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Home to an ancient Roman temple, a beautiful main square and a stunning Cathedral, Vic is a Barcelona side-trip worth making. Especially since it’s only about an hour and half away from Barcelona in train.

Nazaré is a colorful fishing village with an awesome view from the Sitio of Nazaré, up on the cliff and reached via an 1889 funicular. Admire the traditional costume of fishermen and women, with their colorful shirts and petticoats. Another bright element is the small beach cabanas, striped and colorful. And enjoy the fresh fish!

The hot-air balloon captains of the Masai Mara see themselves more as sailors than pilots. Despite the fact that they are flying, they guide the balloon through the air, adjusting the pulleys and controlling blasts of hot air like sailors harnessing the wind with canvas. The anticipation of takeoff is exhilarating: Guests arrive to an open field in the darkness and lie down on the grass to be hoisted up into the basket, with the roar of the flames overhead. The ride itself is tranquil and relaxing, drifting through the sky, admiring the balloon’s shadow on the golden ground as the sun rises. Rides can be booked in advance while staying at Angama Mara, one of Kenya’s most luxurious lodges.

Drive just over an hour outside of Cape Town and you’ll find yourself in the middle of the Cape Winelands. Here, farms established by Dutch colonists and French Huguenots in the late 1600s now function as South African wine estates, with tree-lined driveways leading to impeccably manicured gardens and gentle hills covered in vines. When visiting, be sure to taste the full-bodied cabernet sauvignons and pinot noirs; the lighter chenin blancs and chardonnays; and unique varietals like pinotage (an earthy red wine) and méthode cap classique (South Africa’s version of Champagne).

While there’s much to do in Milan, there’s also a lot to do outside the city. Hop on a train and enjoy lunch by a lake, see a contemporary art collection in an 18th-century villa, and dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Then take a stroll in a walled city, go winetasting, or climb a tower. All you need is an adventurous spirit.

Looking for a place to buy canned squid? Or a record of an obscure 1960s punk band? Or an antique suit of armor? These offbeat stores will keep you wandering the aisles, trying to decide how to get that stuffed moose head back on the plane with you.

The site of the now-demolished Brinks Hotel Officers Quarters—which housed U.S. military members during the Vietnam War—has been transformed into this oasis in the heart of the city. Opened in 2005 and renovated in 2015, the Park Hyatt has been crafted in a French colonial style, with lots of polished wood, wrought iron, and oversize windows. The 245 rooms are elegant and airy, mixing classic furnishings with high-tech perks like mini iPads and sensor lighting systems; all suites feature elevated design touches like hand-embroidered textiles, lacquerware pieces, and period antiques, while some offer private terraces or direct access to the pool and gardens. Considered to be among the best in the city, the hotel’s dining options include Square One, for gourmet Western and Vietnamese fare, and Opera, where Italian favorites are whipped up in the open kitchen. Enjoy live music nightly (and the popular Saturday afternoon tea buffet) at the Park Lounge and cocktails and DJs on the weekends at 2 Lam Son. If you’re looking for something a bit more chill, head to the Xuan Spa for a treatment performed with locally grown herbs, fruits, and grains.

After crawling through a few of the tunnels that have been somewhat expanded for tourists and seeing the displays of recovered bombs, people who were not involved in the Vietnam War (called the American War there) can get a feeling of the horror that occurred during those years. A system of 125 miles of tunnels became almost a complete underground city. The picture offered above is the delivery bomb of cluster bombs from the U.S. The Vietcong recovered many of these and other unexploded bombs and used them against South Vietnam and the U.S. It is a sad place but worth going for a better understanding of why the U.S. lost this war.

You can take your rented bike and pedal down to a waiting Zipcar and get out of town. From the mountains to the coast—and everything in between—you’ll enjoy an easy break from the urban outlook, usually with an hour of driving, or less.

With just three proper resorts (and a handful more guesthouses), Barbuda remains an undiscovered Caribbean hideaway, perfect for an off-the-beaten track holiday. Antigua’s sister island lies just 27-miles to the north, but feels worlds away. Barbuda’s major export is sand, which despite shipping out by the ton, it still has plenty of, in silky pink and white, fronting its gin-clear, aquamarine sea. It’s also home to a thriving reef system providing excellent snorkeling and amazing birdlife.

The best hotels in New Mexico are an eclectic group: Stay in historic inns, small boutiques, charming bed and breakfasts, a former penitentiary, on an organic farm with serious architectural pull, or even in a cave! New Mexico’s best hotels cater to all tastes and price ranges, and you certainly won’t have a problem finding the right hotel in which to rest your weary head.

Many of Buffalo’s best hotels used to be something else, from Victorian mansions and architectural landmarks to an insane asylum designed by one of America’s most famous architects. A stay at any offers the chance to learn the city’s history while exploring what’s new and exciting in town.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent Vendela Vida on a spontaneous journey to St. Maarten.

Falls Church is home to arguably the best Chinese in the Washington, D.C. area. Since 1978, generations of the Tsui Family have operated this upscale northern Chinese cuisine establishment, and their clientele have included members of the U.S. Congress, cabinet secretaries, Pentagon bigwigs, Hollywood celebrities, visiting dignitaries, and the Bush presidential families (their favorite restaurant) as seen in the framed photographs that adorn the red-and-gold dining rooms. The crispy Peking Duck wrapped in house-made pancakes with hoisin sauce and locally-sourced spring onions is the house speciality. Along with the duck, order the Four Season String Beans, Szechuan Beef Proper, Juo-Yen Shrimp, and Lamb Chops Peking Style which make up the famous five-course “Bush Special.”

If you have time to venture into the province of Buenos Aires, a visit to an estancia (ranch) allows a glimpse of Argentina’s rural culture, its horses, gauchos, grand houses, and elegant traditions.