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Bright and early, just before the sun comes up over Mount Bromo, Mount Semeru and Mount Batok, with ample rolling fog and an epic eruption for good measure. We climbed Mount Penanjakan in our Toyota 4x4 pre-dawn in the headlights of some 1,200 other vehicles. Once at the viewpoint my travel partner and I decided against the same shooting vantage as everyone else - all 3,000 tourists, gah - and climbed down the hill for a better look (and a few square feet to dig in our tripods). As soon as the sun started to shine and illuminate the volcanoes in the distance, all the nuisance and discomfort of the day, all the pain and suffering associated with actually making the trip to Bromo, it vanished. We spent the next hour shooting one of the most incredible sunrises I have ever witnessed. Getting here is a bit of a package-tour nightmare, but so very much worth it in the end.

The Homer Spit is home to, for the most part, summer-only businesses that cater to tourists, fishermen, and weekend adventurers aplenty. So there’s long been an emphasis on fried halibut and other related goodies. The Spit’s food cred took a serious bump up when La Baleine opened. Though the restaurant has a seriously casual beach-town vibe, the food is not your everyday sandy-feet fare. Emphasizing organic and local ingredients, chef Mandy Dixon—who grew up in the kitchens of her parents’ Alaska lodges (Within the Wild)—serves up elegant but generous dishes, including salmon bowls with brown rice and roasted root vegetables and miso-marinated sablefish. The breakfasts are hearty enough to take you through a full day of paddling the bay.

Seclusion and tranquility are the new forms of luxury in a world that is so accessible and plugged in. Aqua Wellness Resort successfully marries contemporary luxury accommodations with serene surroundings, providing a memorable and rejuvenating experience for travelers. Accessible by a two-and-a-half-hour drive or 40-minute helicopter ride from Nicaragua’s international airport in Managua, Aqua offers peace and privacy so that you can enjoy the beautifully wild landscape of Nicaragua’s Pacific “Emerald Coast.” 24 Tree Houses accommodating 50 luxurious villas and suites dot Aqua’s forested hillside, which overlooks a private, white sandy beach.

The first Disney resort built inside one of its theme parks, the Grand Californian puts you in the epicenter of the happiest place on Earth. And being on the inside has its benefits: Hotel guests get extra time at Disneyland before normal visiting hours, as well as a special entrance for Disney California Adventure Park. The upscale hotel’s 948 rooms, which were redesigned in 2017, blend the park’s playful magic—you’ll find subtle murals of Disney characters throughout—with an authentic arts and crafts motif (for views of the park, choose a deluxe or premium room). At the Storytellers Café and Hearthstone Lounge, kids can hobnob with Mickey Mouse and friends. No less notable is Napa Rose executive chef Andrew Sutton, who connects with diners at his Chef’s Counter, where personalized menus are available alongside the seasonal prix-fixe selection. More than 50 servers with sommelier training can help you choose from the 17,000-bottle wine cellar. Pro tip: Recover from a long day at the park with the Zen Buddhist tea ceremony and Balinese massage at the Mandara Spa.

Wealthy New York heiress Mable Dodge Luhan was a lifelong patron of the arts. D.H. Lawrence and Georgia O’Keeffe were among many artists and writers invited to stay at her house in Taos. These days, the picture-perfect adobe lodge (built in 1918) operates as a bed and breakfast-cum-art retreat. Hone your painting skills on a five-day course or bed down in “The O’Keefe Room” on the second floor, where Georgia slept during her frequent visits. —By Edmund Vallance

Hop on a lightweight bicycle and learn about the history of the Philippines on a guided bike tour around Manila’s old walled city of Intramuros. The bikes are handmade in the Philippines from bamboo, a natural vibration dampener, and fibers from the abaca plant (similar to a banana); Bambike Revolution Cycles won a Manila FAME Katha Award for Eco-Design in 2015. This is a unique alternative to a walking or bus tour, and takes you inside a walled city that is not normally accessible to bigger groups. Intramuros almost doesn’t feel like Manila: The Spanish influence is evident in the architecture, which includes some of the oldest baroque churches in the Philippines. Fort Santiago still houses underground dungeons as well as a tiny underground chapel, hidden at the end of a tunnel. At the Rizal Shrine you will learn about the life of José Rizal, the country’s national hero who played an instrumental role in the Philippine rebellion against Spanish colonial rule, and follow in the footsteps he made as he took his last walk in the fort from his cell to his execution.

There’s a carefree summer camp spirit at Ruschmeyer’s, a boutique retreat in Montauk where a central garden full of hammocks and picnic tables creates a relaxing backdrop. First built in 1952 in a shaded stretch of lakeside woodlands in Montauk, the hotel now features recently renovated rooms inspired by camp cabins with cedar-plank walls, a hammock, and some with an outdoor charcoal grill. Ruschmeyer’s has an appetite for culture, seen in a rotating series of music performances, guest DJs, and artists-in-residence. This is a place to play, and the hotel happily arranges paddle boarding, fishing, and yoga. Start your stay on the central lawn, called the Magic Garden, with a game of ping-pong before drinking and dancing the night away at the hotel’s bar, the Electric Eel.

I love the wines of Mendoza, Argentina, but I wanted to marry the wines of Catena Zapata when I had the chance to drink them whilst overlooking the green vineyards backdropped by the soaring, snowcapped Andes peaks. The wines of Catena are mostly big reds made from malbec or cabernet, and they make some chardonnay and sauvignon blanc as well. The winery is fashioned after a stepped Maya pyramid and is furnished with state of the art equipment. Wine tours last about an hour and a half and finish at the tasting room, where you can purchase bottles of wine. Catena Zapata and the rest of the Mendoza region wineries are only open by appointment, so be sure to have a day’s worth of wine tours booked in advance for your itinerary. Be sure not to skip over the city of Mendoza, as there are many wine tasting rooms featuring wines from the region and selling limited releases and other rarities not readily available at the wineries.

Housed across a 1940s mansion and modernist tower, Casa Fayette is a stylish boutique lodging inspired by Guadalajara hometown hero Luis Barragán. With the architect in mind, Milanese interiors firm Dimore Studio designed the hotel’s 37 rooms in a Mexican palette of artichoke, salmon, and burgundy, adding a mix of custom and European furnishings by the likes of Pierre Frey and Michael Thonet. Downstairs, public spaces take on a global-chic aesthetic informed by the surrounding Lafayette neighborhood. Graphic cement tiles line the pool and spa area, while a glam brass-and-wood bar complements tropical-palm-patterned seating in the restaurant.

Owned by the world-renowned art collector Dakis Joannou and smartly decorated by quirky Brazilian designers the Campana brothers, the New Hotel is the city’s coolest upscale design-centric property, with 79 rooms (including seven suites) and an intimate restaurant. Although centrally located, just a five-minute walk to Syntagma Square, it’s tucked back in a modernist building on a side street so it feels hidden and discreet. The interiors are both playful and smart; the Campanas created much of it with items recycled from the previous hotel. Imagine puzzlelike walls and chairs constructed of layered, repurposed wood intermingled with sculptural chairs of their own design. In the rooms, they had fun riffing on Greek cultural objects, like the Karagiozis, a shadow puppet, and multiple versions of the glass “evil eyes” used to protect against ill omen. Bottom line: stylish contemporary design, excellent location, and friendly service.

Support local artists and designers at the Patio del Liceo. The namesake courtyard, tucked away from Avenida Santa Fe’s hustle and bustle, connects art galleries, clothes and shoe shops, and, notably, boutiques selling eco-friendly home decor. Walk to the end of each gallery level to watch designers at work: Many of the spaces also function as workshops where the goods on offer are made. Pick up a beautiful book at Brezal, the glassed-in stall in the main entry hall; get a customized gift for your pet at Think Animal; or take home some local music from Mercurio Disquería. Afternoon visits are recommended, as many shops don’t open until 4 p.m. or later.

Skiing, celebrities, and log cabins might come to mind when you think of Jackson, Wyoming, but the just-opened Anvil Hotel offers a hyperlocal new take on the picturesque town. New York design firm Studio Tack transformed a motor lodge into a 49-room hotel with a Shaker-inspired mid-century aesthetic, complete with iron bed frames and Woolrich blankets. Downstairs, there’s a general store selling hipster Western gear, as well as plenty of places to mingle with travelers and residents, including a zinc-topped bar serving cocktails by the famed New York City−based Death & Co. team.

Even in a city with picturesque scenes around every corner, the Petit Champlain area, located along the waterfront in the Lower Town, stands out as an especially charming corner of Old Québec. The heart of the neighborhood is the Place Royale while its spine is Rue du Petit-Champlain. While the area claims the distinction of being North America’s oldest commercial district, for most of its history its buildings housed the offices of fur traders and stevedores lodged in the tenement apartments. Today, while it’s still a bustling neighborhood, the boutiques and bistros are what draw visitors to the cobblestoned lanes. In the summer, café tables spill out into the streets; in the winter, the neighborhood exudes a Québecois sense of coziness, especially at night after a snowfall, when every restaurant offers a tempting shelter from the cold.

Moorings Village has a setting out of an island fantasy, stretched along one of the largest private beaches in the Keys, with more than 1,000 coconut palms shading its 18 guest villas. After a direct hit from Hurricane Irma, the resort reopened in January 2018 with 100 newly planted coconut trees, a new picturesque dock, and a refurbished swimming pool—while still maintaining its eclectic design and luxurious feel. The individually styled villas—each with a wraparound veranda—have kitchens, living and dining spaces, and a selection of artwork collected during resort owner Hubert Baudoin’s travels. Ocean activities rule the day here (unless you’re lolling in a hammock) and the property offers complimentary kayaks, paddleboards, and bikes, in addition to coordinating excursions like scuba diving, kitesurfing, sailing, and fishing. And because the resort takes up both sides of the Key of Islamorada, guests can catch the sunrise and then witness sunset while dining at either Pierre’s (an upscale spot with French fusion cuisine) or the Beach Café (a casual bistro serving Caribbean-American food). Pro tip: Book your visit to coincide with the full moon to attend the Mooring’s monthly beach party for live music, fireworks, and bonfires on the beach.

Discreetly tucked away down Dean Street in the heart of Aspen, the St. Regis is a bastion of mountain town luxury. Fresh from an interior remodel (completed in 2012) the property brings urban sophistication to the Rockies. Every guest room features a large marble bathroom with a separate bathtub (perfect for soaking after a day on the slopes). The lobby becomes a social hub in ski season and during big events such as the annual Food & Wine Classic. Order a drink and watch for star chefs as you take in the views of Aspen Mountain. If you’d rather be discreet, sneak away to the Library, and lounge on one of the couches. The signature St. Regis butler service caters to every whim at any hour, from securing lift tickets to scoring dinner reservations. When the weather turns cold, there’s no better place to warm up than the Remède Spa with its hot and cool plunge pools, steam caves, and an oxygen lounge, not to mention some of the best therapists in Colorado.