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Opened in 1926 by Maude N. Bouldin as a women’s hostel, Hotel Figueroa served as a safe haven for female travelers for several decades. Nearly a century later, it remains one of the best-preserved buildings in Downtown Los Angeles and has become a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. The Mediterranean-style property recently underwent a two-year-long renovation, in which its original Spanish Colonial design was fully restored. Now, rooms feature leather headboards, curvy lines, and original artwork for a stylishly feminine look that suits the building’s history. Feather-top mattresses are fitted with Sferra linens, while spacious glass-enclosed showers boast subway tiles and brass fixtures. Some rooms and suites even have spacious sitting areas and balconies.

One of my favorite discoveries in Chicago is the Empire Ballroom inside The Palmer House. It’s just up the stairs from the hotel’s magnificent lobby and has a rich history most anyone working at the hotel will be willing to tell you more about. This room with its shiny wood floor and opulent chandeliers is where Frank Sinatra used to perform. While the ballroom itself is beautiful, it’s most interesting feature is what’s hidden behind the mirrored wall in its corner. Push on the last panel and you’ll stumble into a dressing room where famous acts - including Sinatra - used to get ready to go on stage. Several autographed pictures are still hanging on the walls.

Built in 1901, the legendary “First Lady of Waikiki” blends Victorian architecture with a golden beach and turquoise seas. Putting a luxury hotel in a deserted backwater was a bold move—but one that paid off. Tourism took off here and the Moana remains its ruling monarch. One of the most lovely, historical hotels in Hawaii, it still has Ionic columns supporting an elegant porte-cochère, plus a long shaded gallery along its facade where rocking chairs encourage guests to watch the world go by. A $21-million renovation brought it up-to-date in 2014 and added a new beach club. But an exhibit room still honors its rich past on the second floor of the Banyan Wing, and serves as a jumping-off point for free historical tours (11 a.m., Mondays and Wednesdays).

Located on a half-mile stretch of white-sand Ha My Beach, a short drive from the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An (a hotel shuttle can ferry you back and forth), the Nam Hai sits on the grounds of a former fishing village (a temple from that time is preserved on-site), and it still feels like a community. Guests bike between public spaces designed to evoke the high-ceilinged Tu Doc royal tombs found in the region, as well as 86 acres of tropical gardens and 100 villas, each outfitted with indoor/outdoor lounging spaces, king beds, lacquered bathtubs, and alfresco showers. The dining options range from a casual beachside spot to a fine-dining restaurant, and serve everything from Vietnamese and Western fare to Indian tandoori specialties; learn how to make some of your favorite dishes in a chef-led cooking class, or join the kiddos at the Junior Cooking Academy, part of the kids’ club. When you’re ready to take a break, don’t miss the central trilevel infinity pool and the exceptional spa, where the eight individual treatment pavilions appear to float on a koi-filled lagoon.

Sacsayhuaman is an impressive Inca fortress on a steep hill that overlooks all of Cusco. The ruins are humongous, but archeologists believe that the original site was as much as four times larger. What remains today are the impressive outer walls constructed in a zigzag formation across three levels. As with many Inca sites, the walls are made from massive, irregularly-shaped boulders that stick together like a jigsaw puzzle without any additional support. The stones are laid together so tightly that a sheet of paper will not fit into many of the cracks. As the night comes down, this is a perfect location to appreciate the stars.

This sprawling 19th-century former gasworks complex west of the Canal Ring was a polluted site for decades after its closing in the mid-1960s. It was cleaned up and reopened in 2003 as a park, and its architecturally significant red-brick buildings were turned into cultural venues, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and shops. The Gashouder, a massive circular structure measuring more than 27,000 square feet, hosts mainly techno parties, while the nearby North Sea Jazz Club is an intimate space for live jazz performances. You’ll also find TonTon Club, a restaurant and arcade with video games, air hockey, and table tennis; Pacific Parc, a café with live rock music and DJs; and a three-screen art-house cinema.

Three Sixty revolving restaurant, located on the 47th floor of the iconic Aspire Tower—the tallest building in Qatar, offers Mediterranean-Italian cuisine and unmatchable panoramic views of Doha. If you’re not hungry for a full lunch, on the 21st floor of the tower is the Tea Garden, a place to have high tea under a grass-covered ceiling and snap lots of pictures. Another great place for a view of Doha is the tower’s outdoor swimming pool on the 19th floor. Not for the faint of heart as the pool seems to float in the air seemingly unsupported.

You don’t have to play golf to enjoy the Innisbrook Golf Resort located in Palm Harbor, Florida about 30 minutes northwest of Tampa International Airport, Innisbrook is a respected golf club with four golf courses, driving range, and golf school, But for members and non-members alike there is more to enjoy at Innisbrook than playing the back nine. There is full-service resort at Innisbrook. . There are 600 units (studio to 2 bedroom, with fully equipped kitchens) spread out over the resort in clusters of low-key two and three story buildings designed to merge into the natural surroundings of large oaks, palms, landscaped grounds, and golf courses. There are six restaurants,cafes, and bars. Packard’s Steakhouse specializes in premium beef steaks and seafood including local Grouper in season. There are six pools including the Loch Ness pool which is a family-oriented pool complete with sandy beach, shallow play areas, slides, and a waterfall. There is the luxurious and rejuvenating full-service Salamander Spa and adjacent Fitness Center. There are 11 clay tennis courts. If you forget your tennis gear, you can rent it. If you don’t have a partner, the resort has a pool of members who will gladly come play with you. There are paths throughout the 900 acres of the resort perfect for jogging, walking, and biking. Didn’t bring your bike? There are bike and surreys for rent. Lake Innisbrook is stocked with fish and fishing equipment is available to rent. Catch a bass? One of the restaurants will cook it up for you for dinner. The resort provides shuttles to nearby attractions including the beaches of Honeymoon Island. The Salamander Spa and Packard’s Steakhouse restaurant are open to guests from outside the resort with prior reservations.

Third Man Records, the Nashville outpost of musician Jack White’s record label and store, is hard to define. It’s both a retail outlet for vinyl and offices for his label, sure, but it also includes a “novelty lounge” with coin-operated video jukeboxes and whimsical contraptions. What draws the crowds, though, is Third Man’s music venue (decked out with curved blue walls adorned with taxidermy), which regularly holds live performances, shows movies, and hosts record-release events. Visitors also can step into the tiny Record Booth, a refurbished 1947 Voice-o-Graph machine, to record up to two minutes of audio that they can take home on a 6-inch phonograph disc.

The Samaria Gorge is considered the “Grand Canyon” of Europe. This 16km trek is best started in the mid-morning to allow enough time to hike and to avoid the crowds that start the trek early. The gorge became a park in 1962, and is famous for the “Iron Gates” - a narrow spot where the walls of the gorge tower to over 1,000 feet, with a width of only 13 feet! You may even spot a kri-kri (a wild and rare Cretan goat)! This photograph was taken in October (late in the season) when I led a kayaking expedition in Crete.

You can easily spend an entire day exploring the various attractions at this vast ocean-themed casino resort, which sits just over Nassau’s harbor bridge on Paradise Island. Purchasing a day pass to the property lets you access, for instance, its gigantic aquarium and marine habitat; shallow-water swims with sea creatures at Dolphin Cay; and a 57-hectare (141-acre) water park, which includes wave pools, swimming areas and—most famously—a six-story waterslide that plunges you into a lagoon seemingly filled with sharks (actually a glass-bottomed pool where sharks swim underneath).

For some truly luxurious pampering, look no further than The Spa at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara. The 12,000-square-foot space sits between the rose garden and the Jungle Pool with 11 treatment rooms and uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands. The Grape de Vine is one of the spa’s four signature 80-minute treatments, and it begins with a exfoliation using a grape-seed body scrub, followed by a full body massage with rose and lavender essential oils. Spend the day using the sauna, steam room, or pool, or zone out the upper level relaxaton room. Special treatments for teens are also available.

Tsavo gained a reputation as home of the “man eating lions” when, in the late 1800s, several construction workers were killed by hungry lions as they built the railway from Mombasa to Uganda. Today, it’s known for less frightening reasons, like the spectacle that is Mzima Springs: icy clear water flowing rapidly from under a lava rock, as well as the Shetani Lava Flows. Like Tsavo East, this is a fiercely beautiful region - wild and untamed in places, open grassland in others, and the wildlife viewing here rivals any of Kenya’s best parks. Expect to see the ‘Big 5' as well as a huge range of bird and plant species. Aside of enjoying the views and wildlife on offer, the park is also well-renowned for its adventurous rock climbing opportunities.

The Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is a majestic resort that sits at the spot where the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortéz meet. All 119 rooms have an ocean view, complete with binoculars for whale-watching, as well as a private plunge pool, a fireplace, a rain shower, and a welcome bottle of Clase Azul tequila. Decorative accents include tasteful local art, such as hand-embroidered pillows, ceramic sculptures, and hand-forged metal light fixtures. On the service side, every guest is assigned a round-the-clock personal concierge. The relatively small number of rooms keeps the vibe intimate and creates a sense of privacy throughout the property.

Four Seasons Beach is the place to be if you like the sun, own a swimming suit, and have money to blow. This is one of the most luxurious, most immaculately-landscaped beaches in the country. The price tag includes access to private cabanas, shaded lounge areas, a three-level swimming pool, a hot tub, a whirlpool, a separate pool for children, and staff ready to satisfy your every whim. Hungry? No problem: the place has a beachfront restaurant offering a large menu of grilled food. And if after a day on the beach you feel like partying, there’s no need to go anywhere else. Every Thursday after dusk, the resort hosts an upscale beach party.