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Most of the year, Punta Cana’s white, sandy stretches of sand are blessed with gently lapping surf, which means that night swimming isn’t as dangerous or daunting an exercise as it can be on other Caribbean islands. Slip into the water near the Westin’s covered pier, and have the ocean all to yourself. Under the bright light of a full moon, you might even catch a glimpse of a sea turtle inching its way along the beach.

Umm Bab Family beach, is located 80 miles west of Doha. Umm Bab Beach is part of a vast natural reserve called Alreem natural reserve. The beach is also known as “Palm Tree Beach” because of the small cluster of palms at the end of the road alongside the small pier. The beach is ideal for camping with young ones because it has its own fenced beach area for families, toilets and kids’ playground, the water is shallow and the beach is very private, without being off the beaten path. To get there, drive west on Salwa road for about 60 miles until you see the sign for Umm Bab. You’ll have to drive north into the town and then south to the beach. N25 12.401 E50 46.067

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).

Get a bird’s-eye view of Laguna and its famous sunsets at the Rooftop Lounge, which sits atop La Casa del Camino hotel. Drinks here include a lengthy list of red, white, and sparkling wines as well as specialty cocktails like mojitos in strawberry, mango, and ginger flavors. To pair with your sips, there’s a range of small bites, from barbecue meatballs with blue cheese slaw to bacon-wrapped dates and coconut-breaded shrimp. Just be sure to come prepared with sunglasses and a hat, as shade is limited, and bring your four-legged friend—the bar is dog-friendly.

Just a few blocks from the bustle of Old Town and Duval Street, this Caribbean-style resort is a serene retreat with a swath of white-sand beach, a pool concierge, and a private pier for fishing or gazing out over clear turquoise waters. All of the contemporary rooms and suites are generously sized and have private balconies with views of the pool, courtyard, or ocean, but the real draw remains right outside your door. Guests can snorkel off the shore, face off on the giant chess board, or simply sway between two palms in one of the beachside hammocks. They also have privileges at sister resort Casa Marina, just up the beach, including at the oceanfront Spa al Mare. Have kids in tow? The hotel offers a full roster of activities, plus babysitting services for parents who want to hit the town.

Set on St. Lucia’s westerly Anse Cochon beach, Ti Kaye is a secluded, adults-only oasis that feels worlds away from the rest of the island. Each of the 33 cliffside, gingerbread-style houses feature outdoor showers and verandas with double-wide hammocks, and some even include plunge pools. Since there are no TVs, the focus remains squarely on the picturesque beach, home to a PADI diving center, crashing waves, and breathtaking sunsets. The same is true in the resort’s two open-air restaurants (don’t miss the banana pancakes at the beachfront grill) and treetop spa. Rum connoisseurs can schedule a tasting in Ti Kaye’s wine cave, but if you crave a rowdier scene after all the relaxation, know that it’s a 20-minute drive to the nearest fishing village—you’ll want to make the trek on Friday nights though, when Anse La Raye hosts its weekly street parties.

For travelers who visit Hawaii and want a quiet, tucked-away vacation from the rest of the world, Hilo is a fantastic town to find a condo for rent and sunrises from the local beaches or to enjoy quiet evenings staying in. While no one needs to get lost in a book when there are so many beautiful things to enjoy on the Island of Hawaii, Hilo Bay Books compliments a tucked-away, quiet, beachy lifestyle perfectly by selling secondhand books (their motto is “get used!”) to help you unwind and enjoy the time away from home.

If you like to admire art in the open air, Oostende has plenty for you to enjoy outdoors. Start at the Royal Gallery where you can enjoy a free exhibition of portrait photography. Walk towards the casino along the promenade and admire the ‘Dansende Golven’ (Dancing Waves) sculpture by Patrick Steenon. Continue along the promenade until you reach the bright red shapes that make up ‘Rock Strangers’ by Arne Quinze (pictured). Watching people move through and interact with the shapes can be almost as interesting as the art itself. More Information on Oostende: http://cheeseweb.eu/2013/10/10-reasons-visit-oostende-beach/

Affectionately called the First Lady of Waikiki, this grande dame opened in 1901. Its gracious architecture harks back to the sugar-plantation era and wraps around a courtyard anchored by a massive banyan. Pull up a chair under its spreading branches—or else a seat overlooking the ocean—and enjoy island-inspired fine dining. East meets West here with appetizers like Kona abalone bourguignon, tempura asparagus with Parmesan custards, and twice-cooked octopus with macadamia romesco. Entrée standouts include the miso salmon and Korean-fusion Beach Bim Bop starring fiddlehead ferns, kimchi Brussels sprouts, and Ali’i mushrooms from Hawaiian grower Hamakua. Save room for its tour-de-force finale: A “dessert tree” with small bites of everything from macarons to red-velvet cheesecake.

Goldeneye, to be clear, is not an easy place to leave. The land—the former home of Ian Fleming, where he wrote each of the 14 James Bond thrillers that would cement his place in literary and cinematic history—sits next to the tiny town of Oracabessa, on the northern coast. A warm, blue-green lagoon curls from the ocean around a small island and then lets out into a bay. You can look one direction and see a jungle, then turn around and see pristine white sand.

Blackwell bought the property in 1976 as a vacation home and a space to entertain family and friends but later he decided to transform it. In 2016, Goldeneye debuted a jumble of new huts, arranged around a small cove, a short walk from Fleming’s house and the resort’s original villas. The huts vary in height, designed to capture cooling breezes and allow guests to forgo air conditioning. And, crucially, they’re much cheaper to book than the Villas. Which is key because, up until this point, if you wanted to plan a visit to Goldeneye, you needed to either know Blackwell personally or have the excess capital to shell out potentially five figures on a vacation. (Part of the resort’s enduring gravitational pull is that many of the celebrity guests check both boxes.) With the beach huts, Blackwell has expanded, once again, the ambition of his famous resort.

To get from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, don’t take I-25 North--it’s busy and sterile. Drive east on I-40 to the backside of the Sandía Mountains, get off on exit 175, and head north on Highway 14, also known as “The Turquoise Trail.” You’ll wind through forest to plateau, through mining towns and old Spanish land grants. Halfway to Santa Fe you’ll come to Madrid. (Note--do NOT pronounce it the way you would the capital of Spain; here it’s “MAD-rid.”) In the early 20th-c., some four thousand people lived here; by WWII it had become a ghost town when the local coal demand dropped. By the 1970’s the town began to be reoccupied--artists moved in, galleries set up...it claims to have more artists per capita than any other town in the country. (The population is around 400.) And in 2006, the town served as the set for the John Travolta film “Wild Hogs.” Driving in from the south, you’ll note the brightly painted houses; just after the highway curves, find a place to park among the motorcycles and grab a coffee at Java Junction (they have a B&B upstairs)--their motto: “Bad Coffee sucks.” The morning I stopped here, the café had a welcome sign in German; some Mercedes businessmen were having a road-trip meeting...Madrid is alive and well.

Bringing riders on a journey through the heart of the Grand Canyon since 1901, Grand Canyon Railway takes you from a starting point in Williams, Arizona, to the South Rim and back for a full-day excursion, complete with on-train entertainment from strolling musicians. Multiday packages include a Wild West kickoff show, narrated motor coach tours along the South Rim, and free time to explore the canyon on your own. Overnights take place at the Maswik Lodge North and the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, along historic Route 66.

Wymara Resort Turks & Caicos (formerly the Gansevoort aims to be as much a scene as it is a hotel. Of course, with tots wandering through the lobby with sand buckets, it isn’t quite the party you might have in South Beach or NYC. But then, trendy urbanites don’t have this—the white-sand beach of Grace Bay, or an infinity pool with wood-deck islands that can be reserved for sunbathing, private dining, or just making everyone else feel less important. The 91 rooms are designer chic, with an open floor plan and plenty of space to stretch out. Also available for booking are seven luxury oceanfront villas, located on an elevated hillside overlooking the bay and Turtle Tail. Each features four to five bedrooms as well as two private pools, expansive indoor-outdoor living areas, sunken outdoor lounge areas with firepits, and over-the-water swimming platforms with direct ocean access. Stelle, the Mediterranean-influenced restaurant, has a DJ who spins on Friday nights. And Exhale Spa counterbalances the chill party vibe with sunset yoga in an outdoor pavilion.

Near the northern end of Andros Island, about 15 minutes by air from Nassau, remote Kamalame Cay is worth the effort it takes to get there. The 96-acre private island features 34 rustic-chic rooms and suites, all within steps of a white-sand beach, as well as a central Great House where guests come together to sip wine before dinner and share stories afterward (of course, many opt for a secluded, candlelit meal set up somewhere along the three miles of shoreline). A range of seaside activities keep everyone from the kids to newlyweds to the occasional celebrity happy. There’s a freshwater swimming pool, an over-water spa, world-class fishing off the coast, and entertainment by local “rake-and-scrape” bands. And for those who live in fear of being unplugged, relax. Kamalame Cay offers hotspots around the island for full cell service (if you want it) and Wi-Fi in the reception area.

I first visited Wahoo’s Fish Taco in Denver and have been going back ever since. It seems much more appropriate that Wahoo’s, with its surfboarding theme, has a location in Hawaii. The location I frequented is in Ala Moana. Time permitting, I would get my food to go and sit at the Ala Moana Beach park for a picnic dinner. Wahoo’s has a good selection of burritos, salads, and tacos. A pitcher of margaritas or local beers are usually popular with a group as well! If you collect stickers, just ask at the counter and if they have any on hand, they will gift one to you.