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I recently discovered Oasis Collections, which is a great way to indulge my passion for living as the natives do. Parker Stanberry, 38, who hails from Houston and is a Kinkaid alum, founded Oasis in 2009 with one mission in mind: helping travelers get to know a locale from an insider's perspective. A worldly, fairly prosperous insider, but an insider nevertheless. He and his team have assembled a list of stunning properties in a number of exciting destinations, including Buenos Aires, Cartagena, Rio de Janeiro and Miami — and they spared no expense in the effort. Here are my two Oasis favorites. In Cartagena, the Bleu Cézanne's four bedrooms can accommodate as many as eight guests. Its Old Town location, facing Plaza de la Catedral, puts you in the middle of everything: diverse night life, exciting restaurants and bars, and museums, including the Museo de Arte Moderno. The property dates back to the founding of Cartagena, but it has been beautifully restored and now features two eye-popping stone pools — one on ground level, and another on the roof with a 360-degree view of the city. Bonus: UNESCO has declared the Old Town a World Heritage Site. If Punta del Este is on your agenda, Oasis can put you up in Casa Arenas, a five- bedroom home in the José Ignacio district. You'll have views of the ocean from multiple decks, and Casa Arenas' unique architecture — two modules connected by well-designed outdoor space — will appeal to your designing mind, as will the natural stone and wood used throughout. You'll be steps from the beach, with restaurants and bars minutes from your door. Bleu Cézanne from $1,515 daily (minimum three-day stay); Casa Arenas from $1,250 daily (minimum seven-day stay), at oasiscollections.com. OASIS COLLECTIONS: BLEU CÉZANNE IN CARTAGENA CASA ARENAS IN PUNTA DEL ESTE Nicaragua is an up-and-coming destination. If you want to go there before the crowds, take a look at Mukul Resort. Each of its 37 rooms open onto the ocean, and its bohios, suspended 300 feet above the Playa Manzanillo, will put you in a treehouse state of mind — in a good way. From $500 per night, at mukulresort.com. MUKUL RESORT, EMERALD COAST, NICARAGUA One hundred miles from New York City lies Bridgehampton, where you'll find Topping Rose House, the Hamptons' first full- service luxury hotel. Works from Winston Wächter Fine Art are displayed throughout the property, which includes 22 guestrooms, a studio and cottages. After a stroll on the beach, dine on bass from the Long Island Sound in the Topping Rose Restaurant. From $525 per night, at toppingrosehouse.com. TOPPING ROSE HOUSE, BRIDGEHAMPTON, NEW YORK OTHER NOTEWORTHY JAUNTS On the other coast, Palihouse Santa Monica, built in 1927, is a charming little establishment (37 rooms, elegant studios, and one- and two-bedroom suites with kitchens) that's loved by locals and travelers alike. The terrific interiors have a gentleman's-club feel with a bit of taxidermy, good books, portraits and drinks bars. Lodging here, you'll be a minute's walk from the Farmer's Market, the Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade. From $315 per night, at palihousesantamonica.com. PALIHOUSE SANTA MONICA BACCARAT HOTEL & RESIDENCES, NEW YORK Casa Arenas Punta del Este View from Casa Arenas Casa Arenas Punta del Este N ot so long ago while living in Paris, I visited the Galerie-Musée Baccarat. A friend who collects the crystal guided me through the rooms and galleries of the building, which was formerly a residence belonging to Marie-Laure de Noailles. (Philippe Starck was in charge of the museum's interiors, another draw for me.) Entranced by the colors and materials, I received a thorough if rapid education about the House of Baccarat. Closer to home, the fabled French crystal house has opened a spectacular hotel in Manhattan, across the street from the Museum of Modern Art and a short walk from Central Park: a glittering Skidmore, Owings & Merrill tower with interiors by Tony Ingrao and Stephen Sills, and, of course, icy swaths of Baccarat crystal, massive Baccarat chandeliers and the crystal in all its many forms and glory. I would book here just to have access to the on-call Citroën DS, which will take you to any destination within 15 S t. Barth. When I hear those two words, I think white sands, cocktails at sundown on the deck of a yacht and the freshest seafood prepared in ways that rival Eric Ripert's creations at Le Bernardin. If you want to join me, book a flight to the island and arrange a stay at the very private, insidery Le Sereno, a small family-owned hotel on 600 feet of Grand Cul-de-Sac beach, one of only a handful of properties with all-but- private sweeping beachfront. Le Sereno is also the first hotel in St. Barth to receive the five-star classification under the revised French standards. You'll be whisked through customs at St. Maarten airport and driven to your lodgings. Suite or villa? That's up to you. I'm leaning toward the latter, because there will be six of us, and four bedrooms will be necessary (as will the private garden and pool). Le Sereno, built in 2002, is the vision of designer Christian Liaigre, whose attention to architecture and design has produced an indoor-outdoor continuum of light and nature. A 2,300-square-foot spa and restaurant round out Le Sereno's offerings. Suites from $620 per day per couple, villas from $4,890 per day (low season), at lesereno.com. LE SERENO, ST. BARTH blocks of the hotel. You deserve this. And if that's still not enough, executive chef Shea Gallante (who found fame at Cru in the early 2000s) spends his days in the kitchen of Chevalier, the hotel's main restaurant. Consult with Gallante to design your fantasy tasting menu, or book La Cour, the chef's table, and let the chef and his kitchen brigade work their magic. From $995 per couple per night, at baccarathotels.com. Le Sereno Room with a view at Le Sereno The Baccarat bar Night swimming at Bleu Cézanne A desk away from home Whiskey and a fire at Palihouse Hamptons headquarters, Topping Rose House Petit Salon Bleu Cézanne in Cartagena Pool at Bleu Cézanne Casa Arenas Mukul Resort, Nicaragua