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Located in historic downtown Williams, Arizona, just outside of Grand Canyon National Park, Red Raven Restaurant is cozy and casual with a brick exterior painted fire-engine red. The kitchen is small but sends out gourmet comfort food to diners seated in its high-ceilinged dining room. They tuck into dishes such as portabella and zucchini fries with a balsamic reduction sauce, broiled pork medallions topped with cilantro pesto and tempura-style broccolini, and a lamb and vegetable stew made with Guinness. Seating at this husband-and-wife–owned establishment is limited, so definitely call ahead.

The renowned Meadowood Resort mixes the grandeur of a chalet with the amenities of a five-star resort—located in a private canyon within minutes of downtown St. Helena. The shaded, secluded property revolves around 99 rooms, most of which have high and exposed ceilings, private patios or balconies, wainscoted walls, and beds so comfortable you may never want to get up. Other amenities make Meadowood distinctive, too: Many rooms have heated bathroom floors; some also have deep soaking tubs. Elsewhere on the 250-acre property, all guests have access to the on-site spa, which was renovated in 2017; an on-site fitness center; hiking trails; tennis courts; and a daily wine reception. There’s even a croquet lawn—feel free to grab a mallet and hit some balls or sign up to take lessons with the Napa Valley’s only croquet pro. Of course the on-site restaurant, The Restaurant at Meadowood, is another big draw. More casual meals can be ordered from The Grill. Guests are entitled to a complimentary house car for transport into St. Helena or Yountville.

The 165-acre Springs Resort & Spa sits 1,000 feet above the Arenal Valley, higher than any other resort in the area and affording each one of its 47 polished-wood guest rooms commanding views of the Arenal Volcano and surrounding countryside. Impressive as those vistas are, the luxury resort’s biggest draw is its 28 mineral thermal pools, which wind through four lush acres. The setting is undeniably romantic—the resort was featured in an episode of The Bachelor—but families are welcome, with activities for kids of all ages. Club Rio, on the resort’s half-mile of river frontage, offers tubing, kayaking, mountain biking, and horseback riding; there’s also a wildlife preserve for rescued native animals, including monkeys, ocelots, jaguarundis, sloths, and a puma. Five restaurants (and five bars) mean there are plenty of options, from casual poolside dining to tasting-menu elegance.

Las Ventanas al Paraíso represents the epitome of luxury, with gorgeous, gigantic rooms featuring traditional crafts, handmade mosaic headboards, and classy furniture and accents. Balcony railings are awash in pink blossoms of bougainvillea. Some rooms take amenities further still, with private kitchens and wine cellars, as well as personal butler service. The property is set between the desert and the sea, and common areas, such as pools, have exceptional ocean views. Service is ultra-attentive, as one would expect at this price point, and guests rave about on-site restaurants and dining, especially in La Cava, the resort’s private wine cellar. Concierges can assist with planning a host of excursions and experiences, from cooking classes to whale-watching trips.

There are few better places from which to enjoy river views and sunsets than the Ponte Vecchio, built in 1345. Spanning the Arno’s narrowest point, this is the only bridge to have survived the German bombing of the city in 1944. There have always been shops on the bridge; the original butchers and grocers were replaced by sweeter-smelling gold and silversmiths in 1593. Sitting right in the middle is a bust of Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571), the most famous goldsmith of them all.

Sydney’s 158-acre botanic garden, which hugs the harbor between Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and the Sydney Opera House, is home to nearly 9,000 plant species. Depending on the season of your visit, you might seek out spring peaches and wisteria or tropical orchids and summer lotus flowers. On any occasion, don’t miss descendants of the 200-million-year-old Wollemi pine, a dinosaur of a conifer only discovered in 1994. The gardens are also studded with sculptures from historical statues to modern works by Bronwyn Oliver, Paul Selwood, and Keld Moseholm. The quartz-and-sandstone Wurrungwuri depicts an Aboriginal shield once used by the traditional owners of this land. Tours are offered throughout the year, including a 1.5-hour Aboriginal history tour on the food and medicinal properties of native Australian plants.

One of the oldest and largest tailoring shops in town, Thu Thuy is well respected and is a good option for having a suit or a fitted dress run up. Good service and an adjoining coffee shop makes shopping here even more desirable.

An Old World grande dame of the 19th-century tradition, the InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam presides over the Amstel River from its waterfront perch at the eastern edge of the original city. An imposing example of a Dutch take on French Renaissance Revival architecture of the period, the hotel—known initially as the Amstel Hotel—was conceived of by well-to-do Amsterdam doctor Samuel Sarphati to attract wealthy Grand Tour–goers to the struggling city. Since then, dignitaries from Queen Elizabeth II to former President Bill Clinton, and celebrities from Audrey Hepburn to George Clooney, have entered the imposing lobby—with its grand staircase, marble columns, and gilded chandeliers—and taken up residence in its opulent suites.

While in its latest iteration the hotel has updated itself in all the right ways, it still offers each guest the superlative but understated service that such royals (of both state and silver screen) would expect, down to the private butler service that comes with each room. The current French-inspired decor channels the building’s original architecture and includes romantic hand-drawn wallpaper in bedrooms. The unfussy, seasonal cuisine and craft cocktails in the restaurants and bars infuse the traditional space with modern sensibilities. Even the health club has its feet in both past and present: The thoroughly modern facilities were inspired by one of the forefathers of physiotherapy, who took up residence in the hotel and treated such distinguished clients as Empress Elisabeth of Austria there.

The imposing De L’Europe—one of Amsterdam’s original luxury hotels, a holdover from the late 19th century’s age of Grand Tours and neoclassical architecture—has been thoughtfully restored in keeping with its opulent history and The Netherlands’ artistic tradition. The hotel, a red-and-white brick landmark crowning the intersection of the Amstel River and several canals, bridges old and new visions of luxury. Its extensive art collection, consisting of both originals and copies of Dutch Masters, is curated in conjunction with the Rijksmuseum; many pieces were in the collection of Dutch brewing magnate Alfred “Freddy” Heineken, whose family owns the hotel. The museum-caliber artwork can be found not only throughout the see-and-be-seen common areas but also in many of the rooms, especially those in the gallery-like addition, known as the Dutch Masters Wing.

The 48 rooms and 63 suites have decadent touches, including Carrara marble bathrooms with heated floors, personal iPads, and Coco-Mat beds. But De L’Europe’s crowning attraction may actually be outside: A wraparound terrace offers waterfront dining overlooking the historic city, and many of the best rooms have private balconies with views of the rooftops. When hunger strikes, guests can head to the Michelin-starred Restaurant Bord’Eau or Bib Gourmand winner Marie, then grab a nightcap in the luxurious lobby lounge. For rest and relaxation, the hotel also features a spa with bespoke treatments, an infrared sauna, and a Turkish steam bath.

I’ve been all over the California coast and Point Lobos is my favorite place to hike. We have hiked every trail in this reserve and never tire of this magical place. You can see many animals, such as sea otters, seals, elephant seals,sea lions, squirrels and deer that are often in little pockets near the trails. Most of the hikes are easy to moderate, you can make them longer by combining them or just hike smaller parts. There is a whalers cabin that has been transformed into a little museum at one end of the reserve.

Yes, Angelina on the Rue de Rivoli (around the Tuileries Garden and the Louvre) is a tourist spot, but it is still one of the best places in Paris for hot chocolate. Their menu of pastries and other small dishes is good, but don’t miss out on the hot chocolate. It is also a fun place to people watch, as there is a mixture of tourists, diplomats and government workers, and grandes dames who frequent the cafe to get their sweet tooth fix. Sit as table 11 (3rd from the back against the mirror) and you’ll sit where Coco Chanel took her hot chocolate nearly every day.

To come to Fes and skip the Jewish Quarter is to miss out on a massive chunk of the city’s history and identity. After the Sephardic expulsion from Andalusia in 1438, a walled Jewish quarter was established in Fes. It was named the Mellah, meaning “salt marsh” in Arabic. The Jewish community was protected and accepted to the point where a Jew was appointed to be a vizier, or government minister, in 1465. The appointment unfortunately stirred up a wave of anti-Jewish protests and, on May 14, 1465, a massacre of nearly all of the Mellah’s inhabitants. When the next influx of exiles from Spain arrived in 1492, they bought with them an injection of wealth and creativity that allowed the community to prosper until the 16th century. Sadly, the next few centuries saw a steady decline in population: Only 2,500 Jews are said to remain in Morocco, some 150 or less in Fes. This rather handsome neighborhood with its enclosed hanging balconies reveals fascinating history to those willing to look. Don’t miss the atmospheric cemetery, the 17th-century Ibn Danan Synagogue (which can be accessed if you ask the guard nicely and reward him with a few dirhams), and the daily markets. You’ll also find the best goldsmiths and jewelers in Fes here.

Privately owned Cavallo, just a mile off Corsica, is the only inhabited part of the Lavezzi Islands. It’s no more than half a square mile in size (120 hectares), but it was valued even back in the days of ancient Rome, when the Romans established granite quarries here. And while the island is French, it has been a favored retreat for Italian vacationers since the 1970s, when celebrities first came to frolic among its secluded coves. It’s still a peaceful oasis, with only bicycles and electric golf carts allowed on its winding roads.

Jamaica’s primary public art museum, the largest of its kind in the Caribbean, is a key part of the island’s history. Established in 1979, it houses more than 2,000 pieces ranging from pre-Columbian works to those of contemporary Jamaican artists and also mounts temporary exhibitions on various aspects of Jamaica’s history and culture. The collection continues to expand and now includes videos, graphic designs, and street art. Guided tours are available, and there’s an on-site coffee shop and gift store.

Co-owner Diego Luna, one of Mexico‘s most internationally recognized movie stars, helps draw celebrities and other see-and-be-seen folks to La Bipo, his bar in the Coyoacán neighborhood. Designed as a cantina-style watering hole, La Bipo has a full cocktail bar and plenty of beer options. Decor is inspired by Mexican pop culture. As one example, the menu evokes lucha libre by appropriating the same kind of font used for posters promoting Mexican wrestling.