Traffic Regulations Announced for Mangan District Ahead of Tourist Reopening

Travel

Traffic Regulations Announced for Mangan District Ahead of Tourist Reopening
The Mangan District Administration, led by the District Collector-cum-Magistrate, has issued an official vehicular traffic order in preparation for the reopening of the district to tourists starting December 1, 2024. The directives aim to manage traffic flow and facilitate road restoration work along the Mangan-Chungthang route while ensuring uninterrupted access for road maintenance agencies.Key Traffic Guidelines:1. Upward Movement: Vehicles Traveling to Chungthang via Mangan– The road from Mangan to Chungthang through Toong Naga will be open exclusively for light vehicles. These vehicles must cross Mangan Bazaar by 10:00 AM, provided they have the necessary permits.– The entry point to the Toong Naga stretch will be closed from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM to allow uninterrupted restoration work by road maintenance teams, including the 107 RCC GREF.2. Downward Movement: Vehicles Returning from Chungthang to Mangan/Gangtok– Vehicles traveling downward must follow the Chungthang–Shipgyer–Sangkang–Phidang Bridge route for smooth transit.Advisory:– Permits from the Office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Mangan, must be obtained a day in advance or by 9:30 AM on the day of travel.– Travelers are strongly advised to use four-wheel-drive vehicles or SUVs equipped with all-terrain tires and high ground clearance, especially when navigating the Toong Naga stretch.The traffic order, issued under Section 34(b) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is intended to minimize congestion, ensure road safety, and support road maintenance efforts. It will take effect on December 1, 2024.Administrative Coordination:Copies of the directive have been circulated to relevant authorities, including the Tourism & Civil Aviation Department, Police Department, and road maintenance agencies, for implementation and strict adherence.Tourists and locals are urged to follow the guidelines to ensure a smooth travel experience in the region while supporting restoration initiatives.
Attached Below Advisory : Traffic Regulations Announced for Mangan District Ahead of Tourist Reopening
Attached Below Advisory : Traffic Regulations Announced for Mangan District Ahead of Tourist Reopening

Anthropic’s Claude: The AI Junior Employee Transforming Business

Business News

Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Claude have yet to match the versatility of human workers. This is partly because AI relies on uploaded data for context. Thus, AI tools have primarily served as co-pilots, helping users complete specific tasks, but unable to assist autonomously.

Beyond Co-Pilot Assistance

Last month, Anthropic released a new function via its API – Claude ‘Computer Use’. Despite its innocuous title, Computer Use represents the closest any mainstream AI has come to human-like agency.

Anthropic’s Beta Computer Use enables Claude to interact directly with software environments and applications – navigating menus, typing, clicking, and executing complex, multi-step processes independently.

This functionality mimics robotic process automation (RPA) in performing repetitive tasks, but it goes further by simulating human thought processes, not just actions. Unlike RPA systems that rely on pre-programmed steps, Claude can interpret visual inputs (like screenshots), reason about them, and decide on the best course of action.
For instance, a business might task Claude with organizing customer data from a CRM, correlating it with financial data, and then crafting personalized WhatsApp messages – all without human intervention. A developer might request Claude to set up a Kubernetes cluster, integrating it with the right configurations and data. Such capabilities make it feasible to delegate work to Claude in the same way one would assign tasks to a junior employee.

However, there are trade-offs: relying solely on Claude’s Computer Use can be slow because it mimics human actions step by step. Furthermore, Computer Use as stated in the name needs to have exclusive access to a computer when working.

The Value of Multi-Agent Configurations
In my article last month on AI Agents: Are We Ready For Machines That Make Decisions? I explored the controversial question of AI agency. Tools like Computer Use don’t offer true autonomy but simulate it effectively, creating opportunities for business innovation. This month, I spoke with Daniel Vassilev, CEO of Relevance – a platform that provides AI agents – which rely on a deeper technical integration than Anthropic’s Computer Use – about the practical applications of these technologies.

“Agents let teams unleash their output based on their ideas, not their size,” Vassilev explains. Each set of agents provided by Relevance is estimated to handle workflows equivalent to what would typically require five full-time employees (FTEs). This could include activities such as lead qualification, personalized onboarding, and proactive customer success outreach—tasks that would be prohibitively resource-intensive without automation.
While automating single workflows is beneficial, the real value lies in deploying multiple specialized agents. Just as businesses organize teams by expertise, AI agents designed for specific tasks—like research, outreach, or documentation—can collaborate to drive exponential productivity. These agents integrate seamlessly across workflows, compounding efficiency gains without interpersonal friction or the need for additional human oversight.
The Autonomous Edge
The key distinction between co-pilots and autonomous agents lies in execution. What sets autonomous agents apart from co-pilots is their ability to execute tasks independently. As Vassilev puts it:
“A co-pilot makes you twice as productive, but an autonomous agent lets you delegate the work entirely, leaving you to review the output.”
As an example, Relevance uses their own AI agents to; research new customer signups in order to generate tailored recommendations, onboard users by pre-creating tools customized to their needs, and follow up with personalized communications. These agents shift human roles from task execution to oversight, freeing up time for strategic and creative work.
Trust and Guardrails
Despite their potential, AI agents are not infallible. Vassilev likens deploying AI agents to onboarding a new hire:
“You wouldn’t let a new hire send an email to your customer’s CEO without oversight. Similarly, AI agents require a strong human-in-the-loop process.”
The need for ensuring that AI agents are performing safely is reliant on setting guardrails about what they can and can not do and ensuring that they are trained properly – similarly to a junior employee.
Challenges and the Path Forward
Despite their promise, autonomous AI agents face hurdles. As Vassilev notes, many automation projects fail not due to technical shortcomings but because of organizational wisdom gaps:
“Unique processes often reside in the minds of subject-matter experts, making them difficult to document and automate.”

However, combining Anthropic’s Computer Use with multipe AI agents opens up automation possibilities that would have been inconceivable even 6 months ago for non-repetitive, creative, or low-scale activities.
As tools like Anthropic’s Computer Use (it is still in Beta) and Relevance’s AI agents mature, the potential for businesses to achieve more with fewer resources will expand. Organizations will no longer be constrained by headcount, human roles will shift toward oversight and innovation, and ambitious goals and innovative solutions can be unlocked. Exciting times.

Indonesia in talks with US, Russia for nuclear power technology

Technology

Indonesia is in talks with the United States and Russia about acquiring technology to develop nuclear power plants, an Indonesian government deputy minister told Reuters on Friday (Nov 29).South-east Asia’s biggest economy is looking at operating nuclear power plants as early as 2036 to cut its dependence on fossil fuels, said Vivi Yulaswati, deputy minister at the Ministry of National Development Planning.It is open to both small modular reactors and conventional nuclear technology, she said in a video interview.In Indonesia, nuclear power plants have been a controversial topic as the country is prone to earthquakes. When asked if orders have been placed, Yulaswati said it was too early for that to have happened.“We have to get a blessing from the president, and of course, we have to talk with international partners. I think, very long journey still,” she said.Thirty countries, nine of which are in Asia, use nuclear power for electricity generation, data from energy think tank Ember shows.A NEWSLETTER FOR YOUFriday, 8.30 amAsean BusinessBusiness insights centering on South-east Asia’s fast-growing economies.Indonesia, a country of over 275 million people, accounts for the lion’s share of increasing coal use for power generation in South-east Asia. More than half of its current capacity is powered by coal and clean energy sources including hydropower account for less than 15 per cent.The country, however, plans to offer international investors opportunities to build 75 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power over the next 15 years.But funding remains an issue. Indonesia was promised US$20 billion as part of the G7’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) unveiled in 2022, but very little money has been disbursed, and that slow progress has hampered its efforts to cut emissions.Yulaswati said JETP has so far approved grants for 33 decarbonisation projects in Indonesia worth US$217.8 million, including one that would increase the number of electric vehicles on the tourist island of Bali. Another six projects worth US$78.4 million are currently under discussion, she said.Loans of up to US$6.1 billion have been approved, mainly to upgrade the national grid and develop the renewable energy sector, she added.Yulaswati said the interest rates for the loans have yet to be finalised. Rates on loans have been a contentious topic, with Indonesian officials blaming Western nations for not providing concessional funding under JETP.The JETP projects have yet to be implemented, she said, adding that funding will start next year, which is when Indonesia’s next 5-year economic planning cycle will begin. REUTERS

The best Black Friday deals on Kindle books — these deals are live in 2024

Arts & Culture, Books

SAVE UP TO 93%: Ahead of Black Friday, shop Kindle books up to 93% off. Find 2024 releases like Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe on sale for just $1.99, knocking 87% off.
For those of us with an endless appetite for reading, it can be an expensive hobby regardless of if you’re a fiend for hardcovers or dedicated to the e-reader life. Luckily, there’s Libby and Kindle Unlimited, which can save you a pretty penny on all the latest arrivals. However, if you want to read exactly what you want and not wait around for your library holds to come through, it pays to splurge on an e-book.Whether you need to escape your family or are headed on a holiday vacation, a fully stocked Kindle is a good Kindle. With Black Friday is inching closer and closer, the book deals are spectacular so you don’t need to splurge either. Find top best-sellers — both fiction and non-fiction — for as low as $0.99. Here are the best Black Friday deals on Kindle books.When is Black Friday?With Thanksgiving finally here, Black Friday is tomorrow, on Friday, Nov. 29.However, you don’t need to wait 24 hours for deals. “Early” Black Friday deals have already started to roll out, giving a jumpstart to the shopping season. While in-store deals may kick-off on Nov. 29, online sales will run all month long.Do you need a Kindle to read Kindle books?Yes and no. Unlike a standard e-book that can be read on any device, Kindle books can only be read on Kindle devices or the Kindle app. The Kindle app gives you flexibility so you don’t need to spend a hundred dollars on an e-reader. Although we do have to say, Kindles are totally worth it. The Kindle app is available on iOS and Android devices so you can read Kindle books on your existing smartphone, tablet, or laptop. But the best news this Black Friday is that Amazon has marked down nearly all of their new Kindles. You can find savings up to 23% on the brand’s e-readers, including the top-tier Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, which is down to $154.99.

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Best fiction deal

Blue Dragon Film Awards 2024 Winners List

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Blue Dragon Film Awards 2024 winners are announced by a star-studded lineup of celebrities on Friday (November 29) through a worldwide live broadcast. The 45th annual award ceremony is take place at the KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea, to honor the excellence in cinematic achievements.The final nominees for the 45th annual award show were selected through expert panel votes and fan votes. This year, movies released between October 12, 2023, and October 10, 2024, were eligible to be nominated. Exhuma topped the nomination list with 12 nods, followed by 12.12: The Day with 10 nominations. Escape, Handsome Guys, and I, the Executioner were nominated in seven categories.KBS2 and KBS YouTube channels is broadcasting the glam event live online for moviegoers in South Korea on Friday (November 29). The star-studded ceremony began with red-carpet arrivals at 6:30 PM KST. The official YouTube channel of KBS Kpop telecast the event live online. The main event is live at 8:30 PM KST.People in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Mexico, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Greenland, Hong Kong, China, Japan, New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, Turkey, and South Africa, can watch the award show live online on various YouTube channels of KBS.

Africa’s Remote Príncipe Island Is Reinventing Soulful Luxury Travel

Travel

Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to LinkedinBy some estimations, the tiny island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is at the center of the world. Its geographical coordinates are 1°N, 7°E. It’s also the second-least populated country in Africa and one of the least visited places on the planet.

It comes as a welcome surprise to find a lovely place to stay on such a tiny island. But in fact, Príncipe island has a small handful of very nice places to stay, most of them with a conservation backstory that makes them even nicer. And the one that first put the destination on adventurous luxury travelers’ maps has just emerged from a four-year renovation that’s made it lovelier than ever.

Bom Bom began life in the 1980s as a collection of bungalows for marlin fishers, built at the tip of a peninsula between golden sand beaches in the Gulf of Guinea. Fifteen years ago, it was one of the first spots South African (then) billionaire Mark Shuttleworth touched down when he visited the island in search of a place to decompress.
One of Bom Bom’s beach bungalows at sunsetOsse Signare
At the time, the wildly biodiverse island had no roads and little infrastructure—mostly the decaying vestiges of its years as a Portuguese colony and time as the largest cacao producer in the world. “It’s just this extraordinary atmosphere,” Shuttleworth recently told the Financial Times. “It’s kind of primeval.”

And he learned that it was under threat from developers who wanted to produce palm oil there. Shuttleworth saw an alternative—an opportunity to “create a sense of a future that would be interesting, that would preserve some of the things that I think people viscerally react to when they get there.”
That meant founding a socially conscious company that combines small-footprint luxury tourism with an organic agriculture business. He called it HBD, as in “here be dragons,” a phrase said to be used by early mapmakers to mark unknown lands. Bom Bom was the first hotel he acquired, although he subsequently turned his attention to getting the entire island designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, creating the Príncipe Foundation (focused on biodiversity conservation and the social and economic development of the island’s people) and getting the farm and some other hotels going.The waters of PríncipeHenrique Seruca
HBD revitalized one of the island’s largest cacao plantations, Roça Sundy, into a charming heritage hotel. It created the gorgeous tented camp Sundy Praia, a member of Small Luxury Hotels. And it built the Omali resort on São Tomé, the entry point to the islands, which are reached via a seven-hour flight from Lisbon (the only departure point outside Africa).
Now, after its renovation, the oldest hotel in the collection is its crown jewel. Bom Bom is back and better than ever. Its 18 hillside and beachfront bungalows were gently redesigned under the supervision of the French interior designer and architect Didier Lefort. They’re painted robin’s-egg blue on the outside and kitted out with African textiles and artworks inside.
They share the resort’s two beaches, central swimming pool and new beachfront restaurant, which serves a modern take on traditional island cuisine—heavy on the fish and seafood, of course—that draws on the fruits, herbs and vegetables grown in HBD’s organic garden. A long footbridge connects the hotel with Bom Bom islet, where a second bar beckons.The new restaurant at Bom BomMiguel Madeira
It’s very tempting to stay put, but HBD has other ideas. Guests are encouraged to join excursions, both by boat to see the island’s beaches and coves, and by land to explore that primeval rain forest. Príncipe is home to more bird species than anyplace else on earth, humpback whales migrate through its waters, and four turtle species lay eggs on its beaches. Hiking trails lead to soaring waterfalls and ruined settlements, while other outings take guests to artisan cooperatives, lunch at a typical restaurant in the island’s main town, or to HBD’s new chocolate factory, where the production is ethical and organic all the way.
“From 2011 until now, there have been a lot of changes—all for the good,” says Bom Bom general manager João Conceição, a São Tomé native who began his hospitality career as a receptionist at that hotel in 2015. “We started small and are growing little by little.”
A big change, he says, is the fact that ten years ago, all the “important positions” were held by internationals, but now more islanders are being trained and taking leadership roles. He admits that this is a challenge—when he went on a scholarship to hotel school in Europe, he was the only one of his classmates to return to São Tomé and Príncipe—but sees hope.A hillside bungalowMiguel Madeira
“Many people think having a good life requires going abroad,” he says. “I don’t think so. I can come here and have a good life and help my brothers and sisters.”
That’s the sort of tangible result HBD is aiming for. The list of the foundation’s community initiatives—funded in part by a nightly contribution from every guest—is long, but a common thread is providing opportunities. And “because Príncipe is small, this work is impactful,” says HBD’s head of sustainability, Emma Tuzinkiewicz.
Tuzinkiewicz came to Príncipe after working on the environmental, social and governance team at a New York investment firm. At first, she worried that the scale was too small, that there couldn’t be much impact. “But the opposite is true,” she says. “Hyperlocal solutions can help solve big problems.”
And they can do so by providing a guest experience that’s soulful and luxurious, connected to nature and culture, and never a tedious lecture on do-gooding. Guests can go deep if they want, or they can simply relax on the beach, swim the emerald bay, sip a tea or a cocktail infused with local herbs and revel in being a coddled castaway on an island that’s at the center of the world, but also far away from it all.
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Dana Point Author Releases Final Book in ‘A Christmas Carol’ Story Trilogy

Arts & Culture, Books

After taking readers through the psyches of Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, local author Leonard Szymczak is concluding his trilogy retelling the holiday classic A Christmas Carol as he dives into Jacob Marley’s story. The series titled “Untold Miracle of Charles Dickens’ Classic” delves into the inner-workings of characters from the beloved A Christmas Carol as Szymczak draws on his experience as a psychotherapist. “One of my favorite books was A Christmas Carol and whenever I would, particularly at Christmas time, watch the movies or read the book, I always wondered what would happen if these angelic forces, these spirits visited these other characters,” said Szymczak, a former Dana Point resident who recently moved to Laguna Niguel. Szymczak chose to center his first book of the series on Cratchit after wondering, “What would make a man work for a miserly guy like Scrooge for 20 years?”“What would be in his psychological background that would make him be prepared to put up with such horrible treatment,” Szymczak asked. “I thought, ‘Well, what if the spirits visited Bob Cratchit and started him on his journey … to make a change?”At the end of A Christmas Carol, Szymczak noted that Scrooge is able to change, but other characters like Cratchit do not undergo the same growth. So Szymczak decided to take these peripheral characters on their own journeys. For Tiny Tim, Szymczak imagined that the young boy might have been bullied, would have seen his father get mistreated and that he might have been losing hope. “He probably would have his own demons he had to work through,” Szymczak said. “So we had three children’s spirits visiting Tiny Tim so he can go through his character arc.”Though Szymczak considered delving into the mind of Scrooge’s sister Fan or his fiancé, Belle, the author centers the third book on Bob Marley, who appears to Scrooge as a phantom in A Christmas Carol.“He comes to visit Scrooge … he’s in chains and rattles, he scares Scrooge because he’s got to encourage Scrooge to go on his transformation,” Szymczak said. In his final book of the series, Szymczak imagines that Scrooge’s partner, Marley, is responsible for the miser’s downfall. “I kind of figured, what kind of character was Jacob? He would have been just as bad as Scrooge, so I made him worse than Scrooge,” Szymczak said. “Jacob Marley had to be even worse than Scrooge, because he’s the one who seduced Scrooge to go onto this miserly path, this greedy path of seeking wealth at the expense of poor people and other people.”Though Marley dies at the very beginning of the book, Szymczak said three spirits still paid the man a visit and set him on a path to redemption. Ultimately, the three stories focus on relationships. “They’re uplifting stories,” Szymczak said. “That’s the beautiful thing about A Christmas Carol, or It’s a Wonderful Life, people want to feel uplifted during the holiday season, and I wanted stories that uplift people, but stories that take people through an arc of a story.”After finally completing the series, Szymczak said “it feels like time well-spent.”“It’s like I’ve been on The Odyssey with these three characters,” Szymczak said. Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol is Szymczak’s eighth book. His ninth book, a fantasy novel, is currently in the editing process and may be published in the next year. “Relationships are the glue that keeps us as a human species bonded together, and so, really, the book is all about relationships and the spirits who come visit them have a relationship with the main character,” Szymczak said. “In today’s polarized climate, I think we need more connection and unity and to see how we’re all really human beings and stories are connecting forces,” Szymczak continued. “I want to help people feel more connected during the holiday season, because really love is the way to go in building connections.”  Szymczak drew on his own background and over 40 years of experience as a psychotherapist to create each character’s backstories. “I’ve heard so many stories; I’ve heard thousands and thousands of stories in my life and professional life, and I really feel blessed because people tell me their stories,” Szymczak said. “My job as a therapist is to help them restore their lives; they’re the main characters in their stories, and so I have so much material plus my own personal life.”Growing up, Szymczak’s father left the family when he was young, and his mother raised four children while working at a factory, he said. “Charles Dickens, a lot of his books are based upon his own life, because his father was put into prison, and Dickens himself had to work in one of these workhouses as well, so that’s why some of his stories reflect his own personal life,” Szymczak said. “Each of these characters, in many ways, are my therapy,” Szymczak continued. “I get to find parts of myself that I need to work out and maybe emotions that need to be recharged and reworked out. and I get to do it in story format.”Each of the books offers its own message to readers, Szymczak said. The final book seeks to show how one’s past influences the choices one makes in the present. The books are intended for a wide audience, Szymczak said, though he added that these are great books for parents to read to their children.   

I’m a Travel Editor — These Are the On-Sale Coffee Table Books to Gift to Loved Ones With Wanderlust

Travel

If there’s one thing I am guilty of it is buying too many books: fiction, non-fiction, and poetry volumes, long- and short-form writing, and photography, design, and travel coffee table books all contribute to amassing the ever-busy shelves of my Victorian house-style apartment in South East London. Do I regret purchasing them? Never. Alright, perhaps a little, but only when I think about the next time I’ll have to place them into boxes and move them around, which won’t be any time soon, anyway.To those who’d argue that most of these volumes end up covered in dust, forgotten on a bookshelf, I say that, in my defense, each represents an invaluable source of inspiration, particularly when it comes to the best coffee table books for travel-lovers. And that’s only one reason they’re some of my favorite buys.Compared to other monographs, travel coffee table books don’t just allow you to explore remote cities, get a taste of their unique hotel design, and plan your next getaway, all from the comfort of your home. But when designed ingeniously, they’re one of the quickest and most eye-catching ways to up your living room’s décor through a playful, worldly touch.Now, we are all more than familiar with ordinary destination guides, which is why you won’t find any of them in this roundup of the best travel coffee table books to read this year — not in their most traditional essence, at least. Instead, I focused on titles that, bringing you original interiors, culture, and lifestyle insights from different corners of the globe, make the ultimate year-round gift for design enthusiasts and seasoned adventurers alike. From the tropical coasts of Malaysia’s Penang to the most aesthetic Alpine stays, these are the quirkiest, style-packed travel coffee table books to get your hands on today.
Best for Design-Enthusiast Travelers

Design Stays

No matter the time of the year, it’s always the right moment to plan your next adventure, and Petite Passport founder Pauline Egge’s Design Stays immerses you in the very best of European hotel design, from Scandinavia to the Aegean Sea and the Alps. Selected for their standout décor, daring aesthetic, and the human stories behind them, the destinations contained within this booklet are all you need to inspire your upcoming getaway — and, who knows, maybe you’ll get to visit them first-hand.See more travel coffee table books from Anthropologie.

Best for Foodie Adventurers

PENANG: Recipes & Wanderings Around an Island in Malaysia

Freshly printed, PENANG reminds us that traveling is about our destination’s history, culinary heritage, and culture. A riveting journey to the Malaysian island of the same name, the volume gathers 23 recipes courtesy of Chef André Chiang, culinary director of the Eastern & Oriental Express, and chefs Malcolm Lee and Abby Lee, into a feast for all senses. From outstanding architectural landmarks to tucked-away, jungle-clad hills and plantations, Penang offers an unforgettable escape.See more travel coffee table books from Apartmento Magazine.

Best for Ethical Wanderers

Kinfolk Travel: Slower Ways to See the World

In a world caught in the grip of climate change, traveling is an endangered luxury. This Kinfolk volume strives to awaken us to the allure of our local surroundings, inciting regional wanderings and discoveries in place of intercontinental flights. Informed by slow living principles and filled with breathtaking imagery lensed across five continents, the book prompts us to reassess our relationship with our cities and communities to show how staying put can lead to as much inspiration and awe as favors chasing remote destinations.See more travel coffee table books on Amazon.

Best for Indie Shopping-Led Adventurers

The Monocle Guide to Shops, Kiosks and Markets

If you’ve read any of my Setting Up Shop, chances are you’re aware of my obsession with independent businesses. Conceived as a bible for “would-be-retailers, neighborhood-makers, and brands in need of a fix”, this monograph takes you inside 100 brick-and-mortar shops across the globe through interviews, reports, essays, and equally thought-provoking photographs shedding light on their unique contributions to their retail space and the world as a whole.

Best for Curious Wanderers

Cinema disruptor A24 has made the world a better place thanks to its instant-classic films, from Moonlight (2016) and Aftersun (2022) to Priscilla (2023), and the same can be said of its vibrantly crafted books. Florida! is no exception: packed with colorful illustrations, amusing how-to tips for exploring the Sunshine State like a true local, whimsical photography, and an introduction by native Floridian author Tyler Gillespie, this fanciful find is one that won’t go unnoticed.See more travel coffee table books from A24.

Best for Worldly Travelers

Orientalism Style

It was hard to settle on just one of Assouline’s creatively packaged titles. Because of its vivid, decades-spanning imagery of the Middle East and Asia, fun titling and design details, and thought-provoking reflections on the theme of Orientalism — or the Western fascination with the way of life of remote civilizations (and its problematic essence) — this volume had to be the one. Diving into folkloristic customs, immersive bazaars, and monumental architecture, it isn’t just visually beautiful but sparks introspection, too.See more travel coffee table books at Saks.

Best for Outdoors-y Wanderers

City Parks

During COVID-19, parks became the most immediate, and the only reachable, outdoor destination for all of us. A visual compendium of 50 of the globe’s most fascinating green lungs, from legendary landmarks to under-the-radar thriving grass patches conceived to be remembered by local passersby and tourists alike, City Parks is a 208-page portrait of nature and the humans who inhabit it.

Best for Cinephile Travelers

Accidentally Wes Anderson

Correct me if I am wrong, but I feel Accidentally Wes Anderson needs no real introduction. Mesmerizingly symmetric natural landscapes and urban cutouts, pastel-hued sceneries, and joyful Art Deco design landmarks — be it theaters, hotels, or stuck-in-time stations — are the protagonists of this globe-trotting title, inspired by the meticulous cinematography work of award-winning director Wes Anderson.

Best for Mountain-Obsessed Adventurers

Alpine Style

Remember when I said that no ordinary destination guides were allowed into this edit of the best travel coffee table books? Well, Alpine Style represents their polar opposite. Created for the mountain-obsessed home decorator, it is a punchy, brightly colored archive of some of the most aesthetic and deliberately bold Alpine interiors — granting you snow-fresh inspiration on how to recreate them at home.

The Livingetc newsletter is your shortcut to the now and the next in home design. Subscribe today to receive a stunning free 200-page book of the best homes from around the world.

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