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One of the more remote sections of Kruger National Park, the area surrounding Satara Rest Camp is worth the drive to see the large pride of lions that calls the region home. Once you reach the camp, head east to the S100 gravel road, which travels through a grassland habitat that’s home to a diverse range of herbivore species. One of the most popular drives in the region, the S100 is also a great place to spot apex predators like cheetahs and the aforementioned lions. If you want to see leopards, hang by the dense forest that runs along the tributary to the Letaba River.

One afternoon, I went to the top of Northcliff Hill by the Water Tower with my brother and cousin on a random outing. From up there you can see the whole of Johannesburg. A full 360 degree view all the way to the Magaliesberg mountain range! If you go, park at the bottom of the hill and trek up to the top. Don’t forget to pack some drinks and snacks for an awesome sundowner experience!

John Rutledge was an active player in early American politics, signing the Constitution and serving as South Carolina’s first governor. But his townhouse on Broad Street, now the John Rutledge Inn, was built before he even attended his first Continental Congress. The house was embellished and expanded over the years, including the addition of elaborate lacelike ironwork that still stops passersby in their tracks. The inn comprises the main building and two carriage houses. In the 1980s, a major renovation prepared it for its new life as an inn, restoring the parquet floors, marble fireplaces, and crown molding to fully honor the property’s past.

Rooms in the main house evoke the property’s Colonial Era origins, with canopy beds and brass fireplace screens. All rooms have Tempur-Pedic mattresses, property-wide Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs help guests remember that they’re still in the 21st century. Around the property, visit the sumptuous ballroom for evening sherry, or stroll the lush, secluded courtyard.

Located just footsteps from the hustle of Columbus Circle, Mandarin Oriental New York serves as the ultimate urban escape. More than 240 rooms and suites showcase stunning views of Central Park, the Hudson River, and the Manhattan skyline, while carrying their own perks within (Diptyque amenities, cherry wood furnishings, walk-in showers). The 14,500-square-foot spa feels like a true getaway in the heart of the city, with a tea lounge and a number of treatments ranging from Jet Lag Cure to Thai Foot Therapy.

The MO Lounge offers dramatic park views and an all-day menu with American cuisine centered on sustainable local ingredients. Come evening, MO Lounge’s hand-crafted cocktails paired with Central Park vistas are perfect for impressing out-of-towners.

Less than an hour’s drive north of Boston, you can find the building that graces more canvases and paper than probably any other in the world. Located on Bearskin Neck wharf, it’s a central location for exploring the cultural center of this small quintessential New England town. An easy walk will take you thru galleries, shops and restaurants, as well as leading to the harbor that provides coastal vistas the area is known for.

Confusion. I think that’s what some people feel when they first lay eyes on the Montelucia Resort & Spa. With its ornate entryways and floral squares, the resort looks more like a charming European village than an Arizona resort. But, you know what? It works. Montelucia is downright enchanting. And in case you find yourself slipping and forgetting just where you are, simply look the south for the best possible reminder – Scottsdale’s iconic Camelback Mountain. There’s plenty to keep you busy on property, including five dining spots, but the very best way to pass the time is at Joya Spa. Inspired by the Moroccan desert and Spain’s Andalusian region, Joya is 32,000 square feet of total relaxation. Lavish lounge areas, a rooftop pool and terrace, and a detoxifying hammam are all a part of the experience. The latter improves circulation and balance using time-tested rituals from Northern Africa.

There are no boats here, where the Han River flows into the Yellow Sea--this is the watery mine-laden western limit of the DMZ. On a trip to Korea in the mid-1990’s, one of my uncles took us to visit Aegibong, a 500-ft.-high hill that presides over the estuary. From the top of the hill we could see across and into North Korea. The first thing that struck me was the lack of trees--the mountainsides are completely deforested, except for the inaccessible fringe of riverbank. As far as we could see on this clear early autumn day, the slopes above the golden rice paddies were denuded of trees. When the wind blew in the right direction, we could hear propaganda from the loudspeakers on the north bank. A few months later, Kim Il Sung would die, and the North Korean famine would intensify; it’s estimated that up to 1 in 10 North Koreans perished during the mid-to-late 1990’s...all of this while Seoul, just to the southeast of the scene in this photo, would continue to grow into one of the most vibrantly capitalistic cities anywhere... South Korea would morph into the most Internet-connected country in the world, while the North would devolve into a place where doctors have to scrounge in the hills for edible weeds...

On the Dominican Republic’s northern coast, near the tip of the Samaná Peninsula, this unpopulated Atlantic beach stretches three miles from Cape Samaná to the cliffs of Cape Cabrón. To get here, you’ll need to take a four-wheel-drive vehicle or a boat charter from the small fishing village of Las Galeras, but once you arrive, you’ll find a nearly empty stretch of sand. The west end of the beach features calm waters ideal for swimming and snorkeling, while the east end has great waves for surfing. You’ll also find spots to rent kayaks, snorkeling gear, chairs, and umbrellas, as well as a few food vendors serving rice, beans, and seafood cooked over an open-hearth fire. This is the place to go when you want to get away from the crowds.

The 201-room St Julien was built in 2005 for $36 million. It was the first new hotel built in downtown Boulder in almost 100 years and is the only modern luxury hotel in town. The spacious St Julien lobby converts into a dining room, jazz club, high tea, or Brazilian samba party, depending on the night. Actually, there is live music five nights a week in the St Julien Hotel lobby — with no cover charge or age limit — usually featuring a world beat, African or Latin flavor. Fridays are the most danceable and popular when as many as 800 revelers spill out of the lobby and onto the outside deck, especially in spring and summer.

When you first show up at Bodega, you could easily mistake it for a popular neighborhood taqueria. Between the Airstream trailer serving tacos and the picnic tables, it looks like a low-key spot. It is that, but as you see the Ubers full of models and clubgoers arriving and disappearing into the small taco joint, you get a sense there might be something more going on. Look around for a guy with an earpiece at the back of the room and tell him your friend sent you, and you might just get directed to a back door that looks like an entrance to a Porta Potti. Pass through here and you’ll enter a graffiti-filled men’s washroom. It’s only after passing through yet another door that you will enter one of South Beach’s hot hidden nightclubs....

To get from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, don’t take I-25 North--it’s busy and sterile. Drive east on I-40 to the backside of the Sandía Mountains, get off on exit 175, and head north on Highway 14, also known as “The Turquoise Trail.” You’ll wind through forest to plateau, through mining towns and old Spanish land grants. Halfway to Santa Fe you’ll come to Madrid. (Note--do NOT pronounce it the way you would the capital of Spain; here it’s “MAD-rid.”) In the early 20th-c., some four thousand people lived here; by WWII it had become a ghost town when the local coal demand dropped. By the 1970’s the town began to be reoccupied--artists moved in, galleries set up...it claims to have more artists per capita than any other town in the country. (The population is around 400.) And in 2006, the town served as the set for the John Travolta film “Wild Hogs.” Driving in from the south, you’ll note the brightly painted houses; just after the highway curves, find a place to park among the motorcycles and grab a coffee at Java Junction (they have a B&B upstairs)--their motto: “Bad Coffee sucks.” The morning I stopped here, the café had a welcome sign in German; some Mercedes businessmen were having a road-trip meeting...Madrid is alive and well.

A winery with an enviable view, Tokara is considered one of the best in the region for its cabernets, sauvignon blancs, and premium olive oils. As compelling as the wines are, though, people flock to Tokara for its restaurant, led by chef Carolize Coetzee. Here, in a stunning building made of glass, steel, and stone, diners enjoy contemporary cuisine, award-winning wines, and dramatic views over Stellenbosch and False Bay. Before sitting down for your meal, enjoy a drink at the bar, which offers views of the kitchen as well as the sun setting through a picture window. Then dig into creative dishes like roasted beef with lemon-glazed shimeji mushrooms, and pork belly with carrot-ginger sauce. The menu changes seasonally, but guests can always expect a life-changing meal.

The VIP Room comes with proper clubbing experience as a backing, with previous ventures like Taboo and Cocoon Lounge before it, this venue offers only the cream of the crop to it’s patrons. In the heart of the Sandton business district at the Michelangelo Towers, the club is conveniently located near top hotels like The Michelangelo, The Davinci, The Sandton Sun, etc, and restaurants in the square should you want to grab a bite before heading out for the night,

The Aguilars are a family of folk artists who live in Ocotlan, a town about 20 miles south of Oaxaca city. There are four sisters; Josefina, Guillermina, and Irene live in a row of houses at the entrance to the town, and Concepcion lives a bit farther out. They all make similar pieces, though each brings her own particular style to her work. Their pieces reflect the colorful rural life in Oaxaca and depict market women, Frida Kahlo replicas, religious symbols and nativity scenes, as well as cantinas and “women of the night.” Although their work can sometimes be purchased outside of Oaxaca, if you visit the Aguilar family workshops, prices are much more accessible and you get the bonus of meeting the artists and their families and seeing how they live and work.

After a hard day of chorten circling and monastery mayhem, there’s nothing like a cellar temperature beer and some fresh, hot fries to drive out the demons of the day’s travels. We found ourselves in this remote corner of Eastern Bhutan, actually all of Eastern Bhutan is remote, with our stop for the night at the Karmaling. It had to be good with “karma” in its namesake. Of course, there was no power in Trashyangtse the afternoon we arrived, typical, and a town without electricity that is normally pretty quiet, is really quiet. The propane was still working at the hotel and the fries were hand-cut and served with a homemade ketchup. The place was really quite comfortable and the owner, very accommodating. The town is home to Chorten Kora, a stupa style normally found in Nepal; revered here and well preserved. The Himalayan south slope seems close enough to touch with the river Kulong cutting through the valley and picking up speed. There is the Rodungla trek west to Tangmachhu with its twelve thousand foot pass, but we couldn’t find anyone to talk with that had done it. A short day hike up out of the valley was enough of a persuader to send us back to town with a sense of having done enough. The Karmaling is a sweet spot at the end of the road north. The road east leads to Arunachal Pradesh, India and the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama. We couldn’t talk our guides into sneaking us into India for a quick visit; instead sending us south with the mountains in the rear view.