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Propped up on stilts, each of Jungle Bay’s 35 cottages feels like a private tree house, complete with an open-air shower. Overlooking Point Mulatre Bay, the hillside resort offers a full schedule of outdoor activities, from walking along the White River to swimming at the base of roaring Victoria Falls.

Luxury yoga retreats are one of the hottest trends in travel—experience it firsthand at Jungle Bay. This award-winning boutique wellness resort seamlessly blends adventure, relaxation, and creature comforts, like a pampering foot massage at the Spa du Soleil—an ideal way to unwind after a day of hiking. Practice yoga in two expansive outdoor studios overlooking the Caribbean Sea, dine on local specialties made with freshly caught fish and organic ingredients, and stay in one of 30 eco-villas outfitted with bamboo furnishings, hand-painted beddings, and jungle spa bathrooms.

—This appeared in the November/December 2010 issue.

Privacy and discretion reign supreme behind the iconic red door of this Jacques Garcia-styled hideaway between the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées. The smallest of the capital’s Palace hotels, La Réserve Paris is set up in a former mansion that belonged to the Duc of Morny (Napoleon III’s half-brother). The hotel maintains the feel of a private home, thanks to a mix of Second Empire decorative touches, including parquet floors, crown moldings, cordovan leather paneling, and velvet drapery. It’s easy to linger in the public areas, including the library packed with 3,000 books reserved for guests during the day, the fumoir that looks out onto a leafy courtyard, and salons with plush banquettes and club chairs.

Made from lightweight glass and steel, this structure in Prague’s Letna Park today houses a global advertising agency, but the Expo 58 pavilion was originally designed for the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels. Designed by František Cubr, Josef Hrubý and Zdeněk Pokorný, won Czechoslovakia the grand prix for best pavilion. the pavilion was designed to be easy to assemble and disassemble. After the fair it was transported to its current location (on top of the foundations of a 17th-century wine press) where it functioned as a restaurant, followed by a casino, until it was abandoned and fell into decay before it was bought in 2000 by Havas Worldwide, which it houses today. Have a look at the building from all sides, as each provides a unique angle, and take in the sweeiping views of the city from the concrete platform just in front of it.

The Caribbean’s first long-distance hiking trail runs 115 miles south to north. Fourteen segments break Waitukubuli into manageable day hikes—important for rule-followers, as camping is tolerated but not technically legal in Dominica’s reserves and national parks. Brace for lofty peaks, precipitous valleys, and riotous tangles of rain forest vegetation on this trek, which bears the island’s original indigenous name, meaning “tall her body.” Consider hiring a local guide for expert advice on trekking the steep, corrugated landscape, which Christopher Columbus once described by simply crumpling up a ball of paper.

One of Norway’s most iconic images is of a traveler dangling his legs over a cliff, a glistening fjord below his boots. Preikestolen, known in English as Pulpit Rock, is that cliff, and it can be reached only by a two-hour hike from the nearest car park. That doesn’t stop thousands of people from undertaking the journey from April to October, however. If you decide to join them, bring sturdy shoes, plenty of snacks and water, and warm clothing no matter what the weather. For a less strenuous day, take a ferry from Lysefjord to Stavanger—you’ll get to see the cliff from below and taste the water from the Hengjande waterfall.

Located along the eastern border of the four-million-acre Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, the island’s first national park mixes swamp gums, stringybarks, and massive tree ferns with snow gums and deciduous beech trees at higher elevations. Depending on the season, you might walk the suspension bridge to the three-tier stunner Russell Falls or take the Pandani Grove walk around Lake Dobson—keep your eyes peeled for platypus. In winter, skiers, snowboarders, and backcountry trekkers can explore the lakes and glacial terrain of the Tarn Shelf. In autumn, the same area blazes red and orange on hikes to the Twilight Tarn Hut, an unofficial ski museum. Five other huts offer basic accommodation year-round at 3,280 feet.

Home to one of the largest remaining swaths of temperate rain forest in the world, dating to the supercontinent Gondwana, the Tarkine Wilderness is a stronghold for rare species including black cockatoos, wedge-tailed eagles, and spotted-tailed quolls. The Western Explorer Road takes you to Corinna, part of which is unsealed and bright white, built from tailings from the nearby silica mine. That hints at the mining settlement to come, where the Corinna Wilderness Experience transformed old prospector huts into modern cabins that run on solar power and rainwater. Hike deeper into the rain forest or to Aboriginal middens along the coast with Tarkine Trails, or visit a 1,540-acre sinkhole before riding down a 360-foot-long tube slide at Tarkine Forest Adventures.

Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan‘s largest fresh water lake. When I lived in Nantou County, central Taiwan, I would often ride my scooter to Sun Moon Lake for a bit of fresh air and reflection. One day I drove to the lake and traveled up a hill to the Ci-en Pagoda. Parking my bike, I climbed to the top of the pagoda and gazed out at the misty lake, which seemed magical in that moment. Many legends surround Sun Moon Lake, including the one which says the lake was once inhabited by two dragons. These dragons used the sun and moon as toys, causing the world to fall into darkness. Eventually a young couple came and defeated the dragons, brining light back into the world. Sun Moon Lake is one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever visited.

On the Asian side, south of the First Bosphorus Bridge, Kuzguncuk is a charming detour from the well-worn tourist trail and easily combined with a visit to nearby Beylerbeyi Palace. The neighborhood’s multicultural past is very much present, with synagogues, Armenian and Greek churches, and mosques located side by side. You can also expect to find cafes, art galleries, and fresh produce shops. Venture off the leafy main street (Icediye Caddesi) to admire the pretty facades of narrow townhouses and decorative wooden Ottoman abodes, many dating back to the 19th century. To find Kuzguncuk, take the ferry or Marmaray Rail to Üsküdar and follow the Bosphorus shoreline about a mile north (by foot or blue minibus) to Icediye Caddesi.

If you are looking for a place to escape from it all, pack your overnight bag and follow the Capuchin monks to the Bay of Silence in Sestri Levante. With their long brown robes, you can easily spot the monks from this 17th century monastery preforming their daily rituals along the rocky seashore of this beautiful beach town. With one of the most lovely beaches along this coastline, Sestri Levante is quite popular in the summer months, but walk along the shoreline under the abandoned abbey, and you can find a semi-private rock outcropping to place your towel. Just know that there may already be someone there, and they just might be topless!

This iconic bar sits on stilts above the sea at the Hotel Bakoua in the sultry resort area of Trois-Ilets, just across the Bay of Fort-de-France from the island’s capital city. People don’t come here for the drinks (stronger and better can easily be had elsewhere). They don’t come for the snackfood, or to ogle the topless beauties on the shore either (okay, perhaps a few are attracted by the latter). No, instead they come for the vibrant sunshine, the spectacular views across the Bay, and the soothing sea current that massages those who wade into the waters surrounding the bar.

Revel is easy to overlook—it’s on a busy stretch of Carrolton Avenue (just off the Canal Streetcar Line) amid a slew of other neighborhood restaurants. But it’s the only one here helmed by Chris McMillian, among the nation’s most prominent bartender-historians. He knows the history and lore of New Orleans drinks better than anyone, and is pretty conversant with cocktails from, well, just about anywhere. The drinks list here is solid, but ask McMillian what he’s been enjoying whipping up lately, and order one of those. And come hungry—the kitchen, manned by his son-in-law, serves up great bistro fare.

When someone tells me they’re traveling to Spain and looking for recommendations, San Sebastian (Donostia, in Basque) is my first thought for city destinations in the northern part of the country. It’s charming, beautiful, and steeped in history. Mount Urgull, the hill that stands on the right side of the bay, epitomizes all those characteristics in one easy to explore package. Mount Urgull is an easy walk from anywhere along the Promenade, and you can either walk up from Parte Vieja or walk around by the aquarium and the point to see views of the Bay of Biscay. I’ll recommend that you start with the second way and, coming back down, drop right into Parte Vieja. That way you get the best of both.

The tiny Abbey of San Fruttuoso is nestled in a cove between Camogli and Portofino, and accessible solely by foot or boat. If you want to hike it, find the trail at the far end of Camogli, and be ready for a steep, but gorgeous, two hour hike up and over the mountain. If you would prefer a quick 15 minute boat ride, catch the boat for a few euro in the harbor of Camogli and ride to San Fruttuoso in style. The abbey itself is beautiful, but it is also nice to simply sit and have a cocktail at the beachside restaurant (look closely - their kitchen is upstairs, so they send the food down in a small wicker basket when it’s ready!).

While in the Algarve last Summer, we decided to look for unusual beaches. We got a good map in Lagos where we were staying. The map listed beaches on the wild western coast of Portugal. We decided to go to Praia do Amado ( Amado Beach). There were not many Americans in this area so we considered these beaches as new tourist sites for us. This is another of those rocky beaches with immense cliffs. Amado Beach is a long curved beach with huge rollers that the surfers from many countries enjoy. Hikers love the long path to the beach and cliffs. Many of us scrambled along the path and onto the rocks with cameras taking all kinds of photos. On the road before the beach, there is a really good restaurant. This is such a breathtaking spot. I hope we return.