Once Upon a Time in Italy: Apulia

Italy’s rawest, earthiest, and most underrated region is Apulia, an ancient land of cave cities, hearty red wines, and pointy rock houses so far off the tour bus radar you could spend a week here without running into another foreigner

The ancient Romans built seven major highways, two of which made a beeline south to key ports at the stiletto heel of Italy's boot. During the Middle Ages, pilgrims and Crusaders used the roads on treks to the Holy Land. These days, most travelers head to the region known as Apulia (Puglia, to Italians), only to hop a ferry bound for the Greek Isles. By scurrying straight along to sun and fun in Greece, they're missing out on the most wonderfully weird corner of Italy...

  

Let's KO!

Mellow out in a jungle tree house. Groove all night at a beach rave. Climb to a spectacular mountaintop view. Or just float in that turquoise water. Whatever your fantasy, Thailand has the island—or ko—for you.

Maybe you've seen pictures of southern Thailand's sugar-sand beaches with grass-roof huts snuggled into the shade of coconut palms. Or you've heard of the ridiculously cheap prices: beachside bungalows for $10 a night, spicy meals for $3. Or you've dreamed of discovering some hidden lagoon that lies beyond the reach of guidebooks, just as the characters did in Alex Garland's cult novel The Beach (which, like the Leo DiCaprio film based on the book, was set here)...

  

Fly No-Frills

With one-way tickets that average $55 and flight times of only an hour or two, Europe's low-cost airlines make exploring more than one part of the Continent faster, easier, and cheaper than ever before. So pack your bags—keeping it light—and get ready to join the new, budget jet set.

Scrappy no-frills carriers such as Southwest and JetBlue are no longer limited to our side of the Pond. The past five years have seen the creation of dozens of insanely cheap airlines connecting hundreds of European destinations—primarily big cities, tourism hot spots, and Mediterranean beaches—with fares of roughly $40 to $70 each way, taxes and fees included...

  

Tax-free Travel Shopping

The taxing trials of foreign shopping, the vexing vagaries of customs duties, and how to avoid paying any of it

In foreign travel, there are few experiences that are more common and banal yet cause so much confusion as the tangled web of taxes, refunds, duties, and exemptions. The vicissitudes of just trying to figure out what you do and do not owe on a couple of souvenirs can get so complicated that most travelers throw their hands in the air, bite the bullet, and pay what all the governments tell them to. I say "governments" because there are actually two government levies involved in shopping in a foreign country-and the good news is that you don't have to pay either one of them...

  

The Secret Hotels of Florence & Venice

Ten hotels in Flornce, ten in Venice, none charging more than $90 for a standard double room

One thing I will never change is our one-star status," declares Roberto Zammattio, owner of Venice's Al Guerrato Hotel. "I prefer to take in a few euros less but still give a bit more to guests; that way everyone is happy." Such is the attitude that makes a Little Wonder Hotel-a personal touch, comfortable beds, and a price tag of less than $90 per room...