Infinity Pool

Ambitious South Korean enterprises continue to make noise on the global economic stage. Electronics giant Samsung is giving Apple fits in markets across the globe with its hot-selling smartphones and tablets. Seoul-based Hyundai and Kia have been among the world's fastest-growing automakers in recent years. Portly singer Psy put South Korea on the pop culture map with his monster hit “Gangnam Style,” which has become the most popular video of all time on YouTube with nearly 1.3 billion views.

Between the brouhaha of the winter holidays and the end of the school year is that coveted halfway point known as spring break. To gear up for that last lap of the academic year, grab the kids and significant others and go recharge at some posh pools. Many Southern California hotels have cerulean gems that allow you to escape from it all without traveling too far or breaking the bank. Seeking pools outside Los Angeles? We have some destinations that may surprise you, but first, perch-worthy pools close to home.

Bebe Stores founder Manny Mashouf has put a Sunset Strip-area home on the market at $4.65 million. The 5,200-square-foot home opens to a backyard infinity pool, spa, fire pit and outdoor kitchen. The contemporary Mediterranean features cathedral ceilings in the living room, ocean and city views, four bedrooms, 41/2 bathrooms and a four-car garage. Public records show Mashouf bought the property in 2006 for $4.264 million. The clothing store magnate bought it for use by one of his children, who has moved to San Francisco to launch an anti-aging water called Fix, according to listing agent Susan Del Prete of Nelson Shelton & Associates.

Some people are happy collecting fast cars or nice watches. But the ultimate vanity purchase may be the private island. Billionaire Richard Branson owns several. Magician David Copperfield has a dozen. Singer Celine Dion is trying to sell hers. And tech titan Larry Ellison is closing a deal to buy nearly all of the Hawaiian island of Lanai. Although private islands are often associated with the very rich, they aren't always that exclusive or even all that expensive. PHOTOS: Private islands for sale Private Islands Inc., a Toronto-based island marketing firm, lists about 500 islands worldwide from less than $50,000 to more than $100 million, Chief Executive Chris Krolow said.

With work set to begin soon on a $1-billion luxury hotel in downtown Los Angeles, developer Korean Air revealed some details about the tower that is expected to dramatically alter the city's skyline. The skyscraper will be the second-tallest structure in Southern California at 70 stories, only slightly shorter than the US Bank Tower office building, said Yang Ho Cho, the chairman of Korean Air. The design is still a work in progress, but guests are expected to be whisked by high-speed elevators to the lobby on the 70th floor, where they will check in. The top floor will also have a restaurant, bar and infinity swimming pool.

In a move that critics may cite as his own inconvenient truth, former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, have added a house in secluded Montecito to their real estate holdings. The couple spent $8,875,000 on a gated ocean-view villa on 1 1/2 acres with a swimming pool, spa and fountains, according to real estate sources familiar with the deal. The Italian-style house has high ceilings with beams in the public rooms, a family room, a wine cellar, terraces, six fireplaces, five bedrooms and nine bathrooms in more than 6,500 square feet of living space.

HANA, Hawaii - I came to play in a jungle, dance under a waterfall and swim with giant turtles in a tranquil sea. But at the end of the long, winding road to Hana, the thing that pleased me most was staring at the star-filled sky. Not to imply that Maui's road to Hana (pronounced HAH-na) isn't impressive. The treacherous 52-mile highway, which Sunset magazine calls "the most beautiful road in the world," wins accolades from many who make the journey. Verdant rain forests hug the sides of the mountainous road, waterfalls tumble into crystal-clear pools, beaches of black onyx meet a cobalt-blue sea. And for those searching for thrills, Hana Highway (Hawaii 360)

An asking price of $78.8 million will make a splash in any neighborhood. And the fact that this one includes a temperature-controlled trout pond with a two-story waterfall doesn't hurt. Donald Abbey , the founder of a commercial real estate investment and management firm bearing his name, has listed a recently completed estate in Bradbury, in the San Gabriel Valley. More than nine years in the making, the Palladian-style compound occupies an 8-acre promontory with city and ocean views.

Sports agent Jonathan Weisz has listed his spread in a gated community in Poway at a range of $9.2 million to $11 million. The 42-acre property includes more than 18,000 square feet in three buildings and, appropriately for a man who represents ball players, a baseball field. There is also a lighted batting-cage area, a four-stall barn, a riding corral, fenced pastureland, an infinity pool with a spa and garage parking for six cars. The compound consists of a 13,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style main house on three levels, a 2,500-square-foot guesthouse and a stables/guest apartment of 3,000 square feet.

E! News correspondent Jason Kennedy has leased a house in the vicinity of Beverly Hills for $7,900 a month. The contemporary, built in 2008, includes three stories and an elevator. The first level contains three guest bedrooms, an office/bonus room and a home theater. On the second are the main living areas and a deck with an infinity pool. The master bedroom suite sits on the third floor for a total of four bedrooms and four bathrooms. It has a separate entrance and stairs leading to a rooftop deck.