Hawaii, in general, is one of those postcard places that’s almost too beautiful to be real. But perhaps none more so than Waiʻānapanapa State Park, a protected paradise off the famous Road to Hana in Maui. Here visitors will find Pailoa, a black sand beach and matching lava coastline set against a dense green jungle and azure sea. This rare color palette can only be found in areas with high volcanic activity, as the lava and basalt rock are pummeled into pebbles and fine sand by the ocean over millennia, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In other words, it's some of Mother Nature's finest work.

There's luxury, and then there's Laucala. One look at the photos of COMO Laucala Island in Fiji and you'll instantly understand why it's a well-known retreat for celebrities like George Clooney, Ludacris, Cindy Crawford, Miranda Kerr, Tony Hawk, Elle McPherson, Gayle King, and Oprah Winfrey, who once booked out the entire island. From the moment your private plane touches down on the tarmac to the last sunset dinner on an empty white-sand beach, Laucala offers tranquility and privacy for couples, families, and A-listers alike.

Not everyone can say they would enjoy having a 13-foot tiger shark swimming a few inches from their face. But if you're one of those rare breeds who gets a rush from viewing these apex predators up close, then Fiji is the destination for you. Of the 500 or so species of sharks that roam the earth's oceans, the Beqa Lagoon is home to eight of these fearsome beauties: whitetips, blacktips, grey reefs, tawny nurses, sicklefin lemons, silvertips, bulls, and tiger sharks. Even among the gutsiest of divers, a few of those species might raise an eyebrow or two, but this world-famous shark dive has proven to be a sound tourist attraction and conservation strategy.