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A brief description of Skansen—a 75-acre open-air museum with historic buildings and a zoo—doesn’t convey just how much fun it is. You can easily spend a happy half-day here, looking at wolves, reindeer, moose, seals, and other Nordic creatures, then popping into old buildings that have been brought here from all over Scandinavia and reassembled. In some you can talk to people in costume who are playing the roles of the original inhabitants. Elsewhere you can watch glassblowers at work and visit old-fashioned stores. Open since 1891, it remains one of Sweden’s top tourist draws.

Whether you want to catch the latest sports action, have a pint with friends, or experience a bit of Ireland in Qatar, the Irish Harp, located at the Sheraton Hotel, has it all and more. This Irish pub offers a selection of Irish favorites, such as Bangers & Mash, and Guinness Steak & Kidney Pie, among others. It’s a vibrant Dublinesque Victorian style pub, where every day there is a different party: Every Tuesday: Ladies Night with live band MVM, every Wednesday: Salsa night, every Thursday & Friday: Live Band followed by a DJ, every last Friday of the month: Girls night out.

As befits a town with 475 years of history, San Miguel supports a number of city tour guides. One of the most popular is the Patronato Pro Niños Historic Walking Tour—a fund-raiser for children’s health care—which leaves from the city center, the Jardín, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10 a.m., for a two-hour stroll through history. You’ll surely stop at the Chorro (a public patio lined by old, open-air laundry sinks), a popular photo spot. And for real down-to-earth insight (plus a couple of laughs) about San Miguel people, culture, and rituals, book a tour with local storyteller Joseph Toone.

It was raining when we arrived in Donostia-San Sebastian, but the skies cleared on our second day, and we rode the funicular railway up Mount Igueldo to take in the view back on the city, La Concha Bay, and the empty beach. The “low” travel season had just begun, and the strange little children’s amusement park on the mountaintop had shuttered up for the fall and winter, adding just the right disorienting touch of weird desolation to the Basque country panorama.

Why we love it: A historic hotel where Old Florida elegance meets contemporary style

The Highlights:
- Unique amenities like a tennis complex, golf course, and private marina
- A wide range of dining options to suit everyone’s tastes
- A prime location near Tropicana Field and The Dalí Museum

The Review:
A member of Historic Hotels of America, the Vinoy Park Hotel opened in 1923—a Mediterranean Revival property overlooking Tampa Bay, designed for America’s elite. It served as a training facility for the Army Air Corps for a brief time in the early 1940s, but reopened as a hotel in 1945 and continued operations until 1974, when it closed in disrepair. Following a $93 million restoration and expansion in 1992, the hotel reopened once again as the Vinoy Renaissance, complete with a new guest tower and an 18-hole golf course designed by Ron Garl.

Today, the Vinoy also features 360 guest rooms and suites, complete with well-lit workspaces, pillowtop mattresses, and Aveda bath products, as well as two swimming pools (one heated), a spacious tennis complex, a 5,000-square-foot fitness center with complimentary workout classes, and an elegant spa offering massages in poolside cabanas. Thanks to the hotel’s waterfront location and private marina, guests can even charter a boat for the day and explore the bay. Dining options range from sushi on the Veranda Patio to farm-to-table fare at Marchand’s Bar & Grill. The culinary standout, however, is Paul’s Landing, named for a Navy carpenter who once fished, farmed orchards, and cured meats and seafood along the St. Pete waterfront. Don’t miss the citrus-glazed shrimp and grits, or the crispy Brussels sprouts with key lime.

Jungle Zone, located next to the food court at Hyatt Plaza, is an indoor theme park with attractions including roller coasters, also bumper cars, a racetrack and bumper boats, video games, indoor water ride, a zip line, and carnival games. As an animal-themed children’s attraction, the employees dress as playful jungle animals. One of the Jungle’s main attraction is the 7D Dark Ride, a multisensory game/ride. There is also a small soft play area for toddlers and a nifty nest art area where kids can draw, color or just have a quiet time. It’s open 12:00 to 22:00 Sunday to Wednesday, 13:00 to 23:00 Thursday and Friday, 10:00 to 22:00 Saturday, 9:00 to 12:00 on weekdays during scheduled school visits.

Opened in 1997, Nanta is the longest-running show in Korean history. Similar to Stomp, it’s a nonverbal musical that people of all ages and nationalities can understand. The comedic story follows a frantic kitchen staff as they prepare for an impending wedding banquet. In addition to impressive percussive performances with cooking equipment, the 90-minute show incorporates many opportunities for audience participation. It’s become so popular that it now plays at two theaters, one in Myeongdong and another in Hongdae. Each venue offers an afternoon and evening show, with a third added on weekends. It’s recommended that you buy tickets in advance as seats sell out quickly.

Encyclopedic is one way to describe L.A.’s oldest art institution. Sprawling is another. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art opened in its current Miracle Mile location in 1965 and has not stopped growing, becoming the largest museum in the western United States. Its 135,000-piece collection spans 6,000 years of art. It also includes some of the museum world’s most photographed outdoor sculptures, such as Michael Heizer’s mind-boggling Levitated Mass and Chris Burden’s Urban Light. The museum hosts some 40 exhibits per year, plus a dynamic schedule of events, such as Tuesday film matinees and picnic-friendly Jazz at LACMA (held weekly on “summer” weekend nights—which in L.A. means April to November). While anyone can join free tours throughout the day, docents also lead customized experiences for a fee, which will take you through the galleries before or after hours to marvel at artists as wide-ranging as Henri Matisse, Ai Weiwei, Diego Rivera, and Catherine Opie. Kids are also catered to with a special gallery, Sunday activities, and a free membership, which includes entry for them plus an adult guest any day of the year. Pro tips: Plan to spend several hours at the museum, fueling up on wood-fired pizza midway through the day at Ray’s & Stark Bar. And if you’d like to experience the outdoor sculptures without the crowds, go early in the morning or on Wednesdays, when the museum is closed and gloriously quiet.

For an elegant island dining experience, opt for an evening at Le Corail at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa. The formal and contemporary dining room, right beside the lagoon, seats only 28 at a time, so the mood is intimate and romantic. Tables by the windows, with a view of the resort’s overwater wedding chapel, are the most coveted. The French-accented seven-course tasting menu rotates with the seasons and is plated artfully, in keeping with the modern surroundings. With advance notice, the kitchen can accommodate those with allergies and dietary restrictions. Open six nights a week for dinner, from April to November.

With its walls of colorful glass bottles, this charming little bar can be elusive—nestled deep in downtown Athens, in the warren of streets that make up the Plaka. Day or night, Brettos (pronounced Vrettos in Greek) is frequented by locals and tourists alike—the oldest distillery in Athens. While you can opt for beer, wine, homemade moonshine, or perhaps a cocktail, you might kick yourself later for passing up the chance to have an ouzo, Greece’s signature anise-flavored liquor, in such a storied watering hole. Who knows where that first sip might lead?

Located in a former home built more than 100 years ago, this intimate restaurant excels in ambience and Caribbean specialties. Outdoor tables sit next to a pool and pretty tropical gardens, while the dining room boasts an array of European antiques. A son of the restaurant’s original owners, the current chef specializes in such dishes as bouillabaisse, crunchy okra, and cinnamon-and-brown-sugar sweet potato mash. Also on offer is seafood prepared with local spices and coconut milk. Whatever you choose, don’t miss the wine cellar, which once functioned as the home’s cheese room and now features nearly 2,000 bottles by 120 labels.

Build in the XV century, Convento do Espinheiro was since early fascinating because its history, charm and rare beauty. Through centuries was one spot of election by the royal family whenever they moved to Évora. Luxuriously redecorated, the Convento do Espinheiro is today considered a national monument, that works with renown brand Luxury Collection of companyStarwood Hotels & Resorts. This Hotel is inserted in a sumptuous garden of 8 hectares and its interior was brilliantly decor, keeping its character. By booking accommodation in Convento do Espinheiro you begin a collection of unique experiences with a guided tour to the history of this place, as well, a tasting of its magnificent wines from Alentejo that can be found in the Gothic Cellar, escorted by the sommelier.

Not to be mistaken for the popular izakaya of the same name (and same owners) down the street, on Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Avenue des Pins, this Big In Japan is on the corner of Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Rue Rachel. You may not notice the sign, or even the door – it adds to the sense of mystery of this high-class drinking establishment (look for the black door near the fast-food restaurant Patati-Patata). From the vaporous curtains to the long shiny U-bar, the atmosphere here is distinctly speakeasy, and the classic cocktails maintain that illusion. The champagne cocktail will never go unwanted, and the Tom Collins is fizzy and tart, as it should be. Or you could dip into the house specialties: sakes, prune wines and Japanese whiskeys, used bottles of which serve as the basis for this stylish spot’s contemporary lamp fixtures.

The 29-acre Nizuc Resort & Spa excels in size, service, and amenities. The soothing design scheme blends calming neutrals and natural materials, which recur across multiple interior elements, including lamps, furniture, and tile flooring. Spacious, sun-filled rooms feature terraces and tropical gardens, and the private villas include infinity pools. Staff lead many activities to keep visitors as busy as they want to be; a typical day at the resort might include learning how to roll cigars, participating in a session of paddleboard yoga, or simply trying to choose a favorite between the two pools.

Fragonard is among the best-known parfumeurs in France; its history dates back to 1926, when the company was founded by Eugène Fuchs who named it after the painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard. There are several locations across Paris, but the one near the Opera is the most fun to visit, as it’s actually a (free) museum showing the art of perfume-making, as well as a shop where you can buy Fragonard products. Be sure to check out the historic orgue à parfums, a multi-tiered collection of bottles resembling a church organ that were used to mix fragrances.