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Sealine Beach is located just 30 minutes to the south of Doha, close to the town of Mesaieed and its Sealine Beach Resort. This long stretch of beach offers a variety of water sports equipment for rent. For those who prefer to play in the sand, dune buggies and quad bikes are available for hire at the resort, where visitors can have lunch, drinks, or book a room for the night.

When it opened in December 1999, the Burj al Arab—a sail-shaped, all-suite skyscraper hotel built on an artificial island—put Dubai on the map as an over-the-top travel destination and became a landmark. Even today, the Burj al Arab sets the standard for outsized luxury with Rolls-Royce airport pickups, a helipad, gold-plated iPads, and butler-serviced duplex suites equipped with beds with mirrored ceilings, double Jacuzzi bathtubs, and full-size Hermès toiletries. The cool architectural exterior conceals a vivid interior with acres of gold leaf, dancing fountains, and room decor so distractingly jazzy that it may make guests feel as though they’ve drunk the world’s largest cup of Arabic coffee. (This is not the place for admirers of subtlety or minimalism.) The Terrace, an ambitious project even by Dubai standards, added nearly 2.5 acres of cabana, beach, pool, and restaurant space to the resort in 2016. Come sunset, though, the place to be is the 27th-floor Skyview bar.

Located along a stretch of coastline that’s sometimes called the birthplace of jerk cuisine, the Boston Bay Jerk Center is hard to miss. Various meats are cook on open pits using a technique that may explain why jerk never tastes so good at home: Uncured pimento logs are placed over a bed of hot coals, and the meat is laid directly on the green logs. The whole operation is then covered up by a sheet of corrugated zinc and cooked until it’s black on the outside and tender underneath. You can place your order by the quarter, half, or full pound. Don’t forget to add jerk sauce, which you can also buy by the bottle as a souvenir.

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.

Few places in North America are anchored in a heritage like the Pueblo of Taos. This is the longest inhabited living arrangement in the US. The Pueblo still has ten families of around 150 native people working to maintain the culture and the adobe architecture for generations to come. A living artifact, the past and present form a delicate harmony to produce a unique travel experience. The environment says a lot about the sustainability of this community. Tucked up against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, with the Rio flowing through the center of the Pueblo, the inhabitants have maintained their lifestyle through wars, disease, cultural genocide and environmental impact to survive. From the efficiency of their adobe walls to provide comfort against extreme heat and cold, to the guiding wisdom of elders to keep the Pueblo vibrant, the way of life preserved within these walls is a testament to the strength and vision of native people, connected to this land with over a thousand years of tradition.

Medellín’s botanical garden is a 35-acre oasis of green amid the bustling city. Stroll through lush tropical vegetation, towering trees, and flowering bushes to a quiet, picturesque pond amid the gardens. Or peek into a butterfly farm, a maze, and an orchid exhibit beneath an arbor. The gardens are a public space for all sorts of activities like yoga, martial-arts classes, and outdoor movie screenings; a farmers’ market for organic goods takes place the first Sunday of every month. The park is also home to one of Medellín’s best restaurants, In Situ, which in addition to its normal gourmet fare sells lunchtime picnic baskets—complete with red-and-white-checkered blankets and a bottle of wine—to enjoy on the garden grounds.

The Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen, a luxurious beach paradise on the Riviera Maya, is among the area’s newest resorts. Set on Mamitas Beach, just one block from the popular Quinta Ave., the resort houses 314 rooms and suites - some of them “swim-up” rooms with direct access to a pool. Rooms feature high-speed internet, Wi-Fi, HD TV, lap-top safe, coffee-maker, mini-bar and more luxe amenities. Sweeping views of the Caribbean and a world-class spa offering a host of soothing signature treatments pave the way for tranquility in this chic bohemian enclave. Ocean-front infinity pools, a collection of restaurants and bars dishing up Mexican and Caribbean cuisine, as well as fresh seafood and steak, promise R&R along with tasty treats. Camp Hyatt provides entertainment for kids and teens - assuring the perfect escape for the whole family.

The longest beach on Little Exuma is a stunning stretch of powder-white sand that is officially called Pelican Beach but more commonly called Tropic of Cancer Beach because it sits directly on the Tropic of Cancer latitude line—the dividing line between the subtropics and the tropics. This navigational line is marked on the pavement atop the stairs leading to the beach. Even without it, the beach would be well worth a visit—it’s often empty of visitors, and the calm turquoise waters and gently sloping, white-sand seafloor make it a great place to swim and sunbathe.

When it comes to street eats in Hong Kong, egg waffles are the ultimate comfort food. Griddled into a sheet of egg-shaped bubbles, the iconic snack is crisp on the outside, and chewy on the inside. There are plenty of places to find it, but Lee Keung Kee in Kowloon’s North Point neighborhood is beloved among locals.

This shopping plaza restaurant—set in the chilled-out, North Shore surf town of Hale‘iwa—evokes deeply nostalgic, yearning sighs from big-city folks. It is, quite possibly, the state’s best Thai food. But be prepared for cash only, erratic opening hours, no reservations, massive queues, lengthy waits for food once seated, and a highly variable menu. The chef-owner Opal quizzes patrons about their preferences... and then starts cooking. Man, are the results ever worth any slight inconveniences! Too hungry to wait? Stroll 0.2 miles north to tasty Rajanee Thai, which has a small dining room, as well as a takeaway window and outdoor picnic benches. Like many North Shore eateries, both establishments are BYOB: Long Drugs across from Opal sells adult beverages.

This small, undeveloped beach with views to St. Kitts is for couples, not kids. Located down a short path from the highway, the beach has an unspoken rule to come back later if you see another car parked on the shoulder—sort of the Nevis version of the towel on the doorknob. Not only does this system preserve privacy, it helps ensure that Lovers Beach remains one of the most secluded spots in the Caribbean.

Vancouver’s most famous urban space, the thousand-acre Stanley Park, epitomizes everything that locals here love about the outdoors, and visitors have many ways to explore the expansive grounds. Hiking trails weave around totem poles and hemlock trees, while at the beaches, you can swim, people-watch and picnic. Rent a bike or a pair of in-line skates for a scenic ride along the Seawall, or wander through the many gardens where rhododendrons, azaleas and roses bloom.

On the northeast coast in the Cap Estate area, you’ll find the lovely Cas en Bas Beach. The white-sand beach around a C-shaped bay offers some fun diversions, including horses—you can ride on the sand and even venture a bit into the water—as well as kitesurfers and windsurfers who take advantage of the steady trade winds. A visit will provide you with a contrast to the beach experience on the calmer, busier Caribbean coastline. On the weekend, locals come to fish and picnic. Another draw to the beach is one of the island’s most popular local restaurants and bars, the rustic Marjorie’s Beach Bar, which serves up local food and ambience.

This beach is remote, but worth the trip—especially at low tide when the tide pools are full of sea stars, sea urchins, and green anemones. It’s about a mile on foot from the Coastal Trail trailhead, past Nickel Creek campground, to the sandy and empty beach. Where you go from there or how long you spend walking around the tide pools is up to you. Winter landslides can temporarily close trail access to the Nickel Creek campsite and to the beach from the campsite. The park’s visitor center has the most updated information as well as tide schedules. There are also occasional ranger-led tide-pool walks.

The Lobster Palace scores high on service, seaside ambience, and Caribbean charm. At this northwestern, coastal hotspot, the signature crustaceans are boat-to-bib fresh and served flambéed or pan-fried in massive portions. Note that, when the waves kick up and ground the fishing fleet, the restaurant can sometimes run out of lobster. Never fear, however, as the chef turns out other great dishes like tenderloin, moules frites, and shrimp in coconut sauce that are just as satisfying.