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This small Bavarian village is best known for its horrible history during the Holocaust, with the concentration camp on the outskirts of the village. But Dachau has another side—a quaint, quiet place that appears to come from a story book.

The government said the cliffs of Calcata, a medieval hill town 30 miles north of Rome, where crumbling and the residents would have to abandon the village for a new one a half mile away. They were right. Sort of. There was a government policy, created during the Fascist era, that stated any village that was so decrepit it was dangerous, the government would destroy it and build a new town nearby. The residents of this cramped hill town, tired of the poor living conditions, took advantage of this law. By the 1960s, the new town, Calcata Nuova, was ready and the old residents slowly moved. At the same time, hippies and artists discovered this slowly abandoned village and bought up the houses, knowing the village was to be condemned. They eventually had the law reversed, saving the village, and went on to fix up Calcata. Today home prices have soared and it’s become one of the most beautiful (and bizarre) places in Italy.

If you love textiles as much as I do, you’ll love Guatemala. Everywhere I looked, there were beautiful embroidered as well as woven fabrics. I came home with more than my fair share! If you go to Guatemala and you find yourself in Antigua, consider taking a short trip to the nearby village of Santiago Zamora. There, you will find an enterprising group of village women who have formed a cooperative to sell the traditional Guatemalan handicrafts that they make themselves and these include textiles woven on simple backstrap looms. The village girls contribute as well, making small stuffed animals from the fabrics woven by the older women. The money from the sales of the handicrafts goes directly back into the village, primarily for the welfare and education of the children but also for the overall benefit of the village. You do have to pay a bit more by buying from the women in Santiago Zamora but it does go to a good cause and you will return home not only with a beautiful textile but with some priceless memories as well.

If the hustle and bustle of Pune gets too much, escape to a themed Rajasthani village for a few hours. Chokhi Dhani is a mock-up Rajasthani village that comes alive in the evening and transports its visitors to a simpler, more carefree place. The village is set up like a village fair, with a crafts market, local artisans hawking their talents, and even camel rides. Authentic replicas of traditional Rajasthani dwellings double as venues for art and music. Your kids will love the traditional puppet shows and the magic. You can also try your hand at Indian fair games, have a henna tattoo, or consult with astrologers and fortune-telling parrots. The entry ticket includes the option for a vegetarian Rajasthani meal.

Heritage Park’s antique steam train thunders through the Living Historical Village, giving the park a sense of place in time that deepens the experience for visitors young and old. History comes alive on two wheels at Heritage Park, though numerous other attractions shed light on Canadian history from as far back as 1860. Many of the park’s exhibits are interactive, while the guides and costumed interpreters are knowledgeable and approachable. Still, it’s OK to admit that you came out West to put on your conductor’s hat.

What a safe and easy way to escape the city! From Dublin’s Connelly Street, you can be there in 20 minutes using the DART. It’s quick, easy and safe. I decided to venture out to this fishing village and I was not disappointed! Great down time, stunning views (great change from looking at all the city buildings) friendly folks and out of this world dining!!! Seafood is definitely the order of the day but I can’t guarantee that it was caught from off the nearby pier!

Dreaming of chasing fresh, untrammeled powder? Then Tsaina Lodge, widely regarded as the birthplace of the Alaskan freeskiing scene, is for you. Its location on Thompson Pass, a gap in the Chugach Mountains known for its record-setting snowfalls (averaging over 700 inches a year), and dramatic slopes combine for epic heli-ski exploits on runs that average a steep 3,500 feet. Come summer, the repertoire of helicopter-assisted adventure excursions widens: Fly out to fish, hike, or glacier trek the seemingly limitless surroundings. Après-activity luxuries await back at the lodge, which is situated on the grounds of what had once been an avalanche-safe roadhouse, built in 1949. The dilapidated building was bulldozed and rebuilt in 2012, and the result is a boutique hotel that stands out for its modern, contemporary design. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto either glacier or forest from each of the 24 rooms, and there’s a gym, yoga space, and spa—along with a fine-dining restaurant with a focus on local seafood, meat, and game, and the reopened Tsaina Bar, legendary among early freeskiiers.

Washington Square Park is only a fraction of the size of Central Park, but it is as almost as much of an icon of New York as its much larger counterpart uptown. It’s likely because it sits in the heart of Greenwich Village, and has thus served as a backdrop for many events in the city’s history. In the late 19th century, it was one of New York’s most fashionable addresses (that period was captured by Henry James in his 1880 novella Washington Square, later the basis for The Heiress, a play that was also adapted into a movie). The arch along its northern side dates to 1892 and was designed by Stanford White to replace an earlier one, in wood and plaster, erected in 1889 to mark the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration. When Greenwich Village became the haunt of artists and writers, the park was a green space for the city’s counterculture; folk singers and street performers are still a common sight, and the park is also frequently used for political protests and rallies. On sunny days, especially during the academic year, the park is filled with NYU students, neighborhood residents, and tourists taking in the scene.

Just outside Gelgel and Klungkung, which were the seats of the Majapahit Kingdom from the 15th until the second half of the 17th century, is the village of Kamasan. This village was and is still of great cultural importance to the Balinese as it has been the core of Balinese traditional arts for the past 600 years. It is most famous for its painters, who have been painting in the ‘Kamasan style’ for many generations. This style is derived from the Javanese style that came to Bali with the Majapahit Kingdom and is now the basis for all traditional Balinese styles. You can tour the village and chat to the painters in their workshops and also buy directly from them. There are also textile workshops and silversmiths in the village you can visit. Kamasan is about 40 minutes from Ubud or 1 1/2 hours from Kuta or Seminyak.

I love the wines of Mendoza, Argentina, but I wanted to marry the wines of Catena Zapata when I had the chance to drink them whilst overlooking the green vineyards backdropped by the soaring, snowcapped Andes peaks. The wines of Catena are mostly big reds made from malbec or cabernet, and they make some chardonnay and sauvignon blanc as well. The winery is fashioned after a stepped Maya pyramid and is furnished with state of the art equipment. Wine tours last about an hour and a half and finish at the tasting room, where you can purchase bottles of wine. Catena Zapata and the rest of the Mendoza region wineries are only open by appointment, so be sure to have a day’s worth of wine tours booked in advance for your itinerary. Be sure not to skip over the city of Mendoza, as there are many wine tasting rooms featuring wines from the region and selling limited releases and other rarities not readily available at the wineries.

Crupet is a member of the organization Les Plus Beaux Villages de Wallonie (The Most Beautiful Villages in Wallonia). It is a very small village with gorgeous stone houses decorated with many different types of flowers. Most of the houses date from the 17th, 18th and 19th century. The highlights of the village are the Crupet Chateau—a medieval farm-chateau situated below the village center, dating from the 13th century, and the Grotto of St Anthony of Padua. The grotto was designed by the local curate and inaugurated on the 12th July 1903. It features 22 religious-themed statues. Many of them depict scenes from the life of St. Anthony of Padua. The Ardennes region is an undiscovered Belgian treasure. There are many more charming little villages like this one. They look like time did not pass over them. When you enter a bakery people treat you like one of their own. Go and discover this wonderful part of Belgium. For full size photos see www.facebook.com/adisphotopage and www.lifeinasuitcase.com

From the dingy exterior, you might expect Little Village Noodle House to be a hole-in-the-wall, but it’s surprisingly cute and nicely decorated inside, with fountains, decorative woodwork, and nice tables and chairs. The chef’s special fried rice is justifiably a signature dish: piled high with pork, shrimp, duck, egg, and other goodies. The orange chicken was intensely citrusy with lots of orange flavor — but not that gross, sickly-sweet syrupy coating that usually makes the dish a soggy mess. Lunch items are around $10-12, and portions are decent, though not huge. Considering the unexpectedly fancy decor and fast, friendly service, this is a great choice for a meal in Honolulu‘s Chinatown.

Bringing riders on a journey through the heart of the Grand Canyon since 1901, Grand Canyon Railway takes you from a starting point in Williams, Arizona, to the South Rim and back for a full-day excursion, complete with on-train entertainment from strolling musicians. Multiday packages include a Wild West kickoff show, narrated motor coach tours along the South Rim, and free time to explore the canyon on your own. Overnights take place at the Maswik Lodge North and the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, along historic Route 66.

We weren’t quite lucky to see the snowcapped covered mountains in the lovely lakeside village of Pokhara since we visited during monsoon season. But it was a perfect way to start our introduction to the area and cross over to the trail leading up to the Peace Pagoda. Pay a few ruppees, pack a picnic lunch and guide yourself around the serene Lake Phewa.

Villaggio Mall makes a fantastic destination for families with children because in addition to the hundreds of stores, the mall has its own theme park. Gondolania Indoor Theme Park, the largest family entertainment center in Doha, offers attractions such as the classic Ferris wheel, 12-lane Bowling alley, bumper cars, a roller coaster, kiddie rides, a state-of-the-art Go Kart Racing, billiard tables, 4D Theater, free-fall drop tower, a horror-themed monorail, a large soft-play area, and an impressive array of simulation games. Just outside Gondolania, the mall offers an Olympic-size ice skating rink (skates and helmets available for rent) and a Venetian-inspired Gondola Boat Ride that takes the whole family around the mall—gondolier clad in red and white striped shirt, included.