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No matter your passion, Portland has you covered. The tax-free shopping wonderland is loaded with stores to tickle the fancy of shoppers both casual and obsessed. From Powell’s City of Books—easily one of the best bookstores in the United States—to Wildfang, where the coolest patriarchy smashers hang, and, yes, all the chain stores, Portland’s got the goods. Some of the city’s shopping hubs include downtown Portland, Pioneer Place, 23rd Avenue, and the Pearl District. Fuel up with some java at the coffee shop of your choice because there is serious shopping to be done.

Drive just over an hour outside of Cape Town and you’ll find yourself in the middle of the Cape Winelands. Here, farms established by Dutch colonists and French Huguenots in the late 1600s now function as South African wine estates, with tree-lined driveways leading to impeccably manicured gardens and gentle hills covered in vines. When visiting, be sure to taste the full-bodied cabernet sauvignons and pinot noirs; the lighter chenin blancs and chardonnays; and unique varietals like pinotage (an earthy red wine) and méthode cap classique (South Africa’s version of Champagne).

Snowcapped mountains piercing the sky, Alpine lakes lapping against sun-drenched shores, and a range of outdoor activities to get your heart pumping—it’s no wonder the Bavarian Alps continue to draw curious travelers from all over the world. No matter the season, the iconic region displays nature at its best. In summer, Alpine valleys blossom with a verdant array of flora that encircles traditional villages and emerald lakes. In the colder months, waterfalls freeze, lakes frost over, and blankets of snow cover mountainsides, forming a winter wonderland befitting any fairy tale.

Occupying a 1927 firehouse that was functioning until 1980, this nine-room hotel from the team behind Los Feliz’s Hotel Covell heralds a new era for downtown L.A.’s warehouse-cum-arts-district. The neighborhood’s first boutique hotel, the Firehouse boasts several original details, from concrete floors and exposed wood-truss ceilings to pressed-tin panels and niches originally built to hold statuettes of the Virgin Mary that were intended to protect firefighters. Even the massive red doors that once ushered in fire engines are still intact, though today they open to a light-filled ground floor that houses a café, bar, and restaurant led by chef Ashley Abodeely and pastry chef Rose Lawrence. Also on the ground floor is a retail shop with a curated selection of wares created exclusively for the hotel by L.A.-based designers, including robes and striped tote bags by Clare V, bandanas and pillowcases by Block Shop, apparel by culinary brand Hedley & Bennett, serving pieces by ceramicist Robert Siegel, and furniture from ETC.etera.

The name lets you know what you’re in for, but it doesn’t capture the scope of the canyon or the sheer number of ferns. Shooting up from a creek, the canyon walls are 50 feet high in places and completely covered in ferns and mosses, some of which are species that have been on Earth for hundreds of millions of years. And if it feels like you’re walking through Jurassic Park, that’s not just the prehistoric foliage: Part of The Lost World: Jurassic Park was shot here. Fern Canyon has also been home to a number of other dinosaur specials made for the BBC and IMAX. Compounding the whole otherworldly vibe, you might even spot a giant salamander! Fern Canyon is located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which adjoins the two other state parks and the Redwood National Park. It can only be this green with lots of water, so expect to get wet, though there are footbridges in the summer. You can hike in-and-back, or do a full loop up and out of the canyon.

In Los Angeles, you’ll taste everything from modern food fusions to classic diners, roadside fruit stands, and global cuisine. Look to Beverly Hills for the A-List restaurants, and head downtown for a cheap, delicious meal from one of L.A.'s signature food trucks.

In search of a flightless, sex-crazed, and rarely seen parrot in a land once ruled by birds.

For the time it takes most Angelenos to commute to work, you can be ferried into the alternate reality of Catalina Island, a romantic escape far from the daily traffic jams and urban sprawl. The evergreen-shrubbed hills spotted with an artists palette of summer homes and surrounded by bright hues of blue waters, coves and marinas feels more like the islands off the coast of Spain than the United States. It is rejuvenating to arrive at a place so close to the city yet feel so completely removed.

Like all of the best Spanish tapas restaurants, Barrafina has no tables. In London’s Covent Garden, all the eating is done at a long marbled bar, lined with red leather stools, and there are no bookings: you get here first, you get served, all the while watching the chefs at work. The idea is that it’s just like being in Spain (the inspiration for Barrafina was Barcelona’s Cal Pep), and it really is: the atmosphere is chaotic and the food comes from all corners. One minute you’re eating a ortiguilla (a type of sea anemone found in the Balearics) in a paper cone, the next a chicken wing served in a Canarian mojo picón sauce.

After a string of personal losses, a writer heads to Tamil Nadu seeking solace from her sorrows. It takes two temples, a palm leaf astrologer, and the driver of a velour-lined taxi to make her feel whole again.

Frenchman’s Cove is more than a beach. It’s an idyllic escape. After paying a small entrance fee—used to preserve the grounds—you’ll hike about five minutes through verdant gardens flanked by an emerald river stream, before the views open onto a glorious beach and the Caribbean Sea. This cove was once a favorite romantic escape for Elizabeth Taylor and Burt Reynolds, and it’s not hard to see why. When you tire of the beach and waves, hop over to the river and swing from the vines into the fresh water. It’s an ideal spot to spend the day, for couples or for families.

A 600-suite hotel within a hotel, The Cove is the most luxurious of the room towers at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort. Kids aren’t banned, but the vibe is definitely grown-up—witness the adults-only Cove Pool, with its DJ-driven party scene, outdoor gaming tables, and mating-ritual pool wear. But there’s a sense of sophistication in the two-story lobby, which soars above ponds of water lilies, as well as the suites, which have balconies with ocean views, sunken living rooms, and marble-floored bathrooms. All the activities of Atlantis, including those that make adults feel young again—such as the Abyss and Leap of Faith waterslides, or the dolphin encounters—are only steps or a free shuttle ride away. Also available is immersive programming that connects guests to the rich history, art, people, food, and festivities of the islands, from exhibits showcasing regional artists and a weekly Junkanoo Fest & Feast (honoring a more than 500-year-old tradition) to five new outposts of beloved local Bahamian restaurants.

When the Evok Collection opened Brach inside a former postal sorting facility in 2018, the hotel was an instant hit. Now, this residential corner of the posh 16th arrondissement is the cool rendezvous spot for in-the-know Parisians. The energetic vibe starts with the design, courtesy of Philippe Starck’s famous melange of styles—an African mask here, a sculptural lamp there. This warmth infuses the 59 guest rooms, done up in a marvelous mix of marble, leather, and wood. The city’s glitterati rub shoulders at the popular (and family-friendly) brunch and covet memberships at the next-level sports club, styled as a 1930s boxing club, complete with a 72-foot pool. Come summer, the rooftop terrace turns into a trendy hangout with 360-degree views of the city from the vegetable garden and henhouse. Take a dip in the terrace’s Norwegian bath, cocktail in hand, and you’ll see why Brach is the darling of the district.

With its 26 suites, private beach, and two waterfront bars, Calabash Cove offers a boutique hotel alternative to the typical all-inclusive experience. Set a stone’s throw from the turquoise waves of Bonaire Bay, the sprawling, Balinese-inspired Water’s Edge cottages are the ones to book thanks to private plunge pools, outdoor rain showers, and patio hammocks positioned to highlight superb sunsets. The resort’s remote location ensures tranquility, as does the spa, which offers in-room treatments using ingredients sourced from St. Lucia’s floral and culinary bounty. That abundance is also on display in the Windsong restaurant, where local dishes get an elegant twist (octopus tempura, smoked coconut crème brûlée) in a terrace dining room with the ultimate ocean backdrop. Follow your meal with a brief walk down Calabash Cove’s small boardwalk and stop to spot shooting stars in the dark skies above.

An aspiring bluegrass fiddler from London discovers much more than music on a trip to North Carolina.