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I’ve been all over the California coast and Point Lobos is my favorite place to hike. We have hiked every trail in this reserve and never tire of this magical place. You can see many animals, such as sea otters, seals, elephant seals,sea lions, squirrels and deer that are often in little pockets near the trails. Most of the hikes are easy to moderate, you can make them longer by combining them or just hike smaller parts. There is a whalers cabin that has been transformed into a little museum at one end of the reserve.

The &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge is located on the Ngala Private Game Reserve, an unfenced private concession wedged between the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park. &Beyond leases the land from World Wildlife Fund South Africa and donates a portion of its profits to the South African National Parks Trust. As a result, the trust has been able to fund special projects and maintain West Coast National Park, located just an hour north of Cape Town.

Conservation efforts aside, &Beyond Nagala Safari Lodge is most known for offering a luxury safari experience. Guests can spot wildlife from the lounge, then be completely surrounded by the bush in their air-conditioned rooms. Have breakfast under the shade of an enormous weeping boer bean tree, while away hours at the pool with a book and your favorite drink, and indulge in a fireside dinner, surrounded by lanterns and candles. During their stay, guests even enjoy a dedicated vehicle and tracker team to guide them on twice-daily drives, bush strolls, and walking safaris. The lodge is about an hour’s drive from Hoedspruit Airport, but Airlink also operates daily direct flights from Johannesburg and Nelspruit to Ngala’s private airstrip.

Set on 12 lush, cloud-forested acres next to the Urumbamba River, this eco-resort (a member of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World) is practically a destination in and of itself. Here, 83 rustic-but-chic, whitewashed adobe casitas are tucked among a sanctuary of terraced hills, stone paths, and waterfalls that are home to 214 bird species and, at 372 cataloged varieties, the largest collection of native orchids in the world. Guests are encouraged to hike around the grounds (the hotel can also arrange for excursions farther afield), visit the resort’s Ecocenter, or relax in a naturally heated spring-water pool while listening to birdsong.

The superior casitas are the simplest accommodations, but still come with plush robes, hand-crafted Andean slippers, and a separate dining area. Superior deluxe rooms feature fireplaces, while suites offer terraces with garden views. The most lavish option, the Villa Inkaterra includes an open-air shower, plunge pool, and 24-hour butler service. When not luxuriating in your room, visit the glass-walled restaurant, which has stunning views of the river, or head into Agua Calientes, which is just a few minutes away and offers several other dining options.

This Neoclassical building from the mid-19th century stands at one end of a large urban park. The interior of the Capitol is worth a visit—its rotunda and historic rooms reflect the history of lawmaking and governing in this state. The small exhibits from every California county highlight the natural beauty and local specialties from all parts of the state. They line the downstairs addition, which is enhanced with Art Deco details and includes the governor’s office. Outside the Capitol is Capitol Park, one of my favorite outdoor spaces in Sacramento. The paths wind past trees from all over the world (a map is available), memorials, a succulent garden, and a rose garden at the other end of the park.

From New York to Tokyo, the world’s food scene is heavily informed by outside influences. In Paris, this translates to cuisine that isn’t narrowly French but rather brimming with ethnic flavors. That includes the unequivocally popular and omnipresent tastes from Italy, though they tend to vary drastically in price and quality. When I learned about Come A Casa (literally, like at home), which is located just off of the Place Léon Blum near Voltaire in the 11th, I knew I needed to see whether it ranked among the city’s few worthy Italian joints. This 15-cover jewel box of a restaurant fits the bill perfectly. The menu is compact, dominated largely by fresh antipasti and a lasagna and pasta dish that changes daily. The wines are Italian and should absolutely be paired with the meal. But what’s on the plate is only part of the charm of this Tuscan trattoria. Owner Flavia Federici is not only credited with turning out flavorful dishes capable of transporting each diner straight to Tuscany but as the mastermind behind the standout design. Trained as an architect, Flavia left no detail unconsidered when laying out the small space. The elevated, open kitchen lords over the tiny dining room, appointed with vintage furnishings (including school desks), serving dishes and shelving to house wine, pasta, sauces and other goods that guests can purchase to take home. Come A Casa is warm, welcoming and guaranteed to delight. Just don’t forget to order the stracciatella.

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.

It doesn’t get more quintessentially Australian than this: waking up to a symphony of kookaburras and the heady scent of eucalyptus, the sight of kangaroos roaming freely about the 7,000-acre nature reserve. You might be tricked into thinking you’d slept under the stars—if it weren’t for the four-poster bed, flicker of a warm fire, and sunrise reflected from the glittering private pool. A three hours’ drive west of Sydney, this luxury ecolodge feels worlds away, surrounded by sandstone bluffs and sweeping plains filled with leafy gumtrees and Wollemi pines. It has 40 homestead-style villas that are as eco-friendly as they are indulgent: materials sourced within a 60-mile radius, solar panels for hot water and lighting. Highlights include the Aussie cuisine, mostly grown and sourced within 100 miles of the resort (and included in the all-inclusive rate, along with a premium minibar). A fruit orchard and edible garden supplies organic herbs, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.


The most intriguing aspect of the property is an original farmhouse, built around 1832, that hosted Charles Darwin in 1836. Today, the homestead functions as a museum that highlights the Indigenous, settler, and agricultural history of the valley. The comprehensive program of activities gets guests off the homestead: There are peaks to climb, glowworms to ogle, and horses to ride. Following a landslide in 2022, Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley has faced access issues. It is temporarily closed.

Located in the Alfama district, the world-class Museu do Fado details Portugal’s soulful national music with exhibits, audiovisuals, and more. Marvel at the photographic panel of Portuguese musicians dominating the entrance, then listen to music as you tour the museum, stopping at the second-floor auditorium to watch a documentary on the history of fado. There’s also a great gift store, where you can purchase souvenirs like a four-stringed cavaquinho.

You might recognize Palermo’s opera house, the Massimo Theater, from its role in The Godfather: Part III—the movie’s final scenes were filmed here. Though it echoes classical style, the building is young compared to Palermo’s other architectural attractions, built just over a century ago, in the late 1800s. It’s the largest opera house in Italy and the third largest in all of Europe. During the day, visitors can take guided tours (which are offered in English).

They are most famed for their mouth-watering BBQ pork buns and the queues of people that congregate outside their blink-and-you’ll-miss-it canteen. Welcome to Tim Ho Wan, the one of the world’s cheapest Michelin star restaurants. This is Yum Cha heaven, so if you need your fix you have certainly come to the right place. Seated in the 17-seat canteen the fast, hectic pace of the restaurant will keep you in the fast lane: have your order ready before you come inside, eat fast, and get out or watch as you get stared down by one of the grumpier ladies. Despite this fast-paced attitude the food is worth it. A full meal to feed three to bursting point cost less than AU$20/GBP£14/US$21 – and that’s with leftovers. BBQ pork buns are notorious for being overly sweet, so biting into Tim Ho Wan’s buns I was pleasantly surprised to be met with a beautiful sweet interior filled with soft pork pieces. The chiu chow-style dumplings were also beautiful; notorious for having soggy nuts, they had steamed these to perfection, with the crunch still intact amongst the soft exterior. Top picks? The famed BBQ pork buns, vermicelli rolls, turnip cake, and the chiu chow style dumplings. Delicious! -------- Details Tim Ho Wan Tsui Yuen Mansion, 2-20 Kwong Wa St (廣華街2-20號翠園大樓2期地下8號舖) Mong Kok, Hong Kong Other branches: * Sham Shui Po G/F, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon * ICC Mall in Central (Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall) , Central, Hong Kong

Often called one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, Trunk Bay is a crescent of snow-white sand with a small green islet on the north side of the aquamarine lagoon. Part of the Virgin Islands National Park, Trunk Bay is known for its underwater snorkeling trail. Submerged signs along the trail describe the corals, tropical fish and other marine life found within the bay. Visitors can rent snorkeling gear on the beach, and lifeguards are in attendance.

Kenya’s Mathioya, Tana, and Athi rivers offer some excellent white-water rafting opportunities. Rafting the Athi is considered one of the top 10 river trips in the world and includes steep rapids, giant waterfalls, and stunning views of wildlife along the route. Savage Wilderness, a company in the Sagana region, offers exhilarating and well-guided white-water excursions (as well as rock climbing, archery, and more) and is an easy day trip from Nairobi. At some points of the year, the rivers around Sagana can be too low to raft on, but a range of other activities, from swimming to attempting to kayak through a 50-foot waterfall, are available.

Australia is world-renowned for scuba diving, but you don’t have to go all the way to the Great Barrier Reef or Ningaloo. Most people don’t know there is plenty of good diving in and around Sydney, too. One of the best sites is Magic Point off the tip of Malabar Headland National Park south of Maroubra. There’s an extensive reef system and large caves that are home to weedy sea dragons, stingrays, and a recovering colony of grey nurse sharks (which by most accounts are harmless to humans). Local outfitters such as Frog Dive Scuba Centres can lead you there.

For travelers who visit Hawaii and want a quiet, tucked-away vacation from the rest of the world, Hilo is a fantastic town to find a condo for rent and sunrises from the local beaches or to enjoy quiet evenings staying in. While no one needs to get lost in a book when there are so many beautiful things to enjoy on the Island of Hawaii, Hilo Bay Books compliments a tucked-away, quiet, beachy lifestyle perfectly by selling secondhand books (their motto is “get used!”) to help you unwind and enjoy the time away from home.

Port Royal, once known as the wickedest city on earth and the Sodom of the New World, revels in its pirate past. The once-great city, now a fishing port, was at its height in the 1600s, when numerous brothels and drinking establishments thrived on pirates’ plundered gold. In 1692, the effects of an earthquake submerged part of the port, a tragedy that has actually preserved the town from being torn down or built over. Entire buildings and streets are clearly visible just beneath the water. The town that remains on dry land offers visitors fascinating archaeological sites to explore, including fortified walls, cannons, and crumbling buildings.