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Tsavo East National Park was created in 1948, making it one of the oldest National Parks in Kenya. Situated in the east of Kenya, halfway between Nairobi and the coast, this is a beautiful, wild and hot place (the heat rises as you lose altitude coming from Nairobi) that retains a lot of its original splendour. One of the most special reasons to visit Tsavo East is for sights of the soil-covered, rusty-red elephants playing in the shady Galana River waters. Some of these were once orphans at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and have now been released back into the wild.

After exploring Chichén Itzá, hop in a taxi at the site’s main entrance and head to lunch at Hacienda Chichén Itzá. The restaurant offers two different menus, one focusing on indigenous dishes and the other featuring fusion plates. Consider ordering some from each and sharing with your tablemates. One of the standouts is the pollo pibil, featuring chicken instead of the region’s more traditional pulled pork. But if suckling pig appeals, don’t leave without trying the house specialty of cochinita pibil.Marinated in annatto paste and citrus juices, the pig is is wrapped in banana leaves, and cooked underground. Seating options range from antique tables and chairs inside elegant dining rooms to the more casual tables on the terrace overlooking the gardens where much of the restaurant’s produce is grown.

The Newseum is an interactive, ever-evolving tribute to our First Amendment freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. Powerful exhibits such as eight sections of the Berlin Wall (the largest display outside Germany) provide historical context for the importance of free press, while timely exhibits about the civil rights movement provoke reflection on the progress of achieving equality. The daily-updated “Front Pages” gallery of local, national, and international publications is a comparative study on current events, while the archive of headlines highlighting momentous events from the 1400s through today is an engaging history lesson. Peruse Pulitzer Prize–winning photography, enjoy panoramic views down Pennsylvania Avenue, and test your journalistic skills with a recorded mock-broadcast—reading a teleprompter is not as easy as you may think!

The Uffizi Gallery might get more attention, but the Palazzo Pitti across the river is the largest museum complex in Florence. The vast Renaissance palace itself has been owned by the Medici family, used by Napoleon, and repurposed as home to King Victor Emmanuel III. Today you can visit rooms that house Renaissance paintings by Titian, Raphael, and Rubens; a lavish Medici silver and jewelry collection; a collection of fine European porcelain; and a costume collection. An all-in-one ticket grants entrance to each of the museums: Museo Argenti, Galleria Costume, and Museo Porcellane, as well as the Boboli and Bardini gardens.

For decades, the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium operated quietly, visitors referred by word of mouth for strolls through the family-owned one-acre grounds. Then Instagram happened. Thanks to social media, this collection of exotic desert plants, succulents, and crystals dating to the 1930s now sees hundreds of people per day. The second-generation members of the Moorten family, who still manage the garden, make sure the grounds are impeccable. There’s plenty to see year-round—the garden is open daily, except Wednesdays—but the best time to visit is in April to late August, when you’ll find it abloom. Tours led by master gardeners several times daily reveal the fascinating stories behind the plants; desert shrubs, succulents, and garden supplies are also for sale. Whether you believe it’s from the crystals or not, the place is charged with positivity and peace. Pro tips: Arrive early to nab a shaded table for a bring-your-own picnic. And if you run into proprietor Clark Moorten, ask him about his childhood trips through Central and South America in search of specimens for the collection.

Once the center of commerce in Charleston, the City Market is now the heart of tourism. Although its location near the cruise terminal can make it feel like a kitschy open-air market in the Caribbean, the tackiness is part of its charm. Yes, you’ll find Christmas ornaments painted with Rainbow Row and enough cutely packaged pralines to give you a stomachache, but you’ll also see Gullah artisans weaving the finest examples of sweetgrass baskets available. Peak season brings 140 different merchants, and weekends include live music and food vendors. The market’s a requisite stop for any visitor and a one-stop gift shop for loved ones back home.

A Hawaiian fantasyland on Oahu’s more remote leeward coast, about 40 minutes from Waikiki, Aulani is so seductive—for all ages—that many guests are loath to leave the property at all. And who can blame them? The beach is an idyllic cove (albeit a man-made one) stocked with kayaks, boogie boards, and everything else little beach bums could want. Then there are the three pools, including one for adults only and one filled with tropical fish for snorkelers-in-training, two impressive waterslides, and the biggest crowd-pleaser of them all, a 900-foot-long lazy river where guests, big and small, splash around on inner tubes as they meander around a faux-rock grotto. Goofy, Minnie, Mickey, and the rest—all in their vacation outfits—make occasional cameos at the breakfast buffet or by (sometimes, in) the pool. But while Aulani is most assuredly every kid’s dream, it is not every parent’s nightmare. The resort decor is more traditionally Hawaiian than obnoxiously Magic Kingdom; the lobby is built to recall an old canoe house, on a grand scale, and is covered in murals, painted by local artists, depicting island life. Hawaiian storytellers gather around a fire pit at night, and rooms have warm woods, with a single subtle reference to the Mouse King—a wooden carving of Mickey with a surfboard and ukulele that doubles as a desk lamp. Perhaps best of all, the Aulani has an outstanding, supervised kids’ club that’s free to guests ages 3 to 12. Babysitters are available for kids as young as six weeks old.

This cultural center with studios and offices for musicians is also a restaurant that focuses on hot dogs (yes, and they are very good!) and a music venue for alternative and world music. Totally relaxed with a nice little garden outside.

Much like when it picked then-up-and-coming Shoreditch for its first London hotel, The Hoxton brand put its Paris outpost in the heart of the 2nd Arrondissement, a booming neighborhood thanks to the arrival of several millennial-focused start-ups and tech firms. The 18th-century building’s position is also convenient for exploring the city, as attractions like the Louvre, the Marais, and Notre-Dame are a pleasant walk away. Back at home base, you’ll find eclectic interiors courtesy of the Soho House team, with original architectural details like spiral staircases and mosaic floors sharing space with vibrant floral wallpaper, mid-century-inspired furnishings, and hand-picked contemporary artwork. It’s all in keeping with The Hoxton’s emphasis on shared social spaces, so along with the comfy lobby lounges, you’ll find guests hanging out in the Rivié brasserie (which serves all-day menus of French fare and comfort food classics in both indoor and courtyard areas) and the cozy Jacques Bar (where Moroccan influences show up in the décor and the drinks list).

For the location of their first independent hotel, Atelier Ace (the creative arm behind the buzzy Ace Hotel Group) chose Panama City’s historic Casco Viejo, a once gang-ridden neighborhood now teeming with trendy restaurants, cafes, and wine bars in 16th- and 17th-century buildings. The American Trade Hotel occupies a stately property on Plaza Tómas Herrera, complete with 50 minimal-chic rooms and suites outfitted in Frette linens and custom, reclaimed-wood furnishings. Plush “Jardin” suites open onto a private garden courtyard, while others feature vaulted ceilings or views of the Gulf of Panama. On-site dining and drinking options abound, ranging from Café Unido for pour-over coffee made from Panama Geisha beans, to a jazz club created by Grammy-winning Panamanian jazz pianist and composer Danilo Perez.

The site of the now-demolished Brinks Hotel Officers Quarters—which housed U.S. military members during the Vietnam War—has been transformed into this oasis in the heart of the city. Opened in 2005 and renovated in 2015, the Park Hyatt has been crafted in a French colonial style, with lots of polished wood, wrought iron, and oversize windows. The 245 rooms are elegant and airy, mixing classic furnishings with high-tech perks like mini iPads and sensor lighting systems; all suites feature elevated design touches like hand-embroidered textiles, lacquerware pieces, and period antiques, while some offer private terraces or direct access to the pool and gardens. Considered to be among the best in the city, the hotel’s dining options include Square One, for gourmet Western and Vietnamese fare, and Opera, where Italian favorites are whipped up in the open kitchen. Enjoy live music nightly (and the popular Saturday afternoon tea buffet) at the Park Lounge and cocktails and DJs on the weekends at 2 Lam Son. If you’re looking for something a bit more chill, head to the Xuan Spa for a treatment performed with locally grown herbs, fruits, and grains.

The present-day Summer Palace is China’s largest royal park and was once called the Garden of Cultivated Harmony. It took its current name when Empress Dowager Cixi, in a controversial action, used some money earmarked for the navy and rebuilt the park, which had been destroyed during the second Opium War in the mid-19th century. It was damaged again during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. Imperial rule in China ended in 1901, and in 1924 the Summer Palace opened to the public. The grounds are covered in traditional Chinese pavilions, halls, and temples. A nice way to take a load off after touring the palace’s extensive grounds and buildings is to tool around the placid lake in a pedal boat or rowboat.

Tahiti is home to some of the most beautiful hiking trails in Polynesia. Stops can include spectacular waterfalls and natural pools, panoramic views, grottos, archeological sites and lava tubes. A favorite hike is to the three Faarumai waterfalls. From the car park it is a quick scramble through a forest of chestnut trees to the first waterfall, Vaimahutu. Continue on for another 20 minutes or so to reach the other to falls Haamarere Iti and Haamarere Rahi, which are almost side-by-side. With hundreds of varieties of tropical trees, plants and flowers, Tahiti also has some of the world’s most beautiful gardens. Visit the water gardens of Vaipahi to experience the abundant flora and waterfalls that flow directly into Lake Vaihiria.

Deep in the red-rock country of central Southern Utah, this hidden gem of a national park doesn’t draw much attention to itself, making it a great place to avoid the crowds. It’s situated along most of the nearly 100-mile-long Waterpocket Fold, a classic geologic monocline created by a shift in the rock layers. The majority of guests here drive the main road through the north-central section, where the visitor center is located, but there’s lots to see in Cathedral Valley in the far north and Strike Valley in the far south as well.

Why we love it: An architectural landmark beautifully transformed into a five-star hotel

The Highlights:
- Elegant design touches like marble-inlaid floors and a gold-leafed stairway
- Urban hot springs for soaking even in the snow
- A rooftop lounge with views of the city and Lake Erie

The Review:
Opened in 1913 at the height of Buffalo’s boomtown years, this historic building originally served as office space. At six stories, it was considered a Chicago-style skyscraper and enjoyed pride of place as one of the city’s tallest buildings. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008 and underwent a $25 million makeover in 2017 to become the Curtiss—Buffalo’s only five-star hotel. The renovation added elegant touches like marble cornices, which are illuminated by brightly colored lights each evening, and a fountain at the main entrance, where iron taps stream into marble basins. Other extraordinary design moments include the marble-inlaid floor in the foyer, a gold-leafed stairway, and the glamorous Jazz Age mosaic by artist Christopher Guy behind the front desk. Lest it start to feel stuffy, however, the hotel also includes contemporary touches like “urban hot springs” where guests can soak outdoors no matter the season.

Set in Buffalo’s thriving Theatre District, the Curtiss has 68 rooms with premium linens, bedside control panels, and marble bathrooms with luxurious showers. Some even feature Toto toilets with heated seats, as well as steam showers and aromatherapy jetted tubs. When it’s time for drinks, high-speed elevators whisk guests to the VUE Rooftop Lounge, complete with three bars, a massive fire pit, and sweeping views of downtown Buffalo. For dinner, there’s also the standout Chez Ami restaurant, which features year-round patio seating and Western New York’s only revolving bar.