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Istanbul has a rocking nightlife that spans both continents and all hours of the evening—and early morning. While options for wild nights are limited in the tourism precinct of Sultanahmet, the beats pick up across the Golden Horn in the Beyoğlu District with rock, alternative, and world music venues along the side streets off Istiklal Caddesi. For supper clubs and VIP style, head to Ortaköy or Kuruçeşme to party by the Bosporus.

Expect to find jazz, rock, metal, Latino pop, salsa, and even classical. The live music scene in Mexico City goes way beyond mariachi—though you can certainly find that, too.

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel sits on the Big Island’s Kohala Coast. Beautiful sandy beaches cater to sun worshipers while the proximity to Waimea and Kailua-Kona make it a great place for travelers who seek ocean sports, coffee culture, or horseback riding. After absorbing the sun, snorkeling, and surf, a trip to the beach bar is the perfect place to enjoy a bit of shade while sipping on cold, refreshing, tropical drinks. An evening at the beach bar with a Dirty Hula Girl may be the perfect ending to a day at this beach hotel.


The sweet smell of plumeria floats on gentle trade winds into each guest room at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. When entering the room, you may be surprised that floor-to-ceiling picture windows and a beautiful private lanai (patio) beckon you to step back outside—closer to the rhythmic surf and paradise in nature. In the hotel’s main building, each morning you can wake up to warm accent colors in your room that recall the previous evening’s sunset. Natural light fills the entire space and you can brew a lovely cup of Kona coffee before leaving your room to face the world. A 2009 remodel of the main building rooms along with a 2013 beachfront wing renovation enable guests to unwind in the comfort of updated interiors that still remain true to Laurance S. Rockefeller’s original vision.


Local beach access at the Mauna Kea Resort: If you go early (7:30 a.m.) there are only 40 parking spots open to get to this hidden gem. Locals know that you say “beach access” at the imposing gate for those who want to swim in its clear blue water; check it out in North Kohala. Spectacular white sand beach with some shade trees. The 40 parking spots get filled by 9 a.m. or sooner so go early. It’s also good for boogie boarding.

PropertyThe architecture at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel certainly evokes Laurance S. Rockefeller’s sense of outdoor space with breezy landscaped covered walkways and a sparkling blue tile floor in the lobby that seems to bring the calm waters of Kaunaoa Bay right into the hotel. Another not-to-miss feature on the grounds includes the Collection: a fascinating assortment of Pacific and Asian art. More than 1,600 museum pieces blend into the hotel’s ambiance so well that you will always find new treasures on each visit. Better than a museum, these pieces of history are tangible to guests who want to inspect the stitches in a quilt, photograph the colors in a carving, or feel the texture of embellishments on a statue.


After absorbing the sun, snorkeling, and surf, a trip to the beach bar is the perfect place to enjoy a bit of shade while sipping on cold, refreshing, tropical drinks. An evening at the beach bar with a Dirty Hula Girl may be the perfect ending to a day at this beach hotel.
Vino and Vinyasa (Friday evenings): Follow your sun salutations with sauvignon blanc and your planks with pinot noir at this weekly class-slash-happy hour held ocean-side on Friday evenings. It’s only fitting that the sessions focus on Vinyasa, a yoga style that synchronizes movement with breath, because you’ll want to inhale the salty sea air deeply as you gaze at a fiery Big Island sunset.


Glow Stand-Up Paddling and Canoeing: Kauna’oa Bay’s large plankton population attracts manta rays, and you’ll find yourself gliding alongside them during this nocturnal excursion. Thanks to LED lights carefully strapped on your board, your hour-long jaunt may also include a parrotfish sighting (they’re intrigued by the boards’ shimmery glow.) You can treat stand-up paddle boarding as a workout, or simply stargaze as you float. New paddlers can take an introductory canoe ride while more seasoned guests can explore the Kohala Coast’s caves and coves on a private group charter.

The best hotels in New Mexico are an eclectic group: Stay in historic inns, small boutiques, charming bed and breakfasts, a former penitentiary, on an organic farm with serious architectural pull, or even in a cave! New Mexico’s best hotels cater to all tastes and price ranges, and you certainly won’t have a problem finding the right hotel in which to rest your weary head.

Tennessee has thousands of caves and Chattanooga itself is full of them. One such is Raccoon Mountain, a family-run cavern and campground that was discovered by Leo Lambert, the same man who turned Ruby Falls into the region’s most recognized tourist attraction. Raccoon Mountain is significantly more understated, located on the other side of Lookout Mountain, and hosts families in the summer. The caves are over 5 miles long and their Crystal Caverns tour will give you a taste. Their Wild Cave expeditions allow you to get down and dirty, exploring even more of the cave system. You can even arrange to stay underground overnight.

Cavell’s Cook Shop hides in plain sight along the road that hugs the shore on Antigua’s southwestern coast. Its humble, nondescript outward appearance bears every likeness of a simple storage shed or roadside workshop. Thick, encroaching foliage on either side further suggest its owner might prefer his or her place to maintain a low profile. The long line of cars regularly parked astride the road outside Cavell’s at all hours of the day, however, tells a different story. So too do the savory aromas emanating from beneath her galvanize roof, and the smiles on the faces of her steady stream of people filing in and out of here. You see, small and simple though it may be, Cavell’s is the prime spot for real local food in Antigua. The sun pounding down on the galvanize roof combined with the heat put forth by the various cooking apparatuses maKe standing inside Cavell’s feel like limin’ in an oven. No one was complaining, though. Cold Wadadli’s and good company have a way of keeping things cool here. Come to Cavell’s with a smile, some patience, and an open mind and you’ll make friends of the broad swath of local Antiguans, representing all walks of life, easily.

Located in the center of Barbados in the highlands, the Harrison’s Cave underground system of rivers and caves is one of the Caribbean’s great natural wonders. Visitors tour deep inside the crystallized limestone caverns via small electric tramcars and are allowed to get off at certain points, including at a 15-meter-high (50-foot) “cathedral” and a “village” with multiple stalagmite columns. Lights illuminate the waterfalls, pools and magnificent geological formations.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent writer Ryan Knighton to Egypt’s sprawling capital with just 24 hours’ notice.

Live music is the heart of Austin. The city has launched the careers of legendary musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Willie Nelson. Austin has always been a destination for struggling artists looking to hone their skills performing at local venues to receptive audiences. In the 70s, the television show “Austin City Limits” debuted, putting the city’s prolific music scene on the map. Music lovers will be in heaven at small to large venues that feature everything from Cojunto to punk rock.

These are the vistas: Rocks and sand twisted into curious shapes; mist hanging low over lakes and seas. These photos capture the mysteries of place. And these places are waiting for you.

Jamaica is much more than just the beach. The island’s great outdoors includes thick rain forest, numerous waterfalls, rivers on which the sport of rafting was born, swimming holes, and more. Jamaica’s natural beauty has been the set for more than one Hollywood movie, and if you really can’t drag yourself away from the beach, the bioluminescent bays offer a different form of outdoor adventure.

Every now and again, travelers just need to stay in one place and leave the running around to the rest of the world. That’s where resorts come in. Though most of these resorts on the Philippine Islands are within easy reach of other grand adventures, these properties serve up a world all their own. They all serve memorable meals and have snap-worthy views.

Along with pink sands and green golf courses, these subterranean grottoes are among Bermuda‘s iconic sites. First discovered in 1907 by the same family who still owns them, the caverns have spectacular crystal formations, crystalline pools, and underground waterways. Guided tours of the Crystal Cave, which measures more than 1,600 feet long and more than 200 feet deep, explain the differences between stalagmites and stalactites as well as the science behind the impressive underwater formations. A visit to the adjacent Fantasy Cave, which is deeper still, is included in the ticket price.

The islands off the coast of Panamá—white-sand beaches, hammocks rocking between palm trees, clear emerald waves lapping the shore—are the stuff of vacation fantasies but, in truth, are dangerously close to your reality. Head offshore and take off your shoes. You’ve discovered the undiscovered.

Cuevas del Indios (Indian Caves) of Arecibo offers a tidbit of ancient history of a lost people. An easy-to-find natural wonder, with a simple $2 fee for parking, this you won’t want to miss. Bring some sunscreen and your camera. Begin your hike up sharp and spiky cliff sides (no worries, I was able to do it all in sandals). Work your way up to the top of the cliff and enjoy the fantastic view below. Ocean spray from the massive waves breaking against the side of the rocks will cool you off with a little salty mist. Dare to look over the edge to see a landscape of arches and tunnels, burrowed below your feet. Climb down into the rocks to find a wonderful—and surprisingly well-preserved—variety of Taino Indian petroglyphs. A small climb down a somewhat sturdy, handmade ladder lands you at the base of the cave with stone carved images surrounding you. Now is your chance to experience some history. Wander through the smaller tunnels, and listen to the ocean making its way inside the cave with every massive wave crashing outside.