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Set in Kerala’s quiet northwest corner, the 26-acre Vivanta by Taj Bekal Resort is home to the excellent Jiva Spa, a staggering 165,000 square-feet devoted to wellness and relaxation. As Kerala is considered to be the birthplace of Ayurveda (India’s millennia-old “science of life”), the menu is heavy on treatments that highlight traditional techniques and ingredients, and that are designed to both target specific issues and provide general pampering. The signature Abhyanga massage—great for travel-weary bodies—is performed with potent, heated herbal oils, while the Mukhalepa facial brightens the complexion with natural products like saffron; decadent two-hour signature services are also available, along with scrubs, wraps, yoga, meditation, and more. Book a complimentary consultation to find the services that fit your needs, or go all in with a multiday or multiweek program for yoga, detoxifying, Ayurvedic wellness, and other customized goals.

There are no guarantees the Northern Lights will start dancing on the night you look skyward, but it’s so worth taking the chance. One of the great rewards for hanging out in Alaska once the dark and cold settle over the state, the Northern Lights (or if you want to be scientific about it, aurora borealis) serve up a light show that is equal parts science, magic, and art. Your best bet for catching the light show is to head away from city lights. That’s one of many reasons it’s worth making the trip to Denali National Park, open year-round. When the park’s summer crowds disappear, visitors feel as though the massive national park is an intimate personal space.

An impressive 200 hectares of greenery and over 900 species of plants await at the largest greenspace in Shanghai. Classical Chinese gardens, rose gardens showcasing rare and beautiful blooms, , gorgeous lilyponds, and a pagoda (post-hike) make for a great day out in the outskirts of bustling Shanghai. There’s even a Children’s Garden/playground, trampoline included, where the little ones to burn off some energy. A tranquil waterfall lets you pause and take in the park’s natural beauty. To make the most of your visit, rent a paddle boat to meander past willow trees and small bamboo forests. A small shuttle bus also takes you through the expansive park.

Celebrity florist Nicolai Bergmann’s famed flower box is the number one seller at his shop in the Four Season’s Seoul. The Danish floral designer’s shop in Tokyo has been dedicated to European and Japanese floral design principals for the last 10 years, and the recently opened shop in Seoul is no exception. Other than the elegant, innovative flower boxes, the shop sells colorful bouquets, as well as luxurious arrangements for birthdays, parties and weddings. The flowers are so beautiful, even if you’re just passing through Seoul, you may be tempted to make a purchase—even if it’s just to decorate your hotel room for the night. The Four Seasons Seoul, 1F, 97 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu

Salzburg’s 17th century Baroque cathedral, built upon a site where cathedrals have stood since the 8th century, is connected with St. Peter’s church and the Residenz by arcades to form a cluster of Salzburg’s most important structures.

Inside is not entirely different from other major cathedrals, with beautiful artwork, ornate carvings and a selection of relics (Virgil, Rubert and Martin of Tours among others). Most notably, however, is that it contains the baptismal font used for Salzburg’s most famous resident, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It rests on four lions which, being designed at a time when very few knew what an actual lion looked like, resemble something more like a beastly bulldog than king of the jungle.

What La Ronda lacks in size, it makes up in style and beauty. This street, so short you could hold your breath and run its length, bustles with bars, artisanal craft shops and ice-cream parlours. Stroll down its cobbled-stone path, restored in 2006, breathing in the scent of rich chocolate from Chez Tiff Artesanal and sweet passion fruit soaps from Api Real. Squeeze up the winding staircase to the iconic La Heladeria Dulce Placer and choose from 180 varieties of ice cream - a light yet sharp mojito maybe? Or why not a bizarre salt and pepper or corn flavor. As night descends, La Ronda throbs with loved-up couples clinking cocktails, sharing ice-cream cones and dancing salsa in Azucar El Portal de la Salsa.

One of the world’s highest active volcanoes (with an altitude of 4000 meters, or over 13,000 feet), Cotopaxi is also one of Ecuador’s most photographed landmarks. Its snowcapped peak is beautiful but deadly: as an active volcano where mud and rock slides are common it has to be closely watched. In August 2015, the president of Ecuador declared a state of emergency because of Cotopaxi’s increased rumblings. Although warnings by Cotopaxi National Park staff and local seismologists are critically important to heed, visitors invariably come back with tales of scenic treks, condor sightings, and bucket-list bravura. Best to come prepared, the altitude makes appropriately warm and protective gear a must. High altitude also means faster fatigue—a thorough check up before you embark and altitude medication may be lifesavers when planning your trip to this paradise.

The Ponte dei Sospiri was given its English name by part-time Venice resident Lord Byron, who wrote in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage: “I stood in Venice on a Bridge of Sighs, a palace and a prison on each hand.” Byron’s travelogue nails it: When you stand on the famous crossing, the Doge’s Palace and a public prison are on either side. A local myth (that turned into the plot line for the film A Little Romance) says that lovers who kiss on a gondola at sunset beneath the Bridge of Sighs will be granted eternal love. Access to the bridge itself is through the Secret Itinerary tour of the Doge’s Palace.

I awoke at 6:30 this morning to find this view greeting me from our 12th floor balcony. This is looking eastward across Memorial Drive and Buffalo Bayou Park toward the Houston downtown skyline just about an hour before sunrise. Waking up at this hour every morning to see what uniquely beautiful view the dawn has to offer has become my ritual. So far, no two have been quite the same. A larger version of the photo can be seen by following the link below to my online gallery.

On a private island just off the west coast of Barbuda that is home to gorgeous Palm Beach, is the Outback restaurant. Open for lunch only, it does fresh grilled dishes – mostly fish and seafood including lobster, but they also do a good chicken – and meal prices include free pick-up by water taxi from the Codrington pier. Full of island ambiance, it’s very casual spot located just a few feet from a deserted white sand beach, and a classic Barbuda experience. Just make sure to book in advance and bring your swimsuit and a towel so you can relax on the beach with a cocktail after dining.

With its medieval churches and soft rolling hills covered by vineyards, Kakheti is Georgia’s answer to Tuscany. Among the region’s most charming places to stay is Chateau Mere, located near Telavi, the largest city in Kakheti. The place calls itself a chateau, but the quaint, turreted, rough-hewn stone complex feels slightly like a ramshackle estate of an eccentric, over-hospitable uncle who treats hotel guests like friends. Owner George Piradashvili is gregarious (even by Georgian standards) and is the entrepreneur behind the excellent Winiveria winery. He opened the hotel in 2011 because he wanted a place for his friends, who are mostly Georgian musicians and actors, to stay in. The living room is crammed with photos of Georgian celebrities who usually stay here, along with a piano, antlers galore, Georgian textiles, and an antique gramophone that all create a homey feel. The 15 guestrooms have pine floors and tasteful, minimal furnishings. Most guests prefer to hang out by the pool or on the terrace, taking in the romantic views of the lush Alazani Valley and the dramatic Caucuses mountains beyond, drinking the owner’s juicy Saperavi wines or the aromatic white Khikhvi, and tasting his house-cured meats and stringy, briny artisanal cheeses. The hotel also arranges grape-picking and crushing activities, cheese-making and bread-baking demos, and horse riding. Piradashvili also owns the romantic lakeside Royal Batoni hotel.

Oaxaca has no shortage of gorgeous colonial-era buildings; in fact, that’s what draws many visitors to this stunningly beautiful Mexican city. But Casa de Siete Balcones, a seven-room boutique hotel, is particularly special, with unusually spacious rooms and, as its name suggests, seven balconies (yes, one for each room). The building itself dates to the 18^th century. The structure, along with the rooms’ heavy wood furniture and the cobbled street just outside the door, has the effect of transporting guests to another era. Other design details that will appeal to visitors with nostalgia for an earlier century include Spanish tile floors, and a courtyard filled with plants and flowers; the Spanish-style patio also features a bubbling fountain. Rooms are filled with natural light, and service is friendly and attentive.

For some travelers, what comes to mind first when they think of Japan is tales of samurai and shoguns, centuries-old temples, and the tea ceremony and kabuki. For others, however, what makes the country most exciting is its contemporary art, fashion, and architecture. The National Art Center should be at the top of the list for anyone with an affinity for the latter. Designed by one of Japan‘s most interesting contemporary architects, Kisho Kurokawa, it is among the country’s largest exhibition spaces. There’s no permanent collection, but temporary exhibitions cover a variety of mediums and topics—photography, manga and anime, architecture, and fashion, among others. The exhibitions aren’t always limited to works by Japanese creators, with international museums lending pieces as well. If you are looking for gifts to take back home, the Souvenir from Tokyo shop in the basement has a delightful selection of Japanese products, both whimsical and elegant.

To satisfy your conch craving, stop at Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl on the south side of Providenciales, just a few minutes from Chalk Sound. The beachfront restaurant in Five Cays has indoor and outdoor seating, with some of the tables set right along the waterline, lapped by the rising tide. You’ll find a great selection of seafood, including plenty of conch dishes, along with fried chicken and burgers. In the evenings, Bugaloo’s hosts local bands, fire dancers, and other entertainment.

This refined 28-acre resort set in the rolling hills between downtown Sonoma and downtown Napa makes guests feel relaxed the moment they check in. The vistas are unobstructed from the resort’s pool areas, and many of the property’s 94 stand-alone cottages with private balconies and six private homes offer views of the open space, too. By day, lawn games are usually underway on the grassy expanse called the Town Square, while in the evenings, a pavilion provides an unparalleled backdrop for stargazing. This is a hotel that values fresh air, as evidenced by the walls in the common areas, which retract to bring the outdoors in. There are other reasons to fall in love with Carneros—namely, the on-site restaurants. The casual Boon Fly Café is famous for breakfasts, with spicy bacon Bloody Mary drinks and tiny made-to-order doughnuts. FARM, on the other hand, is more formal, with menu items such as braised oxtail terrine and smoked Sonoma duck breast. While the hotel offers in-room massages, it will also reopen its spa after a full-scale renovation later in 2018.