Foodie Alert: Peru's Best Buffets

This may be an awful thing for a travel editor to confess, but the islands of the South Pacific have always seemed a little intimidat­ing to me. Thousands of miles from my home in suburban New York, and perhaps even farther away in terms of lifestyle, ease of transportation, and sheer cost, I have to admit I haven't even given them a spot on my bucket list until recently. But I began to notice that luxe locales like the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tahiti, and sometimes even chi-chi Moorea were turning up in Budget Travel's Real Deals. Hmm. Turns out, if you choose the right destination—an island that enjoys a modest standard of living without catering to the ultra-wealthy—and pick the right resort or book a package deal, some of these warm, alluring destinations can and should be on your travel list. WHAT IS THE "SOUTH PACIFIC" ANYWAY? Let's get this out of the way up front: It's impossible to adequately summarize the history, culture, and geograph­ical diversity of the islands that stretch across thousands of miles in the southern hemisphere smack in the middle of the world's largest ocean. From French Polynesia (including Tahiti and Moorea) in the east, across the Cook Islands, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands in the west, what we refer to as the islands of the South Pacific are a rich stew of jungles, coral reefs, beaches, volcanoes, native cultures, and European colonial influences. The good news is, English is spoken just about everywhere, and an afford­able—and unforgettable—experience is possible for what we like to call "real people." WHAT ISLAND IS RIGHT FOR YOU? To get started, I turned to someone whose great reporting always inspires me, Mark Kahler, who is an expert on frugal traveling for About.com. He notes that package tours can often be a good way to see the South Pacific on a budget. "Packages that include flight plus hotel are the most popular, because those are the two largest expenses you will encounter on a trip to the South Pacific," he says. "Shop in the vacation sections of airline websites that serve this part of the world. Airlines will bundle dates and destina­tions based on how many seats they need to fill on various flights. They can also negotiate better deals with the resorts at certain times of the year." Kahler suggests, though, that if you research package deals, you need to be careful that a package doesn't confine you to the grounds of one resort—unless that's the kind of isolated experience you are looking for. "Travelers who are willing to look for smaller, locally owned properties might get a better glimpse of the local culture, and it's entirely possible they'll find rates that are as good or better than the package tours." He also notes that, unlike many other parts of the world, where oceanfront property is reserved for high-end rooms, the South Pacific often offers budget accommodations that are right on the beach. "The notion of staying right on the ocean in a bungalow with a thatched roof might seem romantic or luxurious, but many times these places are very basic in terms of amenities. You may not find air conditioning, or designer shampoos and bed sheets, but stylish? Yes!" WHAT'S YOUR BUDGET? Emma Woodward, of Goway.com, suggests that you first determine what your budget is, then conduct your research—or work with a travel company—to find the combination of lodging category and island that's right for you. "If you combine two islands, start with a lower room category, then splurge on the second island," Woodward suggests, noting that, as with many destinations, being flexible with your travel dates can help you find deals on flights, and that a package deal will not only save you money on your airfare from the U.S. but also on inter-island airfares KEEP THE ISLANDS BEAUTIFUL! The South Pacific islands are lovely—and fragile. Easily damaged coral reefs fringe many islands, and as we've seen in areas such as the Caribbean, tourist dollars can also bring havoc to the environment. Woodward points out that you can visit the South Pacific in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way. "A lot of resorts use ocean water for air conditioning, purify ocean water for drinking, and bottle water in reusable glass containers rather than plastic." COOK ISLANDS The Cook Islands top the list of affordable South Pacific destinations, with a comfortable but not out-of-reach standard of living, New Zealand-in­fluenced culture, and an inviting array of natural wonders like coral lagoons, caves, and lush forests. The islands themselves are distinct from one another, with opportu­nities for you to soak up a luxe resort experience, forest hiking, and even some deserted islands. Rarotonga's Muri Lagoon is a must, as is snorkeling on the Aitutuaki atoll. For a taste of the islands' village life, tour the pretty gardens of Ma'uke. And for a literal taste of Polynesian cuisine, enjoy one of the islands' classic pork-based feasts along with a performance of local traditional dance. Feeling more adventurous? Explore the caves of Mangaia, including the burial chamber of the ruler Te Rua Rere. Resorts here are within reach: Palm Grove Resort Rarotonga offers individual bungalows on a five-acre beachfront property that also includes beautiful gardens filled with local flowers; the resort's calm, shallow lagoon is great for beginner and advanced snorkelers (palmgrove.net, from $185). Edgewater Resort & Spa allows you to enjoy beach and garden views, a lagoon, swimming pool, and two restaurants just a short distance from downtown Avarua (edgewater.co.ck, from $189). Find a deal to the Cook Islands: PleasantHoli­days.com offers package deals to the Cook Islands, often starting at less than $1,700, including airfare and lodging, from Los Angeles. FIJI Well, the first thing you need to know about Fiji is that it's not just one island, as many travelers assume by its name. This string of islands attracts more than 600,000 visitors each year, making it the most popular South Pacific destination—and that's largely because it combines a reasonable price tag with extreme sights, flavors, and experiences unlike anything you'll find anywhere else. Plant yourself in Nadi and you'll be immersed in a heady city experiences, including Indian cuisine and a bustling street life. Sign on for a jungle cruise and you'll experience an entirely different Fiji, including some of the world's most colorful and entertaining bird-watching. Sonaisali Island Resort is an upscale splurge (sonaisali.com, from $330). Radisson Blu Resort Fiji Denarau Island is an everything-you-could-want property on the beach (radissonblu.com, from $135). Crusoe's Retreat bills itself as "Fiji's best-kept secret" and lives up to its name with affordable beachfront bures (crusoesretreat.com, from $125). Find a deal to Fiji: Goway.com offers package deals to Fiji, often starting at less than $2,000, including airfare and lodging, from Los Angeles. TAHITI Here, you'll find a rarity among French Polyne­sian destinations. In the company of pricier places, Tahiti offers some stylish steals. Start in Papeete to get a sense of Tahiti's cultural juxtapositions at the Gaugin Museum, which documents the years the French artist spent here capturing local colors and personalities on canvas. Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti is set along a half-mile of pristine beach and includes an infinity pool and spa (radisson.com, from $242). Taaroa Lodge is a lovely no-frills option that gets you a room with private bath for a steal (taaroalodge.com, from $69). Find a deal to Tahiti: TravelScene.com offers package deals to Tahiti, often starting at less than $1,800, including airfare and lodging, from Los Angeles. HUAHINE Are you a budget traveler who relishes something a bit rougher around the edges? You may find that Huahine is the kind of place you'd love to be stranded on. Two islands joined by a bridge, Huahine packs a lot of potential into its 9x8-mile area and is ideal for hitting the waves and backpacking. Hotel Maitai Lapita Village Huahine is a pleasant oasis with garden bungalows (huahine.hotelmaitai.com, from $245). Find a deal to Huahine: Huahine is sometimes included in tours and cruises to other islands in French Polynesia.

Sophie Gackowski writes for HomeAway UK New Year's Eve in Edinburgh: there's nothing else quite like it. From the infamous Street Party to the 'Loony Dook' on New Year's Day (and trust me—it's pretty loony…), it's not just one evening that Hogmanay heralds; it's three fun-filled days and nights of celebration, Scottish-style. And so, the countdown begins... This year is Edinburgh's 21st annual Hogmanay festival, and as such, there's a lot to take in. On the 30 December, some 35,000 people will attend the Torchlight Procession, which sees thousands illuminate the city with fire. Led by Shetland's 'Up Hella A' Vikings, it's free to attend; you only need to purchase a torch, the profits of which go to local charities. Finishing in an equally dramatic manner, the procession marches from George IV Bridge to a spectacular sound, light and fireworks show on Calton Hill. On the big night itself, 31 December, over 80,000 will head to the world-famous Street Party; but before that, there's plenty to choose from. Many head to the Candlelit Concert at St Giles Cathedral (sadly sold out for this year), where the music of Haydn and Bach, alongside more Baroque classics, is made all the more beautiful by the candles and incense. For some, however, Hogmanay has to be about Scottish music; and for those eager to dance a 'Gay Gordon', there's nowhere better than the Keilidh. Unfortunately, tickets have also sold out for this event: if you were lucky enough to bag tickets for these incredible nights, well done! If not, never fear: there's so much more to see and do in the Scottish capital. This year, there will be 12 giant screens to watch all the live music on, and fireworks displays at 9 pm, 10 pm, 11 pm and midnight. At Waverley Bridge you could catch bands like Django Django, or at Frederick Street, listen to the sounds of Treacherous Orchestra on the Scottish Stage. Finally, at the Mound, the Rewinder DJ set will be sounding out beats from back in the day until 1 am. If you'd rather the Concert in the Gardens, even the Pet Shop Boys will be playing! But wherever you are at the stroke of midnight, you'll want to join hands with friends and strangers alike. When the last bell is struck and fireworks flurry, the world's biggest rendition of 'Auld Land Syne' takes place: For auld lang syne, my dear / For auld lang syne / We'll tak a cup o kindness yet / For auld lang syne! Once you've shaken hands with innumerable strangers, free bus transport will take all revellers home. But it doesn't end there: it's the1st of January, after all! Thumping head? Feeling rough? The 'Loony Dook' is sure to sort you out. Clear your mind the morning after with a dip in the River Forth at South Queensferry. On New Year's Day, thousands take to the Dookers Parade through the High Street (many in fancy dress), all before plunging into the freezing waters of the Forth, with the beautiful bridges as their backdrop. Having raised thousands for charities over the past 25 years, things can only get better for the loons in 2014! Of course, if that's all a bit much, head off with SCOT:LANDS on a New Year's tour of Edinburgh's Old Town. Starting at the National Museum of Scotland, you'll be given a postcard with instructions, before travelling to nine different venues throughout the city's old centre. Entirely free to attend, dance performances and folk music, storytelling and art exhibitions will take over the city. Set to be one of the capital's most impressive cultural itineraries ever, it's one that aims to showcase everything Scotland stands for. And if that doesn't do the trick, you could always nurse a bottle of Irn-Bru instead. Happy New Year! Follow Sophie Gackowski on Google+

Come hungry. Charleston, S.C., is a town that likes to eat well. The downtown has a variety of options—Mexican, sushi, Korean, Mediterranean, Thai, Italian, delis, burgers—and range from pizza joints catering to the student crowd to fine dining. But when I'm in Charleston, I like to explore local twists on standards of South Carolina Low Country cuisine. Like fried green tomatoes. At Jestine's Kitchen, a casual eatery reproducing the recipes of Jestine Matthews, who lived to 112 and worked for 70 years with the restaurant owner's family, the lightly battered fried-green tomatoes ($5.25) are served piping hot and have a lemony flavor. Don't leave Jestine's without trying the melts-in-your-mouth, sticky sweet Coca Cola Cake, $5.95 (251 Meeting Street, no website, no reservations). Nick's Barbecue—along with huge portions of good pulled pork, brisket, and chicken, topped either with a vinegary barbecue sauce or a smoky hot habanera sauce—serves fried green tomatoes with a thick cornmeal crust heavily seasoned with salt and pepper. Delicious. My husband's favorite, though, was Nick's sweet potato pecan pudding, a side dish that could easily be dessert (nicksbarbq.com, lunch for two about $25). Shrimp grits are another staple of Low Country cuisine and are perfectly seasoned at Anson, an upscale splurge. Prepared with shrimp stock, tidbits of bacon and bacon drippings, sprinkled with scallions and roasted tomato, every bite was heavenly. A diner at the next table so enjoyed tasting her daughter's shrimp grits, she persuaded her daughter to swap entrees (ansonrestaurant.com, dinner for two, with wine & dessert, about $120). No surprise that grits are widely available, and even at a no-nonsense diner like Sweetwater Café, the cheesy grits are a bowlful of comfort food at $5.99 (but skip Sweetwater's biscuits, which seemed straight from a supermarket). Great fresh seafood is a Charleston tradition. The culinary emphasis of Fish is no secret. While it offers a variety of French/Asian fusion, a popular dish is the Naked Fish, the catch-of-the-day prepared simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper, to showcase its freshness (fishrestaurantcharleston.com). Or go early for the Fish happy hour specials, beginning at 4:30 pm. Fortunately for those of us who love to burn calories almost as much as we love to eat, Charleston is also a walking city. On three visits, I've never rented a car, since the airport is an easy taxi ride ($14 to share a van, about $38 for a taxi) and downtown Charleston is pedestrian-friendly. Pack comfortable walking shoes to fully appreciate the architectural splendor of the area South of Broad Street. It is a neighborhood of 18th- and 19th-century mansions located close to one another, close to the waterfront, and within walking distance of the downtown shopping and dining area. Many houses have two story open-air porches, called "piazzas," situated to capture the prevailing breezes. Many houses have carefully cultivated gardens that can be glimpsed behind elaborate wrought iron gates. A handful, such as the Edmondston-Alston House (edmondstonalston.com), are open for tours by local docents, who can tell you about the family, the furnishings, and the architecture. Downtown Charleston is also home to the lovely historic campus of the College of Charleston, where you can stroll the brick walkways and admire the architecture and trees draped in Spanish moss. The campus welcomes visitors and offers student-guided tours, a map for a self-guided tour, and even a downloadable app for a self-guided tour (cofc.edu/visit). The Charleston City Market is four blocks of covered, open-air buildings, where local artisans sell pottery, wood carvings, soaps, wearable art, and other crafts. At the Market or on the sidewalk in front of the federal courthouse, you might see weavers turning sweet grass into baskets, and selling them on the spot. You can window shop at the many art galleries, upscale retailers like Jill St. John, or mid-price chains such as Urban Outfitters, or visit Butterfly (butterflyconsignments.com), a consignment shop filled with deals on fashion-forward women's clothing. For a free rest stop for tired feet, try people-watching from a plush chair in the lobby of the Embassy Suites hotel, the pink fortress-like structure that formerly housed the Citadel Military College and where some guest rooms feature gun ports (embassysuites3.hilton.com). Or cross Marion Square, a welcoming public park that hosts a farmers market on Saturday mornings, and find a comfy chair in the grand lobby of the Francis Marion hotel, built in 1924 and extensively renovated in 1996. If you stay at the Francis Marion, a weekend getaway package offered until December 2014 includes $50 per night of certificates for the hotel restaurant, The Swamp Fox, or for any participating restaurant on Upper King Street, most located within easy walking distance of the hotel (francismarionhotel.com). Nightlife on upper King Street has picked up in recent years, and now features lively upscale lounges with dress codes and lines that spill out onto the sidewalk. The bars' success has caused some tension with their neighbors over limited parking and the noise of patrons leaving at the 2 a.m. closing time. On every visit to Charleston, I am again struck by the friendly service. And that unpretentious hospitality is another draw for a lovely walkable city with great food. Sarah Ricks is a Clinical Professor at Rutgers Law School—Camden and a lifelong travel junkie.

This article was written by Mike Gasparovic, a freelance writer, editor, and translator. He devotes his free time to studying the history, art, and literature of the Spanish-speaking world and learning about its people. He currently lives in Lima, and wrote this article for South American Vacations, providers of tours to Ecuador and South America. Quito today has a reputation for being one of the most orderly and peaceful of South American capitals, but it hasn't always been so. In the early 1800s, the city was a hotbed of revolutionary activity, a flash point whose intellectual and political crosscurrents eventually gave rise to one of the first violent insurrections against Spanish colonial rule. Today it's still possible to visit the houses in Quito's Old Town, most of which date from the 18th century. Stepping inside their whitewashed adobe walls, travelers are able to turn back the clock to the formative years of Latin America, when the nations we know today were born. Here are two historical houses you should visit next time you're in Quito. Casa Mariscal SucreCalle Venezuela 593, Centro Histórico Antonio José de Sucre was the trusted commandant of the revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar. His name is blazoned on seemingly every street corner in Quito, principally for his role in the battle of Pichincha, which took place in 1822 on the slopes of the volcano that overlooks the city, and which effectively brought about the liberation of what would later become Ecuador. Sucre would go on to achieve an even greater victory in the battle of Ayacucho in Peru, which brought to a close the wars of independence in Latin America, before being assassinated on a dark mountain deep in the forests of Colombia. Sucre's life wasn't all heroics. In 1828, longing for peace after so many years of fighting, he married Mariana Carcelen, Marquise of Solander, and moved into this house in downtown Quito, which she had inherited from her family. The couple enjoyed a brief interval of domestic bliss, 15 short months, long enough for Mariana to give birth to a daughter. Then Sucre was called away to quell a series of political troubles in Bogotá. He never returned. Today, visitors to this lovely museum can see the living quarters, kitchen, stables, and salons where the Marshal of Ayacucho made his home. Tours are available in both English and Spanish, after which you are left free to wander. The effect is both monumental and strangely intimate: full-size mounted portraits grace the gallery upstairs, while the Mariscal's guitar still hangs on the bedroom wall. Museo Manuela SáenzCalle Junín Oe-113, Centro Histórico Manuela Sáenz, Simón Bolívar's mistress, never lived in this 18th-century house in Quito's San Marcos neighborhood. She in all likelihood never even entered it (though evidence indicates that as a child, she did board at the Santa Catalina Convent across the street). Yet this fascinating museum is a must-see, for it's here that Sáenz has found her champion, a scholar whose passion and spirit rival her own. That scholar is Ana María Álvarez, and she has dedicated herself not only to her investigations of Sáenz's life, but also to educating the public about history's most famous Quiteña. After her father, Carlos Álvarez Sáa, an industrialist and amateur historian, acquired and refurbished this house in the 1980s, Álvarez inherited from him his love for "La Libertadora del Libertador" (so-called for reportedly saving Bolívar's life during three separate assassination attempts). She thus elected to spend her days clearing away the myths surrounding her subject and claiming for Sáenz her rightful place in Latin American history. The figure that emerges, during the hour-long tour of the museum, is that of a complex, driven woman, a revolutionary conspirator, spy, and proto-feminist who loved independence as fiercely as she did the man who fought to realize it in South America. The museum houses numerous objects that once belonged to Sáenz and Bolívar: letters, portraits, furniture, firearms. Through them, we're able to follow the trajectory of La Caballeresa del Sol (Dame of the Sun), from her seduction at age 17 by a Spanish army officer, to her participation in the conspiracy against the Peruvian viceroy in 1820, to her first meeting with Bolívar in Quito, where she wove a crown of flowers for the revolutionary hero and threw it from a balcony as his cortege passed below. The tour also features a biographical video that recounts Saenz's final days, first as an exile in Jamaica and later as a destitute widow in the coastal town of Paita, Peru, where she died of diphtheria and was buried in a mass grave. What makes all of this come alive, however, is Álvarez's great gifts as a storyteller. Visiting the house, we feel that it really is hers, Manuela's—that after so many journeys, her spirit has at last found its proper home.