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If sitting in bubbling hot water on a winter night, surrounded by nature and with no disturbance save the sound of the wind in the trees, is your idea of paradise, the Pucón area has enough hot springs to keep your toes permanently wrinkled. The springs range from high-end to amusingly rustic, each with its own appeal, style, and atmosphere. The area itself is beautiful, but to contemplate it from the vantage point of a natural pool is one of life’s greatest pleasures. In summer, people begin arriving at Los Pozones around midnight, when the casino and clubs begin to empty (summer days are usually too hot to tolerate the water’s high temperatures). If you drive up at night, the headlights’ glare will catch hares jumping across the road.

This centrally located 40-suite hotel is part of an ultramodern stone-clad residential complex on Lodhi Road, the main axis of the government bungalow quarter laid in the 1940s by the team of Edwin Lutyens, urban planner of the British Raj. No longer managed by the Aman chain, which opened the property in 2013, the hotel has become a bargain given the huge size of the rooms and unusually luxurious amenities such as gender-segregated Turkish hammams and a Pilates reformer studio. Each room has a balcony and private plunge pool, good for cooling off after a jog to the nearby Lodhi Gardens or a round of tennis on the hotel’s private grass courts. Sprawling across seven acres, the hotel offers serenity in spades and service equal to that of the far more bustling Delhi palace–style hotels. A library with rare books on India and a cigar lounge enhance the clublike atmosphere. The architecture recalls a modern art museum, and indeed the hotel is filled with contemporary works on loan from the Apparao Gallery in Chennai.

In other cities, Schloss Belvedere would be the grand attraction: The baroque palace turned museum is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its French-style gardens, enormous pools, and upper and lower pavilions are stunning. But in Vienna, a city that’s chockablock with majestic palaces and marvelous art institutions, the Belvedere winds up being underappreciated by visitors. Formerly the summer palace of the French-born military commander Prince Eugene of Savoy, the early-18th-century palace was designed by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, one of the most celebrated architects of his day. Works in the building’s collection range from baroque masterpieces to 20th-century treasures such as Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss as well as pieces by Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele.

The Singita Mara River Tented Camp sits amidst the 98,000 acres of northern Tanzania’s Lamai. It is one of the few permanent sites for travelers in this triangle of land sandwiched between the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya and the Mara River in the south. Singita, however, still mimics the adventurous vibe of a mobile safari: Its tents are outfitted with everyday African objects that have been reimagined by local craftspeople. For example, decorative wire baskets mimic the shape and design of the ones traditionally used for sorting grain, and textiles with Maasai-inspired patterns in red, black, and blue add interest to the predominantly neutral interiors. And everything, from the pool pump to the cordless hair dryers, runs on the latest renewable-energy technology (the camp is completely off the grid).

Part Roman bath, part Turkish hammam, part massage parlor—it all adds up to a restorative haven in the concrete jungle that is Manhattan. Aire is part of a chain that started in Seville, Spain, and every location is specially chosen to include an underground bath area comprised of stone and marble pools, treatment rooms, a hammam, and relaxation areas. The Tribeca building dates to 1883; all original architectural elements were restored and garnished with lanterns from Morocco plus marble from Spain. Old wood beams that could have been thrown away during construction were turned into beautiful benches and tables, and candles are the only source of light in most of the 16,000 square-foot space. A salt pool allows you to experience what many travel all the way to the Dead Sea for: effortless flotation. The Eucalyptus-scented hammam cleared out my head so I could leave with renewed vigor for the day’s writing projects. My massage, too, was worth every penny, though you can use the pools and steam room without being treated by a masseuse. And extendd hours (from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily) mean you can drop in even after a full day of work or sightseeing.

Overwater bungalows have become synonymous with tropical luxury, but Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, curiously had none to call its own until this Momi Bay stunner opened in April 2017. Set on the island’s west coast, about 45 minutes from the airport, the 250-room resort features 114 luxury bures (wood-and-straw huts), including 22 that sit over a man-made lagoon, with vaulted ceilings and deep soaking tubs; all of the accommodations have balconies or terraces with expansive views, plus woven pendant lighting that resembles local fishing nets, crisp white linens, and dark wood accents. A kids club, indoor and outdoor play areas, and pool just for the small set keep little ones occupied while parents lounge at the spa or an adults-only infinity pool—the place to be during swim-up bar sunsets (another infinity pool is open to all guests). After your sundowner disappears, head to Goji Kitchen & Bar, a teak-and-rattan restaurant serving updated Fijian favorites like cassava-chip nachos and pineapple-glazed fish.

Chill out from the sun at the Blue Hole Mineral Spring, a 50-foot deep turquoise natural pool sitting 20 feet below a cave opening. Jump off the cliff edge like the Jamaican divers on site, if you’re feeling brave. Otherwise, head down slowly on the ladder and let go from a closer distance (like I did). There’s a small entrance fee to this park--located about a half-hour drive south of Negril in the town of Brighton--which includes access to an on site bar and restaurant, as well as an outdoor traditional swimming pool. But my guess is you’ll be too tempted by the underground shimmering and therapeutic fresh water.

The recreational park, located at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, is filled with fun family-friendly things to do. The park is divided into four sections: An aquatics area, a playground, an indoor sports facility, and a game-infused restaurant. At the Aqua Park you’ll find a pool, three slides, lounge chairs and wacky sprinklers, while the playground allows children to test their physical capabilities through rope and climbing challenging. For those wanting to play sports, indoors you’ll find basketball, badminton, tennis, and volleyball. Visiting the Recreational Park’s American Diner doesn’t just mean delicious food, but also bowling, pool, video games, and a movie theater. Note: This attraction is open only to guests staying at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino or The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort.

After a March week that included a freak snowstorm, a windstorm, and pounding rain, we woke up to a sunny day in Brussels—a perfect day to explore the Jeu de Balle market. We walked by jumbles of scarves, old records, antique silverware, vintage postcards, and loads of ashtrays (the bane of any market stall, I assume, because really, does anyone still buy ashtrays?) When I saw these two older gentlemen playing backgammon in that rare March sun, I shot a quick photo to capture the serenity, brightness, and intensity of the moment. That was right before one of them stood up, and shouted what I can only assume were obscenities in the not-oft heard Bruxellois dialect. His partner followed suit, and soon a loud volley of words flew back and forth across the board. Seconds later, they both took their seats and resumed the game as though they had never even moved.

Nearly hidden behind a tall row of hedges is Delano South Beach, a landmarked hotel built in 1947 and renovated by Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck in 1995. Schrager and Starck wanted Delano to feel like a home; to that end, Starck created a series of discrete “living spaces,” with mismatched furniture, in the hotel’s common areas. Each of the spaces is intended to evoke specific images and experiences from his childhood, such as a wall of nightlights. The Delano’s backyard and pool area are an extension of the lobby’s “living room,” and that’s why a table and two chairs sit in a shallow section of the pool, and why the hotel’s veranda features the kind of comfortable furniture usually found inside a building, rather than outside it. In rooms, guests will find oversized marble bathtubs, said to be a favorite among NBA players because of their seven-foot length, along with Malin + Goetz toiletries.

A popular hangout, Kits Beach—as the locals call it—faces English Bay, and in the summertime it buzzes with beach activities. Volleyball players and Frisbee tossers mingle with sun worshippers, windsurfers and skim boarders. For sand-free dips and swimming lessons, there’s a heated saltwater pool that’s open when weather permits. Also in the vicinity is the Boathouse Restaurant, which serves peel-and-eat shrimp, tasty chowders and fresh grilled fish on a patio with panoramic views.

The first in Fiji to introduce overwater bures (traditional huts made of wood and straw), adults-only Likuliku Lagoon Resort continues to set the standard for romantic luxury. At the all-inclusive property on Malolo Island, about 15 miles west of Viti Levu, couples who spring for one of those accommodations enjoy sun-bathed views over a sparkling marine reserve from the teak deck or oversized soaking tub; at night, fish are drawn to lights under the hut and are visible through glass panels inset in the floor.

Back on the beach and closer to the restaurant and two bars (one located on a small island in the lagoon), there are 35 beachfront bures, including 18 split-level deluxe bungalows that feature private plunge pools and secluded courtyards with outdoor showers. Activities like snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and sailing are complimentary; more adventurous types might also request arrangements for diving and fishing trips, island-hopping tours, sunset cruises, and visits to a local village.

On the west side of Arenal Volcano, this 900-acre tropical reserve was a labor of love for owner and architect Jaime Mikowski, who spent years planting acres of native plants and coaxing the land’s natural mineral springs into a river that now flows throughout the property, spilling over into dozens of waterfalls and pools that range from 72 to 105 degrees. Spacious rooms have marble floors and streamlined furnishings; splurge on a suite, which features a private terrace and a Jacuzzi tub—a little superfluous considering all the other options for soaking in warm water here, but who’s complaining? There are also five swimming pools, one with a swim-up bar and waterslide, and a spa comprising 12 bungalows with treatments that all include, you guessed it, a dip in a thermal spring-fed tub. While the property is also open to day trippers, guests of the resort have exclusive access to Shangri-La Gardens, an adults-only lounge area with pools, cabanas, and a folliage-filled bar.

As the only hotel inside the city’s famed 19^th-century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (the oldest shopping mall in the world), the place is in a league of its own, from the building’s hand-painted vaulted ceilings and original frescoes to touches like grand pianos in the rooms and the racing-green Bentley Continental Flying Spur that whisks guests around the city in style.

There are 24 rooms in total, though the tall ceilings and mezzanine levels make them feel much more like private apartments than rooms. Designer furnishings and high-tech amenities complement the building’s original features and antiques, and guests get their own professional butler-concierge (all languages catered for), a choice of bed linen and pillow type, and as much vintage wine and champagne as they can handle. Personal laptops and shopping trolleys from the best luxury brands are also available on request.

The area around the rue de Bretagne in the north part of the Marais continues to be a big draw with locals and visitors for a number of reasons: the Marché des Enfants Rouges covered market with food stalls, the wincingly bobo-chic Café Charlot (people go even if the service is uneven and the fries are frozen), the Franco-British brunch institution Rose Bakery and the upstart Candelaria, one of the best places in the city for tacos and cocktails. Equally as iconic as some of these hot spots it Hier Aujourd’hui et Demain, a shop right across from Café Charlot that hawks vintage home decor accessories and French industrial lamps - both of which have reeled me (and my wallet) in many a time. A great source for original pieces and antiques to bring back with you after your trip.