Tipster

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, has a happening bar scene, with cheap drinks and a friendly mix of tourist and expat imbibers—and at many places, the party lasts all night long. Don't expect a ton of glamour (with a few exceptions, mainly in hotels), but be prepared for potentially raucous fun. These are some of our favorite places in Phnom Penh for letting loose; to explore further, just walk down Street 51, where bars abound.

                            Refinement and luxury at The Elephant Bar; photo courtesy of the Lorrie Graham Blog.

The Elephant Bar. For true luxury in the Phnom Penh drinking scene, visit The Elephant Bar, located inside the Raffles Hotel le Royal. Drinks are certainly more expensive than in other parts of the city, but quality is high, and the ambience is elegant. Elephant decor abounds, right down to the glasses that cocktails are served in. The food is excellent and the drinks are stellar—this is definitely the place to pamper yourself after a long day on Phnom Penh's busy streets.

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Tags: Phnom Penh, Cambodia, beer, bars, drinking, Raffles Le Royal, bar crawl

The city of Prague seems to run on beer; there are bars everywhere, and people sipping from bottles on the cobblestoned streets. A strong drinking culture is woven into the history of the city, and it's no wonder, since the beer is certainly some of the best you'll ever drink. One spa in Prague has taken the malt mania a step further, offering beer baths—and unlimited beer to drink, too.

                                                                      Photo via Expats.cz.

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Tags: spa, beer, Prague, beer bath

Asheville, NC has long been associated with tourism: the area that was once chock full of sanitariums for the recovery of the rich and famous (like Zelda Fitzgerald) is now the playground of well-to-do New Yorkers and Californians searching out an artistic, bohemian vibe in a small mountain city. Exploring downtown Asheville is a must, and it's great fun to have a drink at the Grove Park Inn and take in the spectacular view from the terrace, but we suggest stepping outside of the mainstays of touristdom and see the city a little more like a local. There's great beer, food, music and nature to be found in Asheville: here are our top picks.

 The building that houses The Wedge is right across the street from the French Broad River. Photo courtesy of AshevilleNow.com.

The Wedge Brewing Company. The Wedge is a cultural institution of Asheville in more ways than one: It is on its own a fantastic brewery, well worth the trip considering its brews can be found nowhere else; it serves as the anchor for the building it occupies, which is filled with artists' studios and sits right on the French Broad River; and, it almost always has some delicious food trucks out front and in summer it shows movies outside. Maybe the best part of the location? Right across the street is an access point for the French Broad, which is a great place for tubing. We recommend hopping in the river there (there are several tube rental spots nearby, or you can bring your own) and floating down for a mile or two until you reach an exit point at the Bywater, an outdoor bar with local beers on tap and plenty of grills open to the public (bring your own food, and feel free to bring the kids—the bar sits on a whole acre of land).

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Tags: Asheville, NC, North Carolina, breweries, beer, vegan, vegetarian, French Broad River, music venue

Atlanta is a dining destination like no other. Besides the abundance of delicious and authentic southern cooking, there are so many ethnicities represented as well as lots of old-meets-new southern-fusion options. And I’m lucky enough to live in this foodie paradise, where no two meals are ever the same. More...

Tags: atlanta, restaurants, breweries, beer, barbecue, burgers, breakfast

Every now and then, a destination will take me by surprise. Anchorage, Alaska, was one of those cities. I had envisioned an icy wilderness, but Anchorage offers so much more than winter sports. With all its natural splendor, there's no wonder it's such a popular spot to visit. Anchorage is the outdoor enthusiast's dream, but it also offers a host of great restaurants and bars. Here are a few things I would definitely fit into an Anchorage itinerary.

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Tags: Anchorage, Alaska, Things to Do, Sightseeing, Dining, Northern Lights, Salmon Berry Tours, dogsledding, F Street Station, Crow's Nest, Europa Bakery, Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge, Make it Alaskan festival, Anchorage dining, Anchorage sightseeing, beer, crafts

North Carolina has some great things to offer. There’s beaches and mountains, big cities and small towns. I’ve lived in Winston-Salem for six years, which is right in the middle of the state, making mountains and oceans both easily accessible. But up until recently, I hadn’t fully taken advantage of that accessibility.

A couple weeks ago, a friend’s birthday offered the perfect opportunity to fix that, and a group of us set out to Asheville to participate in a kind of local tour that is unique to the small mountain town: the Brews Cruise. More...

Tags: Asheville, beer, Brews Cruise, Pisgah Brewing Company, French Broad Brewing Company, Craggie Brewing Company

When I started my study-abroad term in college, Munich wasn't a must-see city for me. It wasn't even on my radar, really, but in the planning process, my friend Laura and I did a little research and decided that it would be a nice place to visit. So, one weekend in November, we boarded an overnight train and made our way to Germany. More...

Tags: Munich, Germany, Dachau, Hofbrauhaus, Neuschwanstein, Castle, Mountains, Bavaria, Alps, World War II, Beer

Coat weather seemed to sneak up on us in North Carolina, so I can only imagine how it feels in the rest of the country, but the falling temperatures don't have to restrict your vacation options. This winter, consider a visit to Boston: a historic U.S. city with a small-town feel built into a lively metropolis.More...

Tags: travel, Boston, winter, beer, cocktails, ice skating, museums, calendar