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Cancún’s best-known mall offers travelers an easy-to-reach location in the heart of the Hotel Zone. Known to locals simply as Plaza La Isla, this outdoor shopping center is a lovely spot to beat the heat thanks to its Venetian frippery (think winding canals), playful fountains, and ice cream parlors. The Marina area, with a restaurant row overlooking Nichupté Lagoon, is a top photo op. Reached via the designer shops in the Fashion Harbor section, it faces west and is ideal for catching the sun setting over the water.

Overlooking Chesterman Beach, the Wickaninnish Inn, or “the Wick,” as locals call it, offers 75 cabinlike rooms with Adirondack-style furnishings. Amenities include a library stocked with board games and movies, a spa that offers West Coast–inspired treatments, and guided hikes to nearby tide pools every Saturday morning. Swing by the Henry Nolla Carving Shed on the beach, where local wood carvers⎯“Feather” George Yearsley, for one⎯craft wooden objects such as eagle feathers, dugout canoes, jewelry boxes, and First Nations masks. From $460. 500 Osprey Ln., (250) 725-3100. Image courtesy of Wickaninnish Inn

It was raining when we arrived in Donostia-San Sebastian, but the skies cleared on our second day, and we rode the funicular railway up Mount Igueldo to take in the view back on the city, La Concha Bay, and the empty beach. The “low” travel season had just begun, and the strange little children’s amusement park on the mountaintop had shuttered up for the fall and winter, adding just the right disorienting touch of weird desolation to the Basque country panorama.

Tucked among the pristine rain forests of Kauai’s remote North Shore, Princeville Resort’s lush 9,000 acres feel like they’re straight out of South Pacific. In fact, the classic musical used neighboring Mount Makana as a stand-in for Bali Hai. The peak’s verdant slopes are visible from many of the property’s 251 rooms, which are clad in ocean- and floral-inspired hues and outfitted with custom wood furnishings and marble baths, but the real draws lie elsewhere on the property: in the private snorkeling beach and massive infinity pool overlooking the cerulean waters of Hanalei Bay, an 11,000-square-foot spa that specializes in traditional Hawaiian clay treatments, and a world-class golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.

Finally, some quiet time. I spend the sunset on the deck, reflecting on a day’s hard work. It’s warm and humid, even though twilight approaches. Beads of sweat start to form on the bottle of Tusker on the table in front of me. Looking across the Pemba Channel to Wasini Island, a fisherman in a dhow is returning to the village with his catch of the day. The tide begins to rise as the waves start to lap the edges of the jetty below. Brightly colored kikoi and other traditional fabrics cover pillows and chair cushions. The white walls give the interior space a Mediterranean feel and glow a golden hue as the sun begins to set. Vervet monkeys play on the thatched roofs of the cottages in the distance. In Shimoni, it’s as if time bends and slows, allowing you to absorb these quiet moments each evening.

Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan‘s largest fresh water lake. When I lived in Nantou County, central Taiwan, I would often ride my scooter to Sun Moon Lake for a bit of fresh air and reflection. One day I drove to the lake and traveled up a hill to the Ci-en Pagoda. Parking my bike, I climbed to the top of the pagoda and gazed out at the misty lake, which seemed magical in that moment. Many legends surround Sun Moon Lake, including the one which says the lake was once inhabited by two dragons. These dragons used the sun and moon as toys, causing the world to fall into darkness. Eventually a young couple came and defeated the dragons, brining light back into the world. Sun Moon Lake is one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever visited.

This sprawling resort features three luxury properties on one Nusa Dua site: the Mulia, the Mulia Resort, and the top-tier Mulia Villas. Choose a full board or half board package for an all-inclusive experience, complete with butler service (at the Mulia and Mulia Villas) and access to nine different dining venues and bars; there are also beach-level pools—one of them resembling a statue-lined Roman bath—and rows of umbrellas on Bali’s eastern shore. The villas feel like traditional Balinese homes, with indoor-outdoor living rooms that have hydrotherapy pools as well as views of colorful gardens or the Indian Ocean. And the spa is one of the most outrageous wellness temples in Bali, featuring a Finnish wood sauna, aroma steam room, and the region’s only ice fountain.

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).

While Dresden and Denver may boast of museums by Daniel Libeskind, Las Vegas has a 500,000 square-foot retail space designed by the star architect. The shimmering multi-faceted jewel on the Strip draws in shoppers — as well as anyone who appreciates contemporary architecture and art. There are more than 100 sculptures by Richard MacDonald and a gallery of works by Dale Chihuly. Few malls can boast a treehouse, the three-story hub of the Shops made of mahogany and sapele wood or that they have achieved Gold certification from LEED thanks to its environmentally conscious practices and materials. Nearly every luxury brand is represented at the Shops at Crystals, but sometimes the most fascinating things are the ones most people don’t see. If you’re a convincingly serious shopper, you just might find yourself in the luxuriously appointed back room of Van Cleef & Arpels, where millions of dollars of giant diamonds and glowing green emeralds never make it to the front counter. Free-spending customers are invited inside to sip Champagne, admire the fabric-wrapped walls and velvet drapes, and gaze upon mind blowing jewels.

Opened in 1950, the Jamaica Inn is one of the oldest and most gracefully aged of the classic Jamaica luxury resorts. It sits on its own private beach, which is rare in Jamaica, and each of the 52 suites and cottages has a Caribbean view. It is a timeless place, which may be why there are no TVs, radios, or clocks in the rooms, with a quiet serenity about it that may have been the appeal to such guests as Marilyn Monroe, Ian Fleming, and Katharine Hepburn. The grounds are immaculately kept, and the dining is as romantic as starlight and live music can make it. But the standout feature is that each suite has an oversize covered veranda that guests could literally live on. On it, they’ll find a full-size sofa, wingchair, breakfast table, coffee table, and, should one want to write home about it, writing desk.

The best time to hit the mineral-fed pools at Indian Springs is just before closing, right around 9:30 p.m. Grab a float noodle, place it behind your neck, float on your back in the 102-degree water, and look up at the stars. No matter how cold the air might be, you will immediately relax. The Calistoga resort has been offering guests a similar experience for more than 150 years, though recent renovations have modernized the offerings and brought a new level of luxury and sophistication. The main attractions are the pools: one for all ages and another only for adults. Elsewhere on the property, an expansive spa offers massages and mud treatments; a restaurant—dubbed Sam’s Social Club—serves healthy California cuisine along with house-brewed beer. Accommodations vary widely, ranging from two-room cabins and expansive one-bedroom suites to multi-room bungalows and full-scale houses. Once you’ve had your fill of shuffleboard and bocce, walk into downtown Calistoga to shop at the local boutiques, or take the short trail to the top of the hill for a stellar view of the north end of the Napa Valley. Don’t miss: Perhaps the most spiritual part of the Indian Springs experience is the Wishing Tree in front of the spa. Write your wish on a card and tie it to the tree with the hundreds of others already there.

This is my favorite Scottsdale resort because it gets Southwestern style down without being kitschy or over-done. There are no cheesy dream catchers or Kokopelli statues here – just a color palette as bright and breathtaking as a desert sunset. Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale is perched in the city’s northern half, and surrounded by miles of Saguaro cacti and rugged rocks. Its location adjacent to Pinnacle Peak Park is perfect for hikers and if you crave more of an adrenaline rush, check out the high-octane tours from Arizona Outback Adventures. At Proof, the resort’s American canteen, dinner is practically a cross-country road trip with home-style comfort food inspired by, and sourced from, the 50 states. Plus, there’s a hearty list of wine, microbrews, and small batch and craft distilled American spirits. The Spa at Four Seasons also celebrates the resort’s sense of place with treatments like the Sonoran Honey Body Polish and Jojoba and Prickly Pear Polish.

It hardly seems like Hawaii could be a part of the United States without its own brewing company. The most popular brewery is the Kona Brewing Company on the Big Island. With its year-round beers including Longboard Island Lager, Firerock Pale Ale, and Big Wave Golden Ale, the brewery sells mostly within the Islands, though its year-round beers can be found elsewhere. Kona Brewing Company also produces three seasonal “Aloha Series” beers that include Koko Brown Ale, Wailua Wheat, and Pipeline Porter. Along with their selection of five “Island Only” beers, connoisseurs will have plenty to taste and may need an extra visit or two to the Brewery! Tours of the brewery can be booked from 10:30am to 3pm daily.

Cuatro Cienegas has got to be one of the coolest places on the planet earth! It is certainly not like any other place or ecosystem I have ever visited and I would have never imagined you could find paradise in the middle of the Chihuahuan desert. “Cuatro Cienegas” means “four marshes” in Spanish and at one point in history this place was a wetland. The pools, called pozas, are scattered throughout the desert around the town. Some of the pools are warm and some of them are freezing cold! They are a blast to swim and snorkel in! Cuatro Ciénegas is an official Mexican biological reserve because the ecosystem has unique fauna and flora that can’t be found any other place in the world! NASA stated that the biological reserve of Cuatro Cienegas could have strong links to discovering life on Mars, since the adaptability of bioforms in the region was unique in the world. How far out is that? Some refer to Cuatro Cienegas as the “Galapagos of Mexico”. Be sure you also check out the Gypsum Dunes that are also located here. This place is a geologist’s dream! I would recommend staying at Quinta Santa Cecilia during your visit, and although many of the pozas are mapped and marked you are better off hiring a local guide to take you to the best spots. Cecilia or the management of your hotel can assist here. The drug battles in this part of Mexico continue to dominate the press, but we did not feel unsafe during our visit here.

Set in a refurbished Victorian hunting lodge on a 26,000-acre estate, Shieldaig Lodge is the epitome of Highland romance. With everything from breathtaking views of Shieldaig Bay to log fires, cozy lounges, and an extensive whisky and gin collection, the hotel offers Scottish hospitality at its finest, surrounded by stunning scenery. Quietly elegant, the 12 guest rooms come furnished with antiques and luxurious touches like Egyptian cotton sheets, goose-down duvets, and homemade shortbread from the hotel’s kitchen. For utter opulence, book the suite, which features a four-poster bed, separate sitting room, and rolltop tub with views of the bay.

At the restaurant, rare-breed lamb, Highland cattle, and deer from the hotel’s estate provide the raw ingredients for the sumptuous menu. Also available are crabs, lobster, langoustines, oysters, and scallops caught by hand right in front of the property, and vegetables grown in the on-site walled garden. After dinner, grab a nightcap in the Liberator Bar, which stocks an ever-growing collection of more than 110 gins and 250 whiskies from around the world. The next day, visit the lodge’s falconry (home to eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls), or have the concierge arrange a local activity, from deerstalking and fly-fishing to hiking, boating, and pony trekking.