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Located on Yeouido Island in the middle of the mighty Han River, the Conrad Seoul is a relatively new addition to the South Korean capital’s futuristic skyline. Opened in 2012, the hotel is situated in the bustling Yeouido business district (aka Korean Wall Street). The Conrad is one of four buildings that make up the International Finance Center designed by world-renowned architecture firm Arquitectonica. The firm is praised for its sleek and modern architecture, and Conrad Seoul is no exception. In fact, its asymmetrical design, avant-garde interiors—including a mesmerizing spiral staircase in the lobby—and impeccable service helped the hotel to win a prestigious World Luxury Hotel Award in 2014. Touches of the Far East such as a Korean-style sauna and Asian fusion restaurant add a sense of place to the luxury property, but the international and multilingual staff ensures that guests from every nation feel right at home. Begin your day with a swim in the 82-foot indoor lap pool, and end it with a sunset cocktail as you watch Korea’s capital light up the night sky.

At this Charleston hit, James Beard Award–winning chef Sean Brock reinterprets traditional Southern dishes with a steadfast commitment to local and regional ingredients—the restaurant even has its own garden. Constantly changing, the menu is filled with inventive new takes on Southern cuisine, such as pig’s ear lettuce wraps done up “buffalo” or “Kentukyaki” style.

Don’t miss the Carolina Grouper—it’s one of the most beautiful dishes at this establishment, and a regional classic you have to try while visiting Charleston.

Note that the restaurant also has locations in Nashville, TN and Savannah, GA.

French chef Eric Fraudeau spent 30 years working in three-star kitchens. When he returned to France, he opened a cooking school to share the wealth of French cuisine with visitors from across the globe. He started with market-to-table classes and was soon overrun with requests for his fun, informative, hands-on lessons. There is now an entire team at CWC, all of them professional chefs or sommeliers, offering a range of classes, from “Mother of All Sauces” to cooking with kids, wine pairings, and baking croissants or macarons. You can also opt for a gourmet food tour instead.

You’ve made it to the splendid isolation of Ulleung-do island’s north shore...Now, where to sleep? “Chusan Ilga Pension” is one of the island’s best choices: above the waves, on a clifftop beneath a volcanic peak, with a granite Buddha overlooking the greenery to the west and a fishing village just down the steep road to the east... This is rustic comfort: the floors are heated in the traditional Korean manner, the timbers are exposed, but the double-paned windows can either shut out the roar of the sea or let in the salty breeze, as you wish. Downstairs is a restaurant that serves the local seafood and mountain vegetables. There are several buildings on this clifftop, but the one with the restaurant offers three rooms with balconies almost directly above the sea; ask for one of these. To get here: take the coastal road from the port where you disembark from the ferry. You can’t get lost--there’s only one coastal road. Go counterclockwise around the island. Once you reach the north side, look out for the Elephant Rock in the sea and Songotsan peak on your right. Soon you’ll see a sign for Seongbulsa Temple, pointing up an almost immpossibly steep road. Start climbing and after the first bend, Chusan Ilga will be on your right. (The website is in Korean only, but the central tourist office in Seoul can phone for you; you’ll have to wire money through a Korean bank to confirm your room.)

Tucked away in the heart of downtown Seoul is the quaint Insadong district, where a Korea of yore comes to life in the form of traditional artists and musicians, shops selling Korean crafts and souvenirs, and street performers dressed in native costumes. This is the place to go if you’re set on buying the wooden masks, paper lanterns, and tea sets that the country is famous for. Two other stores also stand out from the crowd in Insadong: Gounjae Handcraft can be smelled before you even enter the door. This handmade soap shop, in the small brick courtyard of Ssamji Gil Center, offers sumptuously scented soaps, lotions, and bath products in scents like avocado, ginger, and almond. I love the tiny, traditional mask-shaped soaps that make inexpensive and lightweight souvenirs. The Ee Gee boutique is a veritable treasure chest bursting with glimmering necklaces, bracelets, and other one-of-a-kind baubles–it’s located on Insadong’s main drag.

Standing tall in Gangnam—one of Seoul’s most exclusive neighborhoods—is the glass-encased structure that is the Park Hyatt. The hotel’s east-meets-west atmosphere was created by the Japanese design firm Super Potato, using elements of wood, stone, steel, and natural light to create a simple yet elegant space. The natural granite used to construct the bathroom in the Presidential Suite was flown in from China and Japan.

Korean antiques and works by local artists are displayed throughout each floor to help guests immerse themselves in Korean culture during their stay. The best part about the Park Hyatt is where water meets sky at the 24^th-floor infinity pool. The hotel’s concierge recommends a swim at sunset, when the golden light melts away and the lights of the city take their place in Seoul’s skyline.

When most people think of Korean cuisine, the first food that comes to mind is usually kimchi. In addition to being the country’s national dish, the spicy, fermented vegetable condiment has been shown to contain many health benefits. Learn even more about it at Museum Kimchikan, located in Insadong. Fun for children and adults alike, the museum features interactive exhibits about the history and process of making kimchi, culminating in a little tasting room with several varieties to sample. The small entrance fee includes an audio guide and complimentary hanboks (traditional Korean clothes) to wear inside the facility. If you plan to visit on a Wednesday or Thursday, secure advance reservations for a kimchi-making class.

Don’t be confused by the name: This isn’t street food so much as dockside warehouse food. Walk over Inderhavnsbroen, one of the city’s newer bridges (opened in 2016), and you’ll cross from the heart of Copenhagen to a former industrial area that is now a foodie paradise. It is to the city what Borough Market is to London—a hugely popular attraction where people flock to eat great food off paper plates. Chinese, Korean, Italian, Moroccan . . . It’s all here and so inviting that it’s hard to know where to start. The only note of caution: Copenhagen Street Food is so popular that the weekend crowds can be intimidating.

Affectionately called the First Lady of Waikiki, this grande dame opened in 1901. Its gracious architecture harks back to the sugar-plantation era and wraps around a courtyard anchored by a massive banyan. Pull up a chair under its spreading branches—or else a seat overlooking the ocean—and enjoy island-inspired fine dining. East meets West here with appetizers like Kona abalone bourguignon, tempura asparagus with Parmesan custards, and twice-cooked octopus with macadamia romesco. Entrée standouts include the miso salmon and Korean-fusion Beach Bim Bop starring fiddlehead ferns, kimchi Brussels sprouts, and Ali’i mushrooms from Hawaiian grower Hamakua. Save room for its tour-de-force finale: A “dessert tree” with small bites of everything from macarons to red-velvet cheesecake.

In the center of Seoul, the natural haven of Mt. Namsan and its namesake tower rising over Korea’s capital is the focal point of the city. Nestled amid the trees yet overlooking the sprawling urban landscape is the exclusive Banyan Tree Club & Spa. The resort, which covers 70,000 square meters, offers a relaxing respite from Seoul’s frenzied pace. The Banyan Tree is housed in what was once the Tower Hotel building, crafted in 1967 by Kim Swoo Geun—the same architect who designed the Olympic stadium in Seoul—as his commemoration of the Korean War. The Banyan Tree brand’s in-house design firm Architrave has since remodeled the hotel using inspiration from the five oriental elements of water, fire, metal, wood, and earth. The results are a luxury hotel that is equal parts tranquil, modern, and sophisticated—an alluring combination that draws a plethora of Korean celebrities to luxuriate in the exclusive surroundings.

An integral part of Korean culture, jimjilbangs, or bathhouses, offer much more than just a trip to the spa. Most are open 24 hours, functioning as a place for people to unwind and socialize. Expect unisex areas equipped with pools, showers, and massage services, all to be enjoyed in the buff. Those who find being nude in front of strangers intimidating can spend time in the coed saunas and relaxation rooms or at the in-house caf&eacute. For a quintessential experience, head to Dragon Hill Spa, located outside of Yongsan Garrison. A Western-style jimjilbang, it’s akin to an entertainment complex, with amenities like arcades, karaoke, and movie theaters.

For years now, the neighborhood between the Palais-Royal and the Opéra Garnier has been a hangout for Japanese and Korean ex-pats and visitors in Paris, with the Rue Sainte Anne as its culinary epicenter. Lined with Japanese restaurants and Korean groceries, this is where to come for a ‘break’ (if that’s even the right word) from steak-frites and macarons... When I lived in Paris, my Japanese neighbor told me about “Higuma,” which I subsequently introduced to all of my French friends. I’m glad to say that when I re-visited this ramen-house recently, it hadn’t lost its non-chic-charm. No sushi here--fresh hand-made noodles, donburi and curry will fill you up, along with perfectly steamed/fried gyoza--known here as ‘raviolis japonais.’ Grab a seat at the counter and watch your steaming bowl come together. Lines are common at lunch-hour. And even though Higuma now has three locations in Paris, THIS is the original: no-nonsense and venerable in the 1st arrondissement... As for the spelling of ‘lamen’ for ‘ramen’ in this Parisian institution--just enjoy the L-R confusion. Here, slurping won’t be considered gauche...and remember, “bon appétit” = “itadakimasu” and “merci” = “arigato gozaimasu!”

The laid-back restaurant Carbon Caribbean Cuisine takes you on a culinary journey around the Caribbean. You can order typical dishes from Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and, of course, the Dominican Republic. Popular with locals, Carbon offers a glimpse of island life beyond the beaches and resorts.

The Four Seasons earns its five stars for everything from its location—smack in the middle of Seoul’s most-visited palaces and landmarks—to its detailed amenities, such as customizable mattresses. Rooms overlook Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest and arguably most beautiful of the royal residences, or Cheonggyecheon stream, each a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. Its seven restaurants and lounges include a two-level sushi and sake bar, a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant, and an exotic cocktail bar hidden speakeasy-style in the basement. The massive wellness center combines traditional Korean spa rituals with personalized beauty treatments and a 24-hour gym with panoramic views. An indoor pool and saunas, a virtual golf simulator, and a Lego kids’ lounge provide something for every guest.

There are no boats here, where the Han River flows into the Yellow Sea--this is the watery mine-laden western limit of the DMZ. On a trip to Korea in the mid-1990’s, one of my uncles took us to visit Aegibong, a 500-ft.-high hill that presides over the estuary. From the top of the hill we could see across and into North Korea. The first thing that struck me was the lack of trees--the mountainsides are completely deforested, except for the inaccessible fringe of riverbank. As far as we could see on this clear early autumn day, the slopes above the golden rice paddies were denuded of trees. When the wind blew in the right direction, we could hear propaganda from the loudspeakers on the north bank. A few months later, Kim Il Sung would die, and the North Korean famine would intensify; it’s estimated that up to 1 in 10 North Koreans perished during the mid-to-late 1990’s...all of this while Seoul, just to the southeast of the scene in this photo, would continue to grow into one of the most vibrantly capitalistic cities anywhere... South Korea would morph into the most Internet-connected country in the world, while the North would devolve into a place where doctors have to scrounge in the hills for edible weeds...