What exactly is Sphere? There are many ways to describe it. It is a state-of-the-art entertainment venue located in the heart of Las Vegas. It is a science-fiction story brought to life, offering photo-realistic imagery on a massive, 160,000-square-foot LED screen. It is a potential game-changer for live music. It looks like a bowling ball that happens to cost $2.3 billion.

All of these words are accurate. But words are not enough when it comes to Sphere. It truly is an experience that can only be understood if you see it for yourself. Even then, Sphere will blow your mind so much that it might take a few weeks to process it. Suffice it to say: It is not like watching your favorite band at the local basketball arena. It is more like seeing your favorite band on the moon.

Speaking of (perhaps) your favorite band, the two most popular jam bands in the world, Phish and Dead & Company, are performing at Sphere. The thing we said about “mind-blowing experiences” seems especially apt for these acts. If anyone is prepared to take full advantage of the “altered senses” potential of Sphere — we will leave it to you to decide how “altered” you want to get — it has to be these legends of “altered senses” live music.

Why Now: Having just hit the 6-month anniversary of its opening, be one of the first people to step into this state-of-the-art immersive entertainment realm.

Kyrgyzstan is an amazing place. Outside the bustling capital of Bishkek, a unique country awaits you. A country where nomadic horsemen still wander the steppe, packing their yurts and families along as they follow their livestock. Kyrgyzstan is a fascinating mix of high-altitude plains, mountains, and lakes so big they could be inland seas.

Deep in the country, close to the border with China, you can hike up a 3500-meter high valley containing the epic lake of Kol Suu. The journey begins with a six-hour drive up the steps from the ancient Silk Road town of Naryn. After an impossibly rough road, you’ll arrive at a yurt camp at the base of the valley, where the nomadic Kyrg people greet you with tea and the utmost hospitality. After a traditional dinner and yurt glamping experience, you’ll actually want to wake up at the crack of dawn to embark on the most iconic hike in the country. The 9km trek to the lake is filled with incredible mountains, rolling plains, and impressive waterfalls. Once you arrive at Kol Suu, you will be mesmerized to see this massive lake surrounded by 6,000m peaks. It is a truly impressive place.

Why Now: Go now while you can still see and sleep in the traditional yurt camps where nomadic peoples live the same way their ancestors did. There are community-based agencies to help you get around but everything is still relatively unspoiled. The beginning of summer is the perfect time to visit, as the recent snowmelt means the landscape is turning green, the peaks still have traces of snow, and the roads are accessible. The community-based tourism office can help you with current snow and road access.

Home to a historic Medina, palaces, gardens, and souks, Marrakech is full of rich history and stunning architecture. While you will be faced with exciting chaos, it’s also a fantastic place to enjoy luxurious and relaxing experiences – such as at the opulent grounds of La Mamounia. Frequented by well-known celebrities such as Cristiano Ronaldo and the Kardashians, this hotel is a destination in itself.

Within the eight hectares of landscaped gardens and architectural pieces resembling a Moroccan palace, you will find La Mamounia Spa. And the good news is you can visit regardless of whether or not you are a hotel guest.

The most famous and “Instagrammable” element of the spa is the cooled pool, which has tiled pillars and art deco stained glass doors and is surrounded by lounging beds. Beyond that, you have a separate whirlpool as well as two hammams and a gym.

If you are looking for a treatment to book, choose the Arabic Hammam where you will enjoy a deep exfoliation followed by a deep tissue massage. Although, you can’t go wrong with any spa treatment here.

Why Now: As part of the hotel’s 100th anniversary, the spa has recently undergone extensive renovations, most namely its reception counter now being a piece of art combining marble, brass, and bush-hammered glass. You can also indulge in the spa’s ‘Signature Treatment 100 Years of La Mamounia’ package.

Rum is the spirit of the Caribbean, and it’s an integral and delicious part of the island experience, whether you opt for rum punches or piña coladas. If you’re visiting St. Kitts – an island known for its rainforest landscapes and pristine beaches – you can make your own bottle of rum by participating in the Kittitian Rum Master Experience.

Roger Brisbane, the founder of a local infused spirits brand, Hibiscus Spirits, will walk you through the rum-making process in his DIY distillery – a small room located underneath Spice Mill Restaurant (which he also owns). He shares his methodology for making the perfect bottle of spiced rum, which includes Roselle Hibiscus calyx, a type of hibiscus flower grown locally and handpicked on the island. You’ll also learn the recipe for Brisbane’s signature spiced rum cocktail while hearing stories about St. Kitts’ history.

The experience feels like being in a high school chemistry class – glass vials, pipettes, and measuring tools included – except you get to drink the final concoction, making it all the more rewarding. Not only is it an interactive and fun experience led by a local, but it also gives you a meaningful souvenir to bring home and open for a special occasion in the future.

Why Now: Rum is trending upward in the spirits world, and spiced rum is along for the ride. Rum brands are finally joining the spirits tourism trend and curating on-hand experiences for visitors — similar to Bourbon in Kentucky or whiskey in Ireland and Scotland.

Bourbon Lore is the most exclusive travel experience in the whiskey world. There are two main tenets of a great Bourbon Lore trip. One is luxury travel. That means staying at the most iconic properties where the trip takes place. The Scottsdale, Arizona trip last November stayed at the famed Biltmore, where an extra villa was rented for evening tastings. Trip attendees also dined in private rooms at iconic restaurants like El Charro, enjoyed VIP tours of Southwest art museums, flew to the Grand Canyon, and had complimentary boot fittings at Tecovas Boots.

The second prong of Bourbon Lore is access to the most exclusive whiskeys. This is no joke. At the Arizona Bourbon Lore experience, a 100-year-old bottle of bourbon was opened and enjoyed alongside vintage bottles of Pappy Van Winkle, Old Fitzgerald, and many, many others. Bourbon Lore offers access to the highest reaches of the American whiskey industry as well. Master distillers and elite bottlers are always on-hand and offer insight for every traveler along for the ride.

The best part is that you can join too. Bourbon Lore offers memberships, wherein VIP Experiences are an added extra that members can choose to attend.

Why Now: This year will see trips to Jackson Hole, New York City, and Kentucky. Follow Bourbon Lore, become a member, and then enjoy the most elite whiskey tastings and trips of 2024.

Kauai is the only place right now where you can go that’s so close to mainland America that still feels like an escape from reality. The island is completely detached from the world, a realm of health and wellness that is so remote, it has only one road in and one road out.

Driving through the island, you’re welcomed by the opulent, green forest. This checks out considering it’s the greenest island in the world thanks to its incredible rainfall, which happens almost every day. Don’t let this stop you from coming here though, as the climate brings a tropical richness not found anywhere else.

The energy here is different, slower. You start your mornings with turmeric and matcha lattes while the afternoons are spent taking cold plunges in natural waterfalls. Here the roosters rule the streets, roaming freely as the respective mascots of the island. Hiking the Jurassic Park-like terrain comes without fear of deadly or poisonous predators and every hour a rainbow hugs the sky in a colorful embrace.

Why Now: While Kauai is primed for travelers, Maui just beginning to rebuild its communities from last summer’s wildfires. It’s imperative to keep the island economy strong without draining its local resources. You can support Maui by funding local businesses across Hawaii’s other islands while also donating to organizations assisting Maui fire victims, like the American Red Cross, Chef Hui, Convoy Of Hope, and Hawaii Community Foundation.

Perched atop the scenic cliffside of Pristine Cove in Negril, Jamaica, the Rockhouse Hotel offers more than just breathtaking views of turquoise water and luxe accommodations; it provides a uniquely immersive journey thanks to its innovative psilocybin sound bath experience.

Guests staying at either Rockhouse or their beachy sister property, the Skylark, are able to participate in the experience, which includes a two-hour-long journey incorporating both live music and the psychedelic properties of magic mushrooms. The experience is also totally kosher since Jamaica is one of the only countries in the world to have legalized psilocybin use.

The experience takes place in an open-air palapa located on the Rockhouse Farmhouse within an organic garden. There, guests are given a yoga mat and a microdose of Patoo Chocolate, a local brand that offers premium chocolate bars crafted with Jamaican cacao and infused with a unique strain of indigenous psilocybin.

As the mushrooms begin to take effect, guests are guided through meditation, breathwork, and stretches, all the while listening to the soothing sounds of crystal singing bowls and the gentle rustle of palm leaves, as well as soft singing or instruments. The sound bath serves as a conduit for the mild psychedelic experience, guiding participants on a journey of introspection, revelation, and connection with the energy and life around them.

Emerging from the experience, there’s potentially no better feeling than strolling over to the beach at the Skylark for a dip in the warm ocean waves.

Rockhouse offers the experience every Sunday at 11am and 2pm, and charges $50 per person for everything included: the guided meditation and sound bath as well as the mushrooms.

Why Now: This psilocybin sound bath is one of the newest offerings from Rockhouse, and it’s always best to get a jump on things before the hype builds. Additionally, more people are discovering the healing benefits of magic mushrooms and this is a safe space to dip your toes in the water, in more ways than one.

When it comes to travel, there’s a certain stigma that surrounds the idea that you must be going to some idyllic place for a proper vacation, to dip your toes in the sand, or embark on some otherworldly adventure like a scene out of The Hobbit.

Yet, the whole point of travel is for new experiences, all the while striking up new connections along the way. For the latter, music is the universal force that connects us all. Believe us when we say that music and travel go together beyond just the same playlist you decide to listen to while settling into your window seat on the plane. If there’s anything to prioritize this spring, it’s connecting with artists and event brands that get the fucking memo.

Whether wanting to stay in the US or head out on a global, music-fueled adventure, you’ve got options. LP Giobbi is slated to re-embark on her nationwide Airstream tour this spring and summer which sees the producer perform in intimate pop-up locations all throughout the West Coast, while premier legendary promoter Disco Donnie will welcome 40,000 attendees for its once-in-a-lifetime curated Texas Eclipse Festival. You could also opt to fly to Sandbox Festival to party on the Red Sea, indulge in ultimate house hedonism on the Adriatic coast at Defected Croatia, or bundle up and rage in the chilly fall weather at Alaska’s biggest bass festival, Sacred Acre. You make your own music travel experience.

Why Now: Spring 2024 — with the number of festivals once again expanding — couldn’t be a more perfect time to book that trip that not only includes basking in sun rays or hiking the mountains of a faraway place, but also fueling your mind, body, and soul with a dose of music.

Somerset House is a palatial property nestled in the center of London right along the Thames River. Initially constructed as a residence in 1547, the neoclassical construction has worn many hats. From the official home of Queen Elizabeth I throughout the 1600s, to its current role as a precipice of the city’s cultural innovation, Somerset House is a fantastic destination to visit.

The center is currently hosting the endorphin-boosting CUTE Exhibit, a gathering of contemporary art and societal phenomena that have captured our collective attention in recent history. Wandering through the Somerset House showcase, you’re met with tributes to darling animals, charming chubby babies, hearts, treats, flowers, and more. Cute in modern culture has become irresistibly influential, as shown by the 25+ artists exhibiting their work.

Favorites of Somerset House’s CUTE Exhibit were the interactive games arcade for all ages and the 50th-anniversary celebration for Hello Kitty. After exiting, you can head straight upstairs to the pop-up Hello Kitty cafe to indulge in a Cinnamoroll Coco Mango and Keroppi Matcha Latte.

Why Now: The CUTE Exhibit concluded on April 14th, but you can check out Studio 01: Points of Return at Somerset House, highlighting fantastic visual artists through July 2024.

Earlier this year, I was staying at Villa La Valencia in Los Cabos. I did a loop in the (surprisingly swift) lazy river — which touts itself as the longest in the region — and stepped out of the water to eat one of the best tacos of my life at a taco stand that had 1) just “popped up” without me noticing and 2) was fully authentic and felt like real Mexican street food, not resort fare. Later the same day, I soaked in a hot tub looking out over the cerulean Sea of Cortez. Those two experiences defined my stay — opulent, relaxing, and requiring very little from me.

A few weeks back, I visited The Aster in Hollywood. The design aesthetic was so mid-century, I half-expected Raymond Chandler to be peeking out at me around every corner. The rooms were sumptuous and lush and sexy without trying too hard. Basically, the whole hotel is the moodboard for the classic LA Cool Guy. And the seared scallops with sweet corn pudding at the Lemon Grove, the property’s in-house restaurant, burst with brightness and a lovely sweet note.

I also covered the Savage x Fenty package at The Mondrian, in Los Angeles — a much more overtly sexy experience. And then I stayed at Tommie Austin — which is, theoretically, The Thompson’s budget concept. But the property is so new and energized and fun that you won’t really notice a smaller room.

My point is this — this spring, more than ever, you are met with a wealth of choice when picking hotels. We developed a whole Hotels We Love series, just to point you to some of them. So figure out the vibe you want to chase and then find the property that meets it. Savor your expansive options. Enjoy the fact that every property is clamoring for your attention (dollars) with new offerings, fresh packages, fun collaborations, and elevated design. And while the expensive end of the spectrum makes a lot of noise, the budget offerings are better than ever too.

Why Now: All metrics point to more hotel stays for US travelers. Inflation is, in not decreasing, at least slowing down. Meaning that your dollars still go quickly but at least they don’t evaporate. Meanwhile, the fierce competition in the industry, paired with large brands supporting boutique concepts, only benefits those of us hitting the road.