of American Art, a cutting-edge 21c Museum Hotel, tons of avant-garde restaurants and an exploding music scene where big-name artists perform in intimate venues and craft brewing halls. DURING SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL, visitors can access Muhu Island, a remote island in the Baltic Sea, via a passenger ferry from the mainland of Estonia, but during winter it’s an ice road that provides passage over the causeway. Muhu Island is laden in folklore and tradition, with Muhu hay and honey both prized throughout European spas for their restorative powers. The island’s most famous Muhu leib (rye bread) is made from a 120-year-old starter. Muhu Island’s quaint villages boast an airy ambience that rivals the neighborhoods of Montauk, and their stone fences lead to the famous Üügu Cliff and the pagan tombstones of St. Catherine’s Church. Visitors can enjoy a luxurious stay at Pädaste Manor, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, where the old stone hotel’s 15th-century roots sport a 21st-century upgrade.
EXPEDITIONS:
Muhu Island's Pädaste Manor, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (above); and African Big Five safari tour (left) PHOTOS: © SMALL LUXURY HOTELS OF THE WORLD, © NDP DREAMSTIME.COM
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK in South Africa, Etosha National Park in Namibia and Chobe National Park in Botswana tend to get all the attention from travelers booking a safari vacation, but the lesser-known Zakouma National Park in Chad is on track to become the next big safari destination. Half a century ago no one would dream of taking a safari anywhere near Zakouma, as poaching all but wiped out the animal population. Since 2010 the park made strides to reintroduce native species and wildlife while nearly eliminating poaching. With the most recent arrival of six black rhinos, the park earns its title as the closest Big Five destination to Europe. TRAZEE TRAVEL 2019 trazeetravel.com
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