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The Oriental Plaza, located in Fordsburg, just west of the old CBD, is home to many an Indian store owner who specialise in beautiful exotic fabrics and other clothing items and related trades such as tailoring. That’s not to say that the Plaza is limited to those items, as there are spices and curios too, amongst other things. It is a favourite shopping destination amongst locals who are looking for designer fabrics and good deals on those items. While you’re resting from all the price haggling, you can enjoy a good curry or some samoosas or any number of Indian dishes from one of the stores inside the plaza, or venture out and find one of the many restaurants nearby.

The 6km range of mountains jutting out on the Atlantic Coast of Table Mountain are known as the “Twelve Apostles”. The 18 peaks located between Camps Bay and Llandudno make for a very scenic route by which you can travel from Cape Town to Hout Bay. If you have time, continue on all the way down to the Cape Peninsula. The 12 Apostles Hotel, an exclusive, five-star property, is nestled in these mountains. Dine at the on-site restaurant, Azure, where approximately 95% of their ingredients are sourced from the Western Cape. If a meal or overnight stay is beyond the reach of your budget, you can always stop by for a drink or book a spot at their afternoon “Tea by the Sea”.

This elegant mall bridges glitzy Kalakaua Avenue and up-and-coming Kuhio Avenue. Its heart: a treehouse in an enormous Indian banyan tree. The tree was planted around 1850 and briefly owned by Queen Emma; at one point, one of its tree houses contained a radio station. A $500 million renovation overhauled the market place, a Waikīkī classic, in 2016. Now ten restaurants and 75 retail stores preside here, anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue—the first in Hawaii. While the International Market Place has lost its manic, Mad-Man-era, free-for-all vibe, it maintains quite a bit of character for a mall with touches like a three-story waterfall. Visit at sunset to catch traditionally dressed performers singing, dancing, blowing conches, and lighting the Lamakū Torch Tower.

Bauman Rare Books is well known among antiquarian booksellers, and marks a striking contrast to most of the shops and boutiques you’ll find in Las Vegas. Having worked in the rare book business in the past, I can’t resist a beautifully tooled leather binding and the crinkle of pages brought to life by engravings.

Every day at noon at the Plaza de Armas (also called Plaza Mayor), trumpets blare, drums pound, and cymbals crash as the guard changes outside the presidential palace. Enjoy the Spanish fanfare like a local: from a plaza bench with an ice cream cone. The Plaza is also the site of festivals, concerts, and the much-loved annual National Pisco Day when the fountain spouts free high-proof grape brandy for all.

Seoul is a city built on innovation and commerce. Combine the two and you get Common Ground, the world’s largest container shopping mall. Developed by the design firm Urbantainer, the project was intended to revitalize unused land in the Gwangjin neighborhood. Now, 200 stacked, prefab blue containers stand on the site, helping connect the community with creativity. Independent boutiques in the Street Market and Market Hall areas lure shoppers, while gourmands head to the terrace restaurants and food trucks in the courtyard. A never-ending lineup of events is also on offer, from DJ nights and performances by emerging musicians to pop culture exhibits sponsored by Toy Republic.

Central Jordan is bisected by the King’s Highway, which runs south between the Dead Sea and the desert. The undoubted highlight of traveling this route is the massive Crusader castle of Karak, with its immense fortifications looming over the provincial town that bears its name. Built in 1140, it was one of the last outposts held by the Crusaders after Jerusalem was recaptured by Saladin in 1187. It fell to the Arab-Kurdish armies the following year after a long, drawn-out siege and continued to change hands—and shape—over time. The Mamelukes widened the moat and added more towers, while the Ottomans built a massive entry gate.

Today, Karak remains the largest, best-preserved castle in Jordan. Inside, there are tunnels, dark chambers and dungeons, and vast, arched-roof stables to explore. If you head east out of town, past the Cairwan Hotel, there’s a lookout point where you can get a spectacular view of the castle in its entirety.

New Delhi’s first modern business and luxury hotel, built in 1965, is a contemporary white box amid a sea of greenery. After a $100 million makeover overseen by starchitect Adam Tihany, The Oberoi now has 220 large rooms inspired by Sir Edwin Lutyens’s original plans for the city, with peacock-blue accents, spacious bathtubs, and super fast WiFi. Beloved restaurant threesixty˚ maintains its see-and-be-seen status thanks to its airier layout, and a new rooftop bar has become the go-to cocktail spot on warm-weather days. But the enthusiastic, attentive staff remains unchanged, earning adoration from repeat guests who appreciate the brand’s reliable and faultless service. Indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, proximity to a large golf course, and the convenient location just south of Delhi Gate make this hotel a great place to relax at the beginning or end of a countrywide tour.

Among the original guests to pop in at Dr. Thomas Bond’s 1769 Georgian home on South Second Street was none other than Benjamin Franklin. Together the duo chartered Pennsylvania Hospital, the first public hospital in America, and Bond was an influential figure in Philadelphia throughout the Revolutionary War into the first turbulent decades following the founding of the country. Today, the four-story red-brick home within Independence National Historical Park has been meticulously restored, offering history buffs a taste of Philadelphia at the dawn of America. Original architectural details restored to their full 18th-century splendor include the modillion cornice at the roofline, the parlor’s Rumford fireplace, and the grand staircase connecting the third and fourth floors that was subsequently copied in other prominent buildings around town, including the still-standing City Tavern.

Each guestroom has been furnished with Federalist-style reproductions, with a few antiques sprinkled around. Ten rooms offer queen beds, with the two original bedrooms nearest the first floor adding small sitting areas with working fireplaces.

Reachable only by boat, Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa has incredible views of virgin forest, mountains, and water. The Aysén region is one of the least accessible, less touristy areas of Chile, and it’s really worth going the extra mile. The hotel was created by businessman Eberhard Kossmann, who in 1986 sailed with his family through the fjords south of Puerto Montt. He fell in love with this spot and by a stroke of luck was offered to buy the plot of land a few years later—and so began his first venture into tourism.

Built from local wood, Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa sits alongside the Termas de Puyuhuapi (Puyuhuapi Hot Springs), and all the hotel’s hot water and heating is sourced from the thermal waters. Guests spend days exploring this beautiful part of Chile on excursions that range from hiking and kayaking to bird-watching and trips to glaciers. Evenings are spent soaking in the hot springs and relaxing in this picture-perfect wooden lodge on the waterfront.

Chef Franck Dangereux (formerly of La Colombe, a celebrated Cape Town institution) runs the Foodbarn Restaurant out of a lovely old barn in the village of Noordhoek. Here, you’ll get all the flavors of a fancy restaurant, without the fuss. You may dine on artistically presented dishes like pépé goat cheese beignets, but a glance around the revamped space, with its rustic-chic decor and colorful knickknacks, will remind you that you are, in fact, feasting in a barn. At night, the place transforms into a tapas bar.

A new addition to the Jo’burg night market scene is the House & Leisure Night Market at Katy’s Palace Bar, which is also home to an antique store located on the ground floor and The night market featured a good variety of local arts and crafts as well as some locally produced foods and drinks. On the night there was a competition to win a prize hamper consisting of awesome prizes from all the vendors at the market, and amazingly my friend and I ended up winning! Katy’s Palace Bar is normally a private venue for hire, however they are also open for selected public events and every first Sunday of the month for easy lunches and cocktails on their balcony which looks out over the city of Sandton

Work days in the ‘concrete jungle’ are hectic. Long hours are spent indoors, sitting at desks. It’s easy to forget that we live on an island. The East River Walk, beginning at 34th street and the FDR, is where I go to get away from the hustle and bustle. Looking out on the East River, I forget I’m in a city at all. Take a deep breath. Run/walk/bike/skip down to the Brooklyn Bridge and back. If you’re brave, continue around to the West Side.

If you miss your serve because you’re distracted by the view, it’s understandable. The St. James Retirement Hotel holds the key that unlocks the gate to the tennis court with this stunning view. In the distance, you’ll spot surfers catch waves at nearby Danger Beach. In the spring months, you might even catch a glimpse of a whale or two. The hotel is located across from the St. James MetroRail station. Just tell the security guard at the gate you’d like to use the court and he’ll let you in. At reception, you’ll need to give your name and phone number. At R20 per hour, it’s a bargain and a small price to pay for one of the coolest courts in Cape Town.

I recently went to Durban to attend a wedding. While I personally don’t consider Durban at the top of list of places to go on holiday in SA, I will say that Durban is great for the sun and the surf. In terms of tourist attractions, Ushaka Marine World is a great place to take the family. You can spend the day having fun at the water park, catch the dolphin show or get in some knowledge and check out the aquarium. The aquarium is themed to resemble a sunken ship with certain rooms even displaying some of the decor and furniture upside down! Those who are brave enough can even venture into the shark tank where you’ll be able to swim with some of the scary predators of the deep blue sea!