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Italy’s fashion capital is of course full of stylish hotels. Luxury brand behemoths such as Armani and Bulgari both opened hotels in the city designed to embody their beloved aesthetics. A former fashion editor masterminded the three chic apartments at the intimate 3 Rooms Corso Como hotel. Park Hyatt Milan has a dreamy setting in an 18th-century palazzo, while the Seven Stars Galleria boasts a unique location in the oldest shopping mall in the world.

Located in the northern mountain ranges of Dominica, Morne Diablotin National Park was established primarily to protect the habitat of the endangered sisserou parrot. Spanning 8,242 acres, the park is also home to Dominica’s highest peak, which looms at an impressive 4,747 feet. While the active volcano still keeps hot springs bubbling, its higher elevations are constantly swathed in cool mist, along with cloud forest moss, ferns, and spindly trees. Start your exploration on the Syndicate Natural Trail, which winds through tropical rain forest and serves as a prime birding location.

Just 10 minutes from downtown Orlando, in village-like Winter Park, the Alfond Inn has a unique legacy: The boutique lodging was created to provide income for scholarship funds at neighboring Rollins College, one of Florida’s oldest liberal arts schools. If helping students isn’t reason enough to book a stay, the hotel offers lots more incentive. A skylit domed atrium in the Spanish colonial–inspired main building draws your eye to a rotating collection of artwork curated by Cornell Fine Arts Museum, and pet-friendly guest rooms are simple and cheerful. While the hotel is not a full-fledged resort, it offers guests plenty of opportunities to linger. Fire pits and rocking chairs are dotted around the property, and shaded areas for loungers enhance the rooftop pool’s already undeniable appeal. Hamilton’s Kitchen restaurant serves modern Southern cuisine paired with wines selected by an award-winning sommelier. And shops, wine bars, and independent boutiques like Rifle Paper Co. line the town’s Park Avenue, a few blocks away. You can also take a pontoon boat tour for views of many of the Mediterranean-style mansions along the waterfront. Perhaps best of all, Disney and Universal theme parks are only a half-hour drive away.

It may not be the smallest U.S. national park (that honor goes to Pennsylvania’s Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial, at 0.02 acres), but the Seattle unit of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is a small hidden gem in Pioneer Square. Interactive exhibits allow visitors of all ages to follow actual gold-rush stampeders on their cross-country adventure through journals, personal papers, and artifacts. Step into a miner’s cabin or hop on a scale to calculate your actual worth in gold. Learn about the entrepreneurs, like John Nordstrom or George Bartell, who came to the area to make their fortunes outfitting gold prospectors (and whose businesses survive today). This fascinating free museum is kid-friendly and a welcome rest stop for downtown visitors.

Miami Food Trucks serve a wide variety of street food: gourmet sandwiches, tacos, burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, falafel, pizza, ice cream, shaved ice, cupcakes, and so much more! The food trucks make their way around South Florida at various parks, parking lots and social events. You never know where the trucks could end up. On any given night after hopping from bar to bar, your favorite food truck could be parked right outside. All Miami food trucks cater and host private events. You can order online and view the schedule if you’re craving something special.

Referred to by locals as Bustani ya Mungu—literally, “the Garden of God"—this national park is a botanist’s delight, bursting with the colorful orchids, lobelias, and lilies that thrive in the fertile volcanic soil. This veritable Serengeti of flowers is also a bird- or butterfly-watcher’s paradise, with many endemic species swooping and fluttering amid the open and fertile grasslands. The plateau is accessible by 4x4 from Mbeya. Follow one of the hiking trails along the impossibly beautiful rolling plains or attempt a hill climb in the shadow of the looming peaks of the Kipengere, Poroto, and Livingstone mountains. The best time to visit is during the blooming season between October and April.

Marino Las Baulas National Park is a protected area compising Playa Grande, Ventana and Langosta. Together they are the stage for one of the most magical occurrences in the animal kingdom: the nesting of the gigantic baula (leatherback turtle), an endangered species. The hatching of these turtles is a remarkable highlight each year as they make their way out to sea. The egg-laying season goes from October-November.

It’s not very often that we get to witness the making of a nation. With Qatar, we are invited to do just that. To watch in awe as a tiny pearl-diving seaside village transforms itself into one of the most vibrant cities in the Middle East. And it’s not just glitzy shopping malls, fine cuisine, five-star hotels, and futurist architecture, with 350 miles of sandy coastline Qatar has a lot to offer by way of sun and sand. It rarely rains and the sky is always blue. Which means, there is lots to do.

Known as one of the best casinos in Florida, Isle of Capri Casino in Pompano Park is a popular attraction for locals. The 157,000-square foot Las Vegas-style casino include over 1,500 slot machines and a super fun harness racing track. There’s a buffet restaurant and a deli. The second floor has two restaurants and grandstand seats for fans to watch harness racing. The facility is smoke-free and includes live entertainment on weekends. Gaming includes digital poker and slots. Participate in one of the many tournaments and promotions scheduled throughout the month.

At Park Hyatt London River Thames, creativity and discovery unfold around you as soon as you enter the lobby. A Charlie Whinney commission inspired by the iconic waterway outside the hotel, Ebb and Flow, welcomes guests. From there, explore a “park by water” art gallery, admiring pieces by more than 20 world-renowned artists throughout the property for a distinctive cultural experience that reflects London’s international appeal. It’s a significantly quieter, more personal journey than you might find at the nearby Tate Modern or other major institutions here, but no less impactful.

All along the Eastern Seashore of Australia you will encounter spheres of sand in patterns, lines, and random assortments on the beach. At first, it looks a bit like sand circles after an alien beach landing, but if you wait around long enough, you will observe the a sand bubbler crab hard at work on a natural masterpiece. On this particular evening, the tide was low and the entire beach was covered with little balls of sand. Cape Hillsborough National Park is a stunning bit of land with plenty of curiosities, including friendly beach-minded kangaroos and several walks including a long stretch of beach to amble along at the end of the day. If you are camping, this park is not to be missed!

Having been raised on National Geographic magazines, I have always been fascinated by western landscape of America. The jagged peaks of Tetons have been on my to-see list ever since I have known the works of Ansel Adams. Last labor day weekend, my husband and I could finally make a trip to Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming. We started our trip by flying into Salt Lake City, Utah and then drove about 5 hours north to Jackson Hole in Wyoming. The roads are beautiful, the landscape mind blowing. We were in the Jackson Hole area for about 4 days and one of the days we left our car behind and instead rented a bike to go back and forth between the Teton National Park and Yellowstone Nat Park. It was worth every single aching muscle :)

The largest of Tanzania’s state-administrated national parks, Ruaha is home to the Great Ruaha River, imposing baobab trees, and one of the greatest populations of elephants in any African park. It has few lodges and therefore few tourists. It is also wilder than its close neighbor, the Selous Game Reserve, and boasts a truly authentic safari experience. Night driving is not permitted, nor are walking safaris, generally, due to the large number of elephants here. But hidden away on the Jongomero River in the remote southern area of the park is the Jongomero Camp, which is both fantastically luxurious as well as truly one with its surroundings. It is possibly the best camp in the whole of Tanzania, and its guides are second to none. In addition to the breathtaking campsite itself, it offers “fly-camping” trips on which the adventurous traveler can spend the night under the stars.

Caesarea, the city and harbor that Herod built, is now preserved as a national park. A walk along its pathways allows visitors to experience the city’s role as part of ancient Rome and its days during the Crusades in the Byzantine era. Check out a concert at the partially restored amphitheater, or dive in Caesarea’s sunken harbor and underwater archaelogical park. Ancient ruins, including the remains of Herod’s palace, sit along the coastline. A state-of-the-art visitor center offers a historical perspective, complete with famous figures presented as hologram tour guides: King Herod, Rabbi Akiva, the Apostle Paul, and Hannah Senesh. Right outside the park’s boundaries, find a modern city with restaurants, cafés, and some eclectic galleries selling wine, cheese, olive oil, and jewelry—plus a lovely stretch of Mediterranean beach.

Located in Ueno Park, the Tokyo National Museum is Japan‘s oldest museum, featuring an impressive collection of national treasures and important cultural properties. Aside from the permanent collection, there are special exhibitions with themes such as the tea ceremony, Japanese swords, and overseas treasures. Allow time to enjoy the expansive park, which blossoms in the spring and has gorgeous fall colors.