest glamping (glamorous + camping) products we’ve seen.

Three models of Tentsile are available:

The 2-person unit is strung between two trees and weighs 5 to 8 kg (11 to 18 pounds). The interior is very much like a double hammock, except that the tension stretches it outwards so that (unlike a traditional hammock) the people sleeping won’t roll into each other. There’s also a storage space underneath the sleeping area.

The 3 to 4 person unit his strung between 3 trees. Each of the arms contains a hammock. The central area can be used for storage and meals and as an area for a fourth (presumably short) person to sleep. Weighs 15 to 18 kg (33 to 40 pounds).

The 5 to 8 person unit weighs 33 to 45 kg (72 to 99 pounds) and so requires that many people just to carry the thing. This unit is similar to the 3 to 4 person unit except that it is double layered—imagine a sort of hammock-tent bunk bed.

Every unit size as a canopy that can be removed for ventilation (and star gazing!). The system is also modular, allowing units to be combined to create a single Tentsile condo that can fit up to 14 people.

Once it is strung up, you can climb into your Tentsile using the included rope ladder.

Getting the Tentsile strung up in the first place . . . that requires climbing trees the old fashion way. You’ll need two or three mature trees properly spaced apart and with a sufficiently clear area between them. And, of course, it takes some strength, skill and patience to tie the cords such that things don’t go horribly wrong once all the occupants climb inside.

Hanging the hammock-tent will become much less of an issue once Tensile develops a stand that allows for set up on any flat surface, sans trees. (See the beach concept photo, below).

In the meantime, campers will have to put in the work to properly suspend their Tentsile portable treehouse. Afterwards, they can kick back in a portable wood-burning spa.

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2-Person Tentsile Camping Photos

Other Tentsile Photos

The Tensile with the concept stand

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There are maybe two dozen cave hotels in the greater Cappadocia region. A review of some of our favorites for budget travelers and for luxury-seekers.

Budget Cappadocia Cave Hotels

Monastery Cave Hotel

The cozy, comfortable Monastery Cave Hotel has a cave bar, cave restaurant and 13 cave rooms. The staff is super friendly and the location Mustafapasa (moose-tah-fah-pah-shah) is superb if you are looking to stay in an authentic Cappadocian town that’s somewhat removed from the tourist trail. With double en-suite double rooms going for €20 per person, the Monastery Cave Hotel is also one of the best cave hotel values.

Monastery Cave Hotel

Güven Cave Hostel

Only three rooms in the Güven Cave Hostel are actually in caves—numbers 105, 106 and 107—but even the non-cave rooms have their charm. There’s a wonderful terrace looking out over the Uzundere Valley and a cave-esque disco. It is also a good value, with prices starting from around €10.

Güven Cave Hostel

Backpackers Cave

The cheapest cave hotel we know of, the Backpackers Cave has nightly rates as low as €7 (when you book through Spot Cool Stuff and our HostelBooking partner). The rooms themselves don’t have much of a cave-like vibe, but we love the Backpackers Cave’s central location in the middle of the old section of Göreme.

Nomad Cave Hostel

Another fantastic value when booking through SCS—your own private cave room at Nomad Cave Hostel will only set you back a mere €15. The rate includes a great breakfast in a lovely restaurant and hanging-out area.

Nomad Cave Hostel

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Mid-Range & Luxury Cave Hotels

Cappadocia Cave Resort and Spa

Wow! The Cappadocia Cave Resort and Spa, Cappadocia’s most luxurious cave accommodations, is 5-star luxury goodness. Their Presidential and Royal suites are off-the-charts plush, but you’ll be happy enough in one of their senior suites (pictured below) or in any of their rooms, really, all of which feature a flatscreen TV, digital jukebox, high speed Internet and luxurious bath amenities. There’s also an indoor pool, outdoor pool and a spa with two Turkish baths, a snow & ice room, a steam room and an “adventure shower.”

Cappadocia Cave Resort and Spa

Cappadocia Cave Resort and Spa: Senior Suite

Argos In Cappadocia

Though not as outright luxurious as the Cappadocia Cave Resort and Spa (above), the awkwardly-named Argos In Cappadocia might be our favorite cave hotel among those reviewed in this post. We love the communal hang-out spaces, especially the terraces that offer sweeping views of the surreal Cappadocian landscape. The hotel also offers a friendly staff and high dose of local flavor. If that’s not enough to convince you, the “splendid” level cave suites with their own private cave swimming pool will. For the claustrophobic, Argos In Cappadocia also offers excellent non-cave rooms in a former monastery and in a restored mansion.

Argos In Cappadocia

Aydinli Cave House

This six-room family-run cave-lodge in the heart of old Göreme is the perfect middle path between the budget Güven Cave Hostel and the super-luxurious Cappadocia Cave Resort (both reviewed above). Th cheapest room at the Aydinli Cave House is €70, but we recommend spending a bit extra for their room #2 (pictured below).

Aydinli Cave House

Serinn House

The rooms at the Serinn House have a wonderful cave feel but we aren’t big fans of their decor—an odd mix of chic-modern meets a 1970′s-Austin-Powers-shag-pad—but see how it could appeal to travelers who want a touch of SoHo with their Turkey experience. The Serinn House is another one of those Cappadocia hotels where the service is fantastic; the staff seem especially keen on arranging area activities, from hot air balloon flights and horseback riding tours, for their guests.

Serinn House

Elkep Evi Cave Hotel

The Elkep Evi Cave Hotel has the coolest-looking exterior of any cave hotel in Cappadocia. The whole of the hotel’s interior space is built into the side of a cliff, which means that not only are all the rooms in caves but so are the hallways, the dinning areas and the lobby. When the weather is nice the outdoor areas are lovely for sitting by a fire, smoking a hookah and taking in the ambiance. All this comes at a surprisingly affordable price—single cave rooms are only €50, double cave rooms with a private jacuzzi are €100. Highly suggested!

Elkep Evi Cave Hotel

Elkep Evi Cave Hotel

Elkep Evi Cave Hotel

Elkep Evi Cave Hotel

Gamirasu Cave Hotel

The Gamirasu started out as a Byzantine monastic retreat in the year 999. It became a hotel in 1999. The 1,000 years between those two events seem to resonate throughout the Gamirasu’s 25 rooms and its cozy outdoor spaces. The restaurant’s 6-course Turkish dinner is wonderful. The €350 Eagle’s Nest Suite isn’t too shabby either.

Gamirasu Cave Hotel

Gamirasu Cave Hotel

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In fact, the more we thought it about, the InterContinental Thalasso^† has the best room views of any hotel in French Polynesia.

Over Water Bungalows

A superlative hotel room view, of course, starts with the hotel itself having a superlative location. And the InterContinental Thalasso most certainly does. It’s nestled alongside a lagoon on Motu Piti Aau (motu being the local word for a “small island,” piti aau meaning “two hearts”). From there, the stunning vista across turquoise waters to Mount Otemanu and the lush island of Bora Bora is the stuff of screen savers.

The InterContinental Thalasso, though, isn’t the only luxury resort on Motu Piti Aau. But it is the only one to have overwater bungalow suites with floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedroom. This means that guests can wake up, rub their eyes and find them focusing upon some of the most glorious nature in the whole of the South Pacific—all before setting foot outside their luxe linen bed.

Eco-Friendliness

Another superlative feature of the InterContinental Thalasso: It’s eco-friendly. Truly so.

While many other resorts seem to be committed to the environment only to the extent that it makes for good marketing, the InterContinental Thalasso goes through great lengths to genuinely reduce waste and limit their carbon footprint. The centerpiece of the resort’s eco-orientation is its air conditioning system. The resorts A/C runs entirely on cold water that’s funneled through the world’s deepest ocean pipe. That system produces no greenhouse gases, saves about 2.5 liters of fossil fuels every year and cuts out resort’s electricity consumption by 90%^‡.

Among it’s other environmental initiatives, the InterContinental Thalasso reuses the pool water to irrigate plants, composts 100% of it’s food waste, uses green cleaning products, runs several resort functions entirely off of solar electricity and, instead of importing the salt for use in its spa treatments, the Thalasso distills the salt from local ocean water.

Granted, none of that has any direct bearing on the room views you’ll be treated to at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa. But there’s something nice about looking out upon ecological beauty while knowing you in a resort that’s helping to preserve it.

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^† Note that the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa is not the same property as the InterContinental Le Moana Bora Bora. InterContinental runs a free boat shuttle between the two and guests at one resort can use the facilities at the other.

^‡ The innovative Sea Water Air Conditioning System (SWAC) was the idea of famous Godfather Don and frequent Thalasso guest Marlon Brando. The Thalasso was the first hotel in the world to have such a cooling system. Though an enormous capital expense, the system worked so well that it paid for itself in less than eight years. Based on that success, other resorts and communities have since built their own SWAC.

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InterContinental Bora Bora Room Photos

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InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Photos

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See more superlative hotel room views in: Bangkok, Caribbean, Rome, Patagonia

Celebrities are drawn to the Caves Resort partly because it is owned by one of their own, legendary music producer Chris Blackwell (who also hosts the Flashpoint Film Festival here). And partly because, well, it is one cool place to stay.

Accommodations at The Caves consists of 12 individually styled cliff top cottages and suites. Our favorites are those with the viewpoints from highest above the water, like the one-bedroom Butterfly and the two-bedroom Moonshadow and its glorious blue rooftop balcony (see pic below).

All rooms at The Caves are designed with guest privacy in mind. Loads of lush vegetation creates a sense personal space and provides that in-the-middle-of-a-garden vibe. But there are plenty of mingling areas around the resort too. Coolest among them (both literally and figuratively) is the Rum and Cigar Bar located inside an open-ocean cave underneath the resort.

The whole of the Caves Resort, in fact, is built upon limestone cliffs and a honeycomb network of caves. Which may have you asking yourself: Why anyone would stay at a high-end Caribbean coastal resort that doesn’t have beach access?

The answer is that the cliffs of The Caves are arguably better than having beach access. Perched so above the water, the Caves Resort has more dramatic views and cooler breezes. Caves guests are never far from a Caribbean swim, either by climbing down to sea level or, for more adventurous souls, jumping in from the cliff top. The resort also has a saltwater pool, a cliffside jacuzzi and a private hot tub located inside a cave. For guests still craving sand, Negril’s main beach is about a 10 minute taxi drive away.

All that said, Spot Cool Stuff does not recommend The Caves for a honeymoon stay. The villas, while beautiful and comfortable, are not air conditioned and a bit too close-to-nature for some. There’s also the possibility that the resort will be taken over by a magazine doing a photo shoot during your stay.

As a choice for a romantic indulgence with an unusual cave twist, though, the Caves Resort is brilliant. And who knows? You may have a brush with fame during your stay.

Money saving tip: Want to stay at The Caves but can’t afford the $550/night price tag? Consider the $80/night quirky Blue Cave Castle instead; its a Spot Cool Stuff favorite.

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The exact coordinates of The Caves Resort, derived from an igot-U Travel Blog Master GPS device:

View Larger Map

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See the best websites for booking a discount Caribbean vacation