In the heart of Minnehaha Regional Park in Minneapolis, you’ll find a creek that eventually cascades 16 metres into a pool not far from the Mississippi River. The Minnehaha Falls has been a top tourist attraction since 1855, when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote about it in A Song for Hiawatha (you can see a statue of the co-founder of the Iroquois Confederacy not far from the falls). But for part of the year the water stops falling. In the depths of winter, it freezes up, creating a bright blue, glowing grotto. There are paths down to the falls, which you can walk behind and take photos.
Named after a family parrot, Jakes was founded and is still run by local Sally Henzell. There are 30 rooms, cottages and villas spread out over the quaint fishing village on Jamaica’s south coast. Each bohemian-style abode has its own one-of-a kind bed, antique furniture, shell fretwork, ceiling fans and louvre windows, which are inspired by Morocco, India and the artist Gaudi.
Wake up in the morning to blue skies and even bluer waters, walk out onto your own wooden outdoor deck and dip into your own saltwater pool. During the day take the boat out to Black River, visit the YS falls to cool off, and head to Floyd’s Pelican Bar floating in the middle of the ocean for a few drinks before dinner.
Your bathers, a pair of thongs and a laid-back attitude are all you’ll need to bring – it’s the Caribbean after all.
Epic doesn’t always have to equal expensive. These simple bamboo raft houses in southern Thailand, about halfway between the Andaman and Gulf of Thailand coasts, are about as basic as you can get (no hot showers, shared bathrooms, electricity for only a few hours each evening), but the vast expanse of Cheow Lan Lake outside the door and the jungle beyond are like another world. There are kayaks aplenty for exploring the shoreline, where karsts erupt from the lake, waterfalls cascade in the jungle and the rainforests – home to elephants, deer, gibbons and bears – are some of the oldest in the world.
Photographing Africa’s abundant wildlife doesn’t get much better than when witnessing the Great Migration. Guided by an expert photographer and naturalist, this safari heads to the secluded Namiri Plains, which is open to visitors for the first time in 20 years. Camp among towering acacia trees on the savanna and learn from local zoologists and researchers about the big cats that roam here. Upon reaching the southern Serengeti plains to view the big event, take full advantage of the open-topped 4WD and capture up-close shots as wildebeests and zebra numbering more than a million strong – and predatory lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, jackets and vultures stalking them – make their journey en masse. This wildlife encounter is one you’ll talk about for years to come.
For those who like the idea of being at one with the great outdoors, but can’t imagine life without a hot bath, there’s glamping on this Colorado property about 50 kilometres from Telluride. Eight tents – each with handcrafted beds, gas fireplaces and full-sized tubs – are located either on the banks of the Dolores River or in a forest tall with blue spruce and ponderosa pines.
Meals are served at the renovated farmhouse, where there’s also a bar on the veranda overlooking the Wilson Range. Guests can also get a shuttle to the nearby Dunton Hot Springs resort, built in a former ghost town, to soak in the healing waters. Go horse riding in the High Rockies, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, fly fishing (there are guides for beginners) or relax with a massage or body treatment in the spa tent.
Remember being a kid and wishing the stairs in your house could be swapped with a slide? Live the dream at the new Soneva Jani, where you can select a deluxe overwater bungalow with a chute that takes you from bed to lagoon in an instant. From Malé airport in the Maldives, a private seaplane will whisk you over some of the nation’s 1190 coral islands to your own wooden castle perched out over crystal-clear water. Here the hardest decision you’ll have is deciding between an afternoon in your private pool or joining the fish in the ocean.
It’s that time of year when southern hemisphere snow-heads turn their thoughts to powder on New Zealand’s peaks. After a big day barreling down Treble Cone there’s nothing to be done apart from get a good stiff, warming drink. LaLaLand has got you covered. Arrive before the sun goes down and rug up for a seat on the deck overlooking the lake – really the only place to be as the day’s last rays disappear. Then scoot inside where the vibe is cosy, with velvet lounges, antique lamps and books on the shelves. The surroundings are slightly misleading though – these guys do a mean cocktail. Don’t miss the Te Anaka, a salty, citrusy surprise that took its maker James Crinson to the top three in the worldwide Bacardi Legacy Competition.
Stop, sit and breathe. Notice how quiet it is? That’s because the nearest lodge is a hundred kilometres away and the desert, pocked with prehistoric rock formations, flows past the Brandberg Massif – Namibia’s highest mountain – and out to meet the horizon. There’s no wi-fi, phone reception or worries at Sorris Sorris. Perfect. Nine bright and luxurious suites – think walls of stone and rammed earth, pale wood interiors and creative lighting – sit among a dramatic pile of balanced granite boulders. A lounge rises above the rocks and the pool offers respite from the heat. Desert-adapted elephants romp in the dusty bed of the Ugab River system nearby, and you’ll have the chance to watch them search for underground water – if you’ve managed to tear yourself away from the resort, that is.
Forget crowded supermarket aisles and checkout queues. At the Phong Dien floating market grocery shopping is a delight, not a downer. From dawn, the Hau River heaves with small rowboats laden with fresh fruit, vegetables and fish from producers in the Mekong Delta food bowl.
Haggle over a bunch of bananas and grab a meal at one of the floating ‘restaurants’ on this remarkable river of trade. The market is smaller than its touristy big cousin at nearby Can Tho, and offers a more intimate experience with fewer motorised boats.
If spending a night under the stars excites you, but pitching canvas does not, experience Northern Ireland’s lush landscape from a Bubble Dome. The sphere’s transparent walls and ceiling offer 180-degree views of the surrounding forest, making you feel like you’re in your own world.
As darkness falls, sink into your four-poster bed or kick back in a lounge chair by the fireplace and, if the weather gods are on your side, turn your eyes skyward to marvel at the Milky Way. For the ultimate stargazing experience, enjoy a glass of bubbly while soaking in a luxe stone bathtub in the Premium Bubble Dome.
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