New York: SoHo & Nolita

SEE Mott and Mulberry StreetsThese touristy "main streets" are worth mentioning because they serve as good bases for orienting yourself and exploring Chinatown and Little Italy. Mott is lined with Chinese (mostly Cantonese) restaurants, but nearby Pell, Bayard, and Doyers Streets are home to more authentic local grocers, tea salons, and lunch counters serving spicy Szechuan and Hunan food, but also lesser-known Fukien, Suzhou, and Zhuzhou flavors. Mulberry brims with kitsch and mediocre, overpriced restaurants, but its side streets are where you'll find wine bars and one-of-a-kind designer boutiques. SEE Museum of Chinese in the Americas70 Mulberry St., 212/619-4785, moca-nyc.orgThe experiences of Chinese immigrants are well documented in this fascinating second-floor museum. Photographs, memorabilia, and Asian-American art are all on display. Closed Mon. Adults $3, students and seniors $1; group tours of historic Chinatown $12. Call three weeks in advance to book the tour. EAT Nha Trang87 Baxter St., north of Bayard St., 212/233-5948A neighborhood favorite that dishes out Vietnamese food by the heaping plateful. Toothsome marinated pork chops with vermicelli and garlicky sautéed greens are winners. It's so authentic that there's even a "Don't stand on the toilet" sign in the bathroom. EAT Peking Duck House28 Mott St., near Chatham Sq., 212/227-1810A modern spot where it's all about the crispy fried duck, which, on occasion, is ceremoniously carved tableside. Try it moo-shu style, wrapped in rice pancakes. EAT Shanghai Cuisine 89 Bayard St., at Mulberry St., 212/732-8988Don't be tempted to order anything but the crab-pork soup dumplings-the combination of flavors is like none other. (A couple of baskets makes a meal.) Warning: The tiki drinks pack a punch. EAT Vincent's Restaurant119 Mott St., at Hester St., 212/226-8133A popular cafeteria specializing in southern Italian seafood dishes. Warning: It sometimes goes heavy on the spicy pepperoncini in its red sauce stewed with frutti de mare (mussels, calamari, etc.). DRINK Asia Roma40 Mulberry St., 212/385-1133The name, drink list, and lounge decor reflect the unlikely melding of cultures in the surrounding blocks. Think ginseng martinis and good Italian wines.

SEE African Burial Ground290 Broadway at Duane St., 212/491-2200, nypl.org/research/sc/afb/shell.htmlThe largest known intact colonial African cemetery in the U.S. Uncovered just over a decade ago, it spans five city blocks. Construction workers, and then archaeologists, dug up everything from decorated coffin remnants to copper cuff links to infant skeletons. SEE The Lobby of the Woolworth Building233 Broadway, between Barclay St. and Park Pl.It was the tallest building in the world until 1929, but don't limit your gawking to the facade. Pop inside and check out the ornate reliefs in the lobby (open regular business hours), one of which depicts Frank Woolworth counting his store's fortune in nickels and dimes. He paid for his grand "Cathedral of Commerce" in cash. For more history, walk north and over to the triangle at Baxter St. and Park Row to see Foley Square-formerly the site of Five Points, the corrupt, hardscrabble 19th-century neighborhood that inspired Martin Scorsese's film Gangs of New York. SEE R 20th Century82 Franklin St., 212/343-7979, r20thcentury.com A pioneering showroom for mid-century modern furniture and homewares. Can't afford an original Eames chair? Browse and pretend that you can. EAT Casse-Croûte Tribeca Café73 W. Broadway, 212/693-2212The name means "breaking of bread." French-accented sandwiches on crusty baguettes, and more. If you're hoofing it around the neighborhood, call in your order to this très tiny, très Provençal food shop ahead of time, so you don't have to wait in line. EAT Pakistan Tea House176 Church St., 212/240-9800 An ultrabusy spot that's best experienced after hours. Go for a late-night nosh (it's open till 4 a.m.), and order a combo plate of chicken masala and rice with spice-flecked spinach, lentils, or cauliflower. There's a generous selection of vegetable entrées, too. EAT VietCafé345 Greenwich St., 212/431-5888, viet-cafe.comWonderful native Vietnamese cuisine served under silk lanterns in a glossy feng shui dining room. Dishes, such as rice crepes, lemongrass beef burgers, and banana flan, start at around $5. SPLURGE Landmarc179 W. Broadway, 212/343-3883, landmarc-restaurant.comThe star of the Italian-influenced American menu is the hanger steak. Also try the goat cheese profiteroles. There's little markup on the wine, so you can get some rare half and full bottles almost at cost. Warning: Be prepared to wait, unless you're in a party of six or more, in which case you can make a reservation and go to the head of the line. DRINK James Duane185 Duane St., 212/925-5558Named after the first post-American Revolution mayor of NYC and owned, curiously, by a history-obsessed Rome transplant. The walls are lined with portraits of dead U.S. presidents. There's a full bar (and food, too), but the thoughtful selection of beer and wine is the real standout. Closed Sun. DRINK Puffy's Tavern81 Hudson St., 212/227-3912, puffystavern.comA totally unpretentious and well-loved neighborhood bar. SHOP LoftWorks100 Lafayette St., 212/343-8088, loftworkslafayette.comFashionistas short on funds will want to check out this massive three-tiered designer-clothing store. Discounts, even on such sniffy labels as Prada, can reach as high as 80 percent. The staff's friendly to boot. SHOP Pearl Paint308 Canal St., 212/431-7932, pearlpaint.comEvery arts and crafts supply under the Gotham sun, and at smart prices, too. PLAY The Flea Theater41 White St., 212/226-2407, theflea.orgAn award-winning performance space founded by director Jim Simpson, husband of Sigourney Weaver. The venue is intimate and the shows consistently engaging and provocative. The theater's mission? To create "a joyful hell in a small space." PLAY Pussycat Lounge96 Greenwich St., 212/349-4800, pussycatloungenyc.comLeave the scantily clad ladies on level one and venture to the second floor for the real fun-great music and a beautiful crowd. The Saturday dance parties are especially hot. Warning: There's no cover, but some thimble-size drinks can be pricey. PLAY Trapeze School New YorkHudson River Park below Canal St., between Piers 34 and 26, 917/797-1872, newyork.trapezeschool.comAt this outdoor facility you can face your fears and learn how to fly high like a circus performer. Or just stop by to watch. Experts guide you through every swing, and the company has an excellent safety record. Classes from $47.

Budget Travel Editors: Thanks for joining us! Let's get to your questions... _______________________ New York, New York: I am traveling to Belize on January 29, headed to Blancaneux Lodge for a week. I want to buy travel insurance which specifically covers any delays due to weather. Due to the price of the trip, missing one day (due to, for example, a snow delay) will result in my fiancee and I losing many hundreds of dollars. Can you recommend the best travel insurance for this purpose? Budget Travel Editors: Just about every travel insurance policy protects the purchaser against bad weather. Go to a site such as insuremytrip.com or quotetravelinsurance.com to compare policies. Look under "Trip Cancellation" and "Trip Interruption" for specifics on what exactly is covered before paying for anything. If bad weather causes your trip to be delayed or cancelled entirely, the insurance company pays up in full. Along with medical emergencies, bad weather is one of the prime reasons folks buy travel insurance. The weather usually has to be bad enough for the flight to be cancelled, however. If it's a snowy day and the planes are flying, you've got to get yourself to the airport if possible and get on the plane. On the other hand, if the weather is bad enough for flights to be cancelled, the airlines involved generally allow passengers to cancel or change plans without penalty (on a case by case basis). Hotels handle things a little differently, but usually if a customer's flight is cancelled, a hotel will likewise allow the customer to change or cancel with little or no penalty. _______________________ Robbinsdale, MN : I am planning a surprise trip to NYC for my wife immediately after Christmas. Knowing almost nothing about New York I was researching Gray Line tours...Is it worth $99 for three days transportation and entry to the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty observation deck? Or should we suck it up and learn to ride the subway like New York's other 8 million people? Budget Travel Editors: Don't fret about the $99. In a city as big--and as intimidating--as New York, $99 for three days of transportation including informative tour guides, hop-on hop-off access, and entrance into two of the city's top attractions is definitely worth the splurge. But do yourself a favor and give New York's public transportation a try. One of the most thrilling rides for first-timers is aboard the Staten Island Ferry. It's totally free and departs hourly from lower Manhattan's newly refurbished Staten Island Ferry terminal (ferrytime.com). Along the way you'll be treated to first-class views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, as well photo-gobbling looks at the Manhattan skyline. As for the subway, have no fear. New Yorkers don't, so neither should you. In the meantime, be sure to download our New York Snap Guide on our homepage for more tips about the city. _______________________ Lake San Marcos, California: Which car rental companies offer one-way rentals between Madrid and Barcelona? I would like to pick up a car in downtown Barcelona and return it at the Madrid airport in June 2006. Any suggestions? Vivi Camacho Budget Travel Editors: Most major car rental agencies offer one-way rentals. Our best advice would be to rent your car BEFORE you depart on your trip either directly through one of the major car rental agencies, such as Avis, or through AutoEurope.com (autoeurope.com). As in the US, you should expect to pay more for a one-way drop-off. If you'll be traveling in Spain for longer than two weeks, then we suggest looking into a short-term lease-you can save quite a bit of money by going this route. Be forewarned that you'll also pay considerably more for an automatic car. We also suggest saving money and booking a manual, if you're comfortable with that. And diesel cars are cheaper to fill too. _______________________ New York City: How do I order theater tickets for March 24-25-26 on line??? Budget Travel Editors: Telecharge.com is the most well-known source for booking theater tickets online, however there are some smaller websites, such as TheaterMania.com (theatermania.com) and BroadwayBox.com (broadwaybox.com), that not only allow you to book, but they also offer discounts and promotional codes as well. _______________________ Vineyard Haven, MA: I am planning a vacation to Africa for my son and myself in March of 06 and am thinking about a safari type of vacation. I am in my sixties and Sean is 19 and in college. It may be the last vacation we have with just the two of us and I would like it to be memorable! We are scheduling it for Sean's vacation from 11 Mar to 19 Mar. I am thinking about Kenya or possibly the Sarageti in Tanzania. My budet is limited. We would like to see a lot of wild life and if possible I would like to have an opportunity to interact with some local people. We are not interested in luxurious accommodations - tenting may be fine except that I am concerned about the heat. Lodges would be fine but I would like to avoid standard hotels. It would be nice to include some time for hiking. We would like to visit several parks but I would like to avoid unneccesary vehicle time. I have the impression a lot of the tours are done in "safari" vehicles. There appear to be a number of agencies that do safari trips with a wide range of prices. Should I look for a package that includes air fare from the US or am I better off being responsible for my own flight and looking for a package that includes only the time in Africa? Are there specifics that I should look to include or exclude? Do the packages generally fill up well in advance or can I wait until closer to the vacation time? Am I likely to save some by waiting on either the package in Africa or the air fare? Is there any association of tour operators that can tell me if the operator that I choose is likely to fullfill the promises of the tour as advertised? Ant suggestion would be helpful. Bill Budget Travel Editors: If you're planning to go on safari to Kenya and Tanzania in March, be forewarned that you'll be traveling during the rainy season. We've been assured that rains generally fall only at night, yet the fast-growing foliage means spotting animals can be more challenging. The good news is that March falls within the low season for airfares (Jan. 11--May 31). Your best bet is to book your land and air together in the same package--and book as soon as you possibly can. Africa, and in particular these areas of East Africa, have never been so popular. As a result, packages for the Fall 06 are already selling out. A quick way to find reliable operators is to browse the names listed in good guide books or look for those who are members of the American Society of Travel Agents or the U.S. Tour Operators Association. _______________________ Tuscaloosa,AL: : My fiance and I are planning a honeymoon to England for next May. We'd like to leave on May 21st or 22nd (the wedding is the 20th), and stay for a week. We'd prefer to stay in a Bed and Breakfast in or very near London, nothing too elaborate because we plan to make the most of our time sightseeing. The flight we've been eyeing to book leaves from ATL and lands at Gatwick. Are there any B&Bs that offer complementary or discounts on airport pickups? Our main goals are to see the big things :Natural History Museum, Madame Toussaud's, Big Ben, have English tea, walking tours, anything fun and not too expensive. We like anything historic and aren't into nightlife aside from dinner and maybe a glass of wine at a pub. Garden and house tours would be great. We'd like to get rail passes for the week so that we can explore the English countryside surrounding London, specifically day trips to Bath/Stonehenge, possibly Nottingham/Sherwood Forest, Cotswolds/Shakespeare's home and must see Suffolk (Woodbridge, Ipswich) because I spent three years there as a little girl. We're looking for advice on how to have a cozy, romantic honeymoon, making the most of our week without going broke! Budget Travel Editors: Congratulations! It sounds like you have a wonderful, jam-packed trip ahead of you. Here are some tips for getting started. The low-key Jenkins Hotel, a Georgian town house in Bloomsbury, is decked in floral patterns and owned by an affable and knowledgeable native. Vancouver Studios in Bayswater has a lovely secluded garden in back and houses guests in apartments with full kitchens and antiques. Near Hyde Park, the dainty Rhodes Hotel is decorated with murals, old photographs and botanical prints and serves a choice of continental or classic English breakfast, the latter for a small surcharge . The Garden Court Hotel, a 10-minute walk from Portobello Market, offers 34 uniquely decorated rooms, flower arrangements and comfy leather sofas in the lobby and, naturally, a small garden. It's unlikely that you'll be able to find complimentary transfers from Gatwick, but you can save some pounds by hopping the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station (12 pounds per person, one-way, or 23.50 pounds, round-trip, gatwickexpress.com). Anne Mark, a certified Blue Badge Guide and leader of Marksman Tours, will customize tours, including those of public and private gardens and of villas. In early May, check the latest itineraries from London Walks, a well-reputed and long-standing leader of historic city tours, and from Silver Cane Tours, which tends have a more offbeat selection (Bridget Jones and the Big Knickers, Oscar Wilde's West End). You can brush up on your teatime etiquette with our how-to guide. Consult BritRail for discounted train passes (a second class four-day adult pass is $209, railpass.com/new/). For more insider tips on how to making the most of your British honeymoon, download our free London Snap Guide and read about how to rent a country cottage. _______________________ Budget Travel Editors: Thanks for all your great questions. Next Tuesday, George Hobica will answer your airfare questions. George publishes a daily blog at airfarewatchdog.com and writes the weekly syndicated "Ask George" travel Q&A column for Copley News Service. and will answer your questions from noon to 1 p.m. _______________________

B.A.'s most sophisticated and traditionally upper-class neighborhood. Apart from being the resting place of Evita Perón, Recoleta is also full of chic apartment buildings, boutiques, cafes and restaurants. SEE Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos AiresAvenida Presidente Figueroa Alcorta 3415, 011-54-11/4808-6500, malba.org.arIf you go to only one art museum in the city, MALBA should be the one. Opened in 2001, the state-of-the-art building houses 20th-century and contemporary art from all over Latin America. Exhibitions vary, but the permanent collection has more than 270 works, including masterpieces by Diego Rivera, Fernando Botero, and Antonio Berni. Open Thurs.-Mon., noon-8 p.m., $2.40. Free on Wed. from noon-9 p.m., students always free with ID. Closed Tues. SEE Plaza FranciaAvenida del Libertador and Avenida PueyrredónMore of a grassy slope than a traditional "plaza," indie rock and reggae musicians congregate here on Sat. and Sun., while vendors hawk regional crafts, such as knives with handmade leather handles and traditional maté cups. Locals like to vegetate on the lawn and sip maté, weather permitting. SEE Recoleta CemeteryCalle Junín 1760, 4803-1594Eva Peron's surprisingly discreet family tomb has made the graveyard one of the most famous landmarks in B.A. There's a lot more to investigate, from ostentatious mausoleums to unkempt and eerie underground tombs with exposed coffins. Open daily 7 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Free. EAT Los Porteños Avenida General Las Heras 2101, 4809-3548An old-school, wood-paneled B.A. bistro a block away from the Recoleta Cemetery serving everything from cuts of grilled meat to pizza. It's perfect for dropping in any time of day or night. A good place for a morning coffee and to read up on regional news in the Buenos Aires Herald. Window signs feature the classic porteño rounded script. Open Mon.-Thurs. until 1:30 a.m., Fri.-Sat. until 7 a.m. EAT R.M. Ortiz Opposite the main entrance to Recoleta Cemetery The good restaurants that line this short street all have private terrace patios (a rarity in the neighborhood). The area is touristy, but between the great outdoor seating and plentiful grilled Argentine steaks ($8-10), you won't be sorry you made the trip. SPLURGE Au Bec FinCalle Vicente López 1827, 011-54-11/4807-3765, aubecfin.com.ar A 1920s mansion restaurant that has an opulent, belle epoque dining room with crimson carpets and walls, and rounded settees. The crab-stuffed trout (trucha) or the chateaubriand beef with goat-cheese gratinée from the French-heavy menu are both superb. $16 for full lunch menu, around $40 for dinner. DRINK MiliónCalle Paraná 1048, 011-54-11/4815-9925, milion.com.ar Taking up three stories of a converted mansion, this posh bar has high ceilings, high-backed armchairs, and engraved wood finishing. There's a long list of cocktails, and beers are $2. Seats in the candlelit garden are hard to come by in warm weather. Note: Bring the address with you; there are no signs for Milión on the street. SHOP Buenos Aires DesignAvenida Pueyrredón 2501, 011-54-11/5777-6000, designrecoleta.com.ar Design aficionados love the mall at the northeast corner of Recoleta Cemetery. Visit and you could end up walking out with a leather folding chair or a tepee-like lamp made of metal rods. If you're not in the market to buy, it's worth going for its gorgeous balconies and cafés overlooking Plaza Francia. SHOP El Ateneo Grand SplendidAvenida Santa Fe 1860, corner Avenida Callao, 011-54-11/4813-6052Claims to be the largest bookstore in Latin America. For 80 years it was a majestic cinema/theater, aptly named the Grand Splendid. In 2000, it was renovated into a beautiful bookstore; its many titles and gold-gilt balconies make it a worthwhile visit for bookworms and cineastes alike. Most books are in Spanish, but there are some in English, French, and Portuguese. SHOP Patio BullrichAvenida del Libertador 750, 011-54-11/4814-7400An elegant, upscale mall with marble floors, tall pillars, and lots of greenery. In addition to international brands like Cacharel and Dolce & Gabbana, you'll also find the best Argentine designers, such as Rapsodia, known for its bohemian chic. PLAY Mint LoungeAvenida Costanera Rafael Obligado and Avenida Sarmiento (Punta Carrasco), 011-54-11/4807-1010 A spacious, sleek club where the best features are the grand windows and the terrace overlooking the Plata River. DJs favor house music and the latest releases. Opens at 1 a.m. on Fri. and Sat. only. Cover from $5.20. PLAY Punta Carrasco Avenida Costanera Rafael Obligado and Avenida Sarmiento, 011-54-11/4807-1010, puntacarrasco.com.ar Hit the upscale sports club for a dip if you can't take the South American heat. The river's-edge complex has three outdoor pools better suited for posing than swimming laps. Open daily 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri. $4.50, Sat. and Sun. $7.65.