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At the summit of Montmartre, the highest point in the city, you’ll find the Basilica de Sacré-Cœur. Contrasting with the Gothic churches like Notre-Dame, the Romano-Byzantine architecture is both beautiful inside and out. While outside, take in the panorama of Paris and while inside, marvel at the Apse Mosaic—one of the largest mosaics in the world. The Sacré-Cœur website has instructions on how to download the free audio guide on your phone before your visit which is recommended. Also, research the well-known (and apparently tried-and-true) scams before traveling to Paris. Overall, the city seems pretty free of tourist scams, but around Sacré-Cœur especially, visitors should be on alert.

Inspired by the spices and scents he experienced on a trip to the Middle East back in the early ‘80s, Florentine Lorenzo Villoresi began studying the art of making perfume, eventually turning his family’s 15th-century palazzo into his atelier and shop. Stop by the elegant space—richly outfitted with Carrara marble, Florentine leather, and Volterra alabaster—to sniff your way around the world, sampling perfumes that feature an array of unusual and precious (and often pricey) extracts and essential oils. In addition to a ready-to-wear collection of perfumes, home scents, candles, potpourri, and related accessories, Villoresi also creates one-of-a-kind bespoke fragrances for hotels, fashion houses, and individual clients. It can be an expensive souvenir, but the experience of helping to create your personal scent is one you’ll never forget.

Italy never had Prohibition (can you imagine the country going wine-free?), but this intimate bar, opened in 2017, brings a touch of that era’s speakeasy style to central Florence. Owner and veteran bartender Cristian Guitti places equal importance on taste and aesthetics, creating concoctions that both excite the palate—with a hint of smoke here, and some barrel aging there—and also do your Instagram proud. The menu is heavily inspired by ‘20s-era cocktails, with nods to both America and Italy, so you’ll find drinks like Old Sport (based on Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon), Coney Island (rum with popcorn, chili, dark chocolate, and more), and Aglio Olio & Peperoncino (tequila blanco with olive oil and the essential oils of orange and chili). Guitti considers this a “cocktail experience,” which means the multi-step drinks may take a while to be prepared, but you’ll have fun soaking up the retro atmosphere while waiting for them to arrive.

Karawari Lodge is one of the most remarkable places I’ve ever stayed in what is the most incredible country I’ve ever visited. There’s no AC at the lodge, no WiFi, and very little hot water. But what there is is a real sense of adventure. Stationed on a ridge some 300-feet above the Karawari River, deep in remote Arambak country, the lodge serves as a gateway to the dense lowland rainforest that is home to a staggering array of flora and fauna and what seems like an endless number of spectacular villages. After days of exploring via riverboat, the lodge is a great place to return home to – watching the sun set over endless expanses of jungle with a cold South Pacific beer in hand is my idea of a good time. Flash Parker traveled to Papua New Guinea courtesy of Tourism Papua New Guinea and Swain Destinations as part of AFAR’s partnership with The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), whose members provide travelers with unparalleled access, insider knowledge, and peace-of-mind to destinations across the globe. For more info on Flash’s journey, visit the USTOA blog.

Located behind the church of San Lorenzo, this is where many members of the ruling Medici family are buried. The octagonal building with an opulent marble interior dates from 1519. The Cappella dei Principi houses sarcophagi belonging to the Medici grand dukes, including Cosimo I. Lorenzo the Magnificent is buried in the adjoining Sagrestia Nuova, which contains Michelangelo’s famous Night and Day and Dawn and Dusk sculptures.

Blackbird Caye Resort is the gateway to the stunning Belize Barrier Reef, but so much more than a stopgap hitching post for scuba nerds. Stretched across two miles of palm-fringed beach on the windward side of the Turneffe Atoll, Blackbird is set against a backdrop of more than 4,000 acres of untrammeled jungle, mangrove forests, sprawling lagoons, and migratory bird habitats. Many guests come to Blackbird to get under the water and at the reef – some of the best diving sites in Belize are a short five or ten minute boat ride from Blackbird’s dock – though this isolated island paradise has plenty to offer visitors looking to stretch their land legs. 18 ocean-view cabanas, each with its own private balcony and hammock, hold dominion over the Caribbean Sea. The Poolside Bar is a great place to unwind after a hot day in the sun, while the gallant High Tide Bar, with at least two feet in the sea at any one time, offers an excellent happy hour and complimentary snacks, including island fare like lion fish fingers, ceviche, conch fritters, and fried grouper. One of the top dive resorts in the world and a postcard-perfect island paradise, Blackbird is at once home away from home, and your own secluded hideaway. Photo Finish: Nikon D800 | 24-70mm f/2.8 lens | Aperture f/7.1 | ISO-640 | Shutter 1/30 sec.

To stay in Florence is a visual delight. And a stay at the stunning Il Salviatino hotel is simply magnificent. Tucked into the hills above the glistening city of Florence this restored and refined 15th century villa, Il Salviatino exemplifies the grandeur of Florence with great style in the quiet of the Tuscan hills. Surrounded by 12 acres of their private park, and just 15 minutes from the city center accessible by the hotel’s shuttle;, after being in the middle of the hordes visiting the Duomo and the Uffizi it is a most relaxing place to stay. There is a magnificent tiered pool to swim in, a spa, and horseback riding, hot air balloon rides, cooking classes and wine tastings available nearby. Built as a magnificent villa, each room is unique. Some have outdoor terraces, several feature a glass greenhouse enclosure. Another has a bathtub for two with views of the hills. One stunning room is the Affresco Suite, hidden behind a door in the library and boasting an intricate 1886 ceiling fresco by Bruschi, a sarcophagus tub, books on Florence and enough space for two to curl up to read with a glass of wine: this is the definition of refined luxury. From the remarkable stone terrace, one can see the rose garden, the Duomo, and Florence sparkling at night while dining. The hotel restaurant La Cucina del Salviatino serves local specialties with vegetables, herbs and fruit from their organic garden, paired impeccably with wines from their cellar. A most romantic repast here under the stars by their talented chef Stefano Santo will not soon be forgotten. And the opulent breakfast is the perfect way to begin your day of exploration in Florence. Il Salviatino refreshes, inspires and delights the savvy traveler who seeks the beautiful. Compliments to owner Alessandra Rovati Vitali for refreshing this Florence Tuscan paradise and to CEO Marco Milocco for the seamless operation. Be forewarned however, that after being looked after by the attentive and professional staff the hardest part is leaving. https://www.visitflorence.com all photos: Luxepaths Kurt Winner

You’ll hear no highway traffic at these twelve lakeside cabins and 3 bunkhouses, which sit beyond roads’ reach and are accessible only by boat. Supplies are delivered via barge, and even the accommodations float upon the water: Initially built to house logging crews, the resort’s wood-shingled cabins and docks sit right on Ross Lake, supported by massive red cedar float logs measuring more than 3 feet in diameter. Azure waters lap against your front porch, where deck chairs face a row of mighty mountains (the largest, Snowfield Peak, reaches 8,347 feet). You can spend your days gazing at those views, or you can use the resort as a base for exploring North Cascades National Park and Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Rent one of the resort’s motorboats, canoes, and kayaks to access trailheads sprinkled along the lakeshore, or just hike from your cabin: The Big Beaver Trail winds past the resort. There’s no onsite restaurant, but all accommodations include kitchen facilities, so pack in all your own food and beverages. After the 2.5-hour drive from Sea-Tac, you have two options for reaching the resort: You can hike about a mile to Ross Lake, where the resort will pick you up by boat ($2 per person), or you can catch a ferry/truck combo from Diablo Dam ($14 per person, ferries run twice daily at 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.). Just don’t wait till the last minute to make your booking, since reservations typically fill a year in advance.

Nothing is a more powerful symbol of the City of Light than the Eiffel Tower. Designed by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Paris Exposition, it’s one of the world’s most-visited monuments, with nearly 7 million people ascending the 1,062-foot wrought-iron structure each year. Glass elevators spirit you to the top—hardy souls can take the stairs part of way—where in addition to unparalleled panoramic views of Paris, you can toast your arrival with a glass of bubbly at the Champagne bar. Evenings there’s a grand light show: every hour on the hour, the tower sparkles for five minutes with 20,000 bulbs.

Visitors to Santa Fe come in search of art and culture, and it’s hard to trump the cultural experience at the Hotel Santa Fe, the Hacienda and Spa. In addition to being a high-end hotel in the hip, recently revitalized Railyard District, this pueblo-style compound is the first of its kind, the only luxury stay to be owned and run primarily by a local Native American tribe—the Picaris Pueblo.

No top-tier amenity has been left out—the spa is one of the best in town, the restaurant and lounge is one of Santa Fe’s most acclaimed, the gym offers yoga classes, there’s a free shuttle into town—and the guest experience is unlike that anywhere else, thanks to the extensive private Native American art collection that adorns the walls, the handmade local furniture that fills the rooms, and the responsible presence of traditional Native American culture throughout.

The hotel’s gift shop is Santa Fe’s only tribally owned store, selling traditional local handicrafts and art, and events are held throughout the year for guests to learn about Picaris Pueblo culture. And, as if this all weren’t impressive enough, the hotel has a rigorous environmental policy, and its rooms are completely powered by solar energy.

As Santa Fe’s only Native American-owned hotel, the Hacienda & Spa draws on a range of modalities from Swedish, sports, cranial-sacral, and energy work, and it hosts a menu of treatments aptly titled “This Wind and Mountain” and the “Land of Enchantment.” Outside, find three acres of Native American sculptures and gardens to relax in after your day of rest.

While many Italian hotels rest on the country’s historic laurels by harking back to bygone eras, from the opulence of the Renaissance to the sleek design heaven of the 1960s, the Meliá Génova—itself an art deco icon—is confident enough to stride straight into contemporary decor. Originally a steel manufacturer’s headquarters, long known as the luxe Bentley Hotel, its geometric lines and burnished metals evoke midcentury styles. But the hotel is undeniably modern and understated, with its bright and airy rooms, designer furnishings, abstract artwork, and luxurious touches like hot tubs on balconies. The serene, Zen-inspired subterranean pool and spa area demonstrates the Meliá’s fearlessness in breaking from Italian Riviera traditions, a fact only reinforced by the sultry restaurant and bar, which serves Spanish, French, and Greek cuisine—near heresy in a country that prides itself on its excellent food. But the bets have paid off: not only does the Meliá attract glamorous out-of-towners, but even the locals know it’s one of the hottest spots in town, as evidenced by the lively scene found in the bar each night.

Hop aboard the ferry at Pier 41 in San Francisco, or from the town of Tiburon, and spend a day on the largest and most beautiful island in the bay—Angel Island State Park. You can bring your own bike, or rent one when you arrive, and ride the paved perimeter trail around the 760-acre island. There are open-air tram tours, too, with guides recalling the island’s rich history, as well as guided hikes. Of course, you are free to roam the trails on your own, one of the best of which is the hike up to the top of 788-foot Mount Livermore, where 360-degree views take in the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. Whatever your plan, know you’ll be immersing yourself in local history in a place that has been a fishing and hunting site for Coast Miwok Indians, a haven for Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, and a U.S. Army post starting with the Civil War. From 1910 to 1940, hundreds of thousands of immigrants were processed here, and during World War II, Japanese and German POWs were held on the island. Several buildings and other relics remain as a reminder of the island’s varied history, including the United States Immigration Station museum (open March–October).

The stunning landscape of Salineras de Maras features salt pans that are still used exactly as they were at the time of the Incas. As you make your way through the region, you’ll see people doing the backbreaking work of harvesting salt on small family plots. The reward? The salt gathered here is some of the best in the world. Water, naturally salt-infused, flows down from the mountains and settles in the pans. As the water evaporates, salt remains, to be extracted with simple tools. Stop at a store or one of the many small-scale vendors selling the “fruit” of this labor in its pure form or mixed with herbs for use in cooking, bathing, or chocolate bars.

Cirque du Soleil’s only resident troupe outside of Las Vegas and Orlando opened in 2014, kicking off yet another stellar attraction for visitors to Cancun and the Riviera Maya. The colorful 70-minute performance - which has been dubbed JOYÀ - offers an immersive theatrical and culinary experience for the whole family. The name JOYÀ, rooted in the Spanish “joya” meaning jewel or pearl, alludes to a person or event of great value. Through this mesmerizing performance, an alchemist’s granddaughter discovers joy and wisdom by sharing an extraordinary experience in an unlikely place.

One of Italy’s landmark hotels, the Grand Hotel Savoia is an icon in the heart of Genoa, a grande dame founded at the height of the Belle Epoque boom by one of the country’s original luxury hoteliers, attracting aristocrats, royals, and other elite international travelers to the renowned port city. Not only was it the first hotel in Italy to have hot and cold running water in private bathrooms (in all rooms), but it was the first in Europe to have a centralized climate-control system.

Though its groundbreaking heyday is past, the Grand Hotel Savoia is far from falling into obscurity. The opulent building has been lovingly restored in the seafaring tradition of Christopher Columbus’ hometown, with antique travel trunks, 1950s-yacht-inspired furnishings, and panels of vintage Genoese postcards adorning the rooms. Original accents like parquet floors, Murano chandeliers, and marble columns complement overstuffed leather chairs and carved wooden tables, all contributing to a pervasive sense of drama and history. That drama and history is no more obvious than on the rooftop terrace, where the most discerning locals flock for unparalleled views of the harbor and city—whether that’s over a cocktail or from the relaxing perch of the spa’s hot tubs.