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Lanai, a sleepy, 140-square-mile former pineapple plantation, is suddenly in the spotlight. Following the island’s purchase by tech billionaire Larry Ellison in 2012, the bay-facing Four Seasons Resort Lanai underwent a multimillion-dollar overhaul that reduced the number of guest rooms from 286 to 213. The rooms shook off their dated look with mahogany floors and walls clad in slate and teak. Guests can dine at outposts of Nobu and Los Angeles–based Malibu Farm, take private flight lessons and horseback-riding excursions, or book one of the resort’s wellness-focused retreats.

“Puff the Magic Dragon, lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee” our guide kept on singing this verse as he was pointing out the smokey dragon in front of us, as we visited this wonderful place (viewed from the Hanalei Pier). But in reality, there is no direct link to the song, but somehow people have believed that it did :-) Hanalei is a beautiful little town by the coastline and it’s accessible via several one-way bridges from Princeville. It’s a cozy little town to visit when you’re in the island of Kauai. And to add some movie trivia to it, Hanalei Bay is also a popular movie location for South Pacific, Lilo and Stitch and the Descendants. A good spot to stop is Hanalei Pier and Hanalei Beach and it would be lovely place to watch the sunset. Unfortunately, the day we visited, it was raining :-(

The Curacao Marriott is currently closed for renovations. It is slated to reopen in late 2018.

The Curacao Marriott Beach Resort may be one of the best located hotels I’ve ever been to. Situated on a private beach in Piscadera Bay, the resort feels like the height of secluded and elegant resorts. It’s also a short three-mile drive from the capital of Curacao, Willemstad; the free shuttle delivering guests to the heart of this colorful city. Whether or not you’re looking to just lounge by the pool or get out and explore the island, the Marriott makes it easy to do it all.

Borrow a bike and get down by the Charles River to explore this popular linear park, which runs along the river through the Back Bay and the Beacon Hill neighborhood (albeit separated from both by the Storrow Drive expressway). A paved, 18-mile multiuse path popular with cyclists, runners, and in-line skaters helps connect the Esplanade to the parklands of Boston’s Emerald Necklace and provides easy access to landmarks like the Hatch Memorial Shell (the summer stage for the Boston Pops and other performers) and Harvard Bridge (aka the Smoot Bridge). The landmark Community Boating boathouse has kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and sailboats for rent when you want to get out on the river.

When we decided to spend a long weekend in “Zihua” we wanted a hotel with great views, conveniently located near a beach, and within walking distance of town. Casa Que Canta delivered these in addition to a tasty good restaurant with helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly service. The hotel sits on a hill overlooking the bay and is a 1 min walk to Playa Ropa where you can hang on the beach. We stayed in #11 and the photo captures part of our view. The rooms are spacious and comfortable. The floral arrangements that are left every eve are thoughtful. Overall, this hotel combines comfort and personal touches that make the experience feel like luxury and t-shirt/flip-flops go hand in hand. Definitely worth staying here when you come to Zihuatanejo.

Travel on the large island of Luzon, in the Philippines, can be rough, to say the least, due to traffic-congested roads and road blocks, but if you can make your way to the farthest point north on the Philippine Archipelago you will be rewarded by a true paradise called Pagudpud Beach! The sand is white like sugar and the water crystal clear. The bay is filled with a plethora of wildlife and sea creatures, and the calm waters are perfect for snorkeling right from the sandy beach. Although Pagudpud is a well-known tourist destination, I have never seen the beaches packed with tourists (my family is from a nearby village called Bacarra) and it isn’t hard to find a long stretch of beach to have all to yourself. The beaches here are truly remote. Spend the entire day snorkeling and eating fresh fruit and seafood that can easily be purchased roadside. I recommend staying for the sunsets, which are magnificent over the China Sea.

Another of attorney-turned-hotelier Loh Lik Peng’s boutique properties (along with the New Majestic), Wanderlust is perhaps the quirkiest hotel in Singapore, taking guests on a fanciful journey that befits its name. The building opened in the 1920s as the Hong Wen Chinese School and later served as a settlement where Indian immigrants reared livestock. Its unchanged sober white facade with black shutters gives little hint of the outré interiors. Each of the four floors was fashioned by a different Singaporean design agency, resulting in various themes. In the lobby, an industrial-glam aesthetic manifests itself in an old-fashioned collapsible metal gate repainted in gold, a Frank Gehry-designed sofa, and seats made from recycled road signs by Australian Trent Jansen. Rooms on the “Creature Comforts” floor include Typewriter, where giant lettered arms reach out and up from a sofa with keyboard letters on the upholstery, while lanterns cast shadows of monsters along the corridors.

The first Tasmanian winery to achieve biodynamic certification has a new restaurant and tasting room that doubles as a biodynamic wine information center. Sample limited-edition bottles such as the Settebello single-block pinot noir at the cellar door, or order your favorite vintage alongside a rustic Italian dinner at farm-to-table Osteria.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve, located just a few minutes’ boat ride from San Pedro, is the place to go for snorkeling in Northern Belize. This small, protected area (Hol Chan means “little channel” in Mayan) is home to part of Belize’s barrier reef, which is the second largest in the world (after Australia‘s reef), and the largest healthiest. There are many tour operators out of San Pedro that can take you out for a half-day of snorkeling the reef, and you’ll see colorful coral, rainbow fish, and manta rays, among other marine life. Make sure your guide brings you to Shark Alley, where nurse sharks come to feed on the fish scraps boats leave behind. There, you’ll be able to swim mere feet—or even inches, if you dare—from the creatures.

The landscape surrounding Phinda Private Game Reserve is totally different from what you’ll experience in Kruger, Madikwe, or the Kalahari. Here, moisture from the Indian Ocean breathes life into gently rolling hills; flat, grassy wetlands attract hippos, antelope, and far too many bird species to list; and dense forests house the Big Five and even cheetahs. The 25 rooms at &Beyond’s Phinda Rock Lodge sit atop a granite outcropping, overlooking these lush surroundings. No matter which one you’re in, you’ll feel as if you’re hovering high above the treetops and the valley below.

A stay at Phinda Rock Lodge is all-inclusive, complete with twice-daily safari drives, a Zulu village tour, bush walks, and other conservation experiences. Since the lodge is so close to the Indian Ocean, guests also have the unique opportunity to explore South Africa’s marine life. In the summer, you can join a nighttime excursion to watch leatherback and loggerhead turtles lay their eggs on the beach, or go snorkeling or scuba diving to explore the coral reefs near Sodwana Bay. While Phinda is approximately a two-hour drive from Richards Bay Airport, Airlink flies direct from Nelspruit to the lodge’s private airstrip, making it easy to connect a safari in the Greater Kruger National Park with a visit to Phinda.

Formerly the 1888 Hotel.
What used to be a wool shed in the middle of a sheep farming area is now a youthful hotel that celebrates the Pyrmont district’s heritage while featuring the full suite of modern amenities. Opened in 2013, the hotel is an extravaganza of wool, which is found in the felted black lampshades attached to old pulleys in the lobby, in the lower wall panels in the hallways, and as carpeting throughout the building. The old Wool Brokers Arms is visible across the street from the heritage rooms on the west side of the hotel. Modern and cheeky touches also abound at this boutique property, known as the world’s first Instagram hotel. There’s an empty “Selfie Frame” hanging amid mismatched furniture in the lobby, and guests with at least 10,000 Instagram followers are offered a free night’s stay. (Mere Instagram mortals have a chance to win, too, by using the hashtag #1888hotel to be entered into a monthly photo contest.) 1888 is also a leader in sustainability; the hotel preserved the building’s original ironbark beams and built desks from recycled floorboards. The minibar is more conscious than usual, too, stocked with Alter Eco chocolates, Charlie’s juices, coconut water, and fresh milk. The best things about 1888 are the little surprises. Even the hotel’s name has a double meaning: 1888 was the year the building was constructed but was also the year that the Kodak camera debuted.

In a remote spot off Vancouver Island in British Columbia, surrounded by rain forest, mountains, and beaches, the Clayoquot Wilderness Retreat first opened in 1998 as an overnight floating lodge experience; since then, it has grown into a luxury tent retreat. While the camp has a rugged outpost atmosphere, with huge stone fireplaces and a long wooden cookhouse, it’s an outpost with every possible luxury: from white linen tablecloths and polished silverware to soft comforters and high-thread-count bedding.

Remote and difficult to access, this three-mile beach on the Dominican Republic’s southwestern Caribbean coast (15 miles from Pedernales and close to the Haitian border) is also blissfully uncrowded. Playa Bahia de las Águilas, which translates to “Bay of Eagles,” can only be reached via a four-wheel-drive vehicle on an unpaved road, or a 15-minute speedboat ride from the little village of La Cueva at Cabo Rojo. Once there, however, you’ll discover a pristine beach, bordered by rocky cliffs and free of any hotels or restaurants—the beach is located in the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve, so building is forbidden. Turquoise water laps the white sand, while well-preserved coral reefs wait just offshore. Don your mask and snorkel to see starfish, sand dollars, and maybe even a manatee. Also remember to bring water and sunscreen as there’s virtually no shade, and pack lunch or plan to eat in nearby La Cueva.

Sopot is one of Poland’s favorite leisure destinations, and Sopot Pier (Molo w Sopocie in Polish) is its center. An extension of lively Monte Cassino Street—Sopot’s entertainment, dining, and shopping promenade—the pier stretches over a third of a mile into the Bay of Gdańsk. Built in 1827 as part of the local harbor, it was reconstructed after the wars and renovated several times since, gradually becoming the fashionable leisure facility it is today. Since the very beginning, the pier has featured an international dimension—it was conceived by a Frenchman on Polish land belonging to the Kingdom of Prussia; became a popular destination for Europeans during the 19th and 20th centuries, thanks to railway and sea links; and continues to draw travelers from all over the world. When visiting today, you’ll hear several different languages being spoken, and see flags from various countries on the yachts moored on the side deck, which serves as the marina.

The problem with Pangulasian—dubbed the Island of the Sun, thanks to its surreal sunrise and sunset views—is its excess of good choices. Do you book a beach villa with direct access to the powdery sand and turquoise waters that likely lured you to the remote northern reaches of Palawan in the first place, or a pool villa with almost 240 square feet of private plunging space and gorgeous vistas of Bacuit Bay? What about a canopy villa that soars 50 to 60 feet above the ground and offers treetop-skimming panoramas of the El Nido islands, or a Kalaw Villa with its own private cove? Once you’ve decided on your accommodations, the choices only get harder. While heading off on an adventure is tempting—think snorkeling, diving, stand-up paddle boarding, windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, touring lagoons, and picnicking on private islands—so is the prospect of simply taking in the view from your gracefully netted, organically appointed bed.