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Adventurous souls should plan on a moonlit dip in the bioluminescent Glistening Waters, also known as Luminous Lagoon. Boats leave from a marina, located an hour north of Montego Bay, on scheduled night tours. As your tour boat speeds out into the dark of night, you’ll spot fluorescent blue streaks in its wake—bioluminescence that’s created when living microorganisms (in this case, dinoflagellates) are disturbed. You can jump in for a swim, too, and glow in the dark as you splash about. It’s an amazing phenomenon to witness, and it’s said to exist in only five lagoons or bays in the world. Back at the marina, the Glistening Waters restaurant offers beautiful views, as well as pre-cruise drinks and food.

Few visitors venture to Duncans Bay, a small town in northern Jamaica, halfway between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. But its public beach, called Fisherman’s, is one of the best for a local vibe. The scenery is straight out of an old Caribbean postcard: kids play in the distance, colorful fishermen canoes rest on shore, and a ramshackle bar along the wide golden sands attracts the usual neighbors. Show up mid-afternoon, when the grill and some background music get started, while the waves splash and the sun prepares to set. The slow rhythm of this area, away from the resorts, vendors, and tourist trails, will make you want to stay for hours. No problem—there are local guesthouses a stone’s throw away.

When Southern Ocean Lodge, the flagship property of Australian hotel brand Baillie Lodges, opened in 2008, it was Kangaroo Island’s first true luxury lodge, known for its cinematic spot atop grass-covered limestone cliffs, with curved guest suites facing the namesake seas. Surrounded on three sides by national parks, Southern Ocean Lodge connected travelers with Australia’s powerful natural landscapes. Then in early January 2020, wildfires consumed more than half of Kangaroo Island, reducing the ecological paradise to sandy hills and blackened branches. Southern Ocean Lodge was a casualty of the blaze.


As AFAR’s Katherine LaGrave reported in her feature on the island, rebuilding began in earnest in February 2022, with the goal of becoming more sustainable: “The new lodge will use 25 percent less energy than the original lodge, and diesel fuel consumption will be halved. There will be rainwater harvesting, reliance on a hybrid solar-and-battery system, and elevated boardwalks to minimize impact on the health of coastal plants. Smart landscaping will create a sort of buffer around the lodge.”



Along with the new sustainable choices, the lodge has replicated the footprint of the original property, with 25 guest rooms slightly reoriented to optimize sea views. A new ultra-premium suite, the Ocean Pavilion, has up to four bedrooms and bathrooms (or two separate suites) with an outdoor terrace and private pool. And the ever-popular main lodge still has a Great Room with a suspended fireplace and a deck with a plunge pool that juts toward the sea.

What began as a large collection of Delta Air Lines artifacts in 1995, the Delta Flight Museum reopened in 2014 as a state-of-the-art facility for visitors on the company’s campus near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The historic Hangar 1, once the largest in the southeast, was formerly used as a maintenance facility. Here you’ll find the company’s original Douglas DC-3, a replica of the Huff Daland Duster and The Spirit of Delta, the airline’s first Boeing 767, which was purchased by employees in 1982. Learn more about each machine with touch screen displays and admire the artifacts from over the years. Inside the Spirit of Delta, you’ll find original seats and flight attendant uniforms from Delta’s tenure as well as the airlines it acquired in its history like Western, Northwest and Pacific Northern. There’s even a flight simulator, which costs extra. The museum is open every day except Wednesday, from 10 am to 4:30 pm during the week and 12 to 4:30 pm on Sunday. Guided tours run at 1 pm on Tuesdays. You’ll be required to show photo ID upon entering the facility. Admission is $12.50 for visitors but military and Delta employees receive a discount. It’s a great stop on your way to or from the airport.

Uturoa’s local town market, which opens at sunrise daily (but only stays open for a few hours on Sundays), offers a selection of hand-crafted souvenirs and pareus on its upper level as well as a vast selection of Raiatea’s freshest seafood and produce—which make for curiously colorful photo ops—on the main level. It really bustles on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Springs Preserve presents visitors with a sort of crash course in the story of the Las Vegas Valley. The facility is many attractions in one: the Origen Museum, which chronicles early geology and anthropology of the region; the Nevada State Museum, which covers the history, prehistory, and natural history of Nevada; DesertSol, a solar-powered home designed to showcase sustainable living; the NV Energy Foundation Sustainability Gallery, which teaches visitors about a more ecofriendly lifestyle; and Boomtown 1905, a re-created streetscape. There is also an enclosed butterfly habitat, a botanical garden, and 3.6 miles of trails that crisscross the preserve’s 110 acres, winding past rare plants, archaeology, artifacts, and more. This remarkable resource has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Maldives is home to an underwater nightclub, underwater restaurants, and an underwater wine cellar, so it only makes sense that it would be home to the world’s first underwater spa too. Guests at Per Aquum’s Huvafen Fushi resort can unwind at its signature Lime spa, which offers both overwater pavilions and underwater treatment rooms for a new take on the ultimate relaxation experience. Treatments include shiatsu massages, facials, hydrating wraps, and body scrubs made with a mixture of Maldivian coral sand and coconut oil. Once guests have been pampered into a state of bliss, they can lounge in the steam room or sauna area, enjoy an outdoor shower, or simply put their feet up and drink in the view of the surrounding sea.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust rescues orphaned baby elephants from the wild, nurturing and raising them through the grief of losing their families, and then eases them back into their natural habitat when they are old and strong enough. The animals are not forced to return to the wild—at around four years old, they are moved from the Nairobi nursery to a new home near Tsavo National Park to help them gain the independence to move on. The baby elephants can be visited every day at 11 a.m., where you’ll see them playing in the mud and guzzling gallons of milk. Guests who choose to adopt an orphan can return at 5 p.m. to watch the babies enjoy an evening snack of leaves before being put to bed.

The peak called Monserrate towers over central Bogotá and lends its name to the church that tops it. Perched more than 10,000 feet above sea level, the sanctuary—dedicated to the Passion of Christ—has beautiful gardens showcasing marvelous highland vegetation, and the city views from here are spectacular (sunsets are especially recommended). Ascend Monserrate by cable car, via railway, or on foot (this last is only for the fittest and those already acclimated to the altitude). That beautiful white house on the mountainside is Casa Santa Clara restaurant, a better-than-expected, special-occasion-suitable venue at which to try traditional Bogotá favorites like ajiaco, a thick potato-and-chicken soup.

This lake filled with giant, translucent chunks of iceberg is one of Iceland’s most distinctive and photogenic sights. Featured in high-profile movies, including two of the James Bond series and Batman Begins (as well as many local TV commercials), the sight is reached via a scenic drive along the country’s main ring road (Route 1). The icebergs originate at the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, which looms in the distance behind the lagoon, and look especially otherworldly when they reach the nearby black-sand beach. The area is also a paradise for bird lovers, with arctic terns and skuas nesting in the area (they may dive-bomb you if you get too close to their nests), and it’s possible to spot the occasional seal. A nearby visitor center offers simple fast food and drinks as well as souvenirs.

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.

Hilton’s reentry into the heart of Paris is nothing short of majestic. After a $50 million design overhaul, the 125-year-old hotel, made for the 1889 World’s Fair, has been revived to its 19th-century splendor with a contemporary twist. Formerly the Grand Hotel Terminus and the Concorde Opéra Paris, the property’s landmark status—with its Haussmannian facade and elegant public spaces—demanded it be painstakingly preserved. Among the restored, original elements, the most awe-inspiring are the Corinthian columns, chandeliers, balustrades, hand-painted frescoes, and marble and mosaic tiling. Fortunately, the bar takes pride of place among them, making it the ideal spot to start your stay with a cocktail or glass of wine.

The style in each of the rooms breaks with the traditional stark-white modern codes of most business hotels. Here it incorporates warm accent colors and textiles. With few heritage elements left to preserve, the sense of place is woven in with custom etchings of iconic Paris scenes hung behind each bed. But you won’t be spending much time here, as the action happens in the grand salon.

At the edge of the Baja Peninsula, One&Only Palmilla was originally built in 1956 as a 15-room hideaway for Don Abelardo Rodriguez, son of the then-president of Mexico. Today, it’s one of the region’s most luxurious resorts, composed of 174 oceanfront rooms and suites and two villas decorated in neutral hues and splashes of red; many have infinity pools and patios that face the Sea of Cortez.


One&Only Palmilla has one of the area’s few swimmable beaches, plus three private rocky coves complete with floating beds, lounge chairs, and dedicated butlers. Activities include snorkeling, surfing, parasailing, and golfing the award-winning 27-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus. The massive spa’s wellness garden features a juice bar and 13 treatment villas; several have private plunge pools, rain showers, and swinging daybeds.



One&Only Palmilla is a member of EarthCheck, a scientific benchmarking certification program, for its sustainability efforts, which include a state-of-the-art water purification system that produces and bottles filtered water on site. The resort works with the Red Committee for the Protection of the Sea Turtle by helping with daily patrols of nearby nests, an activity guests can join.

Josélo’s location right on the periphery of Parque Lincoln—a peaceful park in the upscale Polanco neighborhood—is one reason to stop by for a cup of coffee. You can sit at a second-floor table and overlook the park as you sip and take a break from the capital’s chaos. The other reason to visit is the coffee itself. Beans here are sourced from the state of Chiapas, one of Mexico‘s main coffee-producing regions.

On the desolate site of the 2010 World Expo, the Chinese government has transformed an old power station into an artistic gem. Power Station of Art (PSA) is the first state-owned contemporary art museum in China, so while that precludes shows that might be deemed too avant-garde, it also means admission to the big-name exhibitions is heavily subsidized—and sometimes even free! In addition to hosting the Shanghai Biennale, the museum puts on shows running the gamut from modern Danish design to punk rock history and works by Shanghai street artist JR.