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Turning off the highway into Volcano Village, the one-street town leading into Volcanoes National Park, first-time visitors might think they just made a right turn into Oregon. Cool, misty, and thick with giant ferns, this corner of the Big Island is a small but serious rain forest, nourished mightily by eons of volcanic soil and abundant rainfall. Well concealed down one of the quiet side streets, in their rainforest property, are the four one-bedroom cottages that make up the Volcano Rainforest Retreat. Each is unique—one has a sleeping loft, another is a perfect hexagon, a third has a full kitchen. But with their cedar walls and ample windows and shoji screens, they bring to mind Japanese country houses.


A stone pathway even leads to a Japanese soaking tub sitting outdoors beneath a moss-covered pergola. Interiors have eclectic, tasteful furnishings (leather club chairs, farmhouse-style quilts, handmade ceramics) that make each one feel like the guesthouse of a good friend. Though kids are allowed, and futons are available for extra guests, the setting is best for quiet twosomes, rather than families or boisterous groups of friends, as guest quarters are fairly close to one another. That, and in the hush of the rain forest, loud voices just won’t do.

The Culinary Institute of America opened in the former Copia building in 2017, and, in doing so, resuscitated a vision of a foodie attraction in downtown Napa that celebrates the valley’s long and colorful epicurean history. The facility, originally built by the Mondavi family as a food and wine center, now operates as a cooking school and gastrohub, complete with classes, tasting experiences, panel discussions, and art collections. There’s also a restaurant where visitors can dine on food prepared by CIA student chefs-in-training, and a store that rivals Sur La Table for its selection of kitchenware. In spring and summer, be sure to stroll the culinary gardens, which are so large they stretch across First Street.

Located in Santa Teresa, Aprazível is foodie heaven in a welcoming atmosphere. The name says it all—aprazível is Portuguese for pleasant or pleasurable—a meaning that becomes clear as soon as you take in its intensely orange, intensely Rio sunset views. The kitchen calls the food roots cuisine: moqueca (fish stew), hearts of palm, Amazon fishes, coconut rice, plus excellent steaks and chops. Naturally there are typically Rio desserts, as well as tropical drinks and artisanal beers. The Brazilians love it, and out-of-towners do too; if you add it all up, you’ve got the quintessential Carioca experience.

These fun slot canyons are just under 30 miles from the town of Escalante down the unpaved Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Easy day—or even half-day—adventures, the canyons are carved from the iconic red Navajo sandstone and are usually completely dry. There’s some light scrambling involved, but nothing kids can’t handle. However, the walls get so narrow at some points that most adults need to turn sideways to get through. For the ultimate experience, connect the two slots by going up one and down the other.

A Philly must-do list should include a stop at the bronze Rocky statue (commissioned by Sylvester Stallone for Rocky III and reluctantly erected in its current place by the Philadelphia Museum of Art), a Rocky-inspired run (or walk) up the steps, and, of course, a visit inside the legendary institution itself. The impressive collection includes holdings from the medieval period to the present, with art and sculpture dating back as far as the Renaissance, and one of the finest collections of American art in the country. Popular galleries include ones devoted to Asian works, Impressionism, photography, and costumes and textiles. Not interested in art? You’ll still want to see the arms-and-armor rooms, which display the second-largest collection in the U.S. Devote some time to strolling through the outdoor sculpture garden, or take a shuttle to the nearby Perelman Building galleries. On the first Sunday of each month, the admission fee is pay-what-you-wish.

Although this popular Prenzlauer Berg café only opened in 2005, it feels as if it has been part of the neighborhood forever. Lines from the 1919 poem by Kurt Schwitters that provided the café’s name adorn the walls alongside a reproduction of an Alphonse Mucha mural, and the interior has a classic art deco look (red leather banquettes, marble-topped tables, and red curtains) that perfectly matches the traditional German menu of breakfasts and lunches. It’s most famous for the former, including muesli and egg and crepe dishes, as well as elegant, bountiful tiered platters that brim with meats, cheeses, and fruits. Come early on weekends to beat the local families to a table, especially on the outdoor patio, which is perfectly positioned for people-watching.

Up until 2004, Switzerland’s iconic furry friends—St. Bernard dogs—were bred at this monastery and hospice. While the canines have been relocated, the Great St. Bernard Hospice, which sits on a barren, treeless plane at 8,100 feet, is still an active monastery run by Augustinian monks. The steep four-mile ascent from the valley is a killer on foot, but still doable—on groomed trails in summer and on snowshoes in winter. Inside, monks greet you and show you to communal tables in the stone dining hall where vegetable soups are served with hunks of Bagnes cheese, thick slices of brown bread, and honey-sweetened tea (or a carafe of red Dôle wine produced in the Valais region just below, which seems to be the more popular option). Don’t miss the odd museum, displaying local taxidermy, ancient coins, and maps once used for Alpine crossings; the 800-year-old crypt is allegedly stuffed with the bodies of ancient travelers who didn’t survive the journey. A register of “Les passants célèbres” includes Charlemagne, Napoleon, and Alexandré Dumas but omits Charles Dickens, who lived nearby for a summer.

The Berns knows how to party. A Gilded Age palace of luxury and hospitality in the center of Stockholm, the opulent building began life in 1863 as a restaurant, before transforming into a hot nightlife spot. When it was reinvented as a decadent boutique hotel filled with understatedly luxurious modern decor (there’s that signature Scandinavian style), the Berns combined those pasts, opening not only one of the city’s top restaurants—in a previous iteration, Asiatiska was Sweden’s first Chinese restaurant—but some of its coolest bars and dance clubs, one of its most sought-after concert venues, and some of its most exclusive electronic music clubs. Suffice it to say that, although the gilded, airy main bar and dining room is always lively, filled with attractive, designer-clad Swedes, the building practically buzzes come evening. Not that any of this scene disturbs the rooms upstairs, because the second most important part of a good night out is a good sleep, and the Berns doesn’t disappoint there, either.

Occupying 25 floors of a 90-story tower on West 57th Street, Park Hyatt New York opened its doors in August 2014. There is an emphasis on art at this sleek hotel, with museum-quality pieces on display in both the common areas and the spacious, light-filled rooms. A rotating art program in the hotel’s Avenue Gallery space features rotating exhibits with emerging artists from around the world.

Old San Juan offers historically and culturally significant experiences including a walk through 500-year-old forts, visits to UNESCO sites, historic churches, museums, the second oldest cathedral in the Americas and Ponce de Leon’s mansion. Cobblestone streets and pastel buildings are perfect for exploration during the day and variety of restaurants and shops make for a complementary evening.

The opening of Pamushana, Singita’s only lodge in Zimbabwe, signified an important turn in Zimbabwe tourism. Political issues deterred travelers from visiting Zimbabwe through the 1990s and early 2000s, but now, the tides are turning. The lodge is set atop a rocky hill at the edge of the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve. After a significant design transformation, it now features striking interiors and two-bedroom suites inspired by the local Shangaan culture and surrounding landscape. Guests can also look forward to a cliff-top fire pit and suspended bar with 270-degree views of the reserve. Another highlight of a stay at this lodge is the sunset dinner in the bush among the ancient baobab trees. The villa plus the six suites each look out over the Malilangwe dam.

It may be only 22 miles west of San Juan, but Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve feels a world away. The resort has a spectacular location on a three-mile stretch of beach on Puerto Rico’s north shore, where Clara Livingston once ran a sugar plantation—and Amelia Earhart visited before departing for her fateful world tour. In 1958, Livingston sold the property to Laurance S. Rockefeller, who turned it into the first of his legendary Rock Resorts. Known for his green streak, he designed the hotel to respect the local beauty, mandating that buildings could not be taller than the surrounding palm trees.

The Ritz-Carlton—which reopened in October 2018 after a meticulous restoration following Hurricane Maria—pays homage to that original vision. Here, every room is beachfront, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that disappear into ocean views, plus deep soaking tubs, outdoor showers shaded by gardens, and either spacious balconies or private plunge pools. As part of the property’s renovation, rooms were refreshed with a color palette that amplifies the natural beauty just beyond the doors. Additionally, the grounds showcase 3,000 new plant species, the spa is offering new locally inspired treatments and cuisine, Encanto Beach Club Bar & Grill features a refreshed dinner menu, and the Positivo Sandbar debuted an omakase and ceviche bar directly on the sand. There’s even an entirely reimagined signature restaurant, Coa, which serves farm-to-table fare cooked on the grill. Still standing strong on the verdant, 1,400-acre grounds are the five 18-hole championship golf courses. The biggest challenge is pulling yourself away from the luxury of the resort to tee up a shot.

Since 2013, patrons from around the world have found this little place in Kailua-Kona and raved about the fall-from-the-bone ribs marinated in homemade Kona Coffee Steak Rub and the pineapple slaw. Like home cooking at a backyard BBQ, you’ll be greeted with smiles, seated outdoors under umbrellas, and served a beachy BBQ to remember. And, if you don’t get quite enough, TJ’s bottles up their BBQ sauce and Kona Coffee Steak Rub so you can bring the flavors home.

Every story about Chatham Bars Inn surely features the veranda, a wide porch with companionable groupings of wicker armchairs and table service that alleviates the need to fetch your own drink—so you never have to look away from the serene view of sailboats and swooping seabirds.

Chatham Bars Inn excels memory making and, in addition to spaces like the verandah that make you feel you’re part of a generous and grand tradition, this Cape Cod resort has created intimate places (a small library, a settee in front of a fireplace, a private deck outside your cottage, chairs arrayed around a fire on the beach) where your private traditions will be forged.

It faces the aptly named Pleasant Bay, calm waters sheltered from the Atlantic surf by barrier islands. And you’ll find it’s impossible to forget where you are: The fleet of sailboats and fishing boats and runabouts keep the ocean top of mind while the creative menus in the dining venues (centered around the catch of the day and the seasonal produce from their own eight-acre farm) are likely the most locavore of any property of this caliber.

Originally built as a private hunting lodge, the inn has been in business since 1914, which means many guests have been coming here since childhood. This curated version of a Cape Cod beach vacation is a decades-long habit for those guests—and one that new arrivals may be inspired to adopt. Pride of place is strong here and guests get caught up in it, too. While you don’t have to shuck the clams or dig the potatoes yourself (though those could probably be arranged upon request), you will never feel insulated from the experience of this distinctive part of New England.

Located at the luxe Six Senses Laamu, Sip Sip has an ever-changing menu made up of dishes that are the result of collaboration between the chef and resort gardeners, who tend an organic garden of 40 different herbs and vegetables. Using only fresh ingredients, the culinary team creates a different starter, salad, pizza, and dessert every day, all served poolside in a sunken bar area—more farm-to-pool than farm-to-table. Favorites include the panfried goat-cheese salad with mango compote and juicy cherry tomatoes, and the crispy Thai fish cake on a peanut-and-green-mango salad.