Ananda in the Himalayas
Uttaranchal, India

The location: This 100-acre estate in the foothills of the Himalayas, formerly home to the Maharajah of Tehri-Garhwal, is set at 3,000 feet and has sweeping views over the Ganges River and the nearby temple villages of Rishikesh and Haridwar. The facilities include a 21,000-square-foot spa, several meditation and yoga pavilions set among gardens, and the former maharajah’s palace—which now houses an elegant tea lounge and an antique billiards room.

The practice: One-on-one guided meditation sessions tailored to each guests’s individual needs. Sessions can incorporate Buddhist teachings or yogic breathing techniques, can be conducted indoors or out, and can last from an hour to an entire morning or afternoon at a stretch.

The accommodations: 78 posh rooms, suites, and villas with huge windows for taking in the mountain views (and, unusually for retreat destinations, minibars and televisions).

Be mindful: A not-especially-spiritual crowd frequents Ananda. Although serious peace-seekers will find what they want here, they’ll also be rubbing shoulders with jet-setting comfort hounds.

Shambhala Mountain Center
Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

The location: The 600 pristine acres of Shambhala spread across a Rocky Mountain valley in the northern part of Colorado. The property includes extensive botanical gardens, a bird sanctuary, several spacious meditation halls, and, most dramatically, the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, a traditional spired Buddhist shrine.

The practice: Buddhist meditation in a variety of forms. The program offerings at Shambhala range from week-long “Learn to Meditiate” retreats to multi-week intensive study for advanced practitioners; there are also specialized workshops for children, painters, and writers, and those who prefer to combine meditation with activities like canoeing and hiking.

The accommodations: 65 elegant, clean-lined single and double rooms, some of which have shared bathrooms. Single-sex dormitory-style rooms, and in the summer, platform tents with shared bathhouses, are also available.

Be mindful: The staff at Shambhala also leads “Sacred Journeys” several times a year in places like Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia.

The Middle Way Meditation Retreat
Loei, Thailand

The location: A compound surrounded by rolling green hills and lush tropical forest in northeastern Thailand (adjacent to Phu Ruea National Park, where the woodland-covered mountains are crisscrossed with hiking trails). The property encompasses several indoor and outdoor meditation spaces, waterfall-fed gardens, and an outdoor dining pavilion.

The practice: Dhammakaya meditation, a form of Tibetan Buddhist practice that focuses on the center of the body as both an energy center and a gateway to higher consciousness.

The accommodations: A cluster of spartan but immaculate wooden bungalows, with separate shared bathhouses. Fraternizing between sexes is discouraged, so men’s and women’s ungalows are in different areas.

Be mindful: Guests are expected to refrain from all destructive behavior while on the retreat, including telling lies and killing any living creature (including mosquitoes).

White Cloud Sanctuary
Santa Ana, Costa Rica

The location: Just west of San José in central Costa Rica, on a jungle mountainside that feels a world away from civilization. The 13-acre property includes a small organic vegetable farm; several outdoor practice areas; mango, banana, and papaya trees (which guests can pick from as they like); and lots of friendly resident animals, including horses, goats, ducks, and rabbits.

The practice: Only one guest at a time can stay at White Cloud, which allows for intense individual study in Tai Chi and QiGong—Chinese meditation-in-movement practices. Retreat participants adhere to a daily schedule of guided sessions and quiet seated meditation.

The accommodations: A one-person tile-roofed casita, set at the very top of the property and with glorious mountain views. It includes a single bed, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living area where, oddly, you can plug in your laptop.

Be mindful: The lodging rates don’t include meals, although meal-plan options can be arranged.

Osho Meditation Resort
Pune, India

The location: A slick, modern 40-acre “campus” just outside Mumbai that includes extensive, manicured Zen gardens, a soaring meditation auditorium, seminar spaces set inside a complex of black space-age pyramids, and a few other very unorthodox amenities: tennis courts, a nightclub, and a mini-mall.

The practice: “Active meditations” are the signatures at Osho. Although traditional silent, seated sessions are practiced here, they’re interspersed with meditative dancing, whirling, vocalizing, and power-breathing.

The accommodations: The Osho Guesthouse’s 60 minimalist-chic double rooms could easily be mistaken for W Hotel accommodations—that is, without the TVs.

Be mindful: All guests at Osho must wear dark red robes during meditation sessions. This has to do with the belief of the resort’s founder (also named Osho) that “the color maroon, when worn by many people meditating together, adds to the collective meditative energy.”

Holiday parties are upon us and everyone will want to look their best. The following look works for every skin tone and for every holiday event.

The following products are needed:

• Eye shadows in vanilla shimmer, taupe brown and golden brown
• Dark Brown eyeliner
• Bronze cheek color and apricot cheek color
• Berry lip liner
• Berry or Red lipstick
• Shimmery clear lip gloss
• Black Mascara or False Eyelashes
• Makeup Brushes

For the eyes

1. After applying the foundation and powder to set the makeup, start by applying the vanilla shimmer eye color to the lid, brow bone, and inner third of the bottom lashes.

2. Starting at the outside corner of the eye, apply the taupe brown eye shadow in the crease, blending with the vanilla eye color.

3. Next take the brown eyeliner and apply just to the top of the lash line. Draw a fine thin line, as close to the lashes as possible.

4. Then take the golden brown eye color and apply along the top lashes then back into the crease, creating a c-shape. Blend with the taupe eye color.

5. Also apply the golden brown color to the bottom lashes blending with the vanilla eye color.

6. Next apply three coats of mascara or a set of false eyelashes.

For the cheeks

1. Really define the cheek bones by using a matte bronze cheek color to the cheek bones and slightly, slightly below the cheek bones as well. Blend well.

2. Then smile and apply the apricot cheek color to the apples of the cheeks. This gives a natural glow to the skin. (When purchasing the bronze cheek color make sure it does not have any shimmer to it. It is not possible to sculpt the face with a shimmer powder; matte is required.)

For the lips

1. Because the eyes and the rest of the face are so subtle, the lips will be the focal point. Which means it is time to pull out the candy red lipstick or the beautiful berry lipstick hiding in the bottom of the makeup bag.

2. Line lips with the berry lip liner and fill in the entire lip with the lip liner as well. This will prevent the lipstick and lip gloss bleeding into the skin as well as helping them to stay on all night.

3. Next, apply the lip color of choice, either a berry or red, with a lip brush. Using a lip brush is a must to be able to blend the lines from the lip liner.

4. Next, apply the lip gloss to the center of the bottom lips and smudge out with the lip brush.

5. Make sure to clean the lip brush after each use to prevent damage to the brush hairs.

6. Now, pack the lipstick and lip gloss in the evening bag for an after-dinner touch-up. It would probably be a good idea to bring along powder and blotting tissues too.

As the weather heats up this summer, so does the party scene. These 5 sizzling hotspots encompass seasonal music and art fests, sexy seaside towns and great destinations for you to get your groove on.

• Berlin

There are more than a few reasons to head to Germany’s capital city for a raging summer jaunt you won’t soon forget. Not only has the “capital of cool” (its common moniker) just played host to Europe’s most celebrated sports event, the World Cup (June 9-July 9), it’s also the stomping ground for the Love Parade (July 15), possibly the world’s biggest street party. Even if you miss these two headline events, any summer night in Berlin holds endless opportunities for debauchery-laden fun—its mercurial nightlife scene is renowned for its underground clubs, beer gardens and über-cool lounges.

• Ibiza

Listed as the “entertainment island of the world” by the Guinness Book of World Records, Ibiza, one of the three main Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain, has become synonymous with summer hedonism. Characterized by world-renowned clubs, where dance floors heave under the tracks spun by A-list international DJs, it’s quite possible you’ll spend more time dancing on this pleasure island than anywhere else on our list. When you’re in need of a break, kick back under the moonlit skies at Benirras Beach or stroll the local marina—one of the multimillion dollar yachts moored in the harbor may just belong to a visiting celebrity.

• Montréal

Summer merrymakers seeking a blend of sophistication and sass, and culture without pretense, can find a bit of debauchery à la française in Montreal. Of course, you’ll have to forego beaches and bikinis here, but with alcohol consumption and casino gambling (check out the chic Casino de Montréal) open to the 18-and-over crowd, scintillating nightlife (try Boulevard St-Laurent or Crescent Street for the best action), strip-clubs galore, and a certain je ne sais quoi, Montréal’s appeal reels in its fair share of summer party-goers all the same. Popular seasonal festivals also abound—two not-to-miss events include the renowned International Jazz Festival (late June to mid-July), which has headlined greats like Miles Davis and Dizzie Gillespie, and the Just for Laughs Festival (July), featuring some of the world’s funniest comics.

• Mykonos

The sizzling summer months spark a hedonistic wildfire on this famed Greek isle, as jet-setters, backpackers and cruise-ship day-trippers alike converge in search of the ultimate party. Indeed, if your idea of paradise involves rambling white sands met by the deep-blue Aegean, beach bars bumping with Euro tunes, bikini-clad bodies dancing on tables, and topless girls sprawled on the sand, you’ll find it and more on two adjoining local beaches, the appropriately named Paradise and Super Paradise. Come late-afternoon, you’ll be hard pressed to resist the full-blown party that gets going along the shores; the music doesn’t typically die down before dawn—in time for sunrise and a morning nap on the sand.

• Reykjavik

Iceland’s unpretentious capital of Reykjavik is home to a legendary nightlife scene that’s actually a blast to partake in all year long. However, the city nonetheless really comes into its own in summer, when the fabled Midnight Sun crests the horizon—and heralds a season of midnight golf and white nights. June 23 marked the onset of “midnight madness,” with a Viking-inspired festival complete with bonfires and live music. Despite its chilly temperatures (summer highs barely top 65 degrees), there are plenty of thermal wonders to keep you warm here too; most popular, perhaps, is the Blue Lagoon, where mineral-rich hot water bubbles up from the earth in a moonlike landscape.

The World Heritage Lists sites with outstanding universal value. Seven Sites are in Romania. Following are outstanding significant historic places in Romania.

Romania is a land of majestic castles and ancient medieval towns. Romania is famous to movie goers as the land of Dracula movies. Located in the former Eastern Bloc of Europe, Romania is becoming known as a great vacation area for snow skiers. Winter in Romania can be harsh. The best season for non-skiers to visit is summer.

• Churches of Moldavia

15th-16th century frescoes on painted exterior walls of seven churches are considered masterpieces of Byzantine art. The churches in northern Moldavia are unique in Europe. The paintings represent complete cycles of religious murals on all facades. the paintings are outstanding in composition, elegant outline and harmonious colors.

• Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains

Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains, Transylvania: fortresses built in the 1st centuries BC and AD, under Dacian rule. the fortresses demonstrate a fusion of military and religious architectural techniques. The fortresses defended the Geto-Dacian kingdoms, which had exceptionally high cultural and socio-economic levels in this era. The well preserved remains of the fortresses are in spectacular natural surroundings. the site was selected as an outstanding example of this type of defended site.

• Danube Delta, Dobruja Region:

The waters of the Danube flow in the Black Sea. These waters form the largest and best preserved of Europe’s deltas. The Danube Delta is home to over 300 species of birds and 45 freshwater fish species in numerous lake and marshes.

• Monastery of Horezu

Monastery of Horezu, Region of Wallachia. The monastery was founded in 1690 by Prince Constantine Brancovan. The monastery is considered a masterpiece of”brancovan” style.the building is known for architectural purity, balance, rich sculptural detail, composition, votive portraits an painted decorative works. In the 18th century a school of mural an icon painted was established. the school was famous throughout the Balkan region.

• Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania:

Transylvanian villages that provide a vivid picture of the cultural landscape in southern Transylvania. The seven villages, with their fortified churches, show a settlement pattern and organization of the family farmstead. They have been preserved since the late Middle Ages. The buildings illustrate building styles from the 13th to 16th centuries.

Summer travel in Southern Europe can mean sweltering cities and overcrowded hot beaches, but Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal also have cooler places to escape the heat.

• The Dolomites

Head for the hills when the valley cities like Verona turn to open-air saunas. Mountain temperatures are lower and the nights cool. Choose a resort town such as Cortina or a small city like Bolzano, in the Upper Adige. Or pick a small village in the Cadore valley and hike along the mountain trails.

• The Val d’Aosta

North of Turin, along the Swiss border are two of Europe’s most famous and beautiful mountains, the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. Italian towns on their southern slopes get the cool mountain breezes. To the south are the peaks of the Gran Paradiso National Park, where walking trails along the high ridges and green wooded valleys seem designed for hot summer days.

• The Pyrenees

Summer is a good time to explore the mountains between Spain and France, visiting Basque country and Andorra. Stick to the highlands, though, since the valleys can be blistering. Somewhat cooler are cites on the Atlantic coast, such as Bilbao, whose summer average high is in the 70sF. But that doesn’t stop the occasional heat wave when temperatures push into the 90s.

• The Northern Portugal Coast

Atlantic beaches are cooler than Adriatic or Mediterranean, so you can always cool off in the waves in northern Portugal and Galicia. North of Lisbon the entire coast is a string of beaches. Choose those that are protected by headlands and be careful to observe the flags that warn of dangerous surf and riptides before going into the water. This is the downside of beaches washed by the open ocean.

• Serra da Estrela

Portugal’s mountains offer breathtaking scenic drives and friendly villages with low-key resort facilities. Castles crown some of the towns (one of the finest is in Linhares) and the pace of life is charmingly old-world. Stay in the park itself or in the nearby town of Belmonte, which has a castle of its own. The Pousada there sits on a breezy height overlooking the valley. The summer wine of choice in Portugal is chilled Vinho Verde, a light white wine that goes well with hot-weather meals.