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As you approach Lake Naivasha from Nairobi, the one-lane, potholed road rises and you are suddenly treated to a truly awesome view of the Great Rift Valley stretching out to the horizon. Shimmering within that vista is Lake Naivasha, a popular weekend destination for Nairobians. The lake itself is beautiful in a prehistoric-looking way, with wispy, jagged trees jutting up from the water and hippos bathing in the midday sun. Along the boggy shoreline, before the water lilies and tropical grasses give way to the open water, it’s easy to imagine ancient creatures wriggling their way up onto land and eventually evolving into the first hominids. While in the area, explore Hell’s Gate National Park and its gigantic gorge, take a boat trip on the lake in search of hippos, and get your fill of the freshly made pizzas at Camp Carnelley’s.

On the Dominican Republic’s northern coast, near the tip of the Samaná Peninsula, this unpopulated Atlantic beach stretches three miles from Cape Samaná to the cliffs of Cape Cabrón. To get here, you’ll need to take a four-wheel-drive vehicle or a boat charter from the small fishing village of Las Galeras, but once you arrive, you’ll find a nearly empty stretch of sand. The west end of the beach features calm waters ideal for swimming and snorkeling, while the east end has great waves for surfing. You’ll also find spots to rent kayaks, snorkeling gear, chairs, and umbrellas, as well as a few food vendors serving rice, beans, and seafood cooked over an open-hearth fire. This is the place to go when you want to get away from the crowds.

The centerpiece of Turks and Caicos is Grace Bay, on the island of Providenciales (known locally as Provo), where the miles-long sugar-sand shore routinely tops “best beach” lists for the Caribbean and the world. The inland area along this stretch of northern shoreline is where you’ll find most of Provo’s hotels, shopping, and restaurants. Grace Bay is part of the Princess Alexandra National Park. It has calm waters and a sandy seafloor with no rocks or corals to step on, making Grace Bay the perfect place for swimming, splashing along the shoreline, parasailing, and stand-up paddleboarding.

Named after the reef it overlooks, the Alexandra Resort, located about halfway down Provo’s famed beauty, Grace Bay Beach, is a great spot for families or couples. Rooms are in groups of four-story buildings circling a lagoon-style swimming pool. There is also 600 feet of pink-sand beach in front of the hotel leading directly into the emerald waters of the South Atlantic. Beyond its mid-range accommodations and excellent location, the Alexandra recently debuted a new restaurant, Asu, which has a fantastic location right on the beach and does a barefoot al fresco dinner -- book for sunset and then after the sky blackens lantern baskets provide a romantic glow.

A landmark since the 1920s, this glamorous resort at Monaco’s easternmost border with France still evokes the glory days of Monte Carlo, when high-society scenesters were frequent guests. The rooms, airy and bright after a makeover by designer India Mahdavi, have an elevated Deco-meets-nautical vibe with porthole windows, Mediterranean stripes—in turquoise, white, brick red, and beige—tailored furnishings, and artsy line drawings on the walls that recall Matisse and Cocteau. The superb, all-organic restaurant Elsa (named after Elsa Maxwell, the American columnist and hostess who was instrumental in attracting the beau monde to the hotel) is another throwback, while the Olympic-size heated seawater pool—open to guests and Beach Club members who swan around on weekends with their children in tow—remains a draw now as it was then.

The Frank A. Wacha Bridge is also called the Jensen Beach Causeway. This bridge connects the town of Jensen Beach on the mainland with Jensen Beach on Hutchinson Island. The bridge is named after Frank A. Wacha, Sr. who was a Martin County Commissioner. In 1965 the first Frank A. Wacha,Sr. Bridge was built. It was a modern drawbridge. In 2003 -2004 a new structure was built to replace the old drawbridge ( which I, for one, miss). The new bridge is especially beautiful to see at night as the structure is highlighted over the Indian River. The surrounding area is a breeding ground for many forms of marine life in the river and it’s mangroves. There are recreational islands under the bridge. There are picnic pavilions, a fishing pier, a park, boat ramps, and four docks. Every day, you can see fishermen fish right off the bridge. There is a sidewalk on both sides of the bridge and the walk is invigorating. I enjoy this walk into town from the island. The view from the top of the bridge is of the river and the ocean beyond. Quite a view!

From a members-only beach club in the 1960s, The Dunmore has evolved into a 16-room boutique stay whose spirit and decor evoke that era. Local interior designer Amanda Lindroth oversaw a major renovation when the hotel’s current owners bought the property in 2010. Wicker and rattan furniture, patterned prints, and spaces that are as much outdoors as indoors create a look that is somewhere between late British colonial and timeless Bahamian. Although the landmark sits on Harbour Island’s Pink Sands Beach, a pool with an airy pavilion adds to The Dunmore’s reputation as a place of amiable gathering. After a day of sunfilled fun, head to the on-site restaurant, where chef Cindy Hutson, one of the region’s rising culinary stars, prepares modern twists on island delicacies—think grouper curry with lychee and grilled pineapple and banana fritters with rum caramel.

Cozy and comfortable, it’s hard to leave Pangas. The hours fly by here, where the Las Baulas estuary meets the Pacific, at wooden tables, right on the sand; or beneath marvelous, sparkle-lit trees in a setting that’s practically one with the surrounding nature. A tropical fusion menu makes the most of local bounty, featuring innumerable fruits, grass-fed beef, and locally caught seafood; fresh-prepared cocktails intensify the vibe. Surf-racks and showers available to those coming off the waves; reservations suggested.

Just steps from the beach, Sapphire offers outdoor dining year-round on its cozy patio. Run by executive chef Azmin Gahreman for more than a decade, the restaurant is certainly a Laguna institution, but one that’s constantly evolving to stay fresh. Though Sapphire is worth a visit for every meal, it really shines at brunch, when such indulgent dishes as buttermilk pancakes, fried chicken and cheddar biscuits, and eggs Benedict with roasted jalapeño hollandaise are on the menu. Pair your breakfast with bottomless mimosas in flavors like orange, mango, and grapefruit and you’ll have the makings of a perfect morning.

Mercury Lounge is one of the best places to be seen in this see and be seen city. Abide by the dress code or risk being turned away—but if you make it in, revel in the views of the Gulf and the Burj Al Arab, the sophisticated crowd, and the delicious (pricey) drinks.

The beef is local and grass-fed, the french fries and french toast are good, the people are nice, and it’s got views of a little bay. We ate one meal here, then another, and another. Sometimes when you find a good thing, you stick with it. Especially when you’re traveling with a 5-year-old.

The Miami outpost of a hotel brand well known for its Los Angeles and New York properties, The Standard Spa, Miami Beach is less a hotel in the traditional sense, and more a spa with guest rooms set amid tropical gardens. The concept extends to the hotel’s atmosphere, which is downright staid compared to the party scene of so many Miami Beach hotels. A nearly all-white color scheme and extra-comfortable linens, pillows, and robes give rooms—small by local standards—a calm, comfortable air. Extra attention has been invested in the hotel’s common areas, with lots of Danish and 1950s-inspired furniture and spaces arranged in such a way that some spots offer solitude while others focus on bringing people together. There’s a reason many guests have called The Standard a playground for adults: a co-ed hamam, gardens with hammocks and swing chairs, and a hydrotherapy circuit (including bayside infinity and icy plunge pools) are just a few of the on-site attractions.

One of only two hotels right on Biscayne Bay (the other is the Standard), rooms at Mondrian South Beach are coveted by guests wanting a stellar view. Designed by Dutchman Marcel Wanders, the hotel’s decor is intended to evoke a sense that one is floating around in an underwater world, and the property is described as an homage to Sleeping Beauty’s castle. The slightly whimsical and slightly creepy mermaidlike woman whose face appears on walls throughout the hotel is the “keeper” of this “castle,” where incongruous elements—traditional blue-and-white Dutch porcelain juxtaposed with busy black-and-white patterned wallpaper, say—somehow work in odd, unexpected harmony. Everything about the hotel feels spacious, including oversized rooms, many of which are flooded with sunlight and enjoy bay views.

The start of the path is quite easy to find in Friar’s Bay. Just walk North past Kali’s Beach Bar and past Friar’s Bay Beach Bar until you see a path marked by orange arrows. It should lead up a hill. (There appears to be another path that goes around the rocks lower down, but I wouldn’t recommend taking that one.) Once you crest the hill, the still somewhat clearly marked path opens wide in all directions. You get a clear view of the ocean on your left and grassy hills on your right. Cross through a fence. Walk past some old ruined condos. Meet up with a road. Wait, a road? I could have driven here? Yeah, well… the walk is pleasant and you’re at Happy Bay before you know it. And talk about “happy”! This secluded bay is often almost devoid of the throngs which plague some St. Martin beaches like Orient Bay. Here, there are practically no facilities (though they have been talking for a long time about adding some) so it just doesn’t attract crowds! It’s not as expansive as my favorite beach on St. Maarten (Long Bay) though… Anyway, once you take your pick of the many excellent spots to spend the day on this beach, it’s just a matter of deciding how much you’re going to take off. ;-)

This property is closed through 2019 for repairs made necessary by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Caneel Bay, one of the island’s more secluded and protected bays, is home to Caneel Bay Resort, a historic luxury hotel founded by Laurance Rockefeller. After opening the resort in 1956, Rockefeller donated the land on which it lies to become the Virgin Islands National Park, which covers about 60 percent of the island. Day-trippers can easily reach Caneel Bay by taxi from Cruz Bay. The resort has no fewer than seven beaches, including Honeymoon Beach, a short hike away. Come here to relax on the main beach, book water sports at the diving and snorkeling center and have lunch at the hotel restaurant.