Looking For The Ultimate Desert Escape? Awasi Atacama Is The Place You Have Been Dreaming About

Costa Rica is one of the most stable countries in Central America, with welcoming Ticos, lodgings to suit every style and budget, and long-established operators offering an array of family friendly activities, from easy wildlife encounters with sloths and toucans to adrenaline-fueled adventures. 

Netflix has a new documentary series—“Predators”—with incredible cinematography of some of the world’s apex carnivores, including the polar bears of Churchill in Manitoba, Canada. Churchill is known as the polar bear capital of the world (as well as the beluga whale capital) and it’s easy to see both animals in the wild on a trip to this subarctic Canadian town.

Nature lovers will be thrilled to spend as long as possible in the Atacama Desert and Tierra Atacama is the perfect luxury outpost to begin your adventure. Guests arrive via an adobe-lined path to enter a glass-enclosed lobby with spectacular open vistas. All public areas of the hotel provide views of the Andes and the imposing Licancabur Volcano. Lush foliage welcomes guests into the outdoor area where you can lounge by the pool in the daytime and snuggle up on a couch in front of a firepit after dark.

Spanning from the remote northern reaches of Nunavut to the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the American landmass is home to a spectacular array of native flora and fauna—and all of that abundant biodiversity has given rise to a wealth of incredible drinking and dining destinations all throughout its boundaries. Whether you’re seeking fresh seafood, complex cocktails, or refined nikkei-style dishes, each of the following Marriott properties showcase the culinary splendor of their surroundings, with no shortage of high-end amenities to enjoy along the way.

As the seasons change and the weather cools, there’s something romantic about curling up at home with a cocktail to warm your bones. The assortment of fall flavors is like nothing else throughout the year, an opportunity seized upon by the world’s best mixologists.

Almost everyone went somewhere this year, but there are still places to go. Lots of places. So what are the best destinations for travel in 2024?

Brazil is a vast country, home to a treasure trove of diverse travel experiences. Enchanting rainforests, sprawling wetlands, buzzing cities and perfect beaches all make for spectacular stops on your itinerary. 

Ecuador offers some of the most incredible outdoor experiences on earth, from surfing on beautiful beaches to treks through the Amazon jungle. The fourth-smallest country in South America offers experiences to rival anything in Brazil, Argentina or Chile, all packed into a small space that's easy to explore by bus, boat or plane.

North Carolina is home to famed landscapes ranging from craggy peaks in the west – popular with advanced hikers – to coastal plains in the east – a popular destination for families. But no matter your skill level, the Tar Heel state is filled with pathways, marshes and densely packed forests to tramp.   

With its cobbled historic downtown, fascinating museums and lively dining and bar scene, Bogotá can keep you busy for days. After you’ve made the most of the city’s cultural and historical experiences, consider a day trip to Bogotá’s lush and evergreen hinterland, where you’ll find misty cloud forests, quaint towns, striking mountains and lots of outdoor activities. Most of these places can be reached on a bus, but if you rent a car, you might be able to combine a few of them into a one – or two – day trip. 

The ethos of the hotel company Our Habitas is sustainable practices in natural settings with a dose of relevant luxury mixed in. So it makes sense that its latest property is Our Habitas Atacama in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile in the pristine, unique Atacama Desert known to be the most arid non-polar landscape on earth but one also with lunar rock formations, salt flats, volcanoes, geysers and hot springs, a cornucopia of dramatic nature. The hotel opened its doors a few days ago.

What could be more exciting for a kid to see than puffing volcanoes, crackling glaciers, dense rainforests and blinding white salt flats?