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Propped up on stilts, each of Jungle Bay’s 35 cottages feels like a private tree house, complete with an open-air shower. Overlooking Point Mulatre Bay, the hillside resort offers a full schedule of outdoor activities, from walking along the White River to swimming at the base of roaring Victoria Falls.

Luxury yoga retreats are one of the hottest trends in travel—experience it firsthand at Jungle Bay. This award-winning boutique wellness resort seamlessly blends adventure, relaxation, and creature comforts, like a pampering foot massage at the Spa du Soleil—an ideal way to unwind after a day of hiking. Practice yoga in two expansive outdoor studios overlooking the Caribbean Sea, dine on local specialties made with freshly caught fish and organic ingredients, and stay in one of 30 eco-villas outfitted with bamboo furnishings, hand-painted beddings, and jungle spa bathrooms.

—This appeared in the November/December 2010 issue.

A visit to the Galapagos is all about getting up close with nature and the best hotels make guests feel like Charles Darwin, providing incredible access to wildlife. Guests feel like true explorers at Galapagos Safari Camp where accommodations include “glamping” tents. For the best of land and sea, book a stay at Finch Bay Eco Hotel or Pikaia Lodge. Both sustainably-minded properties have their own yachts staffed with naturalists and stocked with snorkeling gear.

Get active at one of Miami’s best parks. The downtown area has upgraded, adding more green space with views of the bay. If running isn’t your favorite activity, maybe join a free yoga class on the lawn or climb the stairs at an iconic light house. Afterwards, there are many places to stroll and watch the eclectic sites and people that Miami is known for. Watch the sun set on a park bench and take it all in!

Because of Qatar’s limited agriculture, many staples have to be imported. Consequently, local cuisine has been strongly influenced by Iran, India, and the Levant. Locally caught fish are plentiful and used widely for many recipes, including machboos, a traditional Qatari stew. Pork is not allowed in Qatar and all the meat is halal (prepared in accordance with Islamic law) Luckily for visitors, there is a wide variety of places to taste Middle Eastern cuisine and a few for Qatari dishes.

One month in Jamaica could mean four weeks of endless adventures, from beaches to museums and parties to festivals. Travel from lively Negril to lush Portland via Jamaica’s scenic north coast and fishing villages, before kicking back on the calm black sands of the south. The great thing about spending a whole month in Jamaica is that you have plenty of time to lounge on the beaches and to explore inland, so you get the best of all worlds.

Regularly ranked as the most literate city in the US, DC houses attractive independent and used bookstores for the bibliophile. Let’s not forget to mention that DC is home to the Library of Congress, the world’s largest library, which comprises of three buildings containing over 158 million items (36 million of them books in 460 languages) and the Folger Library, the world’s largest Shakespearean library. Definitely plenty of shelves and stacks for the literary nerd to get lost in.

Berlin: Off the Wall

Shopping in Guadeloupe is a thrill. On the one hand you get the best of French goods, from perfumes and beauty products to trendy beach apparel, and on the other you get Guadeloupean arts and crafts. On Grande Terre, Sainte-Anne’s artisanal fabrics will have you renewing your beach closet, while the colorful markets of Pointe-a-Pitre are ideal for stocking up on cooking spices. Guadeloupean rhum—which also comes in delicious fruit flavors—and cacao are sold island-wide, while the shopping malls house French designer brands. The best packing advice for Guadeloupe is to save plenty of luggage space.

With five tropical islands and daily ferries connecting them, there are plenty of options for outdoor exploration across Guadeloupe. Go beach hopping from black to pink to white sands; surf the Atlantic or dive the Jacques Cousteau Reserve; conquer waterfalls or hike to the summit of La Grande Soufrière volcano. Also enjoy the Afro-Caribbean pulse of the markets and food trucks, dance freely to gwo-ka drumming sessions roadside or in the studio, and go rhum tasting. When you’re up for a slice of France, spend days in Les Saintes’ fabulous bistros and boutiques.

There’s loads to do if you have 48 hours in Nairobi. With boutique shops, atmospheric restaurants, and plenty of live music, it’s not hard to see why Nairobi is developing a reputation as one of the coolest cities in the world. There are new skyscrapers, bars, and apartments sprouting up constantly, and no, it’s not the prettiest city ever. But Nairobi’s residents are friendly, motivated, and enthusiastic about their home town, and there’s far more to Nairobi than first impressions might reveal.

Graceful palms and lush gardens greet guests at Grotto Bay Beach Resort. Situated on 21 acres, this peaceful colony of cottage-style rooms overlooks the beautiful blue water of Bailey’s Bay in the Parish of Hamilton. Tangerine salt body scrubs, sweet milk and lavender facials, and hot stone massage will melt away all of the exertion of snorkeling excursions, golfing, exploring the resort’s on-site cave, or bicycling around the island. On the other hand, why not take it easy and lounge by the pool, which features a swim-up bar, or on one of the resorts private beaches. Dine among the island ambience of palms, rattan furnishings, and ceiling fans in the Hibiscus Room or Palm Court Dining Room. Afterwards, you can enjoy drinks and tropical breezes on the terrace before retreating to guest rooms outfitted in bright prints and tropical tones.

Enjoy a drink by the fire in après-ski bliss or dine on a spacious deck overlooking the green slopes on a long summer night—Whistler serves up plenty of tasty options for eating, drinking, and living the good life in this British Columbia mountain village.

Dallas residents take shopping very seriously. Most of the world’s luxury brands have set up shop in high-end malls including the Galleria Dallas, and shopping districts from downtown Dallas to West Village. The flagship Neiman Marcus store is worth a trip all on its won. And the Northpark Center even has an art collection to keep you busy between shops. But those in search of quirky fun independent shops and boutiques will find plenty to shop for in Dallas neighborhoods like Deep Ellum.

Although Boston is one of America’s oldest cities, it has made huge strides towards a sustainable future. For travelers who like to get outdoors, you’ll find a city that prides itself with parks and green spaces. The Kennedy Green-way, Freedom Trail, and Harborwalk provide miles of trails to take you through Boston’s neighborhoods. The city has plenty of park space to hang out in too, including America’s first public park.

No Roman holiday would be complete without spending some time, at the very least, window shopping your way through the city. But it will be hard to stave off the urge to buy goods on some of the world’s best shopping streets. (Roads leading to the Spanish Steps tend to be lined with beautiful goods.) Rome’s shops sell exquisite delights from Italian designers, including leather bags, clothes and accessories (the eyeglasses at Ottica Spiezia will make you swoon), and much more. Of course, there are also plenty of food shops so you can bring home the tastes of Rome too.