When to go: Cool days make spring and fall ideal for exploring, although proximity to the sea means misty mornings year round.

How to go: Naoshima is about two hours from Okoyama and Takamatsu airports, on a combination of conveyances (bus, train, and boat).

Don't Miss: Plunging into Cai's seaside work Cultural Melting Bath, a whirlpool set amid limestone formations imported from China.
–Cynthia Rosenfeld

JOURNEYS
CHINA
Type of Experience: Shanghai to Nanjing (Bullet Train)
Why to go: To ride one of the world's fastest trains and to visit historic and picturesque Nanjing.
Number of Days: 7
Min. Cost/Day: $$$
Comfort Level: High

Before the arrival of China's sleek new fleet of CRH (China Railway Highspeed) trains, a traveler leaving Shanghai would be lucky to alight in the city of Nanjing four smoky and uncomfortable hours after departure. Now the journey takes as little as an hour and 58 minutes, making it possible to depart Shanghai after breakfast, scale the staircase to Sun Yat-sen's tomb (Nanjing's most famous site), and be back on the Bund for cocktails. You'll even have time on a day-trip to explore Nanjing's many worthwhile temples, lovely canals, and grand palaces. The trains—currently operating between Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Shenyang, and other major cities—are white bullet-nosed beauties, capable of speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour. The seats are plush (if a little tightly packed), and LCD screens relay everything from arrival times to outdoor temperatures in both English and Chinese.

Best times to go: Any season but summer, when afternoon temperatures in Nanjing average 90 degrees.

How to go: Bullet train tickets are just $11 one way to Nanjing. It's best to purchase them in advance—half a day will do—at the Shanghai Railway Station, where some ticket counters have English-speaking staff. (Bullet trains are labeled with a D.) Early birds flock to the first train—which departs Shanghai at 6:10am—but two or three trains leave every hour thereafter until 8:20pm. Return trains also run frequently.

Don't miss: If you have more than a day to spend—and money to burn—stay at Nanjing's gleaming new Balinese-flavored Kayumanis Resort (86-25-8410-7777; kayumanis.com; villas, $400–$700).
–Shamus Sillar

INDONESIA
Type of Experience: Spice Islands (Sailing)
Why to go: To tour postcard-perfect (and perfectly remote) tropical isles aboard a luxury yacht.
Number of Days: 10
Min. Cost/Day: $$$
Comfort Level: High

The Silolona, a two-masted wooden ship, is a replica of the phinisi cargo schooners that plied Southeast Asian trade routes for centuries. Like the vessels that inspired it, the Silolona was handcrafted by dozens of local artisans and builders and sails the seas off some of Indonesia's most remote islands. The difference is that this vessel, built in 2004, has all the conveniences a modern sybarite needs to travel in style: Hot-water showers perfect for a warm scrub after a dive and tastefully kitted-out air-conditioned cabins. The ship's American-born owner, Patricia Seery, displays her collection of rare Indonesian textiles in its five staterooms, and the sundeck, strewn with plump cushions, is an ideal spot for stargazing or just watching the horizon. Seery is well connected and speaks fluent Bahasa, making her a valuable guide when shopping for locally harvested pearls and other treasures. She also makes easy work of arranging sunrise volcano treks, sundowners at an ancient fort, and lavish beach barbecues in the middle of nowhere (62-361-287-326; silolona.com; crewed charter, $1,650–$1,800 per person per day, including meals).