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A National Historic Landmark, this park contains the remnants of World War II coastal defenses, including a pair of 203-millimeter Mark VI guns that could blast 109-kilogram (240-pound) shells a maximum of 32 kilometers, or 20 miles, offshore. Though artillerymen fired practice mortars, the battery never took aim at enemy planes, which only ventured to within 200 kilometers (124 miles). Don’t miss snapping the classic photo from inside one of the clammy concrete bunkers, which frame a slice of Monashka Bay.

Magical, mysterious, magnificent—the ancient madrassas, or Koranic schools, of Morocco are unlike any other, and nowhere are they more extraordinary than in the Fes medina.

These architectural gems are home to students who come from all over the Arabic world to study their religion. The serene environment of the schools provides a welcome balm from the frenetic activity of life in the medina. Several of the oldest in Fes, while no longer in use, are open to the public, which allows a fascinating insight into the almost monastic existence of the former residents. A visit can also reveal layer upon layer of exquisite Islamic architectural details such as carved and filigreed plaster, delicate hand-cut zellij (glazed tiles), elaborate ironwork, and painted wood inlaid with gold leaf.

Among those you shouldn’t miss are the 14th-century al-Attarine, for its extraordinary plaster- and stuccowork that is said to have been inspired by the Nasrid Palaces in Granada’s Alhambra; the Bou Inania, near the Bab Boujloud (Blue Gate) and built around the same time, for its spacious, arcaded courtyard; and the 17th-century Cherratine in the Andalous Quarter, a fine example of Islamic architecture, with ornate carved-cedarwood balconies that go up and up and up, as if ascending to heaven.

I like hotels in general, but there’s a special place in my heart for national park lodges. The range of accommodations usually encompasses several levels of vacation budgets (Yay for patriotic inclusiveness!) and there’s nothing better than waking up surrounded by the very sights and sounds you’ve traveled to see. Denali National Park doesn’t have any NPS-owned lodges, but you can get pretty danged close in terms of atmosphere and location (the park is right on the other side of the roaring Nenana River) by staying at this sprawling Holland America-run resort. Recently renovated accommodations include deluxe rooms and suites in buildings strategically placed along the river and deluxe rooms in the Canyon Lodge building. All buildings are served by a shuttle service and linked by paths. Decorated with historic photographs and rustic-chic touches, my suite room was a dreamy blend of civilization and wild surroundings. Falling asleep to the soundtrack of a rushing river just feet from my window was perfect way to end a day spent in the park. [This photo is a view from my window just before midnight in late June. Midnight!]
Ann Shields traveled to Alaska and the Yukon with Holland America Line as part of AFAR’s partnership with the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), whose members provide travelers with unparalleled access, insider knowledge, and peace-of-mind to destinations across the globe. For more on Ann’s journey, visit the USTOA blog.

On the principal Orkney island, some 30 miles from the north coast of mainland Scotland, sits the best-preserved Neolithic settlement in Western Europe. From 3000 to 2400 B.C.E.—long before Stonehenge or even the Egyptian pyramids—Skara Brae was a thriving village, full of farmers, hunters, and fishermen. It was rediscovered in 1850 after a particularly strong storm and now serves as a fascinating tourist attraction, complete with nine surviving Neolithic houses. Outfitted with stone furniture made 5,000 years ago, the dwellings are linked by low corridors, roofed with what are believed to be original slabs of boulder. When you’re done exploring the village, head to the visitor center to view additional artifacts like gaming dice, tools, and jewelry.

The system of canals and chinampas (cultivated artificial islands fashioned from the area’s swampy soils) that has survived in the far-south neighborhood known as Xochilmilco once stretched all the way to the Centro. To this day, the community is known for its plant nurseries and vegetable gardens. These ancient landscapes now contribute to what has become one of the most singular pleasure gardens in the world, where visitors hire “gondoliers” to propel boats known as trajineras as they sail these channels in the company of floating mariachis and food vendors, partying teens, and extended families out for a picnic lunch. Since a tour is usually a four-hour-plus investment (it flies by), ask your oarsman to take you to Xochimilco’s more-rural precincts, where you’ll enjoy marvelous quiet, far from the madding crowd, in the company of cranes, curs, and picturesque cornfields.

The Uffizi Gallery might get more attention, but the Palazzo Pitti across the river is the largest museum complex in Florence. The vast Renaissance palace itself has been owned by the Medici family, used by Napoleon, and repurposed as home to King Victor Emmanuel III. Today you can visit rooms that house Renaissance paintings by Titian, Raphael, and Rubens; a lavish Medici silver and jewelry collection; a collection of fine European porcelain; and a costume collection. An all-in-one ticket grants entrance to each of the museums: Museo Argenti, Galleria Costume, and Museo Porcellane, as well as the Boboli and Bardini gardens.

While the call of the beach is powerful in Miami, sooner or later world-class art, architecture, and shopping lure most visitors to the Design District. Marc Quinn’s acrobatic Myth Fortuna sculpture of Kate Moss and Fernando Botero’s iconic Maternity are among the eye-catching installations on display in the neighborhood’s plazas and along its palm-lined streets. The new Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) opened in December 2017, and other top galleries include Locust Projects and Maman Fine Art. When it comes to the art of fashion design, major brands are well represented: Versace, Bvlgari, Harry Winston, Miu Miu, Prada, and Max Mara, just to name a few. Refuel between stops with creative comfort food (and refreshing cocktails made with hand-squeezed juice) at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.

Telluride was a fount of local liquor in its Wild West heyday. Today, the town is returning to its boozy roots with help from Telluride Distilling Company, which produces gluten-free vodka (made entirely from sugarcane), whiskey (finished in charred oak sherry barrels), and peppermint schnapps (based on a recipe from the Alps). Stop by the distillery for a bartender-led tour, then treat yourself to a Telluride Mule cocktail, made with ginger beer that’s also brewed on-site.

Up until the end of World War I in 1918, the Hofburg was the center of the Habsburg dynasty and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The massive complex includes the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (National Library), Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury), and, the most recent addition, the Neue Burg, completed in 1913. A visit should include the Imperial Apartments, each lavishly decorated in Baroque and Rococo styles, and the Sisi Museum, covering the life of Austria’s beloved (and actually Bavarian) Empress. It is also the official seat of the president of Austria.

It may be only 22 miles west of San Juan, but Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve feels a world away. The resort has a spectacular location on a three-mile stretch of beach on Puerto Rico’s north shore, where Clara Livingston once ran a sugar plantation—and Amelia Earhart visited before departing for her fateful world tour. In 1958, Livingston sold the property to Laurance S. Rockefeller, who turned it into the first of his legendary Rock Resorts. Known for his green streak, he designed the hotel to respect the local beauty, mandating that buildings could not be taller than the surrounding palm trees.

The Ritz-Carlton—which reopened in October 2018 after a meticulous restoration following Hurricane Maria—pays homage to that original vision. Here, every room is beachfront, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that disappear into ocean views, plus deep soaking tubs, outdoor showers shaded by gardens, and either spacious balconies or private plunge pools. As part of the property’s renovation, rooms were refreshed with a color palette that amplifies the natural beauty just beyond the doors. Additionally, the grounds showcase 3,000 new plant species, the spa is offering new locally inspired treatments and cuisine, Encanto Beach Club Bar & Grill features a refreshed dinner menu, and the Positivo Sandbar debuted an omakase and ceviche bar directly on the sand. There’s even an entirely reimagined signature restaurant, Coa, which serves farm-to-table fare cooked on the grill. Still standing strong on the verdant, 1,400-acre grounds are the five 18-hole championship golf courses. The biggest challenge is pulling yourself away from the luxury of the resort to tee up a shot.

Since 2013, patrons from around the world have found this little place in Kailua-Kona and raved about the fall-from-the-bone ribs marinated in homemade Kona Coffee Steak Rub and the pineapple slaw. Like home cooking at a backyard BBQ, you’ll be greeted with smiles, seated outdoors under umbrellas, and served a beachy BBQ to remember. And, if you don’t get quite enough, TJ’s bottles up their BBQ sauce and Kona Coffee Steak Rub so you can bring the flavors home.

Planned as a gathering spot for guests at the McKinley Chalet Resort, the design of Denali Square manages to take all the great things about a hotel lobby (a community center, a delivery system for pride of place, a communications hub, and a comfortable place to relax and people-watch) and move them outside. And when the light lingers past 11 p.m. and the air is fragrant with evergreen and mountain cool, you definitely want to be outside. A generous deck area allows you to listen to live music while dining or enjoying a cocktail. Inviting fire pits circled by chairs are scattered in the clearing (s’mores, please!). A covered two-sided stage offers live music in the evenings on one of its faces and ranger-talks during the day on the other. Shops, a theater, and an artist’s workshop surround the outdoor space. Inside the main building, the 7,800-square-foot Karstens Public House could take its status as the only game in town as a bland way out, but instead offers seriously good food with a well-considered sense of the surrounding: local craft brews, reindeer sausage, bison burgers, and a thick, roasted vegetable soup so delicious that I’m trying to replicate it at home. I doubt I’ll ever capture the lovely sense of enjoying it outdoors, under high mountains and northern summer light.
Ann Shields traveled to Alaska and the Yukon with Holland America Line as part of AFAR’s partnership with the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), whose members provide travelers with unparalleled access, insider knowledge, and peace-of-mind to destinations across the globe. For more on Ann’s journey, visit the USTOA blog.

This lovely state park stretches along the rugged volcanic shoreline of western Maui, three miles from Hana. It’s best explored on the 2.2-mile hike that starts at the black-sand beach and follows the dramatic coast, passing lava tubes, rock arches, blowholes, and Polynesia’s largest heiau (an ancient Hawaiian temple) along the way. Avoid standing too close to the geysers as well as the lava benches near the ocean, which can crumble easily, and watch out for high surf. If you’re looking to cool down after your trek, take the loop trail to the park’s freshwater caves, where you can explore two separate chambers (the first tends to be clearer and more inviting).

Whether you’re up for the adventure of a mobile tented camp, or would prefer a private house staffed with personal chefs, Singita Grumeti is the place for the ultimate safari experience and unbeatable Great Migration views. The 350,000-acre protected nature reserve is home to five distinct properties (plus an exclusive private villa option), ensuring there is an option for any traveler—though luxury, service, and attention to detail are constants across the board.

The five main Grumeti properties offer a singular setting and experience, along with the option to visit any of the others for meals, or to make use of their facilities. Choices include traditional tented-style camps like Sabora Tented Camp, with its plush, 1920s-explorer-inspired decor, and Explore Mobile Tented Camp, an eco-friendly setup that can be moved as the migration progresses. Faru Faru Lodge features contemporary interiors and boasts two striking pools, while Serengeti House is a four-suite private house favored by honeymooning celebs. The grande dame of the reserve, Sasakwa Lodge, boasts luxury cottages, a spa, a wine cellar, dining room, a bar and lounge, a billiards room, a conservatory, and even an equestrian center.

With all this to choose from—not to mention the endless panoramas, gourmet cuisine, and unforgettable wildlife viewing—Singita Grumeti has become known as the pinnacle of safari getaways. And with good reason: the experience here is so impeccable, it just might spoil you on safaris for life.

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.