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When one hears about Karachi, Pakistan, thoughts of chaos, violence and fear comes to mind. However, those who know the city and it’s habitants know well the resilience both inhabit. After every setback, the city gets up and remains colorful and illuminated for its brave residents. This photo was taken on my last visit to Karachi in summer.

Located in the town of Ocho Rios, Mammee Bay Beach is a sight for sore eyes—wide and spacious with powdery white sand and electric blue water. Even though half of this beach is private for guests of the gigantic RIU Resort, the other half is accessible to the public. Drive over to Bamboo Blu Restaurant (30 Beach Road), where you can park your car and enjoy the beach with a meal or some cocktails.

The AAA Five-Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya features 491 spacious suites boasting sweeping views of the shimmering Caribbean Sea or lush jungle vegetation. Top drawer amenities include: whirlpool bathtubs, 42” flat screen plasma TVs, Wi-Fi, Nespresso machines, DVD, CD and MP3 players, iPod docking stations - and an all-inclusive stocked mini-bar. Abundant dining is assured with 15 food and beverage outlets ranging from Spanish specialties, to Mexican fine dining, French haute cuisine and Italian fare. Five diverse bars, including the Sky Bar, Sen Lin Bar, Piano Bar, Karaoke Bar and Aqua Bar, serve innovative libations and sensory ambiances for every mood. A full service spa offers treatments incorporating products of the earth - such as honey, vanilla and lemon herbs - traditional Maya ingredients

This sprawling 298-room property in Williams, Arizona, is most frequently booked by visitors taking the Grand Canyon Railway to the South Rim, about an hour’s drive north. But it’s also an excellent option for those who don’t necessarily need to stay inside the park—or who simply prefer less rustic accommodations and amenities (like an indoor pool and hot tub). All the rooms here were recently refurbished and are relatively spacious, including bathrooms; even the standard rooms have two double beds, as well as free internet, air-conditioning, and microwaves and mini-fridges. The impressive lobby was designed in keeping with the nearby historic Fray Marcos Hotel and Williams Depot buildings, lending a cozy frontier vibe, and a roaring fire in the large flagstone fireplace greets guests in the winter. There’s a restaurant and pub on the premises, but you’re just steps from Historic Route 66 as it runs through downtown, with plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from.

Updated in 2017, the rooms and public areas in this attractive, airy resort have an island-themed decor. Rooms now come equipped with marble bathroom vanities, Smart LED Samsung televisions, and Starbucks Coffee. But the star attraction remains a prime, crowd-free position on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, famous for clear water and powder-fine white sand. Resort sun loungers are spread far apart to give guests a sense of privacy. A day camp with fun activities and a healthy meals program for kids (ages 4-to-12) means parents get guiltless downtime (or scuba diving and other water sports). Shopping and alternative dining are within walking distance.

Marino Las Baulas National Park is a protected area compising Playa Grande, Ventana and Langosta. Together they are the stage for one of the most magical occurrences in the animal kingdom: the nesting of the gigantic baula (leatherback turtle), an endangered species. The hatching of these turtles is a remarkable highlight each year as they make their way out to sea. The egg-laying season goes from October-November.

The Tremont House is a very comfortable place to stay if you decide to spend a night on Galveston Island. It’s on the eastern side on the strand right by all the fun. Be sure to grab a drink on the rooftop bar for great views of the harbor. Photo via wyndham.com

While few in number, Milan‘s canals can be charming. Naviglio Grande, the largest, is my favorite to walk along. Lined by shops, outdoor cafes and bars, there is life alongside the water anytime of day. If you’re lucky you’ll catch the Antique Market that fills up the walkways on some Sundays. It is a treasure trove of pottery, jewelry, vintage designer clothes, and Murano glass—Milanese have impeccable taste for both the old and new.

Don’t go looking for Casa Grande, the national monument of pre-Columbian ruins, in Casa Grande, the sprawling exurb of a town about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson. You have to drive about 20 miles away to the small town of Coolidge to find the site. This may not be the most scenic stretch of desert, it must be said, but the destination is worth the detour. The Hohokam culture built this complex of dwellings and irrigation canals—one of many—late in their tenure here. Erected in the 1300s, this particular site was abandoned by the mid-1400s—the end of perhaps a thousand years of irrigated agriculture in the Sonoran Desert. The network of villages and canals continue to fascinate archaeologists and urban planners. The “big house” (Casa Grande was named by the first Spanish explorers in the area) stands about four stories tall. In the 1930s, the current shelter was built to protect it from further erosion. (Look carefully: you might catch a glimpse of the resident horned owls.) The timbers needed for construction came from the mountains about 50 miles away; at the time there were no pack animals, and thus no wheeled vehicles in this desert—makes you think... The surrounding ballgame-courts show influence from Mesoamerica. Desert civilization in North America is often thought of as a recent phenomenon—take the 20th-century explosions of Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc. Dig deeper, and get off the interstate. The past is not remote, and this is an easy day trip from Tucson.

If you are coming to Genoa to find a luxurious seaside escape, get out of the urban city and make sure you stay at least one night at the Grand Hotel Miramare in Santa Margherita Ligure (roughly 45 minutes from Genoa by train). With a full service spa, massive saltwater pool, and breathtaking ocean views, this hotel makes a perfect base to explore the entirety of the Italian Riviera (including neighboring Portofino, the tiny villages of Cinque Terre, and the hidden beaches that dot the coastline). With these sea views, it is definitely worth splurging on an oceanfront room. (Unfortunately, this hotel is closed January through March, so you may need to plan accordingly.)

A honeymooner’s dream, the 40-acre Grand Wailea hails from the era of the Hawaiian mega-resort. From its perch over the Pacific, the hotel offers an impressive collection of original art (much of it created by locals specially for the property), 40 acres of lush tropical gardens, and over-the-top water features among the nine swimming pools, including slides, caves, a Tarzan swing, swim-up bars, and a canyon with an enclosed “lava tube.” The resort even boasts Humuhumu, a Hawaiian-inspired restaurant set in a man-made lagoon, and 780 guest rooms, all of which include a private patio or balcony. Opt for accommodations on the Napua Club level for a more intimate “boutique hotel within a resort” feel.

Pointe des Châteaux, a protected natural and heritage site, is one of the most unusual landscapes in the Caribbean region. This rocky, craggy peninsula, which includes singular rock formations jutting out of the ocean, sits on the northeastern edge of Guadeloupe, facing a wide-open, turbulent Atlantic Ocean. Impressive waves crash on the limestone rocks and onto a gorgeous (but not swimmable) white-sand beach. On the end of the stretch is a trail leading you on a 20-minute hike to the top of the hill, where a 33-foot cross towers over Guadeloupe. The million-dollar panoramic view reveals nearly all of Guadeloupe’s archipelago, including Marie-Galante, Basse-Terre, and Les Saintes.

Not since the Atlantis Paradise Island opened in 1998 has there been this much hype about a resort in the Bahamas. After years of on-again, off-again setbacks, Baha Mar officially debuted in summer 2017, with the launch of the 1,800-room Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, the first of three hotels on the 1,000-acre beachfront development. Accommodations come with floor-to-ceiling windows, marble baths, and balconies overlooking the ocean or lake fountain, but the grounds are the main attraction here. Over-the-top amenities include a gleaming 100,000-square-foot casino, the largest in the Caribbean, as well as six swimming pools (one has a swim-up aquarium “cave”), a Jack Nicklaus Signature 18-hole golf course, and a guests-only beach club. There’s no shortage of food and beverage options with 18 restaurants and bars, though celeb hotspot Katsuya, designed by Philippe Starck, is the frontrunner. You’ll find even more restaurants and shopping next door at the resort’s sister properties, SLS and Rosewood.

To stay at this three-story courtyard hotel in the historical heart of the Latin Quarter is to be surrounded by intellectual giants: the ghosts of figures such as René Descartes or James Joyce, who each lived nearby, and by present-day students and teachers at the most elite universities and high schools of Paris. The youngsters’ extracurriculars—café lounging, bar hopping, and vintage record, book, and clothes shopping—give the quarter a unique mix of history and life.

Hotel des Grandes Ecoles occupies three 19th-century houses along a private cobbled passageway leading to a courtyard garden. Old-fashioned in the best sense, one of the charms of the place is that the compound feels like an escape to a French granny’s country cottage. Small by American standards, rooms done in toile or floral fabrics exude classic Gallic charm; French cotton lace and matelasse drapes the sitting tables and beds. Bathrooms are immaculate but simple, with either shower or bathtub and toilet.

The Grand Place in Brussels is the magnificent main square in Brussels. The square is the main tourist attraction in Brussels and is surrounded by numerous cafes and shops. Most of the buildings were constructed in the late 17th century, although market activity in the square dates back to the 12th Century. It’s a great place to hang out, grab a coffee or a liege waffle, and people watch.