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Terraced like the surrounding rice paddies, Soori Bali occupies an undeveloped stretch of fertile coastline roughly 25 minutes from Tabanan, a town northwest of Denpasar known for traditional farming and artisan crafts. The resort’s modern design plays on the shapes, colors, and landscapes of the surrounding area and incorporates local stone. (At the recommendation of the surrounding village’s elder, the property also constructed 10 stone temples onsite within the property.) Outdoor spaces feature bright green trees and grasses along with infinity pools, while high ceilings, cool colors, and marble floors inside create a tranquil escape from the heat. The property’s spacious rooms and wood-slat shades give off an art-gallery vibe, and the reading-room lounge displays the works of the hotel’s artists in residence. Food is another big focus here, both at the resort’s three restaurants and in tours that explore rice cultivation, exotic ingredients found at the Kerambitan market, and the spices, cacao, and coffee from nearby Jatiluwih.

Of all the accommodations in Maui’s tony Wailea resort community, the 22-acre, waterfront Fairmont Kea Lani may be the most family-friendly of the bunch thanks in large part to its all-suite-and-villa setup. The property’s 450 guest rooms are some of the biggest on the island—the smallest suites start at a generous 860 square feet, while the two- and three-bedroom beachfront villas weigh in at 1,800 square feet and up. All cater to families, with separate sleeping and living areas, entertainment systems, furnished outdoor space (for lounging and dining), sleeper sofas, and some type of kitchen facilities, while villas encourage group gatherings with plunge pools and BBQ grills. Both adults and kids will love the deep-soaking tubs, too. Elsewhere, three indoor and three outdoor pools provide space for fun when kids’ club activities (among them volcano building, hula lessons, and tide pool excursions) aren’t on the agenda. Grown-ups can also amuse themselves with activities like outrigger canoe journeys, cultural programs, tee times at three nearby championship golf courses, and locally inspired treatments at the Willow Stream Spa, which offers dedicated fitness and wellness programs. Fuel your adventures at the five on-site restaurants, including the seafood-focused Nick’s Fishmarket Maui (with its 2,000-bottle-strong wine cellar) and the award-winning Kō, where the flavors are inspired by Hawaii, the Philippines, Korea, and beyond.

My favorite part about living in Hawaii is the view from where I live. I am tremendously blessed to have the spectacular ‘perch’ that I do looking over Diamondhead, Waikiki, Honolulu, and past the airport to Ko’olina. If you are looking to see such a spectacular view of Southern Oahu, drive up Round Top Drive to Pu’u Ualaka’a State Park for sunset. You will find a large grassy area to share a picnic or lay back and watch the clouds roll by. Or you can stand up a bit higher at the lookout and identify all the places and roads you have been while in Honolulu. If hiking is more your style, there are plenty of trails up on this scenic route as well. Or, perhaps, you will just enjoy the curly queues and hairpins of the the Tantalus-Round Top Drive loop. No matter what you do, it is a refreshing reprieve from the busy scene in Waikiki!

Hop aboard the ferry at Pier 41 in San Francisco, or from the town of Tiburon, and spend a day on the largest and most beautiful island in the bay—Angel Island State Park. You can bring your own bike, or rent one when you arrive, and ride the paved perimeter trail around the 760-acre island. There are open-air tram tours, too, with guides recalling the island’s rich history, as well as guided hikes. Of course, you are free to roam the trails on your own, one of the best of which is the hike up to the top of 788-foot Mount Livermore, where 360-degree views take in the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. Whatever your plan, know you’ll be immersing yourself in local history in a place that has been a fishing and hunting site for Coast Miwok Indians, a haven for Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, and a U.S. Army post starting with the Civil War. From 1910 to 1940, hundreds of thousands of immigrants were processed here, and during World War II, Japanese and German POWs were held on the island. Several buildings and other relics remain as a reminder of the island’s varied history, including the United States Immigration Station museum (open March–October).

One of Dalmatia’s most underrated cities, Šibenik is finally being recognized as an exciting coastal destination. Its medieval heart is a stone maze of steep alleyways dotted with charming squares and hidden cul-de-sacs, not to mention a pretty harbor and a seafront promenade lined with cafés. Crowning it all is the Cathedral of St. James, an architectural masterpiece incorporating style elements of both the Gothic and the Renaissance. The cathedral is said to be the world’s largest church built entirely of stone—most of which was quarried in the nearby Adriatic islands. Of particular note in this UNESCO World Heritage site: the frieze of 71 heads on the cathedral’s outer wall, which depicts 15th-century citizens of Šibenik with many different moods and personalities.

Nestled inside a protected cove on the coast of Long Island, Dean’s Blue Hole is an unusual natural wonder. From the shore, it looks like a round patch of blue water surrounded by turquoise green. That’s the result of a massive sinkhole that collapsed near the shore, creating a natural tunnel that drops to more than 660 feet deep, making it the deepest blue hole in the world. The site is commonly visited by scuba divers and free-divers who explore the vertical cavern walls. It’s also a great place for swimmers, and because it’s protected within the cove there are no currents or waves to worry about.

One of the most stunning natural sites in Tasmania, the Freycinet Peninsula is most famous for a short but steep hike to the perfect white-and-turquoise horseshoe beach known as Wineglass Bay. It’s hard to believe the name comes from a gruesome whaling history that once dyed the bay the shade of red wine. Travelers on an expedition with Freycinet Adventures can kayak the electric-blue waters of Coles Bay and stay in a private camp on secluded Hazards Beach, where they’ll wake up to views of the rocky shoreline, sheathed in orange lichen, and the zigzagging Hazard Mountains, circled by sea eagles. No trip to the Freycinet Peninsula is complete without freshly shucked oysters from the Freycinet Marine Farm.

Located on an uninhabited island near Qaqortoq, the Uunartoq Hot Springs is the country’s only naturally heated outdoor spa. These waters have been a destination for locals and travelers alike for over 1,000 years—legend has it that Leif Eriksson bathed in the springs before beginning his expedition to North America. Plan on taking half a day to journey to the island and back if you want to splash around in the great outdoors while enjoying the unparalleled mountain and iceberg views.

In a country that has almost no trees, the Qinngua Valley is a rare exception. The only natural forest in Greenland—located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Nanortalik—the Qinngua Valley boasts willows and birches that tower above the rest of the island’s vegetation, where trees rarely exceed half a meter in height. Though it may have few native trees, Greenland has no shortage of other plant species, ranging from over 300 types of plants to delicately beautiful mosses and lichens.

This Paradisus Resorts first adults-only resort debuted recently with 394 elegantly appointed suites including 120 Royal Service Suites, two of which are Royal Service Presidential Suites. The hotel’s 60 swim-up suites enhance privacy allowing guests to access the free-form pool directly from their terrace. Guests of the Royal Service area enjoy adult oriented amenities including a private pool, bar and exclusive restaurant surrounded by palapas and Bali Beds in addition to a private beach. Discreet but efficient butlers offer preferential reservations for specialty restaurants, spa treatments, activities and excursions. Also featured is Passion by Martin Berasategui, a restaurant collaboration with six-star Michelin chef Martin Berasategui, a first for an all-inclusive resort. Paradisus La Perla and sister resort Paradisus La Esmeralda share a common area referred to as El Zocalo, a term in Mexican culture which signifies a city’s social center. Here, Paradisus guests can sample multiple food and beverage options along with the full service YHI Spa, the “Palapa” Activities Center and Theatre. El Zocalo offers 12 restaurants serving Japanese, South American, Mexican, and Mediterranean cuisines, and 10 bars. The resort is 45 minutes from Cancun International Airport and close to attractions such as Playa del Carmen’s trendy shopping district, 5th Avenue and famous Maya archaeological sites including Tulum and Cobá.

College-town hiking aficionados usually know where to eat, so when the guys up the street at Babbitts Backcountry Outfitters told me this was one of the best places in town for weekend brunch, I went. A lunch-and-dinner place during the week, Criollo Latin Kitchen opens up on weekend mornings with offerings from blue corn pancakes to pork belly tacos, with poblano cheddar grits, sweet ancho chili sausage gravy, and Haitian ‘ti-malice'-inspired relish to go with eggs over easy. And along with the artists’ paintings that change monthly, the food is “local” as well—the menu and the chalkboard on the wall will let you know the ranches and farms in Arizona and Colorado that are the sources for Criollo’s organic ingredients. On this particular morning, I had the “huevos motuleños,” the Yucatán’s version of “huevos rancheros.” And get some bacon—it’s hearty, comes from Black Mesa Ranch in the White Mountains, and will make you want to bring the word “toothsome” back into popular usage. Even if you’re just passing through Flagstaff on your way to the Grand Canyon, or driving from Albuquerque to Los Angeles, Criollo is worth a stop. It’s just a block north of historic old Route 66 downtown. (Criollo is owned by the same folks who opened the nationally-renown “Brix” just up the street—Flagstaff is becoming a restaurant mecca—and its newest sister restaurant is “Proper,” way down the road in Tucson. “Taco Tuesday” evenings with inexpensive margaritas can be crowded.)

The belly button of the world lies eighty miles northwest of Athens, where the southern slope of Mount Parnassus, cut deeply by cascades feeding the River Pleistos, drops precipitously into the Gulf of Corinth. High above the ravine in a cleft between the Phaedriades, or “Shining Rocks,” a natural amphitheater was shaped by wind, erosion, and tectonic turbulence over the intersection of two underground faults. This is the omphalos—the spot believed by ancient Greeks to be Gaia’s own navel. Homer called it “Pytho,” because it was here that the Earth Mother gave birth to a female serpent. “Why is it the serpent is always a woman?” The goddess/serpent appears in everyone’s mythology, I remind KB as we approach six massive columns re-erected where the western pediment of Apollo’s temple once stood. “Yeah,” she replies, kicking a loose a chunk of limestone across the weathered foundation, “along with the ‘hero’ who kills her.” KB’s sinewy, suntanned legs straddle one of the pedestals at the entrance to the sekos—Apollo’s inner sanctum—and her belly button taunts me between the waistband of low-slung hiking shorts and the hem of her tank top. “Both Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis, whacked the serpent goddess,” I remind her. “Naturally, the locals erected a temple here to commemorate his bravery. It was named after a cult that worshiped the sun god in the form of a dolphin—Delphinios—Delphi for short.” “How do you remember all this stuff?” KB asks.

A rocky, reptilianlike spine runs through the center of Hong Kong Island, and there are some 30 miles of hiking trails spreading over it like arteries, offering visitors exercise along with excellent sightseeing. One of the most popular sections is the three-mile Dragon’s Back trek that follows the undulating ridge on the southern end of Hong Kong Island, between Wan Cham Shan and Shek O Peak. The walk isn’t strenuous, but the views may take your breath away. All along the way, soak up panoramas of the island and the sea. The entrance to the hike is on Shek O Road near To Tei Wan village, and the trek should take about 4-5 hours.

A family favorite on the southern tip of Sanibel Island, Lighthouse Park Beach is home to the island’s famous lighthouse. It’s also a popular spot for shelling, windsurfing, and fishing off the pier. Restrooms and picnic facilities are available, and leashed pets are welcome.

The Exumas are a stunning archipelago of remote islands and cays strung between Nassau and Long Island, and around a dozen of these tiny islands are protected within the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park. Established in 1958 as a preserve where no fishing is allowed, it was the first marine protected area in the Caribbean. It has been highly successful at maintaining the fragile beaches and marine life found in the area. Visitors can take boat tours to the park to go diving and snorkeling on the many healthy reefs and to explore the secluded tropical islands, where endangered Bahamian iguanas roam the beaches. On Big Major Cay, you can go swimming with the pigs at Pig Beach and give them fresh water, as their water supply is limited.