Open up the map to see the entire game world. Zoom out to see all the different regions and islands. From this view, you can see the relative strength of enemies and animals you would encounter in that region. This helps identify which locations you can safely travel to. Each region has a level range of enemies. The number to the left of the shield is the minimum level of enemies; the number to the right indicates the maximum enemy level. However, once you exceed the minimum level of a region, your level becomes the minimum level for that region. This will exceed its starting maximum level as well.
You can fast-travel to several locations, such as viewpoints and mysterious sites. Once you’ve synchronized with a viewpoint location, you can fast-travel there as well. Fast travel is not available when you are in combat or when in a restricted area, marked by the red compass.