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Born free, today’s post-apartheid generation asks, what’s next?

Get up, up, and away with Lake Tahoe Balloons. The company launches its colorful hot air balloons not from land but from the surface of the lake via the Tahoe Flyer, the world’s only certified balloon launch-and-recovery boat. Trips begin with a 5:30 a.m. boat ride to the mid-lake launch site. Once the balloon is in the air, passengers and pilot float up to 3,000 feet above the water’s surface for bird’s-eye views of the entire Tahoe basin. On the clearest days, views extend southward all the way to Yosemite National Park. After the flight, everybody celebrates with a champagne toast—then heads back to their hotel for a nap.

If you only get to ride in a hot air balloon once in your life, do it over Cappadocia, Turkey. Amazing. Cappadocia is surreal when seen from any angle. The region is peppered with strange pointy stone spires that rise up toward the sky, in pastel colors and lacy cutouts. The columns are spectacular when viewed from the ground. But, floating in the wicker basket of a hot air balloon, looking across Cappadocia’s landscape, is otherworldly. The balloons are launched before dawn so that you are well underway before the sun’s rays begin to lick the mountains. When that golden orb eventually breaks onto the scene, the sight is breathtaking. In this photo, I caught the sun shining through a nearby balloon. Any photographer worth her salt is pumping adrenaline, furiously snapping pictures as fast as the camera can stand it.

The hot-air balloon captains of the Masai Mara see themselves more as sailors than pilots. Despite the fact that they are flying, they guide the balloon through the air, adjusting the pulleys and controlling blasts of hot air like sailors harnessing the wind with canvas. The anticipation of takeoff is exhilarating: Guests arrive to an open field in the darkness and lie down on the grass to be hoisted up into the basket, with the roar of the flames overhead. The ride itself is tranquil and relaxing, drifting through the sky, admiring the balloon’s shadow on the golden ground as the sun rises. Rides can be booked in advance while staying at Angama Mara, one of Kenya’s most luxurious lodges.

The morning mist rolls away as we float above in a hot air baloon, revealing the patterns of Napa serenely below.

The toy vendors, working around the zócalo (main square) in Puebla, Mexico have taken the task of selling balloons to new heights. Somewhere, under this enormous mass of rubber and plastic encased helium is a small little pushcart and I mean, small pushcart. Whenever there was breeze, everything would sway but surprisingly, the cart never tipped over. For a split second, I thought of asking the guy if I could have the balloon at the very, very top just because I was curious to see how he would get it down.

On the walking mall, on the corner of Hyman Avenue and Mill Street, there is a dancing water fountain where the children endlessly play in the symphonic pattern of the water spraying into the air. The fountain was created in 1979 by a local sculptor and computer genius who programmed the fountain to dance in different patterns. Test your skills and see if you can cross the entire fountain without getting wet or get some balloons and place them on the water rising. For the kids, I recommend either bringing a bathing suit or an extra set of clothes because they are not leaving dry.

When you travel to the Cappadocia region of Turkey you have to stay in a cave hotel. Sleeping in a room carved out of the area’s ‘fairy chimney’ rock formations is inherently cool. When you realize that your room is also literally cool—even in the midday heat—you suddenly have a better understanding of the clever ways people managed to live in a challenging environment for centuries. The hotel’s best feature might be the terrace, where you relax on pillows and eat a Turkish breakfast of apricots and yogurt as you watch dozens of hot air balloons rise from the valley below. From $76. This appeared in the August/September 2014 issue.

This is one of the richest paleontology sites in the world. These sites team with scientists uncovering hominid fossils aged as old as 2 million years. It’s incredible to stand, watch, and reflect as our ancient ancestors are being unearthed. While in the area, check out the Nirox Contemporary Art Foundation (www.niroxarts.com). The artists’ residence and sculpture park contain works by South African and international artists. A peaceful place. You’ll want to stay.

Le Roeulx has been one of the main residences of the Princes of Croÿ since 1429. It is one of the most imposing classical castle in the country. Its history overshadows that of all but the most prestigious residences in the Low Countries. It opens one day a year for an international hot air balloon tournament. Now if it rains on that day there will be no tournament and no rescheduling. We found that out last year but there will still be lots of food and drinks.

No trip to Oaxaca is complete without spending at least a few hours sitting in one of the outdoor cafes around the Oaxaca city main square (the “Zocalo”). It’s the perfect spot to watch the street scene: couples and families walking by, vendors selling their wares, shoeshine boys offering to polish your footwear to a gleam. Strolling musicians wander by and perform a few songs in exchange for a handful of pesos. Balloon sellers with their colorful merchandise suspended above and around them entice passing children. In the morning enjoy a frothy hot chocolate with pan de yema, a local bread made with egg yolk. In the afternoon, sip a cold beer and snack on some spicy peanuts or chapulines, spicy fried grasshoppers. Any time of day, this is a wonderful spot to enjoy the bustling but unhurried pace of life in Oaxaca.

One of the most luxurious tented camps in all of Africa sits on an open plain within Singita Grumeti, a 350,000-acre private reserve that adjoins the Serengeti National Park ecosystem, through which vast herds of wildebeest and zebra migrate. Huge, ornate tents are throwbacks to 1920s expedition style, decorated with crystal port decanters, freshly cut flowers, decorative carpets and kilims, four-poster beds, clawed bathtubs, and wood-and-leather campaign chairs. A personal assistant organizes game drives, horseback riding, and hot air ballooning. Leased by American hedge fund mogul Paul Tudor Jones, the private Singita Grumeti concession has off-road driving rights (unlike the Serengeti National Park) and strategically placed manmade water holes that encourage resident wildlife to congregate for the guests. Opulence and attentive service don’t overwhelm the experience of immersion in nature; the tents’ mesh windows allow bush noises to come through at all hours, and zebra frequently dust bathe on the red-earth tennis court.

Though not really a tropical island, the indoor resort called “Tropical Islands” outside of Berlin makes for a great (albeit unusual) day trip. Located inside a former Soviet air hanger, the building has been converted into a biosphere with a tropical climate. Inside the resort there is an artificial beach, swimming pools, saunas & a spa, water slides, a small rainforest and even a hot air balloon! To get there with public transporation, you can take a Regional Express train from central Berlin. Trains leave every hour toward Cottbus (depart at Brand-Niederlausitz). It takes about 50 minutes. From the train station, Tropical Islands offers a free shuttle bus for the 5-minute journey to the resort. If you buy tickets at the door, admission to the Tropical World or the Tropical Sauna & Spa complex is 34.50€ for adults and 27€ for children age 6-14. A Kombi-Ticket is valid for both areas and costs 39.50€ for adults and 27€ for children.

At the Hyatt Centric, luxury amenities meet front-door access to 7,300 acres of ski terrain, including the 314 trails, 40 chairlifts, and six natural half-pipes that make up the Park City Mountain area of Canyons Village. For even more adventure, the hotel’s in-house activities company, Wasatch Adventure Guide, can arrange for dogsledding, fly-fishing, heli-skiing, hot-air ballooning, and even ice-climbing excursions. If you’d rather soak up some culture, there’s complimentary seasonal transport to Park City’s charming Main Street and its dozens of galleries. After a long day of exploring, guests can unwind in the resort’s heated outdoor pool, or in front of their own stone fireplace. The 120 guest rooms and apartment-style residences offer a home-away-from-home feel, with even the standard rooms featuring a partial kitchen stocked with china for four. In case you don’t feel like entertaining, the on-site Escala Provisions Company Restaurant & Bar offers après-ski fare like classic fondue as well as a dinner menu with dishes like a grass-fed beef burger with tomato jam, pork belly, and pommes frites.

This Palm Beach resort lets type A vacationers make the most of every minute of their trip. For adults, the jam-packed roster of activities ranges from cardio kickboxing and archery to salsa workshops and lessons on how to make your own aloe scrub. Another grown-up perk: every 50-minute spa treatment and dinner for two comes with complimentary child care. Meanwhile, the ShocoLand kids club keeps tykes busy during the day with water-balloon races and seashell painting. Have a little down time? The 355 rooms were renovated in late 2016, and now have an airy, modern feel; each also has its own private balcony or patio ideal for enjoying island breezes. For those happy to while away the hours near the water, chaise longues surround two palm-fringed pools, and plenty of beachside palapas sit just steps from the sea.