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As you approach Lake Naivasha from Nairobi, the one-lane, potholed road rises and you are suddenly treated to a truly awesome view of the Great Rift Valley stretching out to the horizon. Shimmering within that vista is Lake Naivasha, a popular weekend destination for Nairobians. The lake itself is beautiful in a prehistoric-looking way, with wispy, jagged trees jutting up from the water and hippos bathing in the midday sun. Along the boggy shoreline, before the water lilies and tropical grasses give way to the open water, it’s easy to imagine ancient creatures wriggling their way up onto land and eventually evolving into the first hominids. While in the area, explore Hell’s Gate National Park and its gigantic gorge, take a boat trip on the lake in search of hippos, and get your fill of the freshly made pizzas at Camp Carnelley’s.

Ontario has another wine destination, Prince Edward County, affectionately named “The County.” This cluster of towns, about 2.5 hours east of Toronto, is home to some of Ontario’s best wineries. But never was there a great place to stay until summer 2015 when Jeff Stober, the hotelier behind Toronto’s stylish Drake Hotel, opened a rural clone, the Drake Devonshire. It’s the ideal retreat for travelers wanting their Drake by Lake Ontario. Once a 19^th-century foundry, the building is now a contemporary farmhouse-cottage, decked out with 11 individually-designed hotel rooms and two suites in the quaint town of Wellington. The property offers coziness all year round in the communal living room and out back over a lakeside fire pit and s’mores. Guests can hang in the barnlike Pavilion for musical performances, sommelier seminars, seasonal events, or just to gawk at the floor-to-ceiling mural by Brooklyn artist FAILE. It doesn’t hurt that Sandbanks Provincial Park—known for its 60-foot sand dunes—is practically the backyard of the Drake Dev.

This archipelago off the coast of La Paz (which takes the name of the main island) is a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. While the islands are uninhabited by humans save for a small fishing camp made of temporary structures, they’re home to a great variety of flora and fauna. In addition to dolphins, frigate birds, and ring-tailed cats, you’ll find the only known black jackrabbit population in the world. Celebrated eco-friendly activities company Cabo Expeditions leads daylong archipelago tours that include exploring the mesmerizing volcanic landscape, a ceviche lunch, and an opportunity to swim on Ensenada Grande Beach—often cited as one of the world’s most beautiful—plus guided snorkeling with the incredibly playful pups at the Los Islotes sea lion colony.

The Hotel Locarno occupies two adjacent buildings in the cosmopolitan district between the Tiber River and Piazza del Popolo. The original property, built and inaugurated in the 1920s, houses the majority of the standard and deluxe rooms, while the annex, a former palazzo owned by a Venetian family, houses the more luxurious suites. Both of the adjoined structures blend Old World charm and art nouveau elegance, and their rooms preserve turn-of-the-20^th-century decor, including lavish drapery, oil paintings, embellished ceiling stuccoes, and period furniture.

The two buildings are joined by a wisteria-filled courtyard, where breakfast is served in fine weather. The rooftop bar offers aperitivo (the Italian version of happy hour) cocktail service and sweeping views over the city and across the river to St. Peter’s cupola. The bar is open to the public and attracts a well-heeled Roman and expat crowd.

The Company’s Garden, in the heart of the city, dates back to the 17th century, when the Dutch used springwater running down from the mountain to establish a garden to grow fruit and vegetables for ships en route to the East. On Government Avenue, which runs through the garden for about a half mile, squirrels scamper around among the old oak trees. Along the way, you’ll pass the South African National Gallery, the Planetarium, the Holocaust Centre, the De Tuynhuis presidential offices, the South African National Library, St. George’s Cathedral (where Nobel laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu used to preach), and the Slave Lodge museum. Grab a bite at the recently opened Company’s Garden Restaurant, which has been getting great reviews for its breakfasts and lunches under the garden’s leafy trees.

Occupying a modern tower next to Hong Kong Park and attached to the Pacific Place shopping center, Island Shangri-La is an earthly paradise on the edge of Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls in the lobby face a 140-year-old banyan tree; the outdoor swimming pool is set amid grass and trees as well as skyscrapers; and the Roof Garden on the 56th floor is enveloped in the misty greenery of Victoria Peak.

The hotel’s interiors are equally inspiring, with more than 900 works of art on display, including a 16-story silk landscape painting called Great Motherland of China cascading down the atrium. Accommodations combine Asian silks, floral wall paintings, and Chinese tea sets with European antiques and crystal chandeliers. In 2009, the Horizon Club Lounge became the highest executive lounge on Hong Kong Island, offering sweeping views of Victoria Harbour. Dark wood, black marble, jewel-tone leather, Austrian chandeliers, and qi pao-inspired staff uniforms create an elegant setting for complimentary breakfast, evening cocktails and canapés, or an afternoon work session.

This property will reopen from renovations in spring 2019.

The brainchild of miner James Thorpe, who bought the property in 1918 and also gave the property its name, Bishop’s Lodge lays claim to being New Mexico’s very first resort. And its history dates back even further, to the 1850s, when Jean Baptiste Lamy, a French missionary priest, became the bishop of the desert diocese—and made his home on a hill with views of the Jemez Mountains.

The property has changed significantly since Lamy built his tiny Villa Pintoresca and adjoining chapel: It now spans 450 acres, has a spa and stables, tennis courts and an outdoor pool. And its newest owners, HRV Hotel Partners, who purchased the resort in August 2014, have plans for further expansion.

Still, despite upgrades, this is definitely a Western-style ranch where you can hike, ride, and shoot—and cowboy boots are de rigueur.

This remote, family owned property of cabins is an experience you’ll savor if you’re in the Moosehead Lake area of Maine and hoping to get away from it all. Closed from October to mid January, the camp reopens for the winter season where you’re treated by breakfast and dinner by Eric and his family and given a bag lunch if you need one. During the other summer and early fall months, your stay and your schedule will revolve around three home cooked meals in the main dining lodge. You’ll be hungry, there’s fishing, canoeing, swimming and hiking in the summer months. There is no cell reception out here and you can be certain to not have any sort of wifi connection. Cherish that. Chill the beverages you purchase at the local general store in the camp’s cold, natural spring at the water’s edge and soak up the visits by the local moose in the morning and early evening. This is a great location for a private family reunion or a celebration in the heart of Maine.

When the swell is up and the waves are high, Sunset Beach is Surf City, UAE. Count on left-breaking waves at the Jebel Ali end and right-breaking waves at the northern tip of the beach. In between, expect a busy beach full of tourists, locals, and expats soaking up the sun. Palace Beach offers easy access to the waterways of the Palm Jumeirah (perfect for kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders), a glimpse of the great sail of a building that is the Burj Al Arab in the distance, sugary white sand between the toes, and crystalline water all the way to the horizon. If you forgot your water-sports equipment at home, Club Joumana at the sprawling JA Jebel Ali Beach Resort rents it all—from Zapcat inflatable racing boats to paddleboards.

This steep hike is about eight miles out and back, but many are willing to make the trek because of the photo opportunity that waits near the summit. Potato Chip Rock is a sliver of granite that protrudes from a boulder. Since it’s sturdy enough to stand on, hikers often head to the edge and strike creative poses to post on Instagram. Located in Poway, the trailhead is 27 miles from downtown San Diego, but well worth the drive—the panoramic vista from the top offers a great perspective of San Diego County’s canyons and hilly topography. In addition to Potato Chip Rock, be sure to check out the other large boulders and rock formations that litter Mount Woodson.

The Carrington’s long and rich history spans nearly 125 years since her opening by Sydney hotelier Harry Rowell. Originally named The Great Western, this Grand Old Lady soon became a popular retreat for international guests, Sydney’s elite, and adventurers eager to explore the Blue Mountains’ natural wonders. The hotel is steeped in history, tales of adventures and royalty, and perhaps even a ghost tale or two. The walls are covered with vintage photographs and the place looks like it was sealed in a time capsule (and yet still boasts modern amenities like wifi). The hotel bar is vintage, perfect for a glass of wine or local pint after a long day of adventures in the Blues. There are function rooms, a pool table, an elegant dining room (plus a more casual dining establishment, which used to be the town bank, on the property, as well as a stand-alone pub), as well as a 100-year old regulation snooker table. An onsite bottle shop is available, offering a wide variety of gourmet foods and excellent beers and wines, and a brewpub is even in the works.

Lake Matheson is a magical little spot near Fox Glacier. It’s a great place to take a walk at sunset, before enjoying dinner and some local wine at the Matheson Cafe. On a clear day, the reflection in the lake proudly displays all the reasons to be in love with the Westland National Park region of New Zealand, while the rugged peaks of Mount Tasman and Mount Cook rise out of the mountain range. This is glacier country at its best. The lack of wind—the lake is set within the dense rain forest—means Lake Matheson’s surface is calm and still. The reflection photo opportunities have made this lake the most photographed body of water in New Zealand (and that is saying something). The walk around the lake takes about an hour and a half, and you have three viewing platforms offering exceptional perspectives along the way. Hit the trail just before sunset and have a glass of Otago Pinot Noir at the cafe while you watch the sun set over those mountains. The cafe opens at 5:30 p.m. and I’d suggest the mushroom risotto.

During my last stay in Florence, I wanted to learn more about the artisan trades, and Bruscoli was recommended to me by a local. I am so glad it was. As I walked along the Arno River on my way to the workshop, I had no idea what an extraordinary little slice of Florence’s history I was about to witness. At Bruscoli, you can learn about the artisan heritage of Florence from Paulo Bruscoli, a fourth generation craftsman and owner of a small shop that sells both Florentine paper and leather products engraved with gold leaf. From stories of the bookbinding tradition in his family and the great flood of 1966 to his extensive collection of traditional engraving tools, the details housed in this small shop bring to life a tradition deeply rooted in Florence’s heritage yet unlikely to continue in the future. Bruscoli is an easy walk from the city center. High-quality leather and paper products are for sale, but Paulo Bruscoli specializes in personalized items, which you can order and pick up later or have sent to you. Mr. Bruscoli speaks English.

“Alon and I are regulars for Friday breakfast. We love their take on the Arab dish shakshuka. In the original, eggs are poached in a sauce of tomatoes and red peppers, but here they use green peppers instead of red, and they add goat cheese.” —Architect Irene Kronenberg

Much of Lisbon’s appeal lies in its sheer beauty. From the rust-toned rooftops across the whitewashed Alfama district to the Pombaline architecture of Baixa, the city is very easy on the eyes. For the very best views, head skyward to Park Bar, located on the rooftop of a Bairro Alto parking garage. There, you’ll find a just-trendy-enough mix of scenester residents and tourists, sipping on white-port-and-tonics while enjoying expansive vistas from the Tagus River to the bell towers of Santa Catarina Church.