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Decidedly more upscale and art-focused than other Kimpton properties, the La Peer takes fitting into its surrounding neighborhood very seriously. Located off Sunset Boulevard on the quiet and walkable La Peer Drive, the hotel is in the heart of West Hollywood’s design district, surrounded by galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and more. While there’s a separate entrance for celebrities, the property is actually quite welcoming to all. The lobby feels like your artist friend’s cozy but consciously designed living room, with little nooks for reading and working, as well as large-scale art pieces sprinkled throughout. Step out back to the indoor-outdoor bar, patio, and small but serviceable pool area to peep a piece by Retna and grab a drink and snack. For something more substantial, there’s also lobby restaurant Viale Dei Romani, an Italian trattoria that’s garnered critical approval for chef Casey Lane’s fine cooking.

Why we love it: A wilderness retreat full of natural beauty and rustic luxury

The Highlights:
- A wide range of accommodations, including luxurious glamping tents
- More than enough activities to keep the entire family entertained
- A spectacular spa with fireplaces in each treatment room

The Review:
Nestled deep in the Ozark Mountains, Big Cedar Lodge was built in the early 1920s as a lavish country retreat for two prominent Missourians. It was purchased in 1987 by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, who turned it into a fishing camp, then converted it to a high-end wilderness resort spread over 4,600 acres of wooded hollows. Today, it’s a popular place to connect with the great outdoors—amid some serious luxury. Overlooking the blue-green Table Rock Lake, the resort is focused on water recreation, offering activities like fishing, water-skiing, tubing, and rides on just about any boat you could imagine. A favorite choice is the Goin’ Jessi, an exact replica of a 1934 Chris-Craft named after Waylon Jennings’s wife, on which guests can take hour-long tours with champagne. Also on-site are two full-service marinas, four golf courses, and a 50,000-square-foot entertainment center with everything from go-karts, bumper cars, and laser tag to a ropes course, bowling alley, arcade, and climbing wall.

When visitors aren’t busy having fun, they’re spending quality time in Big Cedar Lodge’s plentiful accommodations, which range from lodge rooms to cottages to private log cabins with stone fireplaces, private decks, and jetted tubs. For something really unique, however, book an overnight experience at Camp Long Creek, an area just minutes from Big Cedar with camp huts, cabins, and glamping units right on the lake. (Outfitted with king canopy beds, chandeliers, and outdoor living spaces with a fire pit, shower, and galvanized tub for alfresco bathing, the tents are particularly exceptional.) Dining options are equally varied, from a casual café to a fine-dining restaurant to a wine-and-whiskey cellar. Still, the Cedar Creek Spa & Salon is alone worth a visit, thanks to its beautiful stained glass windows, hand-hewn timber ceiling, and stone floors crowned by chandeliers. There’s even an ice room and a candlelit grotto with body jets, plus 12 treatment rooms equipped with fireplaces and robes that are warmed up for post-treatment relaxation.

...or take the elevator (seriously!) to experience this network of temples and intricate sculpture. Incense is sold throughout the complex, and people sell all kinds of marble wares on the street level.

A three-day safari in Kruger National Park is a must for anyone visiting South Africa. Entering the gates is like Jurassic Park and you feel transported back in time to the creation of Earth where the wild animals, especially the elephants, are dinosaurs filled with ancient knowledge of the land’s beginning. Although you may not see anything like the infamous “Battle at Kruger” YouTube video, you will certainly witness some interesting animal behavior like hippos bathing, monkeys mating, giraffes snacking or even two elephants flirting in the brush.

A Greek Revival family mansion built at the turn of the 20th century, Hotel Ella owes both its name and its grandeur to its very first lady of the house, Ella Wooten. Known for her impeccable style and grand tastes, Ella was a fixture of Austin high society who hired the stone carver responsible for the Biltmore Estate to craft her house’s columns and verandas and worked with Neiman Marcus’ Stanly Marcus to redecorate the interiors in 1925.

Nowadays, Hotel Ella pays homage to her good taste with fashionably understated decor, a locally sourced restaurant, and an art collection that the original proprietress would have coveted. Works include original Ansel Adams photographs and Wooten family portraits and jewelry. The owners pride themselves on making guests feel just as pampered as Ella might have, with perks like a free town car service—even though the hotel is within walking distance of downtown—and a concierge team for whom no request is too much.

This sprawling 19th-century former gasworks complex west of the Canal Ring was a polluted site for decades after its closing in the mid-1960s. It was cleaned up and reopened in 2003 as a park, and its architecturally significant red-brick buildings were turned into cultural venues, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and shops. The Gashouder, a massive circular structure measuring more than 27,000 square feet, hosts mainly techno parties, while the nearby North Sea Jazz Club is an intimate space for live jazz performances. You’ll also find TonTon Club, a restaurant and arcade with video games, air hockey, and table tennis; Pacific Parc, a café with live rock music and DJs; and a three-screen art-house cinema.

Nazare, a colorful fishing village, is about 1 hour north of Fatima in Portugal. It is famous for its fishing boats and traditional clothing of its men and women. The boats are gaily painted with upturned prows as they have been since the days of the Phoenicians. The men wear plaid shirts and long stocking caps in which they keep their cigarettes. The women wear the many colored skirts, shirts, vest, and 7 petticoats. The ladies sit outside their homes and entice you to rent their rooms, or they sit under umbrellas on the beach and chat as their salted fish stretched on wooden racks, dry in the sun. Some fishermen sit on the beach and mend their nets, others are out on the sea fishing. Before 1986, the fishing boats were hauled up on the beach by oxen. Today there is a large marina around the corner so you won’t get to see this ancient ritual. But Nazare is still old Portugal. It is charming . The beach and water are very clean and the waves can be a challenge. Surfers love this area with its huge waves. In January, 2013, a Hawaiian surfer rode a 100' wave off the coast of Nazare and broke a record. There are many shops and cafes in the town. Pick up a straw hat or a souvenir doll with her seven petticoats. Enjoy lunch at one of the great seafood restaurants. The choices are consistently fresh and well-prepared. Nazare is a must see for anyone traveling in Portugal. You can take a tour or drive if you have a car. However you get there, you will have a great time.

Film fans may remember the scene in Out of Africa when Denys Finch Hatton’s little yellow gypsy plane swooped above the pink flamingo–filled waters of Lake Nakuru to the sound of the John Barry soundtrack. The lake is indeed known for the thousands of flamingos that nest along its shores, attracted to the lake’s vast quantities of tasty algae. (Recent rising water levels have resulted in many of the birds moving their nests elsewhere, but naturalists believe they’ll return when the waters recede.) In 1961, the lake and its surrounding land were named Lake Nakuru National Park, now protecting the black and southern white rhinos, warthogs, lions, baboons, and other wildlife that live here. The lake is a roughly three-hour drive from Nairobi.

Every once in a while, the sun shines bright in San Francisco and every city residents flocks to the nearest park or beach to soak up the sun and day drink. Baker Beach, in the confines of SF, seems worlds away from city life. The view of the Golden Gate Bridge is spectacular, and the diverse group of Baker Beach visitors is a testament to what a hodge podge San Francisco truly is. Parking can be a pain in the butt; take the 29 bus and save yourself the hassle.

Downshift on this groovy Gulf Island, just a 35-minute seaplane ride from the city. Here, artist studios abound, as do makers of artisanal food and beverages. Classic stops include the summertime Saturday Market, the Blue Horse Folk Art Gallery, and the farmstead tasting room at Salt Spring Island Cheese. Hikers can get their fix at Ruckle, a lovely provincial park with 4.3 miles of coves, tide pools, and rocky headlands, while scuba divers can drift offshore, admiring octopuses and lacy fields of plumose anemones. No car? No problem. The islands have a designated hitchhiking program; just wait for a pickup at the “Car Stop” signs.

Since opening in 2001, the Frist Art Museum has hosted an inspiring—and continuous—slate of exhibitions from both nearby and around the world in its Art Deco digs. Visit on a Thursday or Friday night to catch “Music at the Frist,” when a wide range of musicians perform live in the museum café. The shows are free to attend with the purchase of admission.

If you’re looking for a little adventure, DownTown Racing boasts India’s longest and most sophisticated go-kart track. With bungee jumping, ziplines, ATVs, quad bikes, and paintball, this place is great for groups and adrenaline junkies. The facility also has an arcade and games section for those hunting virtual adventures.

Safa Park is a regular stop on the weekend itineraries of most Dubai families, and as such, has a place in the childhood memories of many of the city’s residents. The family-oriented public park is ideal for a relaxed picnic in the shadow of the park’s older trees, away from the city’s clamor. The Dubai Water Canal runs through the park and the walkway that follows its route makes a pleasant place to stroll and enjoy beautiful views of the city. This park is near the city center, near many of its landmarks and shopping areas, such as Boxpark and the Business Bay.

“It’s not even a town or a village, don’t call it that; it’s more of a pit-stop, really.” Solitaire, Namibia, the pit-stop Moose McGregor calls home, contains nothing more than a general store, a small lodge, his bakery, and the only gas station for many, many miles. This makes Solitaire an inevitable pit-stop for travelers driving to Sossusvlei from Swakopmund or Windhoek. Sadly, Moose passed away in early 2012. His legendary apple strudel lives on. Solitaire worth a visit even if your vehicle has a full tank.

A private-island resort six minutes by boat off the coast of Antigua, Jumby Bay is one of the Caribbean’s top luxury, all-inclusive stays, and one of its most environmentally aware. A $28 million renovation in 2010, which included the addition of 28 suites and a first-ever spa, gave it all the digital-age essentials: 42-inch flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, Bose sound systems, free Wi-Fi. Yet its underlying spirit of environmental responsibility, highlighted by its hawksbill sea turtle preservation program and its banishment of wheeled vehicles except for golf carts and bicycles (every room comes with two bikes), continues to reign. Rosewood manages the resort, but it belongs to an association of island homeowners, some offering their properties for rent. So if, say, a 1,346-square-foot beach-view pool suite isn’t big enough, it is possible to do as celebs such as Hillary Swank, Jim Carey, and Paul McCartney have done and plop down up to $20,000 per night for a private villa or estate home. Couples can be perfectly content here, but it is especially attractive to families, who appreciate programs like the Rose Buds kids’ club.