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On a rocky plateau overlooking the Dead Sea lies the 2,000-year-old cliff-top fortress of Masada. Next to Jerusalem, it is the most popular destination for tourists visiting Israel. In addition to its sheer natural beauty, Masada is also the setting of one of the most powerful and tragic stories in Jewish history. During the First Roman-Jewish War in 73 or 74 C.E., 960 Jewish zealots—men, women, and children—committed suicide on top of the mountain rather than submit to capture by the Romans. Among the ruins are the Northern Palace, an ancient synagogue, and a Roman-style bathhouse with mosaic floors. The ascent to Masada can be done by cable car or by walking up the Snake Path, a moderate climb which should take around an hour.

If you need to hone your surfing skills, no worries, Tahiti has some fabulous beginner breaks plus warm water! Tura’i Mataare Surf School offers private and small group surf lessons to anyone over the age of 5-years. The 3 hour and 30 minute lesson aims to help you master the basic techniques before you venture to multiple surfing spots along the western coast of the island. The company picks up from all the hotels, and rates include transport. If you already know what you’re doing and just want to ride the best waves for when you’re visiting Moana Surf Tours in Punaauia can provide guides or put together any combination of surfing, lodging and boat.

This “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven” was once the heart of Korea. It was the power center of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897), and was originally built in 1395—some new digs for a new dynasty. Like the Forbidden City in Beijing, the palace is a complex of buildings—a throne hall, the king’s living quarters and more—a sort of city inside a city, accented by gardens and pavilions. The Japanese flattened the place in the 1590s, and the site remained a ruin until a complete reconstruction in 1867 brought back more than 500 buildings. At the Gwanghwamun Gate, soldiers, beautifully costumed in red robes, still perform the changing of the guard. Seoul has other palaces, but this is the one to see if your time in town is limited.

One of Caye Caulker’s best beach bars is also its friendliest. Set right on the Split—a narrow channel dividing the island’s north and south portions—Caye Caulker’s most social corner invites tourists and locals to gather for a swim off an extended dock, or to enjoy a cocktail and music. Lazy Lizard’s recently upgraded look includes a variety of umbrella-covered wooden picnic tables, seating under palapas, and a new beach extension with steps leading into the shallow sea areas for easy entry. On the menu, you’ll find typical bar bites: burgers, fish tacos, and full meals like a lobster plate. The bar holds occasional full-moon parties, live music, family-fun days, and beach volleyball tournaments.

The views of the skyline of Gaira (once a separate town, near Playa Blanca, but now part of greater Santa Marta), the ocean, and the surrounding hills are part of the magical experience of dining at Burukuka, located right on the water. But it is the restaurant’s commitment to excellent fusion, Caribbean and local cuisine that is the real reason for its success. One must-try is the callelle, a local specialty of mashed green bananas with cheese, sour cream and homemade sausage. The alfresco seating on a large deck is a plus even on warm days, as it’s cooled by ocean breezes.

Scrub Island is one place where being shipwrecked might actually be a good thing—pity that dockside boat slips abound. Located on a volcanic speck just 75 miles east of Puerto Rico, Scrub Island Resort is the ultimate tropical idyll, with a spa, marina, and three restaurants. Its 52 suites and villas sit on 230 pristine acres, complete with neutral, colonial–style interiors (think four-poster beds, marble baths with soaking tubs, and floral curtains) that intensify the ocean views. Charter a boat to explore hidden coves or test your nautical skills at the resort’s sailing school. You can always forget what you know once the time comes to lift anchor and head for the mainland.

Grab breakfast at the Sheraton Hotel, located at the south-eastern end of the corniche. This newly-refurbished hotel, also known as The Pyramid of the Gulf because it’s shaped like an Aztec pyramid, offers breathtaking views of the bay and the city. Plus what a better way to start your day than having a scrumptious breakfast at one of the oldest iconic landmarks of the city?

Though Belize is replete with Maya sites, including some spectacular archaeological examples that are open to the public, Chan Chich may well be the only hotel in the country that can claim to sit atop a known former Maya site. In the late 1980s, owner Barry Bowen sought and received permission from the country’s Department of Archaeology to build on the site, whose plaza was beyond repair. No doubt guests are surrounded by the spirits of ancient Maya as well as actual artifacts that remain hidden in the soil around the lodge. Accommodations are individual casitas and cabanas decorated with local art, fresh tropical flowers, and simple but sturdy furnishings. The hotel is part of the historic 130,000-acre Gallon Jug Estate, which is, among other things, a private nature preserve. Guests enjoy wildlife spotting on the property, whose staff has kept a running list of the bird species seen here: the current count tops 350 types.

Built in the 1840s as a sheep station that still operates today, Wharekauhau—meaning “place of knowledge” in Maori—pays homage to the area’s tradition of feeding the wise and the cultured. Thirteen cottage suites were positioned to take in this dramatic slice of North Island pasture that landslides into Palliser Bay southeast of Wellington. The cottages are unpretentious yet filled with such luxuries as four-poster beds with curtains, private terraces, separate lounge areas, writing desks, gas fireplaces, double baths, and walk-in showers. Each space is homey, cushioned by soft rugs and upholstery and enclosed by rustic wood panels and beams. The Edwardian main lodge, adorned with cream-toned furniture and antiques, invites guests to curl up by the fire, or chat with the chef in the open kitchen that flows into a charming country dining room. Outside, there’s inspiration all around, extending from the sheep herds to the Palliser Bay lighthouse.

The 25-story curved glass tower of the JW Marriott, opened in 2000 during a construction boom, may be the best-located hotel in Peru’s capital. Aside from its location across the street from Parque Salazar and the cliffside shopping and entertainment complex Larcomar (one of Lima’s biggest attractions), the hotel has sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean (at least when the thick, gray sea mist known as la garua isn’t lingering). From the air, the JW Marriott is one of the city’s most recognizable buildings. It was one of the first large structures to be erected here, though many others have since joined it. Beside the hotel is the almost identical 24-story Parque Mar tower, which connects to the hotel at the base and features a small mall and a popular casino.


Despite the onslaught of other international chains in the city in recent years, the JW Marriott maintains a special foothold here and frequently brings in locals for weekend brunches. For travelers coming for just a day before hightailing it out to Cuzco, it serves as a great base for shopping or indulging in some of the city’s best restaurants, all of which can be found within a five-minute walk.

With artist Mark di Suvero’s 48-foot-tall Ad Astra installation—the only indoor public display of the artist’s work in the world—rising from the central atrium, it’s clear that this is no ordinary shopping mall. And that’s just how the founders planned it: Opened in 1965 by the Nasher family—who also founded the world-class Nasher Sculpture Center in the Arts District—NorthPark Center helped define retail shopping in the Southwest with its modern architecture, state-of-the-art facilities (at one point, it was the largest climate-controlled mall in the world), private art collection, and upscale shops. Over the years, it has remained a popular retail option for locals—and one of the city’s top tourist destinations, welcoming more that 26 million visitors a year. Following a $250 million, 1.2-million-square-foot expansion in 2006, it now features an upgraded cineplex, more drinking and dining options, a central garden, and hundreds of stores from both mass-market international brands and luxury labels; there’s also been a Neiman Marcus outpost here since the beginning. When you get tired of shopping for pretty things, there are pretty things to look at, too, including works by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, James Rosenquist, and more.

This is the closest you’ll get to France without actually going. The shop of famed pâtissier Christian Faure recently opened in the heart of Old Montreal, on the site of the first public market, and it’s already become a must-do. A look at the picture above might explain the instant popularity. The title of this highlight is a quote from Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry—and a longtime motto of the talented pâtissier. It represents his brand quite perfectly. Biting into one of his creations is indeed nothing short of a dreamy experience. The shop also offers pastry courses so you can learn to replicate the dream creations yourself.

Philippe Starck’s design firm, Yoo, transformed an 1872 dowager hotel into the 63-room Hotel Sans Souci Wien. Expect oversize Starck and Arne Jacobsen furnishings, four-poster beds, parquet floors, pillows made with Fornasetti fabrics, and pieces from the owner’s art collection (Picassos among them) that contrast with a soft color scheme. Downstairs in the spa, you’ll find a true Viennese rarity: a 65-foot indoor pool.

Portland isn’t exactly the kind of city that’s known for being “fancy,” which was why it was so bold for the Starwood Luxury Collection to add a sleek 15th floor to the top of the iconic Meier & Frank department store building downtown—and turn the top nine floors into the swankiest hotel in town. Who would’ve thought that Louis XVI chairs, tufted white leather and teal velvet, crystal chandeliers, and ornate wallpaper would work so well in the city of plaid, beards, and twee bird patterns? In true Field of Dreams fashion, Starwood built it and the travelers came out of the woodwork, hungry for a luxury hotel that embodies the Rose City with everything from environmentally conscious practices and farm-to-table restaurants to an extensive art collection and rooftop honey bee colony. All that’s to say nothing of the private club-like Library, a collaboration with Portland icon Powell’s Books (the world’s largest bookstore) that allows hotel guests to borrow from a curated collection of 3,000 books during their stay. As it turns out, it’s not all that hard to dress Portland to the nines.

Borrow a bike and get down by the Charles River to explore this popular linear park, which runs along the river through the Back Bay and the Beacon Hill neighborhood (albeit separated from both by the Storrow Drive expressway). A paved, 18-mile multiuse path popular with cyclists, runners, and in-line skaters helps connect the Esplanade to the parklands of Boston’s Emerald Necklace and provides easy access to landmarks like the Hatch Memorial Shell (the summer stage for the Boston Pops and other performers) and Harvard Bridge (aka the Smoot Bridge). The landmark Community Boating boathouse has kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and sailboats for rent when you want to get out on the river.