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If swimming with dolphins is on your vacation bucket list, you’ll want to visit Dolphin Discovery. The center offers a variety of animal encounters in an enclosure near the Bird Rock Beach Hotel on St. Kitts’ south coast, just outside Basseterre. Depending on which program you choose, you can expect dolphin “kisses,” fin rides, and a “foot push,” during which a pair of dolphins will lift you out of the water.

Housed on the wilder south side of Tahiti near Teahupo’o, Vanira Lodge is easily the island’s best boutique lodging option. Its idyllic location—on the mountain side of the road up a very steep driveway—offers sweeping views of the lagoon, while its bungalows feature a beautiful mix of bamboo, coral, rock, reed, and stained glass. Each room showcases a slightly different design; some have hard-carved furniture and, others, outdoor kitchens. There’s also a swimming pool, lily pond, and plenty of space to children to play, as well as an onsite restaurant, which is a relief to families since the resort is a good 15-minute walk away from Teahupo’o village and the surf beach. During the day, the staff can arrange a myriad of activities, from snorkeling trips to surf lessons. Guests also have access to bikes, although having a rental car makes getting around much easier.

It may look a little like your childhood summer camp, but Phantom Ranch feels like the Ritz by the time you make it to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, whether by foot—a steep 10-mile hike—mule, or boat down the Colorado River. Set near a creek in the shade of a cottonwood grove, the lodge is the only property located beneath the rim of the canyon, making it an extremely popular destination. Book early; the concession uses a lottery system for reservations beginning 14 months in advance. There are two lodging options: log cabins that sleep up to 10 people and are furnished with cold water sinks and toilets (there are common shower facilities), and four dormitories—two each for men and women—that sleep 10 in five bunk beds. Linens are provided and, thankfully, all of the buildings have air-conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. Also be sure to reserve meals ahead of time. Seating in the canteen is limited, and the steak and meat-stew dinners, served family style, are surprisingly tasty.

This place is in the middle of nowhere in Southern Albania. There is no bus stop. You just have to motion to the driver to pull over at the side of the road when you see a promising looking dirt trail. You take that trail off the main road, all the time assuming that you couldn’t possibly be in the right place. And then, almost inexplicably, there is a sign for the Blue Eye and a guard, sitting in a booth along the road. He’ll collect a few coins from you, and then you keep walking. If you’re lucky, a truck driver or local tourist will pick you up along the stretch of windy, dusty road that weaves along the side of a body of water that gets ever clearer as you move along. At the end of the trek, you’ll find the clearest, bluest water you’ve ever seen, and if you’re lucky you’ll be able to eat on the little floating deck they’ve installed in the river that flows out of the Eye. The restaurant serves heaping plates of lamb ribs, grilled over charcoal and big bottles of cold Albanian beer, all for a few dollars. A short walk up a dirt path from the restaurant lies the main destination: a coldwater spring of unknown depth and unbelievable color that bubbles up into a green little grotto. It’s often too cold and fast for a swim, but it’s refreshing to put your feet into and beautiful to hang around. There is also a small hotel for people who want to spend the night or can’t manage to catch a bus onward before nightfall.

Pass through the iconic arched doorway at College Green and enter the elegant quads, handsome architecture and verdant lawns of Trinity College, one of Ireland‘s most prestigious universities. Among its many attributes is the atmospheric 18th-century Old Library, whose most precious tome is the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells, a priceless illuminated manuscript. Also worth a visit are the college’s Douglas Hyde Gallery, devoted to contemporary art, and the thought-provoking Science Gallery.

The Maiden’s Tower, which seemingly floats in the Bosphorus off Asia, is one of the more popular symbols of the city. Once a Byzantine tollbooth and later an Ottoman lighthouse, it’s most famous for a legend involving a princess and a prophecy that she would die from a snakebite. Her father exiled her to the tower in the hope of protecting her but, alas, the prophecy could not be avoided—a snake made its way to the island, either in a bouquet of flowers or a basket of grapes (depending on the version of the tale).

This urban luxury resort in Shanghai has a polished, cool contemporary feel, mixing Eastern and Western sensibilities. Interiors lean toward dark tones and clean lines, with clever landscaping providing a sense of escape. Organic materials include liberal use of wood, stone, and marble. Large windows bring in natural light, and decor mixes contemporary with touches of traditional Chinese. Environmentally sensitive practices take multiple guises: Solar panels gather energy for hotel operation. The heatproof facade limits the need for air-conditioning. And sunshades in each room open and close automatically to let in or keep out the sun’s light and heat. Rooms also have dragon-scaled screens and cast bronze basins. Club rooms come with the perks of 24-hour check-in/check-out and butlers.

Like its nearby sister, the Belmond Hotel Monasterio, the Belmond Palacio Nazarenas is a hotel with ancient roots: the onetime private residence-turned-convent—and now turned hotel—has original Inca walls and colonial-era frescoes.

As a newer hotel (it opened in 2012, following years of renovation and restoration), the all-suite property also has plenty of modern touches. All rooms are enriched with oxygen, to help guests adjust to the altitude, and have iPads, WiFi, and espresso/tea bars; depending on the category, they might also have heated bathroom floors, balconies, or original Inca and colonial design features.

Other perks include Cusco’s first outdoor heated pool (with an adjacent pool bar), an intimate restaurant highlighting seasonal ingredients, and butler service for all—just like the Palacio’s original residents would have enjoyed.

Just North of Moab, UT Arches National Park is a gem with over 2000 natural stone arches. The most popular hike is the three mile trail to Delicate Arch. It’s a fairly straight forward hike and it is uphill most of the way to the arch, but otherwise it’s an easy hike. The arch is amazing especially around sunset when the rock seems to glow a bright orange. There are also great views of the surrounding area from the Delicate Arch. There is a $10 entry fee for vehicles driving in, or $5 per person for walk-ins, bikes, etc. Both are good for 7 days. Campgrounds can book up during busy periods so plan in advance. Moab has plenty of shops to gear up, buy food and supplies, or join a guided trip mountain biking, rafting, climbing, off-roading, and a variety of other activities. Moab is also close enough, and has plenty of places to stay in case camping is not your cup of tea.

The Jungfrau is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the southern canton of Bern and the northern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. It’s the perfect place for the quintessential Swiss experience. The cows are actually moving their heads just to hear the bells ring. So many people take pictures of them, they must feel like movie stars. :)

Named after the Spanish word for “pretty,” this beachfront park lives up to its moniker. Located just south of Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Beach tends to be quieter, drawing a laidback crowd and lots of families. Rather than hotels or resorts, actual homes line the shores. When you visit, head straight to the park, which functions as an undeveloped oasis on the southern tip of the beach. There are grills and tables so pack a picnic, then spend some time on the playground or sand volleyball court.

When a South African woman and an Italian man met each other—and Bonaire—through their work on cruise ships, beautiful things ensued. Not least, the handmade glass jewelry at the shop the pair opened here several years ago. Check out, among other baubles, the particularly apt Angelfish Collection.

The Tiergarten might be Berlin’s most famous park, but the sprawling, 7,400-acre Grunewald wins the prize for the city’s most impressive forest. Fringed by the Havel River to the west, it contains a multitude of pleasant hiking and cycling paths, lakes and sand dunes, and a surprising number of cultural, historical, and architectural sights as well. Besides the Teufelsberg man-made hill and adjacent Teufelssee Lake, there are great forest views from the Grunewaldturm, which also has a beer garden. Jagdschloss Grunewald, a 16th-century hunting lodge, has a café and a collection of old masters paintings. Close to the S-Bahn you can see a touching memorial to the deportation of the city’s Jews, who were sent from this station to death camps during World War II.

As the patriarch of one of the most prominent real estate empires in the country, Trammell Crow’s work took him all over the globe—including on frequent trips to Asia, during which he and his wife, Margaret, developed a passion for Asian art. Over three decades beginning in the 1960’s, the Crows amassed a deep and diverse collection of important works from all over the region, from a six-foot Ming Dynasty-era seated Buddha and stellar examples of 18th-century jade sculptures to intricately-carved panels from Indian temples. For many years, these pieces were scattered between family properties and commercial buildings, until they all came together under one roof in 1998, with the opening of this Arts District museum. Featuring open galleries framed by natural light and greenery, the jewel box museum is a serene space in which to contemplate pieces from the ever-growing permanent collection, which now includes over 1,000 works from a dozen countries, as well as a library of over 12,000 books and journals; along with all the treasures inside, don’t miss the 15 sculptures in the garden, which span from the ancient to the 20th century. Temporary exhibits might highlight specific techniques (like lacquer work or miniature painting), genres (like the art of the Japanese samurai), or the works of contemporary Asian artists and sculptors. Entrance to the collection is always free; additional fees may apply for tours, talks, or events like yoga and meditations sessions. In 2019, the entire museum was donated to The University of Texas at Dallas, which will continue operating this original location, as well as a future outpost slated for the UTD campus.

When the Four Seasons took over Johannesburg‘s celebrated Westcliff Hotel (a colonial-style grande dame that was admittedly fraying around the edges), its brief was clear: update the tired ambience with a cutting-edge makeover. For its first property in South Africa, the luxe hotel group spared no expense, closing the hotel down for a year and a half until they were satisfied with the full revamp, which debuted in December 2014. The new Four Seasons has modern elegance in spades, from the minimalist View restaurant (the main feature here is, as the name suggests, the panoramic view over Johannesburg’s lush landscape) to the 117 rooms outfitted with chrome details and local contemporary art.

For generations, the Westcliff has been the bastion of Johannesburg’s most rarefied citizens, who decamped to the hotel for special occasions or met for high tea on the terrace. With its new look, the property is ready to welcome back its longtime clientele while opening doors to a more youthful set in the process.