Kenya

Modern Kenya is a mass of contradictions. It's stylish singles dipping into Nairobi nightlife, and it's Swahili fishermen dipping their dhows into the blue-green waves of the sea. It's the Masai warrior who creeps through the bush with a spear at the ready—then pauses to take a call on his mobile phone. And, oh, it's plenty of wildlife: lions and leopards, buffalos and baboons, and more critters than you can fit into a wide-angle lens.

Most people come to Kenya for the game drives, but there's so much more on offer. If it's your first time in the country, you'd do well to spend three days on the teeming plains of the Masai Mara, then hit the coast (bring your wet suit), where the coral gardens of Watamu Marine National Park await. Or climb to the top of Mount Kenya for a five-day endurance test, then retreat to beach towns like Malindi or Diani for sultry days of sunbathing and steamy nights dancing barefoot in the sand. Want to avoid bumping along in an SUV all day? Take a five-day camel trek to Lake Turkana, in the desolate north, or join local dhow crews for a three-day sailing safari around the Lamu archipelago.

The perfect Kenyan trip is a "safari," or journey, in the true Swahili sense of the word. Best of all is the warm reception you'll get from the locals, who are always happy to greet guests with a hearty welcome: "Karibu sana."