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The National Museum of Korea is the largest museum in Korea and houses a comprehensive collection of Korean cultural artifacts that tell the story of Korea’s fascinating history, from ancient days to the modern era. There’s also the Children’s Museum—not only a wonderful playground and play space for children but also an impressive interactive exhibit that teaches children Korean history and heritage. Best of all, admission to the museum, including Children’s Museum, is free.

The Vintage House Douro is located in Pinhão, in the middle of the Douro Region, classified as World Heritage and the first demarcated wine region of the world. Adapted from an old winery, the The Vintage House Douro is a five star, with a sophisticated but comfortable decoration, typical of the traditional farms of the Douro.


With 36 rooms, 5 suites and 2 luxury suites, all with balcony overlooking the river and the terraced vineyards, The Vintage House Douro has a unique location, between the river and the train station of Pinhão – mandatory stop of famous Douro railway line. In addition to car or train, guests can arrive by boat and dock at the pier right in front of the hotel .

Near the northern end of Andros Island, about 15 minutes by air from Nassau, remote Kamalame Cay is worth the effort it takes to get there. The 96-acre private island features 34 rustic-chic rooms and suites, all within steps of a white-sand beach, as well as a central Great House where guests come together to sip wine before dinner and share stories afterward (of course, many opt for a secluded, candlelit meal set up somewhere along the three miles of shoreline). A range of seaside activities keep everyone from the kids to newlyweds to the occasional celebrity happy. There’s a freshwater swimming pool, an over-water spa, world-class fishing off the coast, and entertainment by local “rake-and-scrape” bands. And for those who live in fear of being unplugged, relax. Kamalame Cay offers hotspots around the island for full cell service (if you want it) and Wi-Fi in the reception area.

For such a remote region, Big Sur has more than its share of amazing places to stay. One of the most unique is Treebones Resort, nestled high in the foothills of South Big Sur overlooking the Pacific. The off-the-grid property offers 16 signature yurts as well as oceanfront campsites, a 500-square-foot “autonomous tent,” and the “human nest,” a spherical dwelling woven from tree branches by local artist Jayson Fann. Even nesters have access to the resort’s pool, hot tub, and restaurant, which highlights produce from the on-site organic farm and houses what has to be one of the world’s most scenic sushi bars.

With its world famous pier, bustling beaches, and chill, but lively nightlife scene that draw eight million visitors annually, Santa Monica can feel a bit crowded in the summer high season. But not at Oceana Santa Monica. Set within the posh neighborhood of Wilshire Montana, the hotel is located across the street from Palisades Park, a peaceful municipal outdoor area dotted with fig and palm trees that runs alongside the Pacific Ocean. Just stepping into the lobby feels like a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Santa Monica pier.


Formerly known as the Oceana Beach Club Hotel, the property debuted in 2019 after it was purchased by Hilton’s upscale LXR brand and underwent a $25 million transformation. The 70 apartment-style guest rooms—most of which feature ocean views—are situated around a heart-shaped pool. Each suite has a separate living room and bedroom, Loro Piana bedding, large bathrooms, and walk-in closets. For even more space, there are two-bedroom suites with ensuite kitchens and balconies.The interior design is by Anna Busta of Busta Studio; expect moody blue couches and gold and wood design accents throughou the space that echo the Pacific Ocean.



Though Santa Monica’s dynamic culinary scene sets a high bar, Oceana Santa Monica’s Sandpiper stands up. Seafood-forward menu items include chilled prawns served with summer melons, pan roasted sheepshead fish plated with littleneck clams, and chopped salads with asparagus, broccolini, and zucchini garnished with watermelon radish, corn, and red onions. Pair the meal with a house cocktail like the Stan Laurel (named after the actor of Laurel and Hardy fame who once called the Oceana home), composed of Empress gin, cointreau, lavender syrup, and lemon juice.

Located in some of the last remaining coastal canyons in Southern California, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park offers some 40 miles of hiking trails that wind through oak and sycamore woodlands and up onto ridges with sweeping ocean views. The park is also part of the Natural Community Conservation Planning program, which helps protect rare and endangered species, so visitors should keep their eyes peeled for animals like the California gnatcatcher and the orange-throated whiptail. You might even spot mule deer, long-tailed weasels, bobcats, and red-tailed hawks while exploring the park’s 7,000 acres of pristine wilderness. Stop by the Nix Nature Center on your way in for maps, information, and anything else you might need for an epic hike.

Open that teal door down an alleyway in D.C.’s bustling 14th and U Street neighborhood and like in Alice In Wonderland, you’ll be transported to another world. Just inside the door, Maydan’s cooks fan and stoke the flames of a firepit. Lamb shoulders smoke overhead, pita bread bakes in clay ovens, and vegetables char over coals. The flavorful shared-plates menu of spreads, kebabs, vegetables, and more is inspired by homemade meals shared throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Caucasus. Maydan, which means “gathering place” in Arabic dialects, succeeds at creating a communal dining experience where food and conversation is exchanged across the table. Grab a reservation in advance (available open 28 days ahead at midnight) and request a seat downstairs for a front-row view of the mesmerizing open-fire cooking spectacle.

Kenya‘s first board-game café. like many great spots in Nairobi, is hidden away—in this case, on the 8th floor of an office building. If anything, Bao Box’s location is actually a boon because the altitude offers fabulous city views, and its seemingly random location adds to the completely fun vibe of the place. Walls are stacked high with all the famous board games like Monopoly, Settlers of Catan… and some lesser-known gems including one bluntly named “Fact or Crap.” Whatever your board-game poison, here lies something for you. The decidedly non-corporate decor is funky and outdoorsy with blankets and colorful cushions on pallets. A simple menu of burgers, chips, beers, wines, and soft drinks will satisfy peckish players.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, this hotel was the home of Hispaniola’s first governor, Nicolás de Ovando, and one of the first colonial structures built at the top of cobbled Calle Las Damas (the first paved street in the Americas). Built in 1502 and connected in 1974 during a reconstruction ordered by then President Joaquín Balaguer, the three stone buildings retain their original coffered ceilings, massive arches, tile floors, and brick and stone walls. In addition to 92 rooms and suites, including a dozen Imperial Club rooms overlooking the Ozama River and Don Diego Harbor (Room 4015 has a particularly stunning view and gorgeous bathroom), you’ll find a lovely reading nook, gourmet restaurant, lobby mojito bar, and tranquil garden, which features herbs and fruit trees used by the hotel kitchen.

What’s old is new again at Venice‘s most buzzed-about shopping destination: a department store opened in 2017 in a building dating to the 1500s. An even earlier iteration, a 13th-century trading hall for German (“tedeschi”) merchants, went up in flames. It’s a gorgeous space to see—and Instagram—even if you’re not in the market for a Gucci handbag or Bottega Veneta sunglasses. There’s a small food hall that features local products, including Burano lace, and the family behind Venice’s longstanding Quadri provides the food at a café in the central atrium. Don’t leave without making your way up to the roof for sweeping views of the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge.

A 10-minute bus ride from Rotunde lies Camp des Milles, a former tile factory that served as an internment camp and deportation center from 1939 to 1942. In August and September of 1942 alone, the camp held 10,000 people, 2,000 of whom were eventually deported to Auschwitz. Today, the site functions as a history museum and memorial, with the purpose of honoring those lost during the Holocaust and educating against racism, anti-Semitism, and all forms of fanaticism. Over three floors, visitors can observe areas like the former sleeping quarters, and view illustrations and paintings left by the interned on the walls. In addition to its permanent exhibitions, the museum often hosts temporary shows, cultural events, conferences, educational workshops, and more.

Although Van Gogh painted his famous Wagons de Chemin de Fer while living in Arles, the painting actually hangs in the Musée Angladon in Avignon, along with a sumptuous collection of paintings and furniture inherited from visionary fashion designer Jacques Doucet. Here, in the 18th-century mansion where Doucet’s two nephews once lived, visitors can view works by top 19th- and 20th-century artists like Degas, Cézanne, Manet, Picasso, and Modigliani, as well as European and Far Eastern decorative arts from the Renaissance through the 18th century. What the collection lacks in size it more than makes up for in excellence, plus the museum often hosts temporary exhibitions by contemporary artists like David Hockney that only enhance the experience.

Set on the grounds of a cacao plantation turned hotel, Boucan’s open-air restaurant is just one more fine-dining option with impressive views, in this case, St. Lucia’s verdant hills and Petit Piton. But the difference between Boucan and the others is that Boucan offers a menu informed by its immediate surroundings, throwing a hint of cacao into many of the dishes. Chocolate balsamic vinegar, cacao butter dip, chocolate onion soup—a meal here is a unique experience. Dessert, of course, is divine; opt for the molten chocolate cake. For more insight, ask for a walking tour around the plantation’s cacao groves. Better yet, sign up to take part in a tree-to-bar chocolate-making experience.

Essentially a grand-scale gallery and performance space with meticulously designed guestrooms, this seaside retreat south of Haifa defies easy categorization. Built in 1968 as a sanitarium, the sinuous white building won Yaacov Rechter the coveted Israel Award for Architecture. Arts patron Lily Elstein bought and reimagined the space in 2005, enlisting Rechter’s son to oversee the transformation to boutique-hotel-cum-museum-and-theater. In a nod to the property’s original purpose, the on-site spa is truly sublime, so, if you’re not relaxed enough from catching a Debussy sonata before bed or waking up to expansive Mediterranean views, head there for the signature massage, which includes shiva lingam stones and, naturally, music therapy.

Just down the road from the main entrance to Zion National Park and its vivid red, pink, and cream-hued sandstone cliffs is this family-owned property, whose reclaimed Douglas fir and redwood beams merge seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. The 73 rooms and suites, with their sleek kitchenettes, floor-to-ceiling windows, and pale-green-and-cream furnishings, are bright, modern, and spacious—upstairs accommodations feel even roomier thanks to high, cathedral-style ceilings. There’s an outdoor heated pool and a hot tub near a soothing rock waterfall for unwinding after an exhilarating hike or bike excursion, as well as private balconies or terraces in every room, equipped with wooden Adirondack chairs for soaking in the majestic views of the red rock cliffs and Virgin River.