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If you’re looking for tropical tranquillity, bypass Maui’s buzzy resort enclaves and head away from the coast to the island’s laid-back Upcountry, where you’ll find Lumeria. At the 24-room wellness retreat, visitors can start the day with a guided sunrise meditation, then strengthen their yoga practice, learn to hula or surf, and go snorkeling off the North Shore. Spa treatments include Hawaiian massage and acupuncture as well as nontraditional therapies like crystal healing and shaman-led journeys. The schedule is flexible, so you’ll have plenty of time to learn about Hawaii’s paniolo (cowboy) culture or just take in the ocean views from your private lanai. Guest rooms feature art by local Maui artists, four-poster beds topped with organic linens, and stone-tile showers stocked with Aveda products, while the Wooden Crate restaurant prepares farm-to-table meals with nearly 200 types of fruits and vegetables that grow on the property.

Ali Baba and his 40 thieves would have thought they’d gone straight to paradise if they’d stepped into this mall dedicated to that most precious of metals—gold. As a local bride’s dowry is still paid out in gold jewelry, this souq plays an integral role in the continuation of marital rites in Bahraini culture. As a bonus, in the gold souq, where the gram is king, the craftsmanship is belash (free).

This is a weekend dedicated to Belgian beers. Small and big breweries present their beer on the Grand-Place. The entrance is free, the tastings have to be paid. And if you are not a beer fan, go for the amazing, fresh oysters sold by different vendors. My favorite place for oysters is at the restaurant Le Roy d’Espagne, in the corner, to the right of the Town Hall.

Who doesn’t need a pain killer once in a while? Take it in the form of a glass of wine from a pharmacy that is more than 100 years old, where the drugs were replaced by wine bottles in the glass-door cabinets. To accompany the wine, you can taste different Portuguese products or you can choose a plate with several types of sausage and cheese. The tables are made of old wine barrels and you can sit on some wooden benches.

Be Tulum describes itself as a resort, but with 64 rooms and a no-child-under-12 policy, the property feels considerably more intimate than its name and marketing might suggest. The hotel enjoys beachfront status, with powdered-sugar sand inviting guests to do little more than lounge around all day. For those wanting a bit more activity, bikes can be borrowed from the front desk and used to cycle out to the Maya site of Tulum. The spacious rooms—all suites and all at least 500 square feet in size—most of which have either a Jacuzzi or their own pool, as well as polished wood floors and rough, white stone walls.

I don’t want to use the word overrated. Many people rave about Coctelería Dickens, but I stopped going there after I paid five euros for a coffee. However, those who are loyal to the bar manage to see past the exorbitant prices to the man behind the bar. Joaquín Fernandez is at the helm, and he is a regular feature in the local press for his cocktail knowledge. He stands definitively in the old-school corner, which means he fits perfectly in this classic San Sebastián bar.

The Morris family’s roots are among the deepest in colonial Pennsylvania. Anthony Morris settled here in 1685 and would become one of the city’s first mayors. A century later, his grandson Samuel served as a captain of the Continental Army’s Philadelphia City Calvary. Though the Morris family’s red-brick mansion on 8^th street was built in 1787, it upholds a pre-Revolutionary colonial style epitomized in the stately Independence Hall, and members of the family would live in this large corner property for the next 120 years. A painstaking restoration in the mid-1960s earned it a spot as a National Historic Landmark, and the current owners renovated the property in 2000, transforming the distinguished address into a 17-room boutique hotel without compromising original architectural details. With a leafy courtyard garden, gourmet farm-to-table restaurant, and a focus on personalized service, the latest incarnation of this home lives up to its storied past.

Each room is tastefully decorated in Colonial-era decor and reproductions. Despite the history and limitations inherent in any historic structure, guestrooms are large and uncluttered with all the modern conveniences, splashes of natural light, and sparkling bathrooms, some with Jacuzzi tubs. Adding to the allure are a complimentary continental breakfast and a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine on the house.

With no sign above its unassuming storefront, Tartine is most easily recognized by the line that snakes out its door and down Guerrero Street. People patiently wait for flaky pains au chocolat (the best outside Paris, in my opinion), decadent banana cream tarts, and hot-pressed sandwiches stuffed with fillings like smoked sheep cheese and quince jam. The bakery’s James Beard Award–winning pastry chefs also turn out loaves of stone hearth–baked bread, available every day after 4:30 p.m. Nurse a coffee and nibble on a croissant at the communal table, or take picnic provisions to nearby Dolores Park.

Enjoy private candlelit dinner at Zamas

This Santo Spirito classic has two main selling points: Daniele, the barrista, who makes one of the best cappuccinos this side of the river, and the comfortable back room, where you can sit down without having to pay extra. There’s also a wonderful terrace out front that looks onto the comings and goings in one of Florence’s most lively piazzas, but you have to pay to sit there. Ricchi is great for coffee and afternoon tea, but you can also eat lunch and dinner here, and their homemade ice cream isn’t bad either.

Glück is a genius combination of café and kids’ playroom. Parents pay for each child’s entry so that the kids, supervised by café staff, can amuse themselves with a full array of toys and games while the parents relax, have coffee, and wedge in some adult conversation. Tables come with electrical outlets so harried moms and dads can plug in and catch up with everything they should have done two days earlier. The menu features coffees and infusions, sandwiches, and pastries, all done nicely. Private babysitting is available at extra cost.

Consisting of 25 domes, EcoCamp was inspired by the round houses of ancient tribes that formerly inhabited the area now known as Torres del Paine National Park. There are three categories of domes, all made from green plastic with sheer windows. Standard domes feature twin or double beds and a shared, campsite-style bathroom. Standard domes don’t have central heating and can be nippy in the Patagonian climate. Superior domes have gas heaters and en suite bathrooms. The suite domes are similar to the superior rooms, but have wood-burning stoves (and the suite dome loft has two floors). Domes are connected by raised wooden walkways for minimal environmental impact. Communal meals and pre-excursion briefings take place in the central community dome.

If you still need a gift for that one person on your shopping list who doesn’t eat chocolate, head to one of the many Maison Dandoy cookie shops dotted around Brussels. Dandoy is a Belgian institution and they have been making cookies in Brussels since 1829. The cookies are from 100% natural ingredients and some of the recipes are 180 years old. Try the traditional Belgian speculoos, a spicy biscuit a bit like gingerbread, or Pain a la Greque, a Brussels favourite. There is even an Earl Grey cookie with tealeaves – delicious. Not only do Dandoy cookies taste wonderful, but their packaging is lovely, making them the perfect gift. Choose from the newly designed Maison Dandoy boxes or a variety of tin boxes, perfect for travelling.

If you ever find yourself in Lencois, Brazil, make your way about 40 miles west for one spectacular view. Located in Chapada Diamantina National Park, Pai Inacio Hill is just off BR-242 and can easily be seen from the road. The striking white stone and the majestic appearance of this natural rock formation is compelling enough to make anyone want to stop and explore. It is a relatively easy 20 minute hike to the summit, and once you arrive you will see that it is worth every step. Standing atop Pai Inacio, with the sun and wind greeting your face, you will bear witness to the valley that unfolds below you. It appears to go on forever, and that is about how long you will want to stay and take in the awe-inspiring view.

Just a five minute train ride from the center of Kamakura is the Daibutsu, a giant Buddhist statue. This bronze statue was created 761 years ago. My husband’s grandfather has photos of himself with the Daibutsu from 1945 when he was stationed outside Kamakura and while the statue’s surroundings alter, it remains unchanged. We paid twenty yen (about 20 US cents) to climb inside the Daibutsu and felt like we stepped back in time. Kamakura is about an hour train ride from Tokyo and the giant Buddha is one of many great sights for a day trip close to Tokyo.