South Beach, or SoBe, is Miami Beach's buzziest bit. The vibrant area, with its pastel-hued buildings, hip nightclubs, trendy shops and see-and-be-seen restaurants, attracts socialites and their satellites year-round.

Puerto Morelos, a peaceful village on the Mayan Riviera, offers visitors a glimpse of the real Yucatan. Closer to Cancun airport than Cancun is, Puerto Morelos makes an excellent base for those seeking someplace quieter than glitzy nearby hotspots, Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

Bangkok is a city to overload the senses. Streets are crowded by tuk-tuks (motorized tri-shaws) and the occasional elephant weaving through congested traffic.

If watching the sunrise from atop a 10,000-foot volcano, swimming under waterfalls, hiking through craters and luxuriating on white-, red- and even black-sand beaches sounds like paradise, then Maui awaits.