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One of the world’s most epic drives, the Hana Highway connects Kahului with Hana in eastern Maui. The scenic stretch is just 64 miles long but can take up to three hours to drive, thanks to 62 twists in the road as it winds through rain forests and past waterfalls, natural pools, and seascapes. Plan at least a half day to properly experience the drive, or slow it way down and spend a night in Hana so you can linger at places like Twin Falls, the Keanae Peninsula, the Garden of Eden arboretum, and the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park. Sun worshippers should also budget plenty of time for stops at Hamoa Beach and Ho’okipa Beach Park Beach Park.

With so many coffees to choose from, it will be hard to choose what to bring home. Coffee is great souvenir and all the shops and farms offer their beans and grounds along with coffee mugs, tshirts, and other souvenir items. Kona Coffee and Tea has a store and a cafe where you can visit and taste the flavors before you decide what to take home!

Beginning right at the entrance to downtown Cancún (kilometer 0, where the median is also home to a spacious outdoor gym) and tracing the Hotel Zone’s entire northern stretch, this wide, red-paved path is a favorite for runners, in-line skaters, and cyclists in search of outdoor exercise with a merciful bit of shade (the path along Boulevard Kukulcan is lined with jungle flora, palm trees, tropical plants, and a smattering of hotel entrances). Locals especially love working out on the Ciclopista early in the morning and in the evening, when temperatures are cooler.

When hotelier Sean MacPherson opened the Ludlow he totally nailed the unique spirit of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The 175-room hotel is the perfect mix of gritty and stylish, cool and calm. Rooms are done up in that signature MacPherson style with unique artisan touches including handmade silk rugs, artisan—crafted Moroccan pendant lamps and Indo-Portuguese-style beds. The “and” factor amenities include bathrobes from cult Paris fashion label Maison Martin Margiela and a Rockstar suite with a 1,100-foot terrace with Williamsburg Bridge views. The lobby is always abuzz, no matter what the hour and features a rotating selection of art curated by Vito Schnable as well as an outdoor “secret” garden that’s perfect for hiding away with your laptop or a good book. Breakfast is included for guests and the warm pastry basket should not be missed. Perhaps the highlight of any stay is the fact you’re right above Dirty French, one of NYC’s buzziest restaurants. Being an elevator ride away from the complimentary herb-seasoned flatbread is reason alone to book a stay.

There are two ways to arrive at this exclusive Deer Valley perch—ski in from the slopes, or hop on the Swiss-crafted funicular and climb the 250-vertical-foot ridge. The 12-acre, 181-room St. Regis is literally and figuratively in rarefied air, bringing swanky suites, signature butler service, and celebrity chef–driven dining to the high Wasatch Mountain range. Après-ski is a treat at the ski “beach,” which features loungers, an outdoor fire garden, and a menu by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. From there, guests can enjoy a slope-side dip in the steamy pool, or descend a spiral staircase into the 14,000-square-foot Remède Spa for a massage. Come dinnertime, book a window-side table at the J&G Grill.

Natural elements in the lobby and library—stone fireplace, exposed wood, leather furnishings—complement the mountain setting without devolving into log-cabin kitsch. The contemporary aesthetic continues in the spacious guestrooms and suites with dark-wood furniture, state-of-the-art electronics, toasty gas fireplaces, and massive marble bathrooms.

You know a carousel must be quite special if it is the first to make the National Register of Historic Places. Jane’s Carousel, located in Brooklyn Bridge Park in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn, is truly unique. The fully-restored antique carousel from 1922 with 48 beautifully carved and painted wooden horses and 1,200 lights sits on the edge of the East River, nestled between the Brooklyn and the Williamsburg Bridges. In addition, the Carousel is housed in a modern glass pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize-winning French architect Jean Nouvel. The carousel originated in Ohio. In 1984, it was purchased and brought to Brooklyn for two decades of careful restoration before the pavillion opened to the public in 2011. The carousel is the perfect resting spot after walking over the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan. Release your inner child with a ride on the carousel ($2/ticket) and marvel in the breathtaking 180-degree views of Manhattan. Afterwards, hit Grimaldi’s Pizzeria up the block or the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, located in a nearby landmark fireboat house. And on weekends in the warm months, visit Smorgasburg, a Brooklyn Flea Food Market with 100 vendors. www.janescarousel.com

When you see this UNESCO World Heritage–listed train station, you’ll understand why it’s described as an eastern version of London’s St. Pancras. This imposing reminder of the British raj, designed in an extravagant Victorian-Gothic style with Islamic and Hindu elements thrown in, is often referred to by its colonial name of Victoria Terminus, or VT; a statue of Queen Victoria still lords over the building’s dome. Inside, watch with awe as thousands of people spill on and off the trains—and if you’re feeling brave, have a go at riding the rails yourself.

Staying at the elegant old Estancia Candelaria del Monte is like stepping back in time. The ranch dates from the 1830s, and it feels like it - it’s incredibly quiet here, seemingly disconnected from the modern world. Towering sycamore trees cast shade over the sprawling grounds and a picturesque swimming pool that looks like it belongs in an English period piece; inside the house, four-poster beds and afternoon tea call to mind gentler times. Hop up on one of the estancia’s rugged Criollo horses for a guided ride across the property - you can even help the ranchhands herd cows if you’re really in the mood. A beautiful park, from the 1830´s, jealousy guards the intimacy of the house and the swimming pool, with centenary Sycamores, Ginkgo Bilobas, Elms and a large variety of Pines that fragrance the air. And in the distance, rustic and timeless, it opens up the endless plain landscape of “The Pampas” where the green tone of the land and the deep blue of the sky combine with scattered sights of cows and native horses, together with the isolated flocks flying high up.

The secret to having a good time in Bagan has nothing to do with getting there - all that takes is faith in a Burmese pilot and his ancient aircraft, or an unwavering belief that your 13-hour bus ride from Yangon will actually deliver you to the dusty plains before all your hair turns grey (update: travelers now have the options of new turboprop airplanes and the new highway means that drive time is now approximately seven hours). The secret is in finding a new way to look at the temples themselves, at just the right time of day, and in just the right light. I’ll never understand why most visitors cluster together to climb one pagoda when the plains are littered with thousands of others that afford anyone willing to visit a wholly new perspective on an oft-visited place. This is the way I look at every destination, whether new, old, untamed or untrammeled.

The resplendent Raffles Hotel reopened in late 2019 to great fanfare after two years of restoration. Originally built in 1887 as a 10-room hotel, it now features 115 suites with oriental carpets and teak floors to complement four-poster beds and colorful Peranakan-tiled bathrooms. An in-room tablet controls everything from the mood lighting to calling your butler for a glass of bubbly. All have a private veranda to enjoy balmy evenings outside.




The building was declared a national monument in 1987, so the façade has changed little, but the hotel’s food and drink concepts have been revamped with a focus on marquee restaurant collaborations with the likes of Jereme Leung (yi) and Hawaiian-born Jordan Keao (Butcher’s Block). Not forgetting Singapore’s rich food culture, the hotel offers a self-guided Raffles Singapore Hawker Food Trail video hosted by hawker champion and Makansutra founder KF Seetoh. Raffles also offers an exclusive private tour of the Intan, a home museum filled with more than 1,500 objects from Peranakan culture.





The famous Singapore Sling continues to be a draw at the evocative 1920s Malayan-style Long Bar and its peanut shell-covered floor. The iconic drink now has sustainable twist: the hotel plants one native tree in the Kalimantan or Sumatran rain forest for every 25 Singapore Slings ordered.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve, located just a few minutes’ boat ride from San Pedro, is the place to go for snorkeling in Northern Belize. This small, protected area (Hol Chan means “little channel” in Mayan) is home to part of Belize’s barrier reef, which is the second largest in the world (after Australia‘s reef), and the largest healthiest. There are many tour operators out of San Pedro that can take you out for a half-day of snorkeling the reef, and you’ll see colorful coral, rainbow fish, and manta rays, among other marine life. Make sure your guide brings you to Shark Alley, where nurse sharks come to feed on the fish scraps boats leave behind. There, you’ll be able to swim mere feet—or even inches, if you dare—from the creatures.

The peak called Monserrate towers over central Bogotá and lends its name to the church that tops it. Perched more than 10,000 feet above sea level, the sanctuary—dedicated to the Passion of Christ—has beautiful gardens showcasing marvelous highland vegetation, and the city views from here are spectacular (sunsets are especially recommended). Ascend Monserrate by cable car, via railway, or on foot (this last is only for the fittest and those already acclimated to the altitude). That beautiful white house on the mountainside is Casa Santa Clara restaurant, a better-than-expected, special-occasion-suitable venue at which to try traditional Bogotá favorites like ajiaco, a thick potato-and-chicken soup.

We weren’t quite lucky to see the snowcapped covered mountains in the lovely lakeside village of Pokhara since we visited during monsoon season. But it was a perfect way to start our introduction to the area and cross over to the trail leading up to the Peace Pagoda. Pay a few ruppees, pack a picnic lunch and guide yourself around the serene Lake Phewa.

The constantly evolving Seaport District just got even cooler with the opening of Mr. C Seaport, the first New York City hotel from Maggio and Ignazio Cipriani. An intimate 66 rooms make up the seven-floor property, each one showcasing a rain shower, 50-inch interactive 4K television, and fine Italian linens by Casa Rovea. Timeless luxury is the goal here, evident in the rich textures, classic color schemes, and thoughtful collection of handmade Italian furniture. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted with an on-the-house Bellini, a gesture that pays homage to the classic cocktail created by Giuseppe Cipriani in 1948. It’s also a nod to the hotel’s restaurant Bellini, which offers an array of rustic Italian dishes (think lasagna Bolognese and bucatini cacio e pepe). When guests feel like venturing beyond hotel limits, they have a couple of options for wheels: a fleet of 2018 Lincoln Navigators for rides within 15 blocks, and a custom collection of Mr. C Seaport bicycles by Fourth Floor Distribution.

Tucked away on the less-trafficked slopes of Mount Portofino, above the picturesque waterfront town of Camogli and scenic Riviera di Levante, Villa Rosmarino is that Italian friend’s vacation house you’ve been dreaming of. Owners Mario Pietraccetta and Fulvio Zendrini left Milanese corporate life to transform this dilapidated turn-of-the-century palazzo into a midcentury-style oasis with touches of Italian modernism, then moved in permanently, inviting others to experience their personal brand of la dolce vita. The library is outfitted with stylish armchairs, warm wood ceiling beams, and a collection of art and travel books that spans the walls, and the living room’s well-stocked honesty bar is the backdrop for friendly nightcaps. Rooms aren’t numbered, and the sprawling gardens are easy to get lost in. Mario and Fulvio are likely to chat guests up while lounging by the pool or sipping espresso on the balcony, offering their insider knowledge about the area and arranging one-of-a-kind excursions, from visits to secluded beach clubs to rides in their wooden motorboat.