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While South Africa isn’t known for its sushi, you can easily satisfy your craving in Cape Town at Willoughby & Co. The menu at this waterfront restaurant is encyclopedic—there’s everything from Boston clam chowder and spaghetti marinara to prawn curry and teriyaki chicken ramen, but sushi is the star. Try the chili-seared tuna sashimi or the tuna roll with caviar sesame seeds.

Why we love it: A condo-style property near Pier 60 that’s perfect for traveling families

The Highlights:
- Spacious, residential-style rooms with kitchenettes
- A kids’ club for children and rooftop cantina for adults
- A prime location steps from the Gulf and Pier 60

The Review:
Steps from the ocean and famous Pier 60 stands the flamingo-pink Hyatt Regency, favored for its friendly, attentive service. A residential-style property, the hotel boasts 287 generously sized rooms and suites, complete with some combination of walk-out balcony, kitchenette, dining table, living area, and workspace. Also on site is a 24-hour gym, a serene spa with sun-warmed shell massages, and a heated pool on the eighth floor overlooking the beach.

Though rooms here cater to those who like to prepare their own meals, the hotel still shines with dining options. Guests can start the day with freshly brewed coffee and pastries from the grab-and-go Market and end it with a handcrafted cocktail at Off SHOR or the Latin-inspired Tropicana Rooftop Cantina (order your drink in a souvenir glass and it will come in a coconut carved into a monkey’s head). For dinner, there’s SHOR American Seafood Grill, which boasts a spacious patio and regional seafood dishes like whole local snapper and line-caught Florida swordfish.

Vendors first set up shop at the Italian Market in the mid-to-late 1880s, and today, the spread of stalls, stores, and eateries runs all along South 9th Street in Philadelphia’s residential Bella Vista neighborhood. A trip here involves all the senses: sights, sounds, vibrant colors, and, most intoxicating of all, the combined aromas of spices, coffee, and just-baked bread. Along this stretch, shoppers can find fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, fish, seafood, meats, cheeses, pastries, homemade pasta, ice cream, chocolates, and tea. The 10-block market area also includes a great variety of restaurants. Overwhelmed by the choices? Stop at the Visitor Center for suggestions. The market operates all year round, and in all types of weather.

The Lobster Palace scores high on service, seaside ambience, and Caribbean charm. At this northwestern, coastal hotspot, the signature crustaceans are boat-to-bib fresh and served flambéed or pan-fried in massive portions. Note that, when the waves kick up and ground the fishing fleet, the restaurant can sometimes run out of lobster. Never fear, however, as the chef turns out other great dishes like tenderloin, moules frites, and shrimp in coconut sauce that are just as satisfying.

You’ll want to spend hours in this cheerful second-floor boutique, trying on everything in sight with the help of the knowledgeable staff. The unique collection of goodies includes Montreal fashion brands like Pajar alongside international favorites including Citizens of Humanity, James Perse, J Brand and Free People. The seasonal lookbook is casual, sophisticated, adaptable and fresh, with a focus on natural, flowing textiles and muted colours, with a few punches of high-octane hues. The accessories collection alone is worth the trip, especially the handbags.

Want to get that small-town-ice-cream-shop feeling in a big city? Head to Lick for fresh and unique seasonal ice cream. With each lick of your cone, a new complexity of flavor is revealed. Ice cream here is made with only wholesome ingredients, most locally sourced, and is free of high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or flavors, and preservatives. A double scoop—Caramel Salt Lick atop Pecans & Cream—is highly recommended.

North of Santa Teresa, in Playa Hermosa, you’ll find sushi master Koji Hyodo carving yellowfin tuna, red snapper, and sea bass at his tinkling, tin-roofed restaurant, Koji’s. His signature Koji Roll wraps spicy tuna around fresh shrimp paste and avocado. Then the entire roll is drizzled with a secret sauce and dipped in crunchy tempura bits. The grilled octopus is lightly fired, then sprinkled with sea salt; his lobster sashimi, sliced so thin you can almost see through it, starts with a crunch and finishes sweet.

El Pelicano is a local spot recommended by some folks that live in the area. It’s a lovely beachfront spot that drops ‘fresh from the water’ seafood on your plate, along with ice cold beer (or wine) to accompany it. The dining area is big, open and airy, and big enough to seat the masses. The crashing of the waves is also soothing as you down ‘just one more bite’ of that locally crafted meal that came from the water you can hear.

Very few people have the willpower to resist a candy shop. Anyone with curiosity about the candy making process will be drawn to Big Island Candies with the big picture windows into their production room. Their small batches ensure fresh shortbread cookies and chocolate truffles are distributed to their resellers and customers. The shortbread comes in several Hawaiian flavors like macadamia nut, pineapple, and kona mocha. There are so many chocolates to choose from, but my pick is the Hawaiian macadamia nut caramel cluster, with a side of milk chocolate macadamia nut toffee, and a last course of dark chocolate covered whole Kona coffee beans. If your candies make it home, they will be the perfect gift for friends and family.

A hot lobster roll from Neptune Oyster is summertime heaven on a butter-soaked brioche, and bivalve lovers queue up daily to sample the two dozen varieties of oysters chilling in the front window of this diminutive North End restaurant. Fresh-off-the-boat fish and creative takes on New England seafood are the draws here—the clam chowder is made to order, the fish-and-chips uses Acadian redfish (not cod), and it’s probably the only place in town where you can get lobster tacos. Yeah, it’s pricey—hot or cold, the lobster roll will set you back around $30—but share the Neptune Plateau raw-bar plate with your friends and you’ll truly feel like the king of the sea.

Live out your Swiss Family Robinson dreams at this small resort, where rope bridges and jungle paths connect 22 treehouses to a main lodge and restaurant serving fresh, organic produce harvested nearby. The treehouses are all set above the tree line; three VIP units feature king-size beds, outdoor showers, and the best views. There’s no Internet, cell service, or TV here, but there is a zip line that starts in the mountains and ends at a waterfall, and a rope swing near the resort’s back entrance. If you desperately need to check your email, there’s Wi-Fi just outside the property at Emma’s Café, where the staff will also teach you to dance merengue, bachata, or salsa.

On the Asian side, south of the First Bosphorus Bridge, Kuzguncuk is a charming detour from the well-worn tourist trail and easily combined with a visit to nearby Beylerbeyi Palace. The neighborhood’s multicultural past is very much present, with synagogues, Armenian and Greek churches, and mosques located side by side. You can also expect to find cafes, art galleries, and fresh produce shops. Venture off the leafy main street (Icediye Caddesi) to admire the pretty facades of narrow townhouses and decorative wooden Ottoman abodes, many dating back to the 19th century. To find Kuzguncuk, take the ferry or Marmaray Rail to Üsküdar and follow the Bosphorus shoreline about a mile north (by foot or blue minibus) to Icediye Caddesi.

Stop by Loló’s new and improved location on Valencia street for a colorful atmosphere, delicious mezcal cocktails, and a creative Jaliscan-Californian cuisine. Owned by a husband and wife restaurateur duo from Jalisco, the western Pacific district of Mexico, Loló is open for dinner and brunch, highlighting traditional Mexican flavors with fresh Californian ingredients. Order several of the smaller plates—try the panko avocado tacos or the huitlacoche and requeson, stuffed wonton ravioli—and share. Reservations available. Loló is open Mondays through Thursdays from 6 pm to midnight and Fridays through Sundays from 11:30 am to 5 pm and 6 pm to 1 am. Sunday brunch is available from 11 am to 4 pm.

In response to the popularity of a large chain of coffee shops in Mexico selling “Italian” coffee, this family of coffee producers set up a little shop near Santo Domingo church and called it The Oaxacan Coffee Company. Here they proudly serve organic coffee that is exclusively from the area of San Miguel Talea de Castro, Oaxaca. It’s a small cafe with wooden benches and stools, and they serve the coffee in handmade pottery cups. The owner is friendly, the coffee is strong, and they also serve fresh pastries. You can get some coffee beans to go, as well as Oaxacan chocolate. If you like chocolate-covered coffee beans, stock up here!

You might detect the aroma of fresh coffee on your stroll along the Macedonio Alcalá tourist corridor, and if you’re hankering for a caffeine hit, just follow your nose. Cafe Brújula has three locations, but the more central of the three is on Oaxaca‘s main pedestrian street. Order your coffee and snacks at the counter, then make your way to the back of the building and find a spot in the typical Oaxacan arched patio. Besides great coffee (roasted in small batches at their location on Garcia Vigil), they also offer tasty salads and sandwiches. There’s free Wi-fi, so if you need to get some work done, this is a good spot for it.