Search results for

You’ve made it to the splendid isolation of Ulleung-do island’s north shore...Now, where to sleep? “Chusan Ilga Pension” is one of the island’s best choices: above the waves, on a clifftop beneath a volcanic peak, with a granite Buddha overlooking the greenery to the west and a fishing village just down the steep road to the east... This is rustic comfort: the floors are heated in the traditional Korean manner, the timbers are exposed, but the double-paned windows can either shut out the roar of the sea or let in the salty breeze, as you wish. Downstairs is a restaurant that serves the local seafood and mountain vegetables. There are several buildings on this clifftop, but the one with the restaurant offers three rooms with balconies almost directly above the sea; ask for one of these. To get here: take the coastal road from the port where you disembark from the ferry. You can’t get lost--there’s only one coastal road. Go counterclockwise around the island. Once you reach the north side, look out for the Elephant Rock in the sea and Songotsan peak on your right. Soon you’ll see a sign for Seongbulsa Temple, pointing up an almost immpossibly steep road. Start climbing and after the first bend, Chusan Ilga will be on your right. (The website is in Korean only, but the central tourist office in Seoul can phone for you; you’ll have to wire money through a Korean bank to confirm your room.)

Even though it’s just 200 yards off the coast of St. Vincent and accessible via a two-minute ferry ride, Young Island feels worlds away from the cares of mainland life. The resort’s 29 guest cottages, which are outfitted with tropical-chic wicker furnishings, stone walls, and louvered windows, provide a plush landing spot after days spent diving among sea turtles and sea horses, hiking neighboring trails to spot the ruins of Fort Duvernette, and swimming up to the Coconut Bar, located on a floating platform 30 feet offshore. Each week, the on-site restaurant serves up Caribbean barbecue favorites like pigeon-pea-and-pumpkin stew, corn fritters, and molasses-glazed wings, making for a delicious stay.

If you’re looking for a great snorkel experience accessible to Waikiki, I found Hanauma Bay a great spot. Turtles and fish galore.

On a mountainside surrounded by the national park, this nine–zip-line course stands apart from many of its competitors in the Southeast. Owned and designed by professionals who build courses all over the world (they own a second in-house location in Oahu), the course sends you soaring over streams and ravines in a 2.5-hour tour. It begins with an ATV ride up the mountain and includes three suspended “sky bridges.” Night and sunset tours are available during summer. Equally exciting and even more challenging is Climb Works’ two-mile El Regis mountain-bike trail. Although it’s beginner-friendly, the combination of ascent and descent ensures that intermediate riders will feel the burn, and optional routes that include wood features, berms, and rollers attract even seasoned experts. Climb Works avoids the touristy feel of some zip-line companies, thanks to a company culture based around sustainability and environmental stewardship.

The Dead Sea has deservedly become known as something of a spa destination, with visitors helping themselves to goopy masks of the local, mineral-rich mud for decades. For something slightly more luxurious, book an appointment at Zara Spa in the Mövenpick Resort. Done up in raw stone, elaborate tiles, and polished plaster, the five-star facility evokes the Jordanian desert combined with a Moroccan riad. It also boasts one of the widest range of treatments in the entire Middle East, plus expertly trained therapists to ease you into a truly relaxed state of mind. The traditional hammam is a particular delight, but be sure to also indulge in popular treatments like the black mud body wrap or the hot-and-cold-stone massage. When you book a service, you’ll also have access to the spa’s top-notch facilities, which include hydro, flotation, and infinity pools as well as a juice bar and state-of-the-art fitness center.

One&Only Royal Mirage, the calmest and most elegant of Dubai’s mainland beach resorts, consists of three Arabian-styled palace hotels set amid a lush, 65-acre palm garden fronted by a three-quarter-mile white-sand beach. The Palace, the oldest and largest hotel, still has the feeling of an intimate escape despite the past decade’s frenetic high-rise construction along the coastal highway. The Arabian Court draws local couples and, in winter, sheikhs who take trained falcons to tea in the lobby. The most exclusive joint, the Residence, is closest to the spa where guests indulge in massage-themed vacations. All rooms share a French-Moroccan decor and courteous staff who continually offer fruit skewers, cold towels, and drinks around four of the U.A.E’s most beautiful outdoor pools.

The Northern Jacana, the elusive Sungrebe and the Yellow-Headed Parrot are all easily found within the boundaries of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary’s 16,400 acres. It is a birding destination, and considered to be a globally significant wetland. Belize has the largest nesting population for the Jabiru Stork and Crooked Tree is an excellent place to spy on the famous resident. The surrounding communities play host each year to celebrations that are part of World Wetlands Day. A bus can bring you to Crooked Tree from Belize City every day except Sunday and the sanctuary is located three miles off the Northern Highway, about 30 miles from Belize City or Orange Walk. The sanctuary is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and offers horseback riding, boat tours and hiking for those not strictly interested in bird watching.

Accessible only by boat, and with a daily rhythm determined by the tides, this beach resort co-founded by Scottish fashion and costume designer Ellis Flyte sits on the southwest part of Pemba Island, a 30-minute flight from Unguja, the main, more touristy island of the Zanzibar archipelago. The 18 thatched-roofed, canvas-walled rooms and suites are set directly on the white-sand beach, shaded by the surrounding mangrove forest, or perched on the hillside above, providing panoramic Indian Ocean views. A wooden jetty extends over a long, shallow drop-off, enabling guests to swim in front of the hotel at low tide. But the best beaches and snorkeling are 15 minutes away by speedboat off Misali Island, a conservation zone with more than 300 fish species, giant sponges, sea fans, and fields of old-growth cabbage corals. More sites reachable by boat offer a variety of reefs and drop-offs for experienced divers. Other activities include sunset dhow cruises, kayak trips through the mangroves to the ruins of an Omani fort, windsurfing, water skiing, wake- and knee-boarding, dolphin watching, and deep sea fishing. The resort’s informal vibe encourages guests to go barefoot even at the dinner table, but bring wading shoes to protect your feet against sharp coral and sea urchins.

In 1931 Rowena Cade started to build a theatre on the cliffs in Porthcurno, Cornwall. Today there is a remarkable arena on the coast with just the sea and rocks as a backdrop. In summer the audiences are treated to performances from Shakespeare to Gilbert and Sullivan and many other dramas. The experience of watching a play in the open air with the sea crashing on the shore below is quite magical and a must do for anyone visiting Cornwall. When I last visited a pod of dolphins swam across the bay, completely distracting the audience. Take a picnic to eat during the performance as well as a rug and warm clothing. When the sun sets and darkness falls you can see the lighthouses and passing ships, but it does get cold.

This hotel is on our list of The 10 Best Hotels in Canada.

One luxury of this wilderness retreat owned by the Klahoose First Nation is its location. Accessed via a 60-minute seaplane ride from Vancouver or 45-minute boat transfer from Lund, B.C., the resort is surrounded by more than 2,500 acres of Klahoose territory that the community has protected for centuries. Here, glacial waterfalls plummet down snowcapped mountains and evergreens border the Homfray Channel. The four lodge rooms and three cedar cabins all face the sea, where guests might glimpse humpbacks blowing at sunrise. Activities include Indigenous-led grizzly bear tours, wood-carving lessons from Klahoose interpreter Klemkwateki Randy Louie, and—perhaps the most meaningful experience—a participatory smudging and brushing ceremony around a fire.

Presiding over Stanley Park, Canada’s largest aquarium houses more than 50,000 creatures, from penguins to sea otters to three-toed sloths. Don’t miss the star turns from the rescued Steller sea lions Izzy and Rogue, who swoop gracefully under the water and bask on sun-warmed rocks. Afterward, be sure to visit the theater, which goes beyond 3-D with mist, scents, wind, and even lightning. Adding substance to style, the aquarium is also the headquarters of Ocean Wise, a global conservation initiative dedicated to increasing the understanding, wonder, and appreciation of our seas.

In its seeming pursuit for consideration as the Platonic ideal of a dive bar, the Rec Room ticks off many boxes: the bar sits in the grimy shadow of a highway overpass, prides itself on selling more cans of PBR than any other bar in the U.S., and is truly dark inside. So dark. The majority of the illumination seems to come from television screens, pinball machines, the fluorescent fixture that hangs low over the pool table, and the light from the street when the front door opens to let in someone who’s been outside smoking. In short, the bar is deliciously down-market without being skeevy. You will find Charleston locals from every walk of life, especially on game days when the televisions—including one playing to the smokers the front patio—are all tuned to football. Come early or late, order a Pabst Blue Ribbon, watch a game, play some foosball or pool, order tater tot nachos, and experience the appeal of a dive bar in a town where propriety and manners rule.

Visible from anywhere in Kailua-Kaneohe are the three peaks of Mount Olomana. The majestic peaks are named after a mythical Hawaiian warrior and offers more than spectacular views from all angles. To reach your destination from Honolulu you take the Pali through the Kalanionaole Highway and look out for the Luana Hills Country Club. You can park right outside of the club as the entrance to the hike is just a quarter mile from the entrance. The peaks are challenging, with steep drop-offs and some rock climbing, and are only for experienced hikers. The first peak offers the highest views and the third is the most dangerous of all the peaks. Make sure you do your research and talk to locals about likely conditions. That said, it’s been my favorite hike on Oahu so far and it offers unforgettable views of the city. Bring some snack and water with you to sit atop one of the peaks and have a quick picnic.

While Victoria Beach is among Laguna’s most famous stretches of sand, it remains blissfully quiet and uncrowded. Park along the Pacific Coast Highway and follow Victoria Drive until you reach the steps, then head down to the secluded beach, where you’ll find everything from a volleyball court and circular pool to caves for exploring and prime spots for skimboarding. Head north and you’ll even come across a pirate tower.

The 60-foot-tall tower is a bit of a mystery to locals, though it was likely built in 1926 as an enclosed staircase to the beach for William E. Brown, a senator from Los Angeles. In the 1940s, the city of Laguna sold the tower to retired naval captain Harold Kendrick, an alleged pirate aficionado who dressed in full regalia. He’d often invite the local children over for scavenger hunts for real cash, and rumor has it that there’s still some money and candy hidden in the tower today.

Seattle’s largest public park sits on a sea bluff that’s high enough to pierce the city’s infamous fog, revealing gorgeous views of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. Wander its 11 miles (18 km) of paths through forest groves, meadows fringing coastal cliffs, and active sand dunes on the protected tidal beaches. Once a military installation, the area now serves as an open space and wildlife sanctuary. Stop into the Daybreak Star Center, which celebrates American Indian culture and hosts the city’s powwow in mid-July. Around 25 drum groups and 500 dancers converge here for the event, along with close to 10,000 spectators.