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This lodge offers a private island stay, paired with the option of experiencing the Swahili architecture, music, and culture of Stone Town (Zanzibar’s main town, 20 minutes from Mnemba by boat plus a 90-minute drive). Ten high-ceilinged, thatched bandas are footsteps from a flour-fine sand beach and are romantically furnished with elaborately carved wooden beds. For those who want a change of scenery, verandas and shaded beach beds offer a variety of places to sleep off all the early morning safari wake-up calls. Just under one mile in circumference, Mnemba Island has permanent residents that include poodle-sized Suni and rabbit-sized Ader’s duiker antelope, breeding doves, and enormous terrestrial coconut crabs. Sunbathers can spot dolphins from the beach year-round, and scuba divers might encounter the occasional whale shark.

Situated closer to Cambodia than Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc has arguably the best beaches in the country. An international airport opened in 2012, raising the island’s profile and bringing in droves of visitors. Despite this, the island retains a laid-back, underdeveloped charm, and its coast is still dotted with small fishing villages with brightly painted boats. The interior of the island includes plenty of forest, while some of the land is earmarked for growing black pepper—pepper from here is famous throughout Vietnam. The best beach lies to the west of the town of Phu Quoc; it’s a 13-mile long straight stretch with golden sands, coconut palms, and clear turquoise waters. The An Thoi Islands, south of Phu Quoc but still part of its marine park, offer excellent snorkeling and diving during the dry season from December through May.

Just across the Ashley River from the Charleston Peninsula, Charles Towne Landing marks the site of the forerunner to Charleston, Charles Towne. Settlers from Barbados founded the town in 1670, though after ten years—and a series of attacks by French, Spanish, Native Americans and pirates—they wisely decided to move to the easier-to-defend Charleston peninsula and start over. A recreation of a 17th-century trip, the Adventure, and replica of a colonial home provide insights into life in the earliest years of colonial America.

Always a crowd, but how could it be otherwise? Shore panoramas frame breathtaking nature, turquoise seas and sugary, white sand. Mighty close to the perfect beach, dreamy and hot, with great sightseeing opportunities. Keep eyes peeled for jumbo starfish and other marvelous creatures, now a main beach attraction. The shopping’s good, too, especially for artisanal handicrafts and dishware.

We were lying in the sand in Vieques. We’d been told to watch out for horses, but nothing could prepare me for this. What a majestic experience to see wild horses free on the sands of Sun Bay Beach.

Thriving marine life and crystal-clear water make Curaçao an unforgettable snorkeling destination. At Tugboat Beach, you can head 17 feet below the surface to explore a sunken vessel. Mushroom Forest is known for its hard corals and cute (creepy?) critters. And at Playa Grandi, you can watch turtles glide close to shore while fishermen clean catch every afternoon. Dance with the fish along PortoMari beach, or plunge deeper to explore its double reef system. Dive shops abound for PADI classes or equipment rentals—get ready to merge with Mother Nature.

Smack in the center of Willemstad, the Renaissance Curaçao is adjacent to the historic Rif Fort shopping and entertainment complex and within walking distance to everything downtown. It solves for not having beach access with two infinity pools overlooking the ocean and cruise pier, each edged in a man-made, sandy beach that can pass for the real thing at first dip. The colorful lobby is connected to a casino, mall, and the island’s only Starbucks. Be sure to check the local cruise schedule before booking an ocean-view room, as you may have your vistas blocked by a ship. You may also want to rent a car to explore the island’s natural beaches but, come nightfall, it’s easier to walk to the Punda and Pietermaai districts for dinner.

In addition to its beaches, Aruba’s gambling culture is one of the island’s biggest draws, with most casinos located in the large hotels of Palm Beach and downtown Oranjestad. Stellaris, in the Aruba Marriott Resort, is one of several glittering options that stay open 24 hours a day. The sprawling floor boasts rows of slot machines and 26 tables, offering all manner of poker, craps, and blackjack games. Visitors can also look forward to bingo, sports kiosks, and a VIP club for high rollers. Note: Aruba’s casinos are restricted to those 18 and older.

A delightful peach-colored villa set directly on Treasure Beach, this Jamaican-owned guesthouse is a gem, and feels more like a vacation home than a hotel. There are six spacious guest rooms and two larger suites, each with their own patios or balcony with a glorious sea view. The interior is intricately decorated with carefully chosen African-themed paintings and sculptures, and the owner—who returned after many years in the US—takes pride in providing true Jamaican hospitality. There’s a bar and no restaurant on site, but that doesn’t prevent the large kitchen and staff cook from taking your daily orders for breakfast and dinner, dishing out excellent local specialties that are served poolside with the sea in front of you. It’s one of my favorite places to stay and get away from it all.

Also known as Old Navarino Castle, Paleokastro—built by the Frankish ruler Nicholas II de St. Omer around 1278—is located above Voidokila Beach in Messinia’s Mediterranean area. Make sure to bring your camera, as a trek to the castle awards panoramic views of the Ionian Sea, the city of Pylos, Voidokilia Bay, the Romanou-Petrochori beaches, Gialova Divari lagoon, the olive tree-lined Peloponnesian Hills, the Sykias chanel, Sphacteria island, and Navarino Bay. When hiking, you’ll be taking the same path as you would to reach Nestor’s Cave, a popular cave in Greek mythology.

In swank St. Barth’s, it’s hard to imagine that it’s only the Gucci-clad glitterati that live here. In an effort to see for myself, I rented a jeep and on a quiet Sunday morning drove around the island. I stopped at L’Orient Beach where my question was answered. Families played in the turquoise sea, suntanned, surfed, ate sandwiches while leaning against the colorful surf shack. It was the antithesis of the rosé-fueled scene at Nikki Beach on the other side of the island. I sat and watched for an hour, trying to take photos, but slipped away, feeling very much the interloper.

On the North Shore of O‘ahu, Turtle Bay Resort is the only hotel of its caliber on this less developed part of the island. Set on a 1,300-acre property—half of which has been set aside permanently for conservation—the 408 rooms and suites all have ocean views and a neutral/blue palette inspired by the surrounding area. The resort’s commitment to environmental sustainability is palpable: Meals are prepared with leafy greens, beets, and other crops from the resort’s own Kuilima Farm, a plot of land five minutes from the hotel with a farm stand and “you-pick” self-harvesting days for locals. Meanwhile, the 18-hole golf course is maintained with gray water treated by the resort’s own plant.


The resort doubles as a wildlife sanctuary. A birding experience via electric golf cart led by Captain Scott Sundby, who runs Shaka Kayaks and has lived on the North Shore for 20 years, offers a glimpse at some of the wild residents. They include the ‘alae ‘ula, or Hawaiian common gallinule, which according to Hawaiian legend got its fiery red forehead from the gods, and Hawaiian monk seals, one of the world’s most endangered seal species. The coastline here is set within the Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, extending more than 1,200 nautical square miles; in the winter, it’s the site of humpback breeding, calving, and nursing.

The vibe in Waikiki is the most frenetic of all the spots in the islands, but there is an escape. The scene at the current iteration of the classic Hawaiian hangout, Duke’s, is a step back even by Oahu standards. Best approached via the beach to enhance the original feel and avoid the mall-like carnival from the street entrance, this is the kind of bar that welcomes sand on your flips. Slip in for happy hour and be prepared to jockey for a spot. Even with the crowd, the music, the food, the drinks are all designed draw you back to a simpler time when Duke was still riding the longboard. I’m partial to the beers and french fries, but will never refuse a fish taco. With a long relationship with the Kona Brewing brand, I opt for the Longboard larger or Fire Rock Pale ale. The umbrella drinks don’t disappoint, but neither do the gin and tonics. The local musical talent that ply the stage at Duke’s are traditional Hawaiian in style and like to keep the island theme front and center. There is a family vibe to the musical community, much like the rest of Hawaiian culture, and it’s not unusual to get a sibling or cousin to come up on stage and do some traditional Hawaiian dance or help out on a song or two. There was an 8 year old girl that got asked to come up on one of our visits and she blew the crowd away! The strip a Waikiki can be a bit daunting in terms of relaxation, but Duke’s remains my refuge from the madness. Aloha.

Jalan Sulawesi, right in the heart of Denpasar in what used to be the Chinese district is the place to go for fabric. Whether you’re looking for a beautiful piece of traditional batik or something a bit more funky, the selection on this street is so vast be prepared to trek up and down it a few times. Try to arrive in the morning because once the sun really starts to heat up the tiny, cramped shops and warm the spoiled food hanging around in the gutters from Badung Market next door you’ll be dying to get off the street.

If you only have a day in the city, go to Mont-Royal park for the views. But if you have more time, I strongly suggest you also visit Laurier Park, just a stone throw’s from Laurier metro station. It’s the park Montrealers enjoy the most. Mature trees, beautiful architecture in the surrounding streets and tons of take-away restaurants nearby (not to mention free wifi) make this park incredibly popular from early March to late November, from the first to the last rays of warm sunlight. It really is a great place for a picnic, for a tanning session or even an impromptu volleyball game.