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The best fast food in Singapore‘s central business district can be found at Lau Pa Sat (Raffles Place MRT stop). This 150-year-old former fish, fruit, and veg market was converted into a collection of hawker food stalls in the 1970s. The market, which has recently undergone a facelift, is shaped like an octagon with eight alleys emanating from the center. There are about 75 different stalls to choose from, selling everything from curries and dosas to dumplings and pig organ soup. You are sure to find whatever it is you are craving. When in doubt, do what the Singaporeans do and join the longest queue! Here are my top picks: Shanghai deep-fried pork and spring onion buns from the stall in the center. These are to die for. Help yourself to a little plastic saucer of chili paste for dipping. Thunder Tea Rice - Stall 01-26/31 - A healthier option with brown rice, herbs and tofu thrown into delicious combinations. Try their signature dish. I prefer to add the cold green broth to the rice bowl before eating. Murtabak (stuffed roti prata) - get a plate to share from one of the Indian Muslim food stalls. Mamacita’s Costa Rican cuisine (near Thunder Tea Rice) - an unexpected but perennially popular stall. Fresh lime juice or iced kopi (coffee) from the beverage stand in the center of the market. Don’t forget to bring your own napkins/tissues/wet wipes. Stalls don’t give them out and they also come in handy to save your seat while you’re ordering your meal.

The recreational park, located at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, is filled with fun family-friendly things to do. The park is divided into four sections: An aquatics area, a playground, an indoor sports facility, and a game-infused restaurant. At the Aqua Park you’ll find a pool, three slides, lounge chairs and wacky sprinklers, while the playground allows children to test their physical capabilities through rope and climbing challenging. For those wanting to play sports, indoors you’ll find basketball, badminton, tennis, and volleyball. Visiting the Recreational Park’s American Diner doesn’t just mean delicious food, but also bowling, pool, video games, and a movie theater. Note: This attraction is open only to guests staying at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino or The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort.

The Diamond Deluxe is a multifaceted property that offers a laid-back take on European upscale properties in paradise. The main feature of the place is a idyllic collection of large pools that cluster within its center. Bridges crisscross these expanses of blue leading the way to beautiful boxes basking under the bright Grecian sky. I recently stayed in one of the Diamond Suites which also comes with it’s own decent sized private pool. (Though gardeners were prone to passing by at odd times of day.) The room was well outfitted with spacious showers, plush beds, and competent air conditioning. (In contrast to the high temperatures outside, the internet was positively glacial. Pretty much unusable.) Being prone to typical Euro qualities, don’t expect the best dining experiences or consistent service. (Some employees were great! Others, not so much.) Alcohol is also best procured elsewhere if you’re hoping for a late night by the room. Oh and on some sites I’ve read it was “overlooking one of Kos’s best beaches.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. You will need to travel to get to a great beach. I recommend renting a car. Driving is easy on Kos. All that said, the property to beautiful, bright, blue, and best enjoyed with a laid-back attitude.

Doña Olga* is a large kiosk in Piñones, from which the smell of fritters wafts all the way to the beach. I often find myself getting a large order of bacalaitos (round cod fritters), empanadillas (turnovers), alcapurrias (dough of plantains or yucca and filled with meat), and piononos (deep-fried sweet plantain balls stuffed with meat and cheese). Halfway through the meal, I start thinking my eyes are bigger than my stomach, but the flood of Puerto Rican flavors in my mouth makes me devour every last morsel in front of me. Of course, there’s no way I’d be able to handle all that without a refreshing drink on hand. My drink of choice is coconut water. (It’s completely natural; an employee will chop off the top of the coconut with a machete and bring it to you with a straw.) After you drink the water, you can scoop out coconut meat (the white stuff), which serves as a pleasantly light dessert. A swim in the nearby beach (two minutes away walking) and a nice nap will perfect your day. *Doña Olga is my first choice, but this whole road is bursting with beachside kiosks selling fritters and other Puerto Rican fare.

One of my favorite dive sites on the west coast of Puerto Rico is Crashboat in Aguadilla. This shore dive is easily accessible for all levels of diving, and you’re guaranteed to see something amazing on this artificial structure. Crashboat is named for this once Air Force based marina, where the “crashboats” would deploy to retrieve the crashed planes from training sessions of Air Force pilots. It was later abandoned and turned into a recreational area for locals and dive enthusiasts. Scout the pilings for seahorses, frogfish, octopi, and lionfish. At maximum depth of 30 feet, find a sunken base where bigger fish like to hide. Bring your flashlight to scope out the interior. Not a diver? No problem. Enjoy the sandy beaches, reggaeton music, and aromas of delicious Puerto Rican food all day long. One entire side of this recreational park is lined with street vendors selling food, handicrafts, and drinks. Want that true Puerto Rican vibe? Want to see how the locals relax on a weekend? Crashboat is your place. But if you’re not interested in the crowds, come here in the morning on a weekday. I dive here regularly, and I avoid crowds by diving early. Enjoy!

The thermal hot springs in Rincón de La Vieja at Rio Negro (Black River) may not be as well known as those in the Arenal area, but we had the pools and surrounding forest to ourselves. From where we stayed at the Hacienda Guachipelin Rincón de La Vieja, the springs were accessible by horseback or vehicle, followed by a short hike and crossing a rather dubious hanging bridge. The pools are heated by the Rincón de La Vieja Volcano, so you definitely want to test the steaming water. There are seven pools to sample of different shapes, sizes and temperatures. The first pool was too hot to plunge more than our toes into. And the pool that was “just right” was the last one, which happened to be ideally situated next to the churning river. After two days of horseback riding, hiking, canyon ziplining and rappelling, it was great to unwind at this private oasis. If a rainforest/volcano adventure beckons you, I recommend staying at Hacienda Guachipelin Rincón de La Vieja and getting an adventure pass from Adventure Tours--both are at Rincón de La Vieja National Park.

It’s hard to believe you’re in the middle of the Costa Rican rainforest at Amor Loco, part fine dining restaurant and part swanky lounge at Nayara Springs, a resort located near Arenal Volcano National Park. Moody lighting, velvet chairs and an onyx-topped bar set the stage for such diches as pumpkin puree soup or a perfectly cooked steak. Ask for bartender Carla to whip you up a cocktail on the spot (just let her know what your favorite tipple is).

You can find a number of small craft boutiques in Rincon, but none as eclectic as The Mango Beach Shop. Owned by a longtime resident of Rincon, one of the first non Puerto Ricans to call the west coast home, it’s a local legacy and favorite. Whenever I want to bring home a piece of local flare to friends and family, this is always my first stop. They have custom-made T-shirts, sarongs, jewelry, paintings, and more. Tell Milena that Chelsea sent you!

There’s a lot to recommend the Camino Real in Polanco, especially if you’re an architecture and art aficionado. The hotel, designed by the late Mexican architect Ricardo Legoretta, is considered one of his master works; the shape of its pink and yellow exterior is intended to call to mind a pre-Hispanic pyramid, and its caldera-like fountain in the driveway, designed by Noguchi, is perpetually roiling. Inside, you’ll find museum-quality art, including pieces by Mexican masters José Luís Covarrubias and Rufino Tamayo, as well as Alexander Calder. Rooms are large, quiet, and comfortable, and the hotel, a favorite among business travelers, has a full complement of amenities, ranging from pools and a fitness center to a number of restaurants, including Morimoto.

Business at the front, party at the back: that’s the ethos behind this hotel, which opened in London’s financial district in 2012. Weekdays, the clientele in the lobby bar and brasserie is all business, the conversation a gentle hum of meetings. But the hotel has a lively side. On weekends, a young, fashionable crowd from nearby Shoreditch and the ever-growing tech center Silicon Roundabout comes for the DJs that regularly include big names such as Ricardo Villalobos. Owners D&D London—the city’s leading hospitability group and brains behind such restaurants as Coq d’Argent—have made food the focus of their first hotel. Within one year of opening, the top-floor, fish-focused restaurant, Angler, already had a Michelin star. And then there’s the art. Sir Terence Conran’s design firm created modern interiors accented with pop-art prints, full-wall installations, and playful sculptures, many created by British artists living and working in the area.

eÑe was one of Costa Rica’s first so-called cultural boutiques. Its showroom, in a beautiful Barrio Amón building overlooking the Parque España, is a pleasure for the eyes. Even its sign is stunning: an enormous red “Ñ” against the building’s otherwise gray facade. Inside, the works of more than 60 local designers are artfully displayed—brightly colored must-haves that range from pencils and coffee cups to one-of-a-kind apparel, scarves, handsome leather accessories, posters, framed artworks, and more—and all items cleverly conspire to make consumer decisions tough.

Why we love it: A private island resort where guests can truly disconnect

The Highlights:
- Just eight casitas and 400 acres of nature
- A strong commitment to sustainability
- A hyper-local culinary program

The Review:
Off the Pacific coast of Panama, near the border with Costa Rica, floats a lush island that indigenous people dubbed Palenque, or “sanctuary.” Once home to an ancient, pre-Columbian community, the island stood empty for hundreds of years—save for the all the wildlife, birds, and flora—until Ben Loomis arrived. For five years, the architect and designer lived on site, sleeping in a hammock by night and getting to know the land by day. Eventually, he put both his background and love for nature to use by creating this private island resort, dedicated to the principles of sustainable luxury.

There are just eight beachfront casitas and one Villa Estate on the 400-acre island, so privacy is a given. Each of the 650-square-foot casitas has direct beach access, an outdoor tub, organic bath products, daybeds and hammocks, artisan-made furnishings, and a mini-bar stocked with local juices, snacks, and beers. Standout amenities include binoculars, a yoga mat, and a meditation cushion, plus a water bottle to use around the resort; Wi-Fi is free, but “island speed.” In addition to the main beach that fronts the casitas, guests have access to six other sandy stretches, along with nature walking and hiking trails, a main infinity pool, a spa, and complimentary use of kayaks, snorkels, and paddleboards. Meals are full of fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients and vibrant Panamanian flavors; rates include three meals a day, along with snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. An Island Foraging experience brings you closer to the culinary process as you learn to fish using ancient techniques, pick goodies from the island’s orchards, and hunt for wild ingredients along rainforest trails. Off-island excursions like whale watching, island hopping, and more can also be arranged, but with the run of a place like this, it’ll be hard to leave.

El Dorado is a favorite in Salinas. The seafood is fresh and plentiful, and the menu boosts some unique twists on classic Puerto Rican dishes. This restaurant is located along the Ruta Gastronomica which has many restaurants each with their own special “mojo” sauce used to create delicious fish specials. Not into fish? That’s okay, there is plenty more on the menu!

If you want to try Puerto Rico‘s take on seafood, then this is a perfect place to experience it!

Arts in Puerto Rico range from lavish recitals to paintings of humble local scenes. The Luis A. Ferré Fine Arts Center in San Juan puts on various performances, including theater, concerts, ballet, and opera. The center itself is a work of art, with a vibrantly-colored mural of the Muses, and a stained-glass window symbolizing the elements of nature. Meanwhile, the neoclassical Puerto Rico Museum of Art showcases visual art pieces from the 17th century onwards. Its collections feature a linoleum portrayal of a girl gathering food, and a collage in oil that depicts two faces of the famous Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos.

Puerto Rican plazas are laid-back gathering spaces where locals buy snacks, watch shows, play dominoes, and chat with friends. Take a seat on a bench to give your feet a break and soak up some of the everyday comings and goings. At the Plaza de Armas in San Juan, buy the kids traditional treats like sesame-seed lollipops or coconut candies and check out the fountain with the four statues symbolizing the seasons. The Plaza las Delicias in Ponce is made up of two squares divided by a cathedral—one has a statue of journalist and governor Luis Muñoz Marín, while the other is home to the Lions Fountain from the 1939 World Fair.