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Centrally located in Stockholm, the King’s Garden is a lively urban garden/park/plaza that connects the harbor with one of Stockholm’s main shopping districts. It contains a series of “outdoor rooms” including a formal entrance, fountain with planting parterres, stage for performances, a lawn area (was that artificial turf?) and a plaza with a sunken pool surrounded by steps ideal for people watching, oddly focused on a TGI Friday’s Restaurant as a focal point. There is lots to do here and this popular space is bordered by restaurants, galleries, cafes and night clubs. The King’s Garden has been dubbed “Stockholm’s outdoor living room” and there is a full schedule of concerts and performances throughout the summer (when I visited) as well as an ice skating rink in the winter.

On a hopping night, Noorderlicht (Northern Lights) blazes with colorful lights visible clear across the IJ River—hence its name. For those drinking and jamming to live music on a waterfront terrace warmed by a roaring bonfire, the setting is more intimate. We’ve reached Noorderlicht, a “cultural café” in Noord-Amsterdam, via free ferry from Central Station. Destination: NDSM yard, a revitalized shipyard that belies its maritime/industrial heritage with warehouses and shipping containers transformed into nightclubs, hotels and student housing. Dotted with fishing villages, condos and restaurants, the eclectic neighborhood calls itself “Art City.” With its airplane hangar shape and greenhouse-like architecture, Noorderlicht enhances the funky landscape. The popular café draws creative types who come for waterfront dining, drinking and dancing. Inside, warm-hued wall hangings, wooden flooring, tables ornamented with polished driftwood and a disco ball contribute to an inviting ambiance. Seasonal lunch and dinner menus feature organic and regional dishes, plus casual fare like frites and burgers. Noorderlicht’s grassy terrace offers a spectacular view of Amsterdam city center from the other side of the Ij River. Dine on wicker chairs, cushioned couches and picnic tables as musicians perform overlooking the waterfront. A roster of events ranges from campfires and poetry readings to DJ nights that usually inspire some pumping and grinding in a young, energetic crowd.

Perched on a not-so-lonely nude beach on the northern end of Sauvie Island is an enigma. Well above waterline lies a 30-foot orb that piques the imagination and challenges explanation. The “spaceship” origin is not interstellar but certainly presents itself as other-worldly. The craft is actually a ferro cement experimental boat built around 1970 just upriver. It was designed as a self-righting sailboat and carried a local family on adventures for a couple decades before it got away. Now covered in moss and graffiti, it sits as a testament to Oregon innovation and exploration. To do some of your own exploring of this mysterious craft, take Reeder Rd out to where the pavement ends at a spot called Collins Beach, aka the nude beach. (Yes, if you venture out in summer, you will see naked people.) There’s a parking area (permit required) and trails down to the beach. Sitting up in the trees, just above the sand, sits the stripped-out hulk of a dream. The tri-hulled beast looks more like a lifeboat than a spaceship, but alien nonetheless. Be careful climbing around if you decide to explore inside. The rusting steel framework is losing its cement skin in places and can be dangerous. Cycling to the site is a great way to spend an afternoon on the island and get a great workout in the process.

Ready to plunge headlong into every kind of Colombia nightlife? La Jugada covers all the bases. Labyrinthine levels disclose seemingly innumerable party scenes, with a different, edgy DJ lording over all, in sundry music moods; you’ll also find mellow lounges and electric cocktail bars in addition to all the utterly packed, bacchanalian dancefloors. Be sure to hit the roof for yet another—what else?—romantic downtown Cartagena view, perfect for some pitch and woo.

Why we love it: A photogenic inn that draws design aficionados to Saguaro National Park

Highlights:
- Design-forward suites with fireplaces and private patios
- A scenic location right on Saguaro National Park
- Unique amenities like a chef’s kitchen and yoga room

The Review:
This five-suite inn, set on 40 acres bordering the western side of Saguaro National Park, comes courtesy of Sara and Rich Combs, known for their popular Joshua Tree House rental. Just 30 minutes from Tucson, the whitewashed adobe property draws the desert sunshine indoors, where it dances with rough-hewn beams and terra-cotta-hued textiles. A variety of potted plants help connect the chic, design-forward interiors with the surrounding desert, while a 5,000-square-foot patio blurs the lines between indoors and out. Available to rent through Airbnb, all rooms feature fireplaces and refrigerators, and most have private patios or balconies.

Book a single suite or buy out the whole property for an event, workshop, or reunion, then take advantage of amenities like a pool, rooftop lounge, chef’s kitchen, dining patio, fire pit, yoga room, and projector for movie nights. While Posada intends to add a chef-in-residence program, it doesn’t currently offer food service, so plan to pack groceries and grill outside, cook in one of the kitchens, or head out to a local restaurant like the Ocotillo Café at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, just 10 minutes away.

The Dassenech are a nomadic tribe that live in the region where Ethiopia borders Kenya and Sudan. We visited one village situated along one of the banks of the Omo River. Getting there was not easy though. We started with a long, bumpy ride over dusty, unpaved road. At the riverbank, we crossed to the other side in very simple, hand hewn dugout canoes. We then trudged across a treeless sandy plain where the wind was blowing so hard I could barely see. I think I still have dust and sand in trapped crevices I never knew my body has. The village itself was not attractive at all – clusters of small flimsy domed huts fashioned from tree limbs and lined with corrugated tin dotted the desert floor. To compound the ugliness of it all, trash was flying about everywhere. The one bright spot in the harsh Dassanech world are the women who are known for wearing head pieces fashioned from bottle caps and any other small metal items that can be strung up. I saw zipper pulls, padlocks and even ball chains adorning many a woman’s head. Considering what little they have, I admire the Dassanech women for being so creative in coming up with ways to beautify themselves. Just as we were about to leave, I caught sight of this young girl whose face captivated me. It took me doing some silly antics to get her to warm up to me but in the end, her smiling eyes and toothy grin melted my heart. Surrounded by rubble, I found a small ray of loveliness.

The Evergreen Brick Works, a reclaimed quarry in the lush Don Valley, is a showcase for sustainable and green living, as well as for urban design. A community has been established in this once-derelict industrial site and former landfill. Toronto’s largest farmers’ market sets up shop on Saturdays, and spotlights food from all over the province. On Sunday, the market shifts its attention to crafts. A full schedule of activities and diversions make this a perfect weekend escape: There’s a children’s garden (with weekly programming), bike trails and rentals, and a hike that leads to a rewarding view of the city’s skyline.

The largest mosque in Dubai and the only one open to non-Muslims, the Jumeirah Mosque dominates the upscale beach area. The cream-colored sandstone structure with two slim minarets holds some 1,200 faithful. Though it looks historic, the mosque only dates as far back as the late 1970s. An hour-long guided tour takes visitors through the pale-yellow-and-azure interior. As you admire the magnificent ceiling decorations, you’ll also get a nice break from the city heat and noise.

If you only visit one plaza while you are in Mendoza, this is the gem to see. It’s constructed like a typical Spanish plaza with a central fountain with a monument of San Juan representing Argentina’s patriotic Spanish roots. Its beautiful ceramic tile work and seven painted murals are reminiscent of Seville’s Plaza de Espana. The scenes depict Mendoza’s foundation in 1561, the discovery of the Americas, scenes from Don Quixote, as well as the epic poem Martin Fierro. On the weekends vendors sell artisan handicrafts, and you’ll see locals strolling through or lounging about with their families.

Kimpton Hotels are known for their playful energy—think nightly social hours, colorful design schemes, and pet-friendly amenities. Located within easy reach of downtown’s museums and theaters, as well as restaurants and shopping in LoDo and Larimer Square, the Hotel Monaco Denver fits the mold. Renovated guest rooms blend cool neutrals and bright accent hues with rich leather headboards, designer wallpaper, and yoga mats with a dedicated channel for guided workouts; spa rooms have separate soaking tubs, and suites have their own sitting areas and sleeper sofas. A $10 per night fee covers speedy internet, loaner bicycles, discounts on drinks at Denver’s Family Jones distillery, and free coffee and evening wine. If you prefer imaginative cocktails, head to Panzano, a northern Italian restaurant with a surprising number of gluten-free items. But if a moment of bliss is all you need to revive you for another day of distillery hopping, the Aveda spa has a sauna and Vichy shower and provides five-minute chair massages during the evening social hour.

An Art Deco landmark on Rio’s famous stretch of sand, the Belmond Copacabana Palace has set the standard for visiting celebrities and discerning guests for nearly a century. In the luxurious rooms, muted colors, original artwork, and botanical murals serve as the backdrop for views of the ocean and black-and-white boardwalk. Outdoors, guests can lounge around the almost Olympic-sized pool—much like Marilyn Monroe once did—or take advantage of the hotel’s beach service, complete with assistants to watch your belongings while you swim. Visitors also have access to the hotel spa, which uses Brazilian fruits and Amazonian ingredients in its treatments, as well as an impeccable concierge team, which can arrange exclusive sunrise visits to Christ the Redeemer before it opens to the public.

The restaurant and nightlife scene may be hotter in Ipanema these days but Belmond guests are spoilt for dining choices. Hotel Cipriani Restaurant—named for the Copacabana’s sister hotel in Venice—serves elegant Northern Italian, while Pérgula is bustling day and night thanks to caipirinha cocktails prepared tableside and a menu of Carioca favorites like grilled seafood and steaks. For an award-winning meal, there’s also Mee, which holds a Michelin star for its haute Pan-Asian dishes and extensive sake selection.

If you’re looking to eat veggie in Venice, head to La Zucca, which serves a sophisticated vegetarian menu that makes use of local, fresh ingredients from northern Italy, including sweet pumpkin (from which it gets its name – zucca). The chefs are talented at bringing out the flavors of the vegetables they’re working with and combining just the right amount of seasoning and ingredients to create a well-balanced dish – try the finocchi piccanti con olive (fennel in a spicy tomato-olive sauce), radicchio di Treviso con funghi e scaglie di Montasio (with mushrooms and Montasio cheese shavings) or the flan di zucca, which is the house signature, and a rich, naturally sweet, pumpkin pudding topped with aged ricotta cheese slivers.


But while the vegetarian entrees here really shine, the menu doesn’t exclude carnivores and has a number of excellent meat dishes like piccata di pollo ai caperi e limone con riso (sliced chicken with capers and lemon served with rice). The restaurant is a simple place with lattice-work walls and not a lot of pomp and circumstance, making it perfect for families.

Near the northern end of Andros Island, about 15 minutes by air from Nassau, remote Kamalame Cay is worth the effort it takes to get there. The 96-acre private island features 34 rustic-chic rooms and suites, all within steps of a white-sand beach, as well as a central Great House where guests come together to sip wine before dinner and share stories afterward (of course, many opt for a secluded, candlelit meal set up somewhere along the three miles of shoreline). A range of seaside activities keep everyone from the kids to newlyweds to the occasional celebrity happy. There’s a freshwater swimming pool, an over-water spa, world-class fishing off the coast, and entertainment by local “rake-and-scrape” bands. And for those who live in fear of being unplugged, relax. Kamalame Cay offers hotspots around the island for full cell service (if you want it) and Wi-Fi in the reception area.

What started as an outback resort known as Wrotham Park Station in far north Queensland was bought by Indigenous Business Australia, dismantled, and loaded on 18 triple road trains (each roughly the length of three semi trucks) for the journey 1,740 miles across rain forest and desert to the Northern Territory’s Mary River Wetlands, about an hour and a half from Darwin, adjacent to Kakadu National Park. Safari tents from Kenya were added to the modern “Habitats” and restaurant and bar to complete the immersive Australian wilderness retreat. Like the world’s best safari camps, Wildman Wilderness Lodge has a spacious wooden deck with an infinity pool and daybed-style lounge chairs that encircle a fire pit. This is the place to watch the sun set and look for the area’s wallabies, dingoes, water buffalo, wild pigs, native birds, and two resident saltwater crocodiles known as Big Arse and Fat Arse.

The Mary River Wetlands are known for having the highest concentration of saltwater crocodiles in the world, and the lily-studded floodplains are prime habitat for barramundi, which the restaurant often cooks for dinner. Open March through November, the lodge treads lightly on the landscape and is culturally connected to the native Limilngan, Unwynmil, and Wulna people, who have lived in the area for thousands of years.

Formerly Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Napa Valley.

Located just a short walk from the downtown area of the charming small town of St. Helena, Alila Napa Valley blends old and new in totally indulgent ways. The center of the 64-room property is a Victorian-style mansion that dates back to 1905. The house has been renovated and is now home to Violetto, an intimate, fine dining restaurant led by award-winning Executive Chef Thomas Lents. The nightly tasting menu, inspired by Northern Italy and Southern France, highlights local ingredients from Napa with items like homemade pastas, fresh salads, and duck confit. Guests can also join for a la carte snacks in the lounge and bar or on the beautiful, wrap-around veranda (don’t miss the chickpea panisse).

Behind the old mansion is the spa, whose building was designed to replicate an old barn with clapboard walls and high ceilings. The vibe is distinctive yet without pretense. Angled around these buildings are stand-alone, three-story structures that house the majority of the guest rooms. Featuring a warm, minimalist aesthetic that highlights, rather than distracts from, the beautiful vineyards it overlooks, each of the spacious guest rooms are decked out in natural materials such as oak, jute, and Carrara marble. Rooms come with cozy bathrobes, well-stocked mini-bars, and inviting balconies with fire pits that will make you want to lounge and linger.

All of this is centered around a large, open-air bar, event reception area, and swimming pool. Though compact, the pool is nestled in an exquisite setting with vineyard views. If you can manage to peel yourself away from the hotel, the property also has bicycles that guests can use to get around town or pedal around the newly built Napa Vine Trail. Or, simply walk a few hundred feet to the winery next door, Beringer, for a sampling of their world-renowned wines. Whatever you choose to do—be it lounge with a glass of wine at the new poolside bar, or retreat for a massage in the on-site spa—you can’t go wrong at this beautiful Napa wine country resort.