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Located in the northwest corner of France, the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine are at once proudly French and slightly German. Here, you’ll find traditionally French attractions like soaring cathedrals, manicured parks, and art nouveau mansions, but you’ll also encounter half-timbered houses, historic breweries, and lots and lots of sauerkraut. Visit cities like Metz, Nancy, Strasbourg, and Colmar and you may find yourself wondering what country you’re in, or ride a bike over the Pont de l’Europe and see both France and Germany in one day.

There are hundreds of reasons we love Ireland, from the dramatic coastlines with their remote, beaches to the peat bogs, ruins and prehistoric sites dotted around the country. When you visit, you can see deer in the park, walk the cliffs, go horseback riding on the beach or tour a whiskey distillery. Visitors to Ireland will also love the cultural traditions like music sessions, storytelling and poetry, as well as lively pubs and meeting friendly Irish locals. Here are some of the country’s best highlights.

Covering nearly two thirds of Basse-Terre island, Guadeloupe National Park is an astounding 54,000 acres of lush rain forest, plus offshore mangrove and coral reefs. Some of the island’s best-known sights are inside the park, including active La Grande Soufrière volcano at its center, 4,800 feet above sea level. The park also contains famous waterfalls like Carbet Falls and the Cascade aux Ecrevisses, and Les Bains Jaunes thermal pool is a refreshing swim after conquering one the park’s many hiking trails. Nature lovers will swoon over the 800-plus species of flora and fauna here, ranging from orchids to bats to the endangered agouti (a type of small rodent). You can explore Guadeloupe National Park on your own or go with an outfitter like Vert Intense, an eco-friendly operation that knows every inch of this vast green escape, and also offers canyoning.

Make the most of three days in Lima, South America’s second-largest city, and the third-largest desert city in the world. Day 1: Immerse yourself in pre-Columbian Peru at the Larco Museum, followed by a visit to the ruins of Huaca Pucllan, then taste the best ceviche and Pisco sours in the world in the Miraflores District. Day 2: Head to the Plaza de Armas in the historic center of the city, then to the lively, trendy Barranco District known for its art galleries, boutiques, and clubs. Day 3: Stroll through Parque del Amour overlooking the Pacific Ocean before heading to nearby Larcomar for some last-minute shopping.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, Komodo National Park covers vast areas of land and sea between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores. It’s much more than the home of the legendary Komodo lizard (aka the Komodo dragon). Terrestrial denizens include Timor deer, 72 bird species and an endemic rat. And the underwater world is beyond compare, with pristine coral reefs and ocean currents patrolled by manta rays, dugongs, sharks, sea turtles, dolphins and at least 14 whale species.

Mission Dolores Park, aka “Dolo”, is one of the most popular parks in San Francisco, especially when the sun is out, since this neighborhood is known for being one of the sunniest in the city.

On a sunny weekend, you’ll be hard pressed to find a patch of green to plant yourself on, but that’s what makes Dolores Park so much fun. Yes there is a playground for kids, and basketball and tennis courts, too. But the real sport here is people watching.

You’ll hear music booming between dog barks; people toss footballs, tightrope walk, and fling their Frisbees. Bodies slathered in oil glisten in the sun; ice cream melts down the arms of laughing children; the whiff of cut grass (and other questionable varieties) linger in the air. Vendors will also come around to sell a variety of snacks and drinks, and you’ll also encounter people collecting your cans after they’re empty.

The abundant restaurants and markets in the area (Bi-Rite and Tartine are two popular ones on 18th street, just a block from the downhill portion of the park) make make it easy to pack a picnic and fuel your day out. All you need to do is bring a blanket, plop down on a hill where the views reach to downtown, and chill out San Francisco-style.

Dolores Park is named for Miguel Hidalgo, a priest in Dolores, Mexico who urged his countrymen to overthrow their Spanish rulers in 1810, sparking Mexico’s battle for independence. A statue in his tribute stands in the center of the park.

How can you go wrong when you’re surrounded by spectacular hills, crashing waterfalls, shaded paths, glinting mountain lakes, winding highways with dramatic overlooks, and all of it within reach of Dollywood? Come to the Smokies and have some natural fun.

Botswana’s most famous crafts are baskets woven from fan palm fibers. They are dyed with natural pigments: blue from fever-berry leaves, dark brown from magic guarri shrubs, and yellow from the roots of red star apple trees. Some baskets take a month to make. Nearly all lodges sell baskets, but you can also purchase them online.

Tourism is down, prices are up, social services are disappearing, and the government is bankrupt. Which means it’s a good time to get to know Seychelles.

What could an Alaska local ever discover on a voyage through the Inside Passage? Just the essence of the place he thought he knew.

When it comes to safari experiences, South Africa is filled with luxury lodge selections. But what sets Jaci’s Safari Lodge, and the adjacent Jaci’s Tree Lodge, apart is their location in off the radar Madikwe Game Reserve (Big Five territory), their amazing hospitality and their perfectly on-point style. Magnificent Madikwe is located in the North West Province, on the border with Botswana, and the southern edge of the Kalahari Desert’s famed red sands. It’s a stunning landscape for a safari that looks quite different than what you find in the reserves like the luxe Sabi Sands around Kruger National Park and is just as accessible. Arrive via car on paved roads from Johannesburg in just about 4 hours or hop on a quick hour long scenic flight with the excellent Federal Airlines that will take you to an airstrip about 15- minutes drive through the park from the lodge — you’ll be greeted by a safari vehicle and on the way may just encounter a herd or elephant or pride of lions as we did.

Upon arrival at Jaci’s Safari Lodge you’ll be greeted by the beyond friendly and professional staff and offered a welcome drink in the gorgeous, vibrantly colored lounge and dining room area while your luggage is whisked away to your tent or suite. Jaci’s Safari Lodge offers six vintage posh Tented Suites, two privat eFamily Suites and two ultra luxe Starbed Suites, which have the option of sleeping al fresco under the stars listening to the sounds of nature — a rhino was just below us against the fence when we stayed making noise as he stomped and munched. But if sleeping al fresco isn’t for you, don’t worry as the Starbed Suites are in proper glass, steel and concrete structures with interior bedrooms completely closed off from the outside. There are more options at the adjacent Jaci’s Tree Lodge, which offers eight Treehosue Suites on custom wooden stilts connected by raised walkways that appear to float above the ground.

The food here is delicious and Madikwe Game Reserve is a hidden secret among South African parks and filled with dozens upon dozens of big cats (so many they had to remove a number of lions over the years) as well as two packs of rare wild dogs and a healthy rhino and elephant population. The guides are amazing and the bush dinners truly special. They even have a program that allows you to rent high end Canon DSLR cameras for your safaris that will bring out your inner wildlife photographer — we used these and the experience was a highlight of the trip.

Hoi An’s iconic noodle dish was tangled in mystery for decades. Then writer David Farley came to town.

Shimmering canals, world-class museums, a potpourri of cultures, an eclectic shopping scene, and a raging nightlife are just a few of Amsterdam’s must-do experiences. Use your time wisely and you can experience it all. Or just roam freely, letting Amsterdam lead you through its 400-year-old grachtengordel (canal ring), lined with must-do experiences and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge is located on the Ngala Private Game Reserve, an unfenced private concession wedged between the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park. &Beyond leases the land from World Wildlife Fund South Africa and donates a portion of its profits to the South African National Parks Trust. As a result, the trust has been able to fund special projects and maintain West Coast National Park, located just an hour north of Cape Town.

Conservation efforts aside, &Beyond Nagala Safari Lodge is most known for offering a luxury safari experience. Guests can spot wildlife from the lounge, then be completely surrounded by the bush in their air-conditioned rooms. Have breakfast under the shade of an enormous weeping boer bean tree, while away hours at the pool with a book and your favorite drink, and indulge in a fireside dinner, surrounded by lanterns and candles. During their stay, guests even enjoy a dedicated vehicle and tracker team to guide them on twice-daily drives, bush strolls, and walking safaris. The lodge is about an hour’s drive from Hoedspruit Airport, but Airlink also operates daily direct flights from Johannesburg and Nelspruit to Ngala’s private airstrip.

Vancouver’s most famous urban space, the thousand-acre Stanley Park, epitomizes everything that locals here love about the outdoors, and visitors have many ways to explore the expansive grounds. Hiking trails weave around totem poles and hemlock trees, while at the beaches, you can swim, people-watch and picnic. Rent a bike or a pair of in-line skates for a scenic ride along the Seawall, or wander through the many gardens where rhododendrons, azaleas and roses bloom.