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The outside of the Sky Hotel is very deceiving. It looks like any other lodge in Aspen and then when you go inside it is quite the opposite. As you walk into the lobby there are high-backed chairs that are white in front and red with white writing on the back. The carpet is a chaotic pattern of circles and bright color dots—it all seems like something out of Alice in Wonderland. This modern, hip motif is transferred to all the guest rooms.

When the Last Bookstore debuted in 2005, the name was meant to be ironic. Now, in a world of Kindles and iPads, digital books (or at least digital bookstores) are the norm, and brick-and-mortar establishments such as the Last Bookstore are a dying breed. That hasn’t stopped this Downtown L.A. icon from growing. The shop still buys, sells, and trades new and used books and vinyl records just as it did when its doors first opened over a decade ago, and it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Come in to browse the store’s impressive collection, to hang out for an afternoon, or to catch author talks and more. The Last Bookstore puts on some killer events, and past speakers have included the cast of Portlandia, How to Kill a City author Peter Moskowitz, and Holocaust survivors. Oh, and they occasionally give away free concert tickets on their Instagram account, so it’s worth a follow even if you’re not a die-hard bookworm.

Trafalgar Square dominates the landscape at Charring Cross. It was made to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. At the centre is Nelson’s column, which includes a statue of Horatio Nelson, the vice admiral who commanded the British Fleet at Trafalgar. It is flanked by 4 majestic lions. Around the corner, the historic National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery occupy pride of place. They house masterpieces by famed artists including Leonardo Da Vinci, Claude Monet, and J.M.W. Turner. The area around the galleries is full of tourists and locals unwinding after a long day. It is crowded during the day but it is absolutely magical at night once the crowds disperse-perfect for a walk after dinner.

The location for the most charming scenes in the movie Amélie, this once-forgotten neighborhood is now a destination for the young and fun-loving. As soon as the weather turns warm, picnickers line the paths along this 19th-century waterway, watching bridges rise and turn to allow barges to pass. Shopping, food, drink, and diversions also abound here: Artazart (83 Quai de Valmy) is recognized as one of the best design bookstores in Europe, while Le Comptoir Général, just across the bridge, offers live music and cheap drinks. Chez Prune has one of the city’s most popular terraces for enjoying a glass of something refreshing and a chance to watch Paris go by.

The central hub of downtown Amsterdam is Dam Square, and it’s been at the heart of the city’s history since the 13th century. Today, the open-air public space is ringed by shops and restaurants and packed with people, including street performers and tourists en route to nearby attractions like the Royal Palace, the National Monument, and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), where you can catch a horse-drawn-carriage tour of the city.

This picturesque street in one of Paris’s poshest quartiers is dotted with gourmet sweet shops. Beginning at the eponymous Rue du Bac metro station, Chapon offers decadent taste-tests of single-estate chocolate mousses. On the next corner, Jacques Genin sells mouthwateringly good caramels along with his famous chocolate treats. The shops Des Gâteaux et du Pain and La Pâtisserie des Rêves also sell sweets, but this time they’re enveloped in a pastry delivery system. Le Bac à Glaces tries another sugary route: It scoops out the city’s most infamous dark chocolate sorbet. End the stroll at the gourmet temple La Grande Epicerie de Paris, a grocery store filled with more unforgettable tastes of Paris to tuck in your bag and take home.

One of the social corners of Grande-Terre is Gosier Marina, with its multitude of bars, restaurants, and shopping. By day, it’s a great spot to grab a cocktail by the water, enjoying yacht views while relaxing away from the beach. But it’s also good for shopping, with over 100 shops to explore. You’ll find apparel and tobacco stores, jewelry boutiques, a supermarket, delis, and pharmacies. By night, the area turns into a nightlife hub.

If you’re looking for cozy, casual, and tasty with an Azorean island ambiance, look no further than Café Acoreano. Located near the Hamilton Bus Station, Café Acoreano blends Bermuda’s Portuguese heritage into its selection of pastries, tarts, and other delicious baked goods. They are open for breakfast and lunch. The lunch buffet consists of Portuguese specialties and fish, pork, and potato dishes as well as beef stew, pumpkin soup, and red bean soup.


Be sure to try the malassadas. These tasty treats, made of fried dough and sugar, are known as “Portuguese doughnuts” to the locals. Café Acoreano also serves a variety of Portuguese coffee and beer, though we don’t recommend trying both at the same time. Talk about a buzzy day after that!

Cross Punda’s Queen Wilhelmina Bridge, and bam! You’re in Scharloo, Willemstad’s youngest colonial district. Known for baroque mansions once inhabited by the island’s wealthiest merchants, this historical neighborhood is also a hipster haven. Thanks to Street Art Skálo, a group of up-and-coming local artists, you can admire life-size murals on Bitterstraat and Parke Leyba from Curaçao masters like Francis Sling and Garrick Marchena. Afterwards, grab coffee on Beyglz’s colonial terrace and shop for 100-percent-handmade bath and body products at Integra Natural.

A sprawling one-stop shop for all things local—including the aloe and sea salt that were once drivers of the island’s economy—the Bonaire Arts and Crafts Cruise Market sits right by the cruise-ship piers, which means minimal schlepping. You’ll also find regional spices, clay sculptures and watercolors.

Explore the history and impact of slavery in the Bahamas with a visit to the Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation. Located in downtown Nassau, the museum is in the historic Vendue House, which dates from the mid-1700s and was used as a market for various goods, including slaves, in the 18th and 19th centuries. The name of the museum honors a slave named Pompey, who led a revolt at the Rolle Plantation on Exuma. The one-room museum has a small collection of artifacts, photos, and other objects that help document this era of Bahamian history, from the slave trade and daily life of slaves on the island, to emancipation in 1834 and beyond.

Across New Zealand you’ll find weekend farmers’ markets packed with vendors of artisanal products and organic fruit and vegetables, as well as innovative food trucks providing tasty options for breakfast or lunch. Held in the leafy surrounds of Christchurch’s historic Riccarton House, this Saturday-morning institution attracts gourmands from across the city. For travelers, it’s a great place to try cheese and salmon from around the South Island, sample craft beer from local breweries, and stock up on baked goods for on-the-road picnics. Must-visit stalls include Sausage Sisters (for hearty pork-and-apple-sausage rolls) and Utopia Hot (for freshly baked waffles with seasonal fruit).

A permit and a guide are required to hike in the Edmund Forest Reserve, in the interior of the island. A permit can easily be obtained through your guesthouse or hotel, and a forest guide can be hired at the reserve. The 18,000-acre park offers various hiking trails: The Edmund Rainforest Trail is a four-hour, seven-mile strenuous hike concluding with a view of Mount Gimie. A less intense hike is the Des Cartier Rainforest Trail, on relatively flat terrain, with plenty of flora along the way. Bird-watchers will love the Millet Bird Sanctuary Trail, a two-mile loop through the habitat of over 30 species, including the St. Lucian parrot and hummingbirds.

Built in 1891, St. Lucia’s most colorful and largest open-air market sits in the heart of its capital. It’s a one-stop-shopping favorite for fruits, vegetables, spices, handmade arts and crafts, and even handwoven beachwear. The produce is definitely the highlight. The stall tables are beautifully set and decorated, while the fragrance of herbs and condiments fills the air, turning it into a multisensory island experience. The market is open daily, 7 a.m.–1 p.m., but the most active morning is Saturday. After shopping, grab a seat at the adjacent annex to sample some local foods—a breakfast bowl of cow-foot soup (the perfect hangover cure) or a Creole fish lunch.

El Prado, a grand hotel that stands as a testimony to Barranquilla’s golden days as Colombia’s gateway to the world, is now on the nation’s registry of historic places. When it opened in 1930, it boasted of being the first luxury lodging in Colombia, with private bathrooms and telephones in every room. Narcotraficante interests acquired the property in the 1980s and made it an operations center, which drove away legitimate guests. But after government seizure and decades of decline, things are once again on the upswing. Don’t miss the expansive pool and its shady vegetation, especially when the mercury soars (day passes are available). And afternoon aperitifs or lunches beneath these palms are always a welcome respite.