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From a thriving art scene to creative bar culture, the Hungarian capital is coming into its own, new sense of style.

In the city’s once-gritty fishermen’s quarter, a group of activist chefs is reviving—and reinventing—traditional cuisine.

The give and take of a 20-year friendship.

A magical alpine lake on the South Island is Lake Pukaki, crystal blue and turquoise. Oftentimes in the morning it’s so still it reflects a perfect mirror of the clouds. One of many glacial lakes in the area, the best view is from the southside, when on sunny days you can see all the way to Aoraki-Mount Cook, New Zealand‘s highest peak. Though not as developed as other lakes on the South Island, it’s worth at least stopping by for a photo or two on any road trip.

The cultural heart of Wellington is right downtown on Cuba Street. Here art galleries rub shoulders with boutique cafes, and there’s more than an enough independent bookshops, thrift stores, and quirky bars to keep even the most alternative traveler sated. If you’re looking to mingle with locals and really get a feel for what makes Wellington special, look no further than Cuba Street. And if you have a hectic New Zealand itinerary, Cuba Street is a great spot to just relax and enjoy the capital.

This is a great place to spend a free day in Puerto Rico. There are many interpretative trails in this park, and all are free and open to the public. Some lead to caves, others lead to beautiful views.

There are also many covered areas for picnics. The trails are mostly leveled off and easy hikes, although some can be a bit more challenging. Be sure to bring lots of water, as it can be humid. Also, bug spray will be your friend! If you plan to take a trail that leads to a cave, be sure to have a flashlight with you as well.

Bungee jumping was invented in New Zealand, so if you’re going to try it anywhere in the world, shouldn’t it be at the world’s first commercial bungee site? With a 140-foot drop from an old bridge straddling a beautiful turquoise river, the location outside of Queenstown couldn’t be more perfect. In fact, its beauty might even distract from what lies ahead. Choosing between jumping tandem or solo, bobbing above the water, touching it, or even getting dunked, the Kawarau Bridge has every option available—though maybe none for the faint of heart. In the few minutes I watched dozens of people fling themselves off the platform, from kids to parents, everyone had a big smile on their face when finished.

Hmmm, what to buy when you want a New Zealand souvenir that’s not a tacky plastic tiki or kiwi-shaped ashtray? That’s when you head to Pauanesia (pron. Pah-wah-nesia). Named after the Maori word for abalone, this High St. Auckland store has unique and interesting gifts. From authentic pounamu (greenstone) pendants that you traditionally gift to friends (never buy one for yourself) through to tea towels with 1970s motifs on them, you can be sure no one else will have what you’ve brought when you get back home.

Home to one of the largest remaining swaths of temperate rain forest in the world, dating to the supercontinent Gondwana, the Tarkine Wilderness is a stronghold for rare species including black cockatoos, wedge-tailed eagles, and spotted-tailed quolls. The Western Explorer Road takes you to Corinna, part of which is unsealed and bright white, built from tailings from the nearby silica mine. That hints at the mining settlement to come, where the Corinna Wilderness Experience transformed old prospector huts into modern cabins that run on solar power and rainwater. Hike deeper into the rain forest or to Aboriginal middens along the coast with Tarkine Trails, or visit a 1,540-acre sinkhole before riding down a 360-foot-long tube slide at Tarkine Forest Adventures.

Covering nearly two thirds of Basse-Terre island, Guadeloupe National Park is an astounding 54,000 acres of lush rain forest, plus offshore mangrove and coral reefs. Some of the island’s best-known sights are inside the park, including active La Grande Soufrière volcano at its center, 4,800 feet above sea level. The park also contains famous waterfalls like Carbet Falls and the Cascade aux Ecrevisses, and Les Bains Jaunes thermal pool is a refreshing swim after conquering one the park’s many hiking trails. Nature lovers will swoon over the 800-plus species of flora and fauna here, ranging from orchids to bats to the endangered agouti (a type of small rodent). You can explore Guadeloupe National Park on your own or go with an outfitter like Vert Intense, an eco-friendly operation that knows every inch of this vast green escape, and also offers canyoning.

An interview with the duo behind the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits.

There’s no better place to stop and smell the roses (and the dahlias and the begonias) than Christchurch Botanic Gardens. From New Regent Street, hop on the renovated tram, which stops near the entrance to the 80-plus acres of majestic oaks, water gardens, and rose beds. Rolleston Ave. and Worcester Blvd. This appeared in the January/February 2015 issue.

This funky boutique hotel on the edge of the Britomart shopping district goes way back in Auckland history. Built in 1841 as The Commercial Hotel, the DeBrett building survived two fires and two rebuilds plus a stint as a hostel before becoming the quirky place guests experience today. The Housebar has always been the center of hotel life, and today, the intimate wood-and-mint venue exudes its original art deco style and serves classic cocktails and local beers and wines alongside refined pub snacks.

In addition to restoring the bar and adding a glass-roofed atrium that houses the hotel restaurant, DeBretts Kitchen, the current owners affixed contemporary artwork and photography throughout and sheathed the entire building in candy-striped carpeting, custom designed from 100 percent New Zealand wool. Besides the carpet and small-batch minibar selections, no two rooms are the same. Each features unique furnishings from the 1930s on, and every bed has an original screenprinted throw. Two of Hotel DeBretts centerpieces, the chandelier and water sculpture in the restaurant, were crafted by Auckland artists from materials salvaged during the latest renovation. The result is a local experience from top to bottom that gives guests a real taste of New Zealand.

Discover what makes Zanzibar’s capital a destination worth visiting.

Following a powerful earthquake in February 2011, the Christchurch Cathedral was severely damaged, and while there is an ongoing ideological and economic debate over whether or not the Gothic-style church can, or should be, repaired, the Anglican parishioners of New Zealand‘s second-largest city can now worship in this fascinating edifice made of, among other things, 96 giant cardboard tubes. Designed by Shigeru Ban, a Japanese architect who specializes in building temporary structures following natural disasters, the Cardboard Cathedral (formerly called Christchurch’s Transitional Cathedral), was erected in less than a year. Its excellent acoustics are also regularly utilized for concerts and events.