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Barista Parlor introduced artisanal coffee to Nashville when it opened its lofty, art-filled space in a former auto repair garage in 2012, serving top-notch small-batch roasters from around the country such as Counter Culture, Intelligentsia, and Stumptown. Two local outposts later, the company has evolved into a roaster-retailer, importing and roasting its own coffee beans for the first time. Try the zesty, fruity Daredevil or the cocoa-inflected Golden Sound while you take in the interiors, which pay homage to Tennessean talent: Doughnuts come from nearby bakers including Five Daughters Bakery in Franklin, and an enormous pixelated mural of a ship by Nashville artist Bryce McCloud covers the back wall.

It’s one of the most recognizable facades on Passeig de Gràcia: a modernist fantasy of undulating stone, brightly colored mosaics, and stained glass—one that could only come from the mind of famed Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Designed in 1904 as a home for local industrialist Josep Batlló, the building pays homage to the legendary tale of Saint George and the Dragon. The balconies are reminiscent of skulls, and exterior columns look like bones—recalling the dragon’s human victims—while the roof’s arched shape and scale-like tiles mimic the dragon itself. The interior is just as fantastical, all sinuous lines and curving forms. To avoid the crush, try going first thing on a weekday morning, or shell out a bit extra for a Fast Pass timed ticket online (28.5 euros, or about $37—5 euros more than regular admission).

Surrounded by acres of manicured gardens, marbled colonnades, and flower-filled pools, the complex of the Taj Rambagh Palace hotel—once the home of the Maharajah of Jaipur—is one of the most serene spots in the Pink City. Even if you’re not staying here, come soak up the history—and escape the city bustle—with a lunch, afternoon tea, or a light supper at the al fresco Verandah Café, where the tables are arrayed under archways and out onto the lawn. Come during the day and you might catch a glimpse of the hotel’s signature VIP guest welcome ceremony (performed by colorfully painted elephants), or call ahead to find out if there will be a dance or musical performance on the lawn in the evening. The menus feature both Indian and international dishes, with choices ranging from sampler thali platters and ratatouille-topped potato pancakes to charred German bratwurst and Caribbean chicken salad. Afternoon tea harkens back to the royal days with traditional English scones, finger sandwiches, and a tower of freshly-baked sweets; go for the Champagne add-on for an extra-regal experience.

It’s not surprising that many Québec City chefs have been trained in classic French cooking. But a number of them are taking those skills in unexpected directions, incorporating unusual ingredients and devising their own signature preparations. One admired member of this new generation is Christian Lemelin, the innovative chef and owner of Le Restaurant SSS (Simple Snack Sympathique) and restaurant Toast! at Hôtel Le Priori. Sadly, Toast! is indefinitely closed following a fire in December 2017 (though hopes are that it will reopen soon). In the meantime, the more causal Le Restaurant SSS continues to serve its signature salmon and beef tartares, foie gras with fig spiced mustard, and mushroom risotto to Lemelin’s loyal patrons and curious visitors to Québec City. There’s a five-course tasting menu at dinner that highlights the best of Québec’s bounty, both from the Atlantic and the province’s farms, and even a young taster’s menu for kids, including croque monsieur and poutine among the options.

“From the outside, this looks like a regular Taiwanese restaurant and bar, with traditional furniture and decoration. But upstairs is a performance area that accommodates around 100 guests. There are at least three or four performances a week; my band Aphasia has played here. The shows start very late—typically 9 p.m.—and go as late as 2 a.m. You can party all night!” —KK Yeh

This appeared in the November/December 2017 issue.

Cape Town’s Table Mountain National Park, which hugs the perimeter of the city, is so popular that the line for the cable car to the top can be longer than a queue for a Disneyland ride. But why stand in line when you can put your feet to use? There are several routes that lead to the top of the 3,562-foot, flat-topped mountain, including the two-mile Platteklip Gorge trail. Yes, it’s steep, but startling views of the city and the Atlantic await. Trek, get hungry, then picnic on local provisions—crackers, Dutch-style Gouda, and biltong, the thick-sliced South African jerky—before riding the cable car back down.

Avoid the many touristy Dalmatian konobas (taverns) and head instead to Konoba Matejuška, tucked into a tight alley in the quaint Varoš neighborhood just off Riva. This rustic family-run tavern offers seafood-focused fare, including a daily catch cooked on the grill and delicious black cuttlefish risotto.

High above Vail Valley, atop Beaver Creek Mountain, is the oasis that is the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. You can’t beat the hotel’s ski-in, ski-out access, but a major makeover at the end of 2013 means the hotel offers even more perks. The new look (think rustic lodgepole pine beams and huge stone fireplaces) was inspired by the great lodges found throughout America’s national parks. The work of Colorado artists can be found throughout the hotel. In addition to a new restaurant called Buffalos, there’s the new Bachelors Lounge that caters to wine and spirits lovers and cigar connoisseurs. Stylish guests with an expense account can outfit themselves in fancy new gear sold at the outpost of the alpine shop Gorsuch. My favorite perk is returning to the hotel at day’s end and being greeted with a hot cup of cocoa.

Rumi was born in Afghanistan, spent time in Persia (Iran), then settled in Konya, Turkey when his father was invited there to be a scholar. Rumi became an Islamic scholar himself teaching peace, love, and tolerance. He built quite a following of the educated – who saw him as a wise philosopher – and uneducated – who saw him as a prophet. Rumi’s life changed when he created an intense friendship with an older, wandering mystic -- Shams of Tabriz. Shams was a brilliant outcast and Rumi was deeply drawn to a learning relationship with this man who was ultimately supposedly killed by some of Rumi’s fans due to the influence he was having on the younger Rumi. From this tragedy, Rumi found a deep well inside himself filled with an ability to channel poetry. It was about this time that he also introduced the experience of divine harmony that comes from whirling. Thus, a new form of religious ecstasy was created and the Whirling Dervishes (also known as the Mevlevi order) have been doing this annual ceremony marking Rumi’s death for almost 750 years. This is the start of the Sema (ceremony) with each Semazen (dancer) bowing upon arriving on stage and the Basi (the leader) at the “head of the class.” The mesmerizing ceremony represents man’s journey to the oneness of perfect truth – amidst separation and longing - through the power of divine love. In 2005, UNESCO proclaimed the “Mevlevi Sema Ceremony” as amongst the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

One of El Salvador’s great surf spots, El Tunco is a beach whose crescent of sand is reached by scrambling over sea-smoothed stones.

El Tunco is also the name of the town where the beach is located, and a popular places for Salvadorans and foreigners alike to come and relax, chill, and enjoy a laidback vacation by the ocean.

When the tide’s just right, you can explore beach caves, which are tall enough to walk through. Even if you don’t surf, you’ll want to leave time to spend some time swimming as well—this is one of the area’s better swimming areas.

If you’re here in the afternoon or evening, take a short walk to Monkey La La, a bar and hotel on the other side of the Rio Grande to catch the sunset, cold beer in hand.

Situated at the eastern end of Playa del Carmen’s quiet, charming Calle 38, Shangri-La Beach is named after a small hotel that used to sit right there but has since been renamed and renovated. This stretch of the city’s coastline has a more tranquil atmosphere thanks to its location several blocks away from jammed beach clubs downtown as well as from 5th Avenue’s hustle and bustle. At Shangri-La, going to the beach is less of a scene and more about guests from nearby hotels plus a few locals catching some rays on a lunch break. Best of all, you’ll find soft white sand, turquoise seas, and blissfully calm waves here.

The ambience alone is worth a splurge at the dining room of the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, the stopover of presidents, queens, celebrities, and moguls since it opened in 1927 (and, allegedly, one of Stanley Kubrick’s inspirations for the hotel in The Shining). The formal dining room—there’s a dress code at dinnertime—serves such Continental classics as French onion soup, duck leg confit, and rack of lamb Provençale under 34-foot, chandelier-studded ceilings. The Sunday brunch buffet is especially popular, as are the annual Renaissance-themed Christmas dinners in December. For a more casual option, the bar serves sandwiches, salads, and soups and, maybe best of all, offers outdoor tables so you can eat and enjoy a craft cocktail or glass of wine surrounded by glorious views. Note: This restaurant is open year-round.

Conch is as ubiquitous on Turks and Caicos restaurant menus as palm trees on the beaches, and at Da Conch Shack, you’ll find it prepared any way you can imagine. Of course, there are the classic dishes of conch fritters, conch chowder, and conch salad, but you’ll also find entrées such as curried conch and conch creole. The breezy beachfront restaurant on Provo also serves fresh catch, local lobster, and non-seafood items like steaks and burgers.

Singapore’s a pretty flat place. There used to be more hills, but some were flattened partly to help fill in the country’s expanding coastline, as Singapore has always pursued an aggressive land-reclamation push (it’s almost 25 percent bigger than it was two centuries ago, and it’s still growing!). At 347 feet above sea level, Faber Point is one of the nation’s tallest peaks; the views from this highest spot in Mount Faber Park are great. Enjoy sweeping views of the city, harbor, and surrounding islands. A pleasant and short trail travels up through lush greenery, and if you’re lucky you’ll catch a nice cooling breeze up there (which is not a given in much of Singapore). It’s especially lovely in the early evening if a nice sunset is complementing the twinkling lights of the city and ships below.

Every day at noon at the Plaza de Armas (also called Plaza Mayor), trumpets blare, drums pound, and cymbals crash as the guard changes outside the presidential palace. Enjoy the Spanish fanfare like a local: from a plaza bench with an ice cream cone. The Plaza is also the site of festivals, concerts, and the much-loved annual National Pisco Day when the fountain spouts free high-proof grape brandy for all.