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Chiang Mai residents tend to think that their city beats Bangkok when it comes to bohemian spirit. And the presence of occasionally experimental venues such as the North Gate Jazz Co-Op does much to strengthen that case. There’s a blissfully uncommercial freedom to this spot. The shophouse interior is crammed with musicians and patrons, while the party busts outdoors to the tables set on the sidewalk. As you might expect from the name, jazz is the order of the day here. Local and visiting instrumentalists come to play sets and to stretch out in jam sessions. The results aren’t always music to everyone’s ears, but the variety of genres encapsulates the loose, fun ethos of the place.

With the smallest room a sprawling 400 square feet, and suites and public spaces filled with original 18th- and 19th-century art and antiques, the George V, flagship of the Four Seasons chain, lives up to its billing as a palace, an official tourism category introduced in 2010 requiring establishments to “embody French standards of excellence and contribute to enhancing the image of France throughout the world.” Set in a 1928 art deco building, the Four Seasons Hotel George V boasts a regular clientele of bona fide royals, including Saudi princes who rent entire floors for six weeks at a stretch. The staff includes a team of flower designers led by an art director who worked on Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. There’s also a dedicated concierge for children ordering up pint-sized bathrobes and private pastry-making lessons in the Michelin-starred kitchen.

When Southern Ocean Lodge, the flagship property of Australian hotel brand Baillie Lodges, opened in 2008, it was Kangaroo Island’s first true luxury lodge, known for its cinematic spot atop grass-covered limestone cliffs, with curved guest suites facing the namesake seas. Surrounded on three sides by national parks, Southern Ocean Lodge connected travelers with Australia’s powerful natural landscapes. Then in early January 2020, wildfires consumed more than half of Kangaroo Island, reducing the ecological paradise to sandy hills and blackened branches. Southern Ocean Lodge was a casualty of the blaze.


As AFAR’s Katherine LaGrave reported in her feature on the island, rebuilding began in earnest in February 2022, with the goal of becoming more sustainable: “The new lodge will use 25 percent less energy than the original lodge, and diesel fuel consumption will be halved. There will be rainwater harvesting, reliance on a hybrid solar-and-battery system, and elevated boardwalks to minimize impact on the health of coastal plants. Smart landscaping will create a sort of buffer around the lodge.”



Along with the new sustainable choices, the lodge has replicated the footprint of the original property, with 25 guest rooms slightly reoriented to optimize sea views. A new ultra-premium suite, the Ocean Pavilion, has up to four bedrooms and bathrooms (or two separate suites) with an outdoor terrace and private pool. And the ever-popular main lodge still has a Great Room with a suspended fireplace and a deck with a plunge pool that juts toward the sea.

To explore this national park, visitors travel on foot and by boat along estuaries through thick mangrove forests and over plank bridges in dense stretches of jungle. The park’s freshwater wetlands and evergreen forests provide a healthy habitat for hundreds of species of animals, but there are pristine beaches here, too.

Stretched out from the northwest corner of the island like a small arm, Pigeon Island is a historical landmark and a satisfying all-in-one nature, beach, and hiking escape minutes from Rodney Bay Marina. The 44-acre mountainous green plot is home to the preserved ruins of British military forts and garrisons; the Brits chased the Caribs out and used the islet to monitor French activity. Walk among the ruins, and hike up to the cannons of Fort Rodney, where the lookout point offers a breathtaking panoramic view of St. Lucia’s coastline and the sea below, dotted with sailboats. Hike down to the beach for a swim and a toast to history at Jambe de Bois, a restaurant on the water.

There are few places where you can better learn about the beauty and complexity of desert ecology than the Desert Botanical Garden, not far from downtown Phoenix. Check out the Desert Discovery Loop Trail for a look at local flora, go for a flashlight tour or cooking class (using plants found in the region, of course), or catch one of the musical performances that are part of the garden’s concert series. Make a point to visit the Desert Terrace Garden for the best views of the surrounding buttes and desert.

Scuba divers flock to this diving paradise, as the island sits right on the cusp of “wreck alley.” On shore, the island is home to a handful of private homes and one seriously cool eco hotel (the Cooper Island Beach Club) that makes their own micro-brewed beer with solar power at the Cooper Island Brewing Co. on site.

A prime specimen of the region, Garibaldi Fjord is known for its beautiful glaciers, which rise as tall as New York skyscrapers. The glaciers extend across a series of steep mountains and valleys, but they still harbor a rich ecosystem of plants and wildlife. As your ship passes by the fjord, watch for Andean condors, sea lions, Magellanic penguins and possibly even a pod of orcas. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a glacier splinter and calve, dropping an enormous chunk of ice into the sea. Fun fact about glacial ice: It has no air in it, so if you put a piece in a drink, it will sink to the bottom rather than float. Some glacial ice has remained in a frozen state for tens of thousands of years.

One of the most popular anchorages in the BVI, Cane Garden Bay is home to a lively boating community. It makes a great day trip, whether you arrive by land or by sea. In this scenic cove, calm blue water laps a gentle arc of blinding white sand. Open-air beach bars offer lounge chairs and rum drinks; a few shops sell souvenirs, along with provisions for the sailors coming in off their boats to stock up.

Open every day for lunch and dinner, this casual spot next to the Fort Myers Beach pier has been around for more than two decades. Grab a spot on the outdoor terrace overlooking the sand for mango ceviche made with Gulf shrimp and bay scallops, or the more-adventurous gator tail platter. For an extra lively scene, go during happy hour at the grill or the twice-daily live music at Famous Blowfish Bar. With an always-on-vacation vibe, this spot keeps the party going from early until late.

Just 14 kilometers (less than nine miles) from La Serena, the white-sand La Herradura Beach is ideal for swimming and relaxing, as the water is warm and nearly as placid as an outdoor pool. On-site lockers mean you don’t have to worry about keeping an eye on your stuff when you want to take a dip.

A café, a restaurant and a cabaret all in one, the Ritz Madeira exemplifies Funchal’s pulse and exuberance. Established in 1905 by textile merchant Christian Ritz as a charming café for businessmen and other members of high society, it’s still a popular spot for high tea and soirées. Stop by for lunch, a homemade gelato or late afternoon cocktails.

There is perhaps no landmark of San Francisco, and perhaps even the entire state of California, more iconic than the Golden Gate Bridge. This much-photographed bridge spans the Golden Gate, the strait separating San Francisco (to the south) and Marin County (to the north). The 2.7-kilometer-long (1.7-mile-long) bridge was completed in 1937 in one of the most remarkable engineering feats of its time. Although the idea of traversing the Golden Gate by way of a bridge had been discussed for decades, the fear that fog and wind would make the project nearly impossible discouraged planners. In the end, the bridge was completed in four years at the cost of $35 million as well as the lives of 10 construction workers. A pedestrian path along the bridge offers stunning views of the bay and San Francisco as well as an up-close look at this Art Deco wonder.

This city is laid out in a grid system—seven streets by seven streets. Although established in 1751, Frederiksted was rebuilt in 1878 in a Victorian gingerbread style following a great fire due to a labor revolt. St. Patrick’s church, which was constructed in the 1840s, is an impressive sight. Other buildings of note include the Customs House and the eponymous fort. Steps from the pier, Frederiksted Beach has chair, umbrella and paddleboard rentals.

There are certainly flashier beach clubs on Capri, but Torre Saracena is a relaxed place with killer views of the Faraglioni rock formation and a terrific restaurant that locals love. For the beach part of the equation, swim in the transparent aquamarine waters and lounge on the narrow beach of white pebbles or the wooden deck built over the water and set with chairs and umbrellas. For the restaurant part, head to the terrace over the beach. The food there is extraordinary. Try tiny, pepper-flecked sautéed shrimp, cold octopus salad, and pasta e piselli, a comforting mix of basil, peas, cheese, and spaghetti. (To call the food “locally sourced” is an understatement: Beside the kitchen door, some shallow saltwater pools are filled with live oysters, clams, and lobster.)