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“They get a little cranky if you get too close to their heads,” warned my tour guide at Crococun Zoo. I was in the reptile pen standing near—no straddling—a 6 foot, rescued croc wondering what on earth I was doing when my guide smiled and suggested I squat down and pet him. Crococun Zoo is really a rehabilitation center for exotic animals on Mexico’s Yucatan coast. If you visit, you will find monkeys, parrots, boa constrictors, lizards, deer, wild dogs, coati and more. Most of the animals can be fed or held, and I am generally fine with that. In fact, I enjoy letting 10 foot long snakes wrap their thick bodies around my neck. I love adventure. But at Crococun, you can literally walk among the crocodiles. You can step right over them. Believe me, the $28 you pay to get in the park is a small price to pay to pet the tail of a crocodile. Just make sure they are well fed.

Don’t miss Parque del Retiro—a stunning area complete with a lake, playgrounds, gardens, and fountains. It’s the perfect public space where anyone can enjoy the day by taking a walk, playing a game, going on a boat ride, or exploring to your heart’s content.

This labyrinth of tunnels between what were North and South Vietnam during the war is a testimony to the defiance and ingenuity of the Vietnamese resistance. Vinh Moc was a village that the U.S. troops believed to be sympathetic to the Communist North, so when the Americans planned to remove the villagers, the locals dug tunnels to relocate their abodes underground. What resulted is a tight warren of underground paths stretching more than a mile in total, some as deep as 100 feet below the surface. The subterranean village included kitchens, rooms, and wells, and was home to more than 50 families; a number of children were even born in this subterranean hamlet.

The isolated, car-free island of Käringön is a 40-minute ferry ride from Orust, and has less than 100 full-time residents who stay year round, even through the long winter. But it’s a different story in the summer. In the 19th century, the middle classes in Sweden became enamored with the benefits of fresh sea air and started flocking to the small islands along the coast. Today about a thousand visitors arrive daily by ferry or private boat to enjoy the island’s relaxed vibe. Come for a lunch of fresh-caught seafood at Petersons Krog or watch children on the pier trying to catch the little crabs crawling through the seaweed down below. In the cold weather, visitors can take a lobster fishing tour or sample fresh oysters at the Käringö oyster bar, which also has a hot tub that seats six.

Although Chile’s central coastline boasts a string of attractive beaches along with towns filled with visitors seeking relief from the heat, the truth is the water is freezing cold year-round due to the Humboldt Current that brings Antarctic water up the coast. You’ve got to go pretty far north to find temperate seas. Bahía Inglesa is a stretch of coastline where the turquoise waters are tranquil, the sand is white, and there are dozens of beaches—some are along waveless bays (perfect for children), and others are great for scuba diving, kayaking, and kitesurfing. The area has restaurants for all tastes, and while there are lots of lodgings, in summer crowds flock in, so reserve as early as possible.

Housed on the wilder south side of Tahiti near Teahupo’o, Vanira Lodge is easily the island’s best boutique lodging option. Its idyllic location—on the mountain side of the road up a very steep driveway—offers sweeping views of the lagoon, while its bungalows feature a beautiful mix of bamboo, coral, rock, reed, and stained glass. Each room showcases a slightly different design; some have hard-carved furniture and, others, outdoor kitchens. There’s also a swimming pool, lily pond, and plenty of space to children to play, as well as an onsite restaurant, which is a relief to families since the resort is a good 15-minute walk away from Teahupo’o village and the surf beach. During the day, the staff can arrange a myriad of activities, from snorkeling trips to surf lessons. Guests also have access to bikes, although having a rental car makes getting around much easier.

Chile’s national folk dance is a stylized depiction of the mating ritual between a rooster and a hen. Sounds silly? When danced with gusto—the man jangling his spurs loudly, circling his partner like a proud rooster strutting his stuff, and the woman, ever-resistant, flirtatiously waving her white kerchief—it can be utterly moving. Children are taught the cueca from an early age and dance in traditional costumes during the week leading up to the September 18 national independence observances. Establishments known as fondas are also set up for a week in September as temporary venues for traditional cueca (even as some complain there’s more and more cumbia, less and less cueca), and there are clubs open year-round where families—including Grandma—learn and practice the dance.

The centerpiece of a vast resort, golf club, and residential community complex, Rosewood Bermuda sits on 240 acres of waterfront land overlooking Castle Harbour, Harrington Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean. The recently refurbished resort is anchored by the Manor House, where 88 guest rooms blend classic cottage-style architecture and modern interiors that continue to set the standard for today’s luxury seekers: think canopy and four-poster beds, plantation shutters, and colonial-era antiques, all set against a cool white backdrop. Spring for a deluxe poolside room, which also has access to a private poolside daybed. Just don’t expect too much down time. Three on-site restaurants and two bars are beyond selfie-worthy, treatments at the spa incorporate local ingredients like cedar and juniper, and hotel guests receive membership to the 18-hole Roger Rulewich–designed golf course, tennis courts, and a beach club that sits on an exclusive stretch of pink sand for the duration of their stay.

During three years of living in Washington, D.C., I made it my mission to visit as many museums as I could, and the National Museum of the American Indian quickly won me over. I was greeted by a live dance performance and welcomed into a circular space reminiscent of New York’s Guggenheim Museum. The exhibits are educational, informative and engaging, and the space itself is a captivating exercise in design. It may often be overlooked, but it’s one of the best D.C. museums with a notable food court featuring Native American-inspired dishes.

The Common becomes extraordinary on winter evenings when the Christmas tree is up and soft lights seem to hold back the twilight chill, but the truth is there’s no bad time to visit the nation’s oldest public park. The former cow pasture has been a focal point for Boston’s history and culture since its inception in 1636—a site for riots and rallies from the Revolutionary War to the Vietnam War era as well as weddings, hangings, and burials. Summer splashing and winter skating at the Frog Pond are local traditions, and you can spend hours wandering from landmark to landmark (like Augustus Saint-Gaudens’s famous bas-relief Memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts Fifty-Fourth Regiment, or the Soldiers and Sailors monument atop Flag Staff Hill). Or you can just laze in the sun on the park’s west-side lawn.

This department store with six locations across the islands is quintessential Bermuda. Fashions for men, women and children are preppy and classic, with an endless sampling of Bermuda shorts. The family-owned chainlet also sells a range of traditional housewares from crystal to fine china, in addition to Bermudan-made jewelry, keepsakes and glassware.

Located just off Main Street, the Washington School House Hotel eschews Park City’s typical rustic style for a pared-down, flea-market–chic aesthetic. Before being reimagined as a design-oriented inn in 2011, the 1889 building served as a schoolhouse for miners’ children and a dancehall for the local outpost of Veterans of Foreign Wars. Today, the interior is anything but traditional, from the whitewashed living room with 16-foot ceilings to the antique mirror and the white, lacquered antler chandelier. Outside, a heated pool sits on the hillside surrounded by aspens and boulders. There’s also a fire pit, fashioned from a steel Olympic torch from the 2002 Winter Games.

Each of the guestrooms and suites is unique, though all feature reclaimed wood floors, crystal chandeliers, and tall windows. An artful collection of European antiques and vintage paintings adds a bohemian vibe, while white marble bathrooms offer heated floors, walk-in showers, clawfoot tubs, and period fixtures. Guests can also look forward to plush hooded robes and top-notch toiletries from Molton Brown.

The main branch of the New York Public Library is one of the country’s grandest Beaux Arts buildings, a temple to learning on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd streets. At the end of the 19th century, John Bigelow, who oversaw the Tilden Trust, decided that as New York was becoming a global financial capital, it required a grand public library. When the Astor and Lenox libraries faced financial difficulties, he convinced them to merge and, with the Tilden Trust, underwrite the library that now stands next to Bryant Park. The firm of Carrère and Hastings was entrusted with the design, and construction began in 1902 on the building that would be the largest marble structure built up to that time in the United States. The elegant main reading room with its soaring carved-wood ceilings is the highlight of its interiors. The library hosts temporary exhibitions related to literary and cultural topics that draw on its extensive collection of books and other printed materials. The two beloved lions in Tennessee marble—Patience and Fortitude—have stood at the entrance to the library since it opened in 1911 and were created by sculptor Edward Clark Potter.

Offering sleek and stylish accommodations set in the CBD, Novotel Danang Premier Han River makes for a suitable starting point for plush business and holiday travellers exploring this part of Vietnam. Novotel Danang Premier Han River has a full-service spa, an outdoor pool, and a steam room. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in public areas and a computer station is located on site. Business amenities at this 4.5-star property include a 24-hour business center, meeting rooms, and limo/town car service. Dining options at the hotel include 3 restaurants along with 3 coffee shops/cafés, a poolside bar, and a bar/lounge. The staff can provide concierge services, tour/ticket assistance, and wedding services. Additional amenities include a seasonal outdoor pool, a children’s pool, and a nightclub. Guests receive complimentary transportation including a shuttle from the airport to the hotel, during limited hours, a beach shuttle, and an area shuttle. Guest parking is complimentary, and available on a limited first-come, first-served basis. This is a smoke-free property.

Don’t remind the country’s rabid soccer fans, but Mexico’s official national sport is charreria, a Western-style riding and roping that’s best seen in Guadalajara. Visit in September, when the National Charro Championship draws competitors from all over the world, or simply head to one of the city’s lienzos (arenas) to take in some fancy rodeo skills. One of Guadalajara’s most popular charreria venues is Lienzo Charros de Jalisco, where men, women, and children compete for bragging rights while mariachis get the audience going with their lively music. Get your ticket and join people of all ages and backgrounds for an afternoon of impressive sportsmanship.