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A long jetty with a thatch-roofed shelter at the far end is the signature motif of Pigeon Point Heritage Park. This is Tobago’s favorite swimming beach, a classic scene of golden sands bordered by coconut palms. The well-maintained 125-acre park is also a hub year round for island events, from dragon-boat races and culinary feasts to jazz and other music festivals. Colorful glass-bottomed boats pick up visitors here for tours over the ample reef system. And there’s shopping, too: Look for island-made ceramics, batik and beachwear.

The enormous, elegant Empress Place Building is a landmark colonial government-office structure that overlooks the Singapore River in the central business district. Since the early 2000s, it’s been home to the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), considered one of the finest institutions in Asia. Its collection of Buddhist statues, textiles, porcelain, and other treasures represents more than 5,000 years of history in China, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Islamic world.

From its beachfront locale to the sweeping terraces and sliding-glass doors, everything about this hotel is aimed at maximizing views of Bali’s most sought-after shoreline. Local stone and wood put an Indonesian twist on the resort’s Thai design, which incorporates a dark-wood color scheme, a mini waterfall, and lattice screens. The hotel offers one-of-a-kind experiences, including special-occasion dinners on the beach and spice-infused cooking tours that introduce guests to regional flavors (don’t miss Spice Spoons, in which you’ll sample exotic fruit and other local ingredients, or the seaside Indonesian cooking class with a master chef). Bustling Seminyak lures travelers to its restaurants, bars, and nightclubs—often early into the morning—but Anantara’s spacious sundecks, refreshing pools, traditional spa suites, and umbrella-shaded beach chairs are waiting to revive you the next day.

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.

Huayna Picchu is the landmark peak at Machu Picchu from which the classic, shot-from-above postcard photos are typically taken. While the views are spectacular, of course, the trail is not easy, studded with precarious, sometimes uneven stone steps, and often directly flanked by sheer drop-offs (thus probably out of the question for anyone with a fear of heights). While most hike to the top and back, you can also go up and around to the other side, with a visit to the Temple of the Moon/Great Cavern along the way. Admittance to Huayna Picchu is limited and sells out two or three months in advance; pay for your entrance as part of your Machu Picchu admission.

Two plane flights, plus a drive and you arrive to this tiny island off the coast of Mozambique in the Bazaruto Archipelago. The former Indigo Bay Hotel was the nicest accommodation on the island when it opened in 2001. In May 2014, the property was touched up and relaunched by Anantara, giving travelers a comfortable base to experience Bazaruto’s natural beauty and local culture. The hotel has its own in-house naturalist and a whip-smart, PADI-certified dive instructor who can take guests snorkeling and diving. The Bazaruto Archipelago has been a national park since 1971 and is home to more than 100 species of coral, four types of whales, sea turtles, mantarays, dolphins, and it boasts the largest population of the rare dugong on the African east coast. In addition to water activities, Anantara can arrange cooking classes, horse riding, dune boarding, and bird watching (Bazaruto is home to 180 species of birds).

But this resort isn’t only for active types. It equally caters to sybarites who are seeking R&R in a remote place. The 44 villas are all spacious and many come with large outdoor patios with dining areas and plunge pools. A highlight is the spa, perched high above the property. Make sure to arrive early and save time after to truly enjoy the views. The resort works closely with the local community, many of whom are employed by the hotel. Guests can visit one of the local villages and observe some of the community projects Anantara helps fund. But the best way to get to know the locals is simply by interacting with the friendly staff.

Guests at Anantara Bazaruto Resort can opt to explore this very different side of the island by sandboard (think snowboarding down sand dunes), safari Jeep, or on horseback. I went on a horseback ride up at sunset. The uphill was lovely, but going down a towering sand dune atop a horse is about as scary as dropping down a double black diamond run on skis. But my horse mastered the vertical drop expertly. More terrifying than the drop was the ride around the freshwater lake, which my guide said is inhabited by 12-foot long Nile crocodiles. Luckily the few we saw were snoozing far away.

Menton is France’s lemon-growing capital, a fact that the whole town celebrates: The tiles in Menton’s Fontana Rossa gardens are painted with lemons, and local restaurants feature them in lick-your-spoon-clean soufflés. Every winter, the road into town closes for a lemon festival that features huge sculptures made of citrus fruits. It seems fitting, then, that a local shop, Maison Herbin, is dedicated to selling artisanal lemon jam, which is made in small batches to coax the fullest flavor from each fruit. The jam shop has become so famous that tours of the kitchen operations now require advance reservations. The shop offers much more than its citrus jams: Also on sale are strawberries preserved with pineapple, and tomatoes packed with eggplant and ginger, in addition to traditional candies, fruit jellies, local honey, condiments, and pickled onions.

The Estate Whim Plantation Museum, billed as the only sugar plantation museum in the Virgin Islands, is set on magnificently landscaped grounds occupying 12 acres of what was formerly a 150-acre property. The restored early-18th-century buildings include a great house, fully restored windmill, and sugar-factory ruins that are open to visitors and can be toured alone or with a docent. Sugarcane still grows in one of the plantation gardens.

The biodiversity of Madagascar is staggering: It’s home to more than 11,000 plant species, and close to 90 percent of the wildlife in this African island nation can be found nowhere else. Even the top eco-lodges here were rough around the edges until the arrival of Miavana, a private island resort off the northeastern coast. Miavana is undeniably over-the-top (the sustainably designed villas start at nearly 5,000 square feet), but the wildlife encounters are the real draw. Along with snorkeling and marine safaris, the resort offers guided treks to see native species such as jeweled chameleons and silky sifaka.

A stay at the adults-only Rachamankha feels like an extended visit to a supremely stylish friend’s home. Designed by interiors maven Rooj Changtrakul and renowned Thai architect Ongard Satrabhandu (who happens to be Changtrakul’s stepfather), the 24-room boutique hotel is inspired by 15th-century Lanna and features crisp white walls that offset Chinese antiques, vaulted wood ceilings, and colorful Thai silks. Serene courtyards give way to a library, an art gallery, and a poolside massage pavilion for low-key relaxation. Even the restaurant is primed to make you feel at home, serving regional comfort food like Burmese curry in an alfresco setting that reminds you why you booked here in the first place.

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.

The 29-acre Nizuc Resort & Spa excels in size, service, and amenities. The soothing design scheme blends calming neutrals and natural materials, which recur across multiple interior elements, including lamps, furniture, and tile flooring. Spacious, sun-filled rooms feature terraces and tropical gardens, and the private villas include infinity pools. Staff lead many activities to keep visitors as busy as they want to be; a typical day at the resort might include learning how to roll cigars, participating in a session of paddleboard yoga, or simply trying to choose a favorite between the two pools.

It says a lot about the values of Claridge’s that the hotel once refused Katharine Hepburn entry because she was wearing trousers (strictly not allowed for women at that time). Instead, one of the world’s greatest actresses was asked, politely, if she would enter through the back door. Though this outdated tradition no longer stands, there is much about the historic Mayfair hotel that remains timeless. The downstairs Art Deco lobby looks as elegant as the day it was built in 1931, thanks to a renovation at the turn of this century. And the staff, who got their moment in the spotlight when the BBC aired its Inside Claridge’s documentary in 2012, continue to busy themselves, discreetly meeting the wants and whims of every guest. Upstairs, the story is slightly different, with the hallways and corridors starting to show their age. But the hotel’s willingness to work with a trove of contemporary designers—Diane von Furstenberg, India Mahdavi, and David Linley among them—has ensured the rooms, and the hotel, have not been left to languish entirely in the past.

One of the best day-hikes from Tucson is just north of town, on the ‘back side’ of the Santa Catalina Mountains: Romero Canyon. Drive up to Catalina State Park for the trailhead, and you’ll begin trekking through mesquite woods and towering saguaros before beginning to climb the rocky foothills into this mountain range. Then you’ll scramble down into the canyon itself, with a flowing stream at its heart. Most years, even in the early summer dry season, you can still find pools to cool off in--it’s a popular trail for Tucsonans. (Just get an early--dawn--start.) Continue past the pools and you can hike all the way up to Romero Pass, in the heart of the Pusch Ridge Wiliderness, where naturalists are trying to re-introduce a herd of mountain bighorn sheep. Late fall through early spring are perfect here... “Desert oasis” might be a hackneyed phrase when describing places like this, but desert-dwellers don’t take them for granted. Fortunately, when you’re in southern Arizona, seek and ye shall find...

In the shadow of Buckingham Palace lies Fortnum & Mason, the department store with a royal warrant famed for its loose-leaf tea, luxury picnic hampers and sweet treats, including an excellent selection of macarons. You can buy all of these inside the store, as well as browse the gentlemen’s department, and cast your eyes up to the spectacular atrium, but the real highlight of a trip here is the afternoon tea, served in a gilded Diamond Jubileee Tea Salon, opened in 2012 for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. An accompanying piano player sets the tone: at high tea, you can expect a charming display of finger sandwiches, individual pastries and cakes from the cake carriage, and scones served with Somerset clotted cream and Fortnum’s lemon curd. The extensive champagne list is also not to be ignored.