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Housed in an old chalet in the hamlet of Finland, Restaurant Findlerhof has one of the best outdoor patios around. It’s spacious and sunny—and overlooks the Matterhorn. The restaurant itself is rustic yet comfortable, offering a mix of local specialties and finer food. Diners can look forward to such traditional dishes as veal cutlet and veal liver roast with hash browns.

Imagine an entire jungle, summarized in a park. That’s the essence of the city’s incredible botanical garden, a 345-acre marvel (136 acres have been gardened and manicured to a fault) where visitors brush up against 10,000 plants of 1,500 separate species. Since 1908, it has served Rio as a sort of tropical guardian where the city’s greatest treasure—its nature—is gathered, studied, and even reproduced. It’s a must-do, rain or shine, and at certain seasons, sections like the orchidarium or the Queen Victoria water-lily pond really come into their own. Near the entrance, a stately alley of imperial palms has become the garden’s emblematic signature.

Why we love it: Tanzania’s first Design Hotel delivers eco-chic 20 miles off the coast

Highlights:
- A very haute take on African village architecture with 56 thatched bungalows, suites and villas
- The sight of dhows (traditional wooden sailboats) silhouetted at sunset
- Lush tropical landscaping with a spice garden flourishing over a quarter of the 32-acre grounds

The review: Set on the equator, Zanzibar glows with color from the pearl-hued beach to lush vegetation and the turquoise Indian Ocean. “Zuri” means “beautiful in Kiswahili, the island’s language, and the hotel delivers on this promise at every turn. Of especial note: the carved doorframes, contemporary African art and locally made furniture, often crafted from old dhows. Enjoy nice upcycled touches too like the rainbow of hanging lamps in the open-air Peponi bar, made from old bottles.

Tucked on a west-facing slope, most of the accommodations face the sapphire Indian Ocean, and all have large terraces with bold-colored hammocks and wicker furniture. They also boast outdoor showers, where concrete floors contrast with curtains of paper beads, handmade by artisans at the female-led social enterprise Chaka. Inside, the warm tones of Tanzanian teak and eucalyptus compliment the nyasi (grass) thatch from the mainland. Make sure to veil your bed with the mosquito net, which contains an energy-efficient cooling system!

Bungalows can sleep up to two adults and some have hot tubs. Suites step things up with larger terraces, living rooms and private outdoor Jacuzzis. Or really splash out with an exclusive oceanfront villa that can host up to six adults, complete with an infinity pool and private swathe of sand.

Guests can dine on the shore, at the pool or in one of the beachfront restaurants. Expect a fusion of African, Indian and Arabian cuisine, though European and Middle Eastern elements come into play as well. Zuri Zanzibar is especially strong on shisha (hookah) offerings and sugar-cane cocktails, along with dishes like beef samosas, coconut-milk ceviche, octopus-tentacle salad and pilau rice with kachumbari (a tomato-onion salad popular in the African Great Lakes region).

One of the most beloved Vietnamese eateries in Saigon, SH Garden has lovely views of a pretty part of the city, but it has earned its following with dishes that celebrate the flavors of all the country’s regions, from north to south. Situated on the rooftop of an old colonial edifice at the intersection of Nguyen Hue and Le Loi streets, around the corner from the Opera House, it surveys a pretty part of the city with plenty of other colonial buildings nearby. Named for its owners Son and Ha, the restaurant doesn’t compete with the higher-price-point options in the city and instead serves good old mom-style cooking.

Feast on fresh-caught fish and seafood and wash it down with Italian wine during a leisurely summer lunch at Alla Maddalena on Mazzorbo Island. A 45-minute ferry ride from Venice and far removed from the crowds, this charming, less touristy and altogether tiny island in the Venice lagoon is wonderful place to escape for an afternoon. And Alla Maddalena serves amazing fried fish as well as top-notch mussels and clams, all of which can be eaten al fresco either in the back garden or by the canal. The trattoria is also known for handmade pastas and seasonal ingredients from fruits to locally hunted game like wild duck. (Mazzorbo is a short walk across footbridge from Burano Island, so if you’re planning a trip to Burano, you can add a stop here for dinner.)

In 1923, the artist Jacques Majorelle acquired a four-acre plot of land just outside the center of Marrakech. Inspired by numerous travels around the country to paint scenes of village life, and funded by painting more illustrious portraits such as that of Pasha Thami el Glaoui, Majorelle was able to build a small studio and house, with enough land to indulge his other passion: ethnobotany. As his career grew, he added a splendid villa, and the garden took on a life of its own, featuring innumerable exotic species from around the world; he added pools and fountains, and, of course, the now iconic, eye-popping Majorelle blue that was lavished on the architecture. The property became so expensive to maintain that the artist was forced to open it to the public until his death in Paris in 1962. The garden gradually fell into a state of disrepair and was slated for development by a hotel chain until French designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé happened upon it during one of their many trips to the Red City. In 1980, they decided to buy it and restore it to its former glory, adding irrigation and doubling the number of plants and gardeners to look after it. They moved into the villa and set about transforming other buildings into what is now the legendary Berber Museum and a boutique. The latter is especially noteworthy for creative director Stephen di Renza’s commitment to reflecting Majorelle’s lesser-known passion for the decorative arts (which is manifest in the exquisite artisanal pieces, leather goods, and jewelry) and Saint Laurent’s inspired use of traditional Moroccan dress, such as the kaftan and djellaba, in haute couture fashion.

The beautiful Koster Islands are Sweden’s most westerly populated islands with only around 300 year-round inhabitants and almost no car traffic. Sustainability and ecology are key values here and visitors flock to the islands’ sunny climate and natural attractions. The surrounding archipelago, with its seal colonies, skerries, and rocky isles, is a unique environmental treasure. The islands’ focus on sustainability and local traditions is especially evident at Koster Gardens on South Koster, operated by a collective of environmentalists dedicated to inspiring its visitors toward a more sustainable lifestyle. The prize-winning restaurant was built with materials such as straw and earth and is open year-round, serving lunch and fika (coffee break) from the best ingredients available from the garden and sea. Guided tours are arranged on foot, by bike, or kayak.

Prague’s centuries-old connection to music survived occupation by both the Germans and the Communists, so it’s fitting that those deep roots strike a chord at Aria Hotel Prague, where all of the rooms are named after famous composers or singers, from homegrown sons like Dvořák and Smetana to contemporary icons like the Beatles, Ella Fitzgerald, and Elvis Presley. The hotel even has a music director who can point you to the city’s best performances, as well as assist with suggestions in the music library; guests borrow CDs or concert DVDs to watch in their rooms, which are all outfitted with hi-fi sound systems that include Marantz speakers, plus flat-screen TVs, Blue-Ray players, iPads, and Apple TVs. All 51 accommodations were given a head-to-toe makeover in early 2018, resulting in sumptuous rooms decorated in shades of soft peach, dusty rose, and sandy taupe, and combining a pleasing mix of antiques and modern furniture. During summer, the superb CODA restaurant commands stunning rooftop views, while the Winter Garden Atrium is cozy perfection in colder months with its piano recitals accompanying afternoon tea or wine.

Immortalized on celluloid in the film Lost in Translation, the modernist Park Hyatt may have the sexiest cocktail bar in all of Tokyo. The rest of the property—set on the upper floors of the three connecting columns of the 770-foot Shinjuku Park Tower—is just as attractive, with a bamboo garden, swimming pool, and restaurant seated high in the sky. The interiors are the work of Pritzker Prize–winning architect Kenzo Tange and designer John Morford, ornamented with wood, woven abaca, and granite to add warmth to the hotel’s sleek glass surfaces. Starting at just under 600 square feet, guest rooms are practically palatial and include glass knobs that let you control everything from the lights to the curtains right from your bed, as well as walls paneled with rare water elm from Hokkaido, some sourced from trees that were submerged in lakes for up to 2,000 years.

Designed by Thai architect Khun Lek Bunnag—who has garnered a reputation for building luxury resorts that highlight the natural beauty of southeast Asia (Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai; Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve)—the centerpiece of this peaceful boutique property is a 330-foot swimming pool that’s anchored by four massive gold-leaf columns and meanders through a forest-backed eight-acre garden. Vast domed and wood-covered rooms are controlled with iPads and express a fusion of modern Thai and Indian aesthetics—think sleek marble surfaces, whimsical panelled walls, and silk throw pillows. Guests are mostly couples and child-free travelers unfazed by the freestanding bathtubs that sit next to king-size beds and showers separated from sleeping areas by glass sliding doors. The many unfenced walkways over the swimming pool and other water features make the hotel unsuitable for very young children, though older kids might appreciate outdoor movie screenings.

Everyone who visits Santa Fe walks along the famed Canyon Road. Originating as an old footpath that once accessed water, it now primarily showcases an expansive range of shops and galleries with Native American art and landscape paintings. A stroll is not complete without a stop at one of the award-winning restaurants, a la Geronimo and the Compound.

For evidence of the “everything is bigger in Texas” trope, look no further than this urban resort, which—with 1,606 Asian-accented guest rooms and suites spread out over 45 acres—is one of the largest in the south. Its location in the Design District, not far from the Dallas Convention Center and the office towers of downtown, makes it popular with the business-meeting crowd (as does the 600,000 square feet of on-site event space), but there’s plenty to tempt leisure travelers, too. Paired with an outdoor sculpture garden, more than 1,000 international works displayed throughout the property make up one of the biggest hotel art collections in the world. Guests can dine on everything from steak and seafood to pizzas, salads, and grab-and-go snacks at the eight restaurants and bars, or make a night of it with specialty cocktails and fine wines. They can also relax with treatments at the VSpa, or work off indulgences at the whopping 80,000-square-foot Verandah Club & Fitness, equipped with indoor and outdoor pools; basketball, squash, and racquetball courts; a cross-training and boxing gym; and more. In the summer, the sprawling Jadewaters pool complex—with lazy river, swim-up bar, 180-foot water slide, and kids’ activities—is as close as you can get to a water park in the heart of the city.

The U.S. Capitol Building is the epicenter of all D.C. political action—this is where the country’s most important battles are fought. Home to the House of Representatives and the Senate’s meeting chambers for more than two centuries, it’s also an art gallery in its own right, with priceless paintings and murals adorning the walls and ceilings. Take the free guided tour and marvel at the parade of political heroes and villains who have roamed its halls during pivotal moments in U.S. history. The Capitol is located within easy walking distance of the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Botanic Garden.

Located in the small river town of Hannibal, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum is actually a cluster of eight buildings that pay homage to one of America’s most celebrated authors. Visitors can tour Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home & Garden—a designated National Historic Landmark—to see where Samuel Langhorne Clemens grew up and the real adventures of Tom Sawyer took place, then pop into the Interpretive Center to view a timeline of his life and several interactive exhibits. Also worth checking out are the Huckleberry Finn House (where Tom Blankenship grew up), the Becky Thatcher House (featuring a museum dedicated to Laura Hawkins and childhood in the mid-1800s), the J.M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Office (where Twain’s father held court), and the Museum Gallery (home to 15 Norman Rockwell paintings and treasured Clemens family artifacts). Before heading out, be sure to pose for a family photo in front of the Tom & Huck Statue, which sits at the foot of Cardiff Hill.

This, the bar lauded for the city’s best sliders, has just added another star to its menu: Neapolitan pizza. Regulars are mighty keen on “carbo pepe,” by Chef Miwi (at the helm in this kitchen as well as at acclaimed hipster-heaven Belmondo, both in Roma). Félix remodeled a porch into a garden where they’ve got salads, pastas, and the aforementioned pies. These and other dishes took the chef to Italy, for expert education, leading to experimentation and that perfect dough. Super-chill and friendly, yet the service could hardly be improved.