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This sprawl of green—132 acres’ worth—is an oasis for urbanites. The park’s centerpiece, the Nashville Parthenon, is a full-scale replica of the Grecian structure and a physical testimony to Nashville’s “Athens of the South” nickname. The park’s bandshell hosts Shakespeare in the Park and occasionally serves as the site of the popular Movies in the Park, but because this is Nashville, a free live music series called Musicians Corner dominates the summer programming. On Saturday afternoons from May through September, music lovers, families, and pets gather to enjoy an impressive lineup of musicians, as well as local food trucks and a beer garden. Recent performers have included Preservation Hall Jazz Band and local favorites Rayland Baxter, Cale Tyson, and Langhorne Slim.

Having trained in Germany at the Goldsmithing School Pforzheim, Balaclava Jewellers proprietor Philip Cadien curates a collection with a refined, distinctly European feel. From precious metals, to exquisitely cut stones, to South Sea pearls, a visit is a feast for the eyes.

• Neighborhood: Sentosa Island
• Why we love it: A secluded off-mainland retreat with mahjong and feng shui lessons
• From $1,180

Refreshed in 2021 by Hong Kong designer André Fu, the 112-room Capella Singapore plays up its idyllic beachfront setting. The stylish, ultra-comfortable rooms have a palette of soothing sand, sage, and mineral gray and come with deep soaking tubs and window lounges that frame green jungle foliage.

Beyond the striking design, standout amenities include a three-tier infinity pool and an award-winning art collection (there are more than 900 pieces on-site). Also notable is the Capella’s Culturalist activity calendar, which offers lively mahjong lessons, farm-to-table cooking classes, and a sidecar tour with a feng shui master who explains how the ancient Chinese philosophy influenced the placement of Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands and the mystical Merlion statue.

Too often us intrepid experiential travelers can get caught up in the whole effort of trying to do it all. “I must explore this off-the-map place!” “I have to try this exotic dish!” It’s easy to forget that sometimes the best way to get to know a place is to simply stroll aimlessly. Luckily, Barbados makes it an attractive prospect.

Before cotton reigned supreme in the South, tobacco was the money-maker. Planters channeled their profits into increasingly ornate homes, and one of the best examples of this post-Revolutionary architecture can be found in the Harrisburg district of Augusta, Georgia. Between downtown and the Augusta National Golf course (where The Masters takes place every April) is the Ezekiel Harris House, dating from the 1790’s. In later years, the area around the Harris House would become known as Harrisburg, before becoming incorporated into Georgia’s second-oldest city. The South’s first industry grew up nearby after the Augusta Canal was dug in the 1840’s. While the neighborhood is awaiting renewal today, the house remains as a relic to the society and tastes of a fledgling United States. The house is open for tours every Saturday and by appointment during the week. The Smithsonian has called it ‘the finest 18th-century house surviving in Georgia.’

Though it has a silly name, the Potato Head Beach Club on Seminyak beach is a cool spot to spend the day. A collage of antique 18th-century veranda shades surrounds an amphitheater-like space that contains a beach bar, a grassy lawn, and an infinity pool. Three additional restaurants (one homey, one Southeast Asian, one high-end) and a stellar concert lineup make Potato Head a destination, morning ‘til night. A soon-to-open boutique hotel will extend the party even further. Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak, Bali 80361, Indonesia, 62/(0) 361 473 7979.

What was once a pop-up bar, The Broken Shaker is now a permanent fixture at the Freehand Miami. The James Beard Award-nominated bar is located in the high-end hostel on South Beach serving up a selection of handcrafted cocktails. The bar itself is a tiny room by the pool with a 1950s Havana look. You can grab your cocktail—made with elixirs, syrups and infusions using herbs and spices from the onsite garden—and drink it in the bar, or head outside to the pool and nestle into one of the lounge chairs. Away from the hustle and bustle of South Beach, The Broken Shaker offers a more intimate setting than the lavish pools at high-end hotels in the area.

Thanks to loosened liquor laws, Utah’s distilling scene is flourishing—the Sugar House Distillery is the third small-batch distillery to open in the state in the last year. On an informal tour you can buy bottles of owner James Fowler’s vodka and malt whiskey.

Situated in the historic West End—what some consider to be Portland’s prettiest area—this red-brick, Federal-style mansion has housed a Prohibition-era hideout, a boarding school and, for the past two decades, the intimate Danforth Inn. Today, its nine rooms are uniquely furnished with a mix of contemporary European pieces and Asian influences, as well as nearly a million dollars’ worth of modern art.


A small garden blooms with lilacs, fragrant herbs, and edible flowers in the spring and summer, while 13 working fireplaces—there’s one in each room and two in the West End Suite—make for cozy evenings come fall and winter. After a renovation completed in 2015, Tempo Dulu, a 36-seat Southeast Asian restaurant, opened with dishes like grilled lobster with spring onion cake, and dramatic design details such as a live-moss chandelier.


In 2017, the inn expanded on the Asian theme with its Opium bar; decor is meant to evoke a 1920s Shanghai speakeasy, and cocktails include the Danforth Swizzle, a rum-based drink accented with Chinese five spice–infused bitters.

Ocean Sole is an incredible Kenyan organisation which recycles flip-flops found on the beaches and in the waterways of Kenya and turns them into incredible works of art. Worth doing some shopping at when you’re next in town, each Ocean Sole product (everything from life-sized zebras to fridge-magnet turtles) is handcrafted to protect the oceans and teach the world about the threats of marine debris. It turns out that thousands and thousands of flip-flops are washed up onto the East African coast every year. Unused, they cause huge environmental damage, spoiling the natural beauty of the Kenyan beaches and also harming wildlife – the rubber soles are swallowed by fish and other animals, suffocating them.

Travelers seeking spacious accommodations in buzzy South Yarra would be wise to choose this MGallery by Sofitel property on shop-lined Chapel Street. The smallest of its 111 guest rooms start at a roomy 410 square feet and feature plush king beds, black-marble bathrooms, and smart TVs, while its largest split-level suites are nearly quadruple in size—one has its own private spa bath and sauna, while another houses a dining table for 10 and a baby grand piano in the living room. The interiors scream personality, with a bold color palette of hot pink, turquoise, and lime green and decorative elements like gray-and-black leaf decals. After a day spent shopping in the nearby boutiques, unwind in the gym and sauna, then chill out in one of the plush lounge chairs on the seasonal rooftop deck or around the indoor pool, which is covered in a retractable glass roof that opens during warm weather.

The biodiversity of Madagascar is staggering: It’s home to more than 11,000 plant species, and close to 90 percent of the wildlife in this African island nation can be found nowhere else. Even the top eco-lodges here were rough around the edges until the arrival of Miavana, a private island resort off the northeastern coast. Miavana is undeniably over-the-top (the sustainably designed villas start at nearly 5,000 square feet), but the wildlife encounters are the real draw. Along with snorkeling and marine safaris, the resort offers guided treks to see native species such as jeweled chameleons and silky sifaka.

There are a number of old neighborhoods in Xi’an that are lovely to explore on foot, especially between the Bell Tower and the Great Mosque, and west of the South Gate. Wandering around, you’ll see old houses and stumble upon amazing stonework and doorways—such as this one we found that leads into a temple.

A two-hour drive south of Buenos Aires is the huge and pristine laguna of Chascomús. Fed by several streams, it’s a popular destination for fishermen, boaters and windsurfers. Rent a bicycle in the town to pedal around the lake, or hire a rowboat for an hour or two - you might catch a fish without even trying.

Browse folk art at Yard Dog gallery. Along with its focus on work from the Deep South, the gallery also exhibits pieces by musicians, such as local singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston. During SXSW, check out performances in the intimate backyard. My Morning Jacket and Neko Case have played there in the past.