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My idea of a good time is getting lost in the woods all so I can spend a few days finding my way home, but I can’t deny the allure of glamping – especially when it comes packaged up in the form of the Kings Canyon Wilderness Lodge, the Northern Territory’s answer to rustic chic. The luxury eco-cabins – fully heated and air conditioned – are wonderful, but there’s little reason to tuck yourself away inside when you can sip Aussie wine by the fire, or enjoy a gourmet meal under starry skies (or in the lodge restaurant on chilly winter nights). The last thing I expected to tuck into in the Outback was a spicy prawn curry, but I shouldn’t have been surprised – the Northern Territory has plenty of tricks up her sleeve.

This hotel is on our list of The 10 Best Hotels in Canada.

One luxury of this wilderness retreat owned by the Klahoose First Nation is its location. Accessed via a 60-minute seaplane ride from Vancouver or 45-minute boat transfer from Lund, B.C., the resort is surrounded by more than 2,500 acres of Klahoose territory that the community has protected for centuries. Here, glacial waterfalls plummet down snowcapped mountains and evergreens border the Homfray Channel. The four lodge rooms and three cedar cabins all face the sea, where guests might glimpse humpbacks blowing at sunrise. Activities include Indigenous-led grizzly bear tours, wood-carving lessons from Klahoose interpreter Klemkwateki Randy Louie, and—perhaps the most meaningful experience—a participatory smudging and brushing ceremony around a fire.

For Christians, the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ at Bethany Beyond the Jordan is one of the most significant places in the world. Located amid a prepossessing sweep of scrubby plains, next to the sensitive border between Israel and the Palestinian Territories, this is the spot where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, turning the Jordan River into holy water and reviving the souls of all believers. It’s been a pilgrimage site since the Byzantines built a church here in the 5th century.

The ruins are spread across a wide area, so tickets include a compulsory guided tour as well as a shuttle bus that ferries visitors from one attraction to the next. Expect to see the scattered remnants of churches, monasteries, and chapels, as well as the excavated baptismal site and several modern churches belonging to different Christian traditions. The highlight of the tour is visiting the banks of the Jordan River, though these days it’s more of a stream than the free-flowing water of biblical accounts. You can actually get in the water or simply fill bottles from the font, but drinking is not advised due to pollution. On the opposite bank, you’ll see pilgrims doing the same at the Israeli-run version of the site in the Palestinian Territories.

The rugged American frontiersman and trapper Kit Carson purchased this territorial style 4-room adobe in 1843 for his wife. Step back into time; furnished rooms remain as Carson and his family once dwelled. The adventurer and military buff will appreciate the display of old rifles, stunning beaded leather cases, Caron’s Masonic hat and early Taos artifacts and antiques. The courtyard reveals a cool adobe baking oven (called a horno). It’s a small museum with deep, historical roots. The onsite gift shop carries comprehensive Carson and southwest biographies.

The canton of Neuchâtel is delightful territory for keen walkers, the best of which is a quite spectacular natural basin (cirque). Creux-du-Van can be approached by car from the Val de Travers, a spot of wondrous beauty where Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau walked regularly preparing theories. Then, on foot, head left at Noiraigue and on the ‘path with 14 bends’ to find the immense nature reserve measuring approximately 1,400 meters wide and 150 meters in depth. The walk is not for the faint hearted especially if you try the ascent through the basin and up the side path, the Sentier du Single. Those who do, however, can prepare themselves for most magnificent views across Lake Neuchâtel to the Alps.

Translating into cake of three milks, pastel de tres leches is a sponge cake doused in, yes, three kinds of milk. Evaporated milk, condensed milk and run-of-the-mill milk (or even cream, depending on the baker) are combined and poured over the cake base, which has been punctured with tons of tiny holes, allowing the milks to be evenly soaked up. Topped with a layer of whipped cream and squirts of caramel, the cake is surprisingly light for something so saturated in milk, and manages to steer clear of the too-sweet territory. While I got to try it in El Sal--at the amazing Juayua Food Fest--it’s a popular dessert across Latin America, busted out at many a celebratory occasion.

Casa Vicente is an institution in this desert city—Tucson’s outpost for tapas a la española. Just south of the downtown core, a couple of blocks from the neo-Baroque façade of the Cathedral of San Agustín, this restaurant also features live music on weeknights: classical guitar, flamenco, and even tango lessons. This particular evening, we tried chipirones rellenos, a trio of baby calamari skewered and stuffed with green tomatoes and spices. In a town more known for its tacos and burros (a.k.a. ‘burritos’ elsewhere), it’s appropriate, if somewhat uncommon, to find Iberian fare. Tucson was founded in 1775 as an outpost of the Spanish empire, decades before it became Mexican, and then in the mid-19th century, it finally became part of a U.S. territory. (And, by the way, the sangría here rocks.)

The Moorish Castle is strategically located on one of the top hills of Sintra to defend both the local territory and the maritime access to the city of Lisbon. The castle was built around the 10th century by the Muslim populations that occupied the Iberian peninsula. The castle acted as a control tower for the Atlantic coast and the land to the north, mostly serving as an outpost for the city of Lisbon. The castle’s Muslim rule ended in 1147 when King Afonso Henrique conquered Lisbon. In 1995, UNESCO listed Sintra hills as a Cultural Landscape, World Heritage, including the Moorish Castle. Highly recommended to climb and walk along the walls of the castle, carved out of the rock, to have a panoramic view over Sintra and its castles and palaces.

Darwin’s proximity to Indonesia is evident at the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, a gorgeous place to be on a balmy tropical evening in this Northern Territory city. Held every Thursday in the dry season months between May and October, this fabulous market is a bit of a Darwin institution. Locals start arriving at dusk (out of the heat of the day), armed with tables, chairs, rugs and kids. They settle on the beach or the grass to watch the sun sink into the ocean (that’s one thing the east coast of Australia doesn’t offer). Like Darwin, these markets are melting pot of cuisines and cultures. People from more than 50 nationalities live in Darwin and more than 30 exotic national flavours – including Aboriginal, Islander, Thai, Indonesian, Chinese and European – are showcased in the tasty food stalls at Mindil Beach. There’s arts and crafts to pick up here too, so bring a carry bag for new treasures.

An Aboriginal territory turned shipping port between the Rocks district and King Street Wharf has been transformed into a harborfront reserve, modeled after what the headland may have looked like before Europeans arrived. It’s a great area for a walk or a picnic as well as for special events. And the surrounding area is home to dozens of new bars and restaurants. The seafood-centric Cirrus is run by the award-winning Bentley Restaurant team, and 12-Micron celebrates Australian produce through a menu organized around the elements. Early birds flock to cult favorites Micro by Coffee Alchemy and Bourke Street Bakery, while the after-work crowd unwinds at Sydney’s first vermouth bar, Banksii; the tropical rooftop Untied; and Smoke bar, on the top level of Barangaroo House.

Helmed by Chef Danny Trace, a New Orleans native whose resume includes stints at Commander’s Palace and Cafe Adelaide, Brennan’s is the kind of place you go to for well-executed classics: Oysters Rockefeller, Shrimp and Grits, Gulf Fish Pontchartrain. But should you happen to venture into less predictable territory, you’ll be just as pleased. Still, every meal should end with bananas foster prepared tableside.

The wording is irresistible: “Get a taste of history.” On the grounds of one of the oldest Spanish missions (est. 1691) in Arizona, tortillas cooked over a mesquite fire, in the shade of mesquite trees, steps from an adobe church--this is Tumacácori. Drive about an hour south of Tucson. Just 20 miles from the Mexican border, this mission/Nat’l Historical Park was originally established by the Jesuits. The remaining structure (surprisingly intact) dates from the early 19th century, when Franciscans and the native Tohono O’odham stacked some ninety thousand adobe bricks together to build their church. Spaniards and Basques settled the Santa Cruz River valley, missionaries brought fruit trees and foreign religion...After the Colonial period, support from the government in Mexico dwindled, Apache attacks increased, and by the 1850’s, when the U.S. acquired this territory, the mission had been abandoned. Tortillas are made outdoors most weekends fall through spring; call ahead to confirm. (520-398-234) [pronunciation note--Tumacacácori: “too-mah-KAH-koh-ree”]

A short drive from Amman, the town of Madaba is home to one of Jordan’s largest Christian communities and several impressive churches. Of these, the Greek Orthodox St. George’s Church is the most interesting. The church wasn’t built until the end of the 19th century, but during construction workers uncovered one of the most important surviving artistic relics of the Byzantine era: the Madaba Mosaic Map. Created by artisans in the 6th century, the mosaic was once an intricate map of Holy Land sites, covering modern-day Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and Egypt’s Sinai. Only a quarter of the original work survives today, but even this fragment, which sits in the floor of the church, shows astounding detail. Look closely and you’ll see fish swimming in the Jordan River, the walls and gates of Jerusalem, Mount Sinai, and even the Nile Delta. There’s also an excellent exhibition next to the church to help you get the most out of your viewing.

A trip up to the Dee Wright is a required trek for all my guests who visit Oregon. If you want to experience the power and beauty of the planet, the Old McKenzie Highway delivers an eyeful. Starting in Ponderosa Pine forests and climbing to 5,300 feet above sea level, the road wages a mighty battle to deliver travelers to the top. The structure at the pass is built out of lava from the surrounding flow and towers above the old wagon road that is now Route 242. The road is closed in winter, but it’s a busy corridor during the summer tourist season. The observatory has windows which become frames for the famous peaks easily seen across the barren landscape. On the top deck you can easily see Mt. Hood to the north on a clear day. An interpretive trail gives visitors a great geology lesson on Cascade volcanology. It is a very harsh environment with the blistering heat of summer and the raging snow storms of winter. One can hardly imagine moving though this moonscape in a covered, ox-drawn wagon back when Oregon was just a territory. Nothing like it.

Fearing a British takeover of its ill-gotten trading post, the Dutch East India Company built this star-shaped castle (known as Kasteel de Goede Hoop) between 1666 and 1679 to defend its territory. Now the oldest building in South Africa, the castle served as the center of Cape Town‘s civilian, political, and military life. The austere facade opens up to a striking central lawn and commanding buildings that, in their restored form, represent Dutch, English, and French architectural styles. History buffs will go nuts here: Check out the William Fehr Collection, the African pottery exhibit, and the Castle Military Museum.