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The natives that guide you through Canyon De Chelly are very passionate about their historical heritage: the battles that their people have survived, the ceremonies they live by, and the dwellings that they carved out of the massive cliff sides. The Navajo people had to hide in the mountains, and for extended times they weren’t even able to come down for food or water. The Human Chain is the story of how they created a chain by climbing down each other in the night to bring up baskets of water while their enemy slept. Many survived because of that daring task.

Owners Bryan Lewis and Eric Gaspard recently opened the Twisted Cork Café, a wine-focused restaurant located in the historic Frenchtown district of Charlotte Amalie. The neighborhood, which is busy with cruise passengers during the day, slows down to a more mellow island speed in the evenings. Daily specials, which often feature just-caught fish and produce from an on-site garden, are recommended.

The interior of the Catholic Church of the Assumption, in the heart of Soufrière town, will surprise with its decidedly Caribbean hues and French design: an ornate wood ceiling vaulted to resemble the ribs of a boat, baby blue pillars, and brightly colored stained-glass windows. Visitors are welcome to join in the Saturday evening mass at 6:30 or Sunday morning mass at 8:30, both with the sermon in English and Creole. A quick and respectful tour is also possible at other times to admire the architecture, including the partially blue-painted exterior. While there is no printed information on the church inside, it’s worth a stop.

It’s back to the bistro at the Bachaumont hotel restaurant with a menu of updated French classic dishes like steak tartare and quasi de veau imagined by chef Gregory Marchand of Frenchie. The dining room is equal parts glam and sophisticated thanks to a sharp design job by Dorothée Meilichzon; chairs and banquettes in patchwork patterns and fabrics, Backgammon-inspired wood tables, mosaic marble flooring, diamond-shaped light fixtures and touches of brass. The entire dining program is managed by the Experimental Group (of Experimental Cocktail Club fame), which means you can also expect their singular brand of cool at their moody cocktail bar called Night flight, where skilled barmen churn out superior craft cocktails into the wee hours.

Anyone interested in the city’s complex and vivid past—and if you’re still breathing, that should include you—would do well to make a stop at the Historic New Orleans Collection. This is a private entity with a public purpose: It was founded to both preserve French Quarter buildings and to amass and display some of the key documents and artifacts covering the city’s three centuries of history. The collection is housed in the impressive Merieult House, which dates back to 1792 and which underwent a Greek Revival makeover in the 1830s. Self-guided tours of the Williams Gallery downstairs and the Louisiana History Galleries upstairs are free; be sure to check out their exhibits on Louisiana’s culture and legacy.

Set on what was once the original campus of the University of Washington, this downtown landmark was opened in 1924, and now sits on the National Register of Historic Places. Its stately spaces have played host to generations of weddings, proms, banquets, and other opulent events, as well as a number of notable guests; John F. Kennedy stayed in the Presidential Suite during his visit to Seattle, for example.

Following a renovation in 2016, the Fairmont Olympic Hotel now features 450 rooms and suites with sophisticated décor, comfortable furnishings, and Le Labo products. Among the dining options are the elegant Georgian, a much-lauded favorite for breakfast, lunch, and the famous Afternoon Tea; The Terrace Lounge, for great drinks and live music; and Shuckers, one of the city’s oldest (and best) oyster bars. The latter pairs fresh seafood with local microbrews, including the hotel’s signature honey ale, made using honey from the building’s rooftop hives. Other amenities include a day spa and salon, and a health club with Jacuzzi, sauna, and indoor pool.

The first new building to be constructed on the Bund in 60 years, the terraced, granite Peninsula opened in October 2009. Celebrating the city’s Roaring Twenties, the standalone hotel creates a grand sense of arrival with a sweeping driveway. Art Deco design elements occur throughout the property, and traditional decor employs lacquer, marble, granite, wood, and original art. Rooms and suites come with spacious dressing rooms with a full-length valet box for discreet delivery of laundry and packages; they also feature Peninsula’s industry-leading, intuitive in-room technology, with room functions controlled at the touch of a button, and VOIP telephones that allow guests to make free local and international calls. For arrival and departure in style, book the hotel’s Rolls-Royce Phantoms or 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II. The property also has China’s first hotel private yacht, a British-built Princess 54 model.

For iconic hotels in Athens, there are multiple addresses to call into, including sister property King George next door, but the Grande Bretagne is the city’s grande dame. The King and dame share an unbeatable location on Syntagma Square, requisite views of the Acropolis, a long and storied guest list, and all the upscale comforts associated with a five-star hotel. The Grande Bretagne has a bit more old-world grandeur than boutique sophistication, with more gilded frames, heavy-luxe drapery, and antique furnishings. It also has a few added amenities: a health and beauty spa, the Winter Garden lounge for high tea with live piano music, and the pièce de résistance: a rooftop pool facing Lycabettus Hill. The rooftop restaurant is also top-notch, serving a new mediterranean menu of scallops and kimchi and grilled salmon with parsley root cream. Guests staying on the sixth and seventh floors may enjoy 24-hour butler service, and all guests can request a chef-prepared picnic to take along for a day of Athens sightseeing.

The small town of Créon is located a little over 12 miles (20km) from Bordeaux. It is one of Aquitaine’s original Bastide towns, centered around a market square, which comes alive on Wednesdays.

Although the market is mainly a food market, you can find some stalls that sell household goods, clothing, etc. as well. As with all markets in France, it’s the town’s weekly ‘social'; people catch up, either with each other, or on the towns news, while shopping for the coming week. People watching is of course great, but its also a chance to engage with the locals, and make use of the French words you may have picked up by now.

We tasted freshly baked breads, delicious cheeses, fruits, and ham, you simply wouldn’t get back in the US. Because of Bordeaux’ proximity to Spain, hispanic influences are strong. Fiestas are put on throughout the summer, and Basque influences make their way into the incredible cuisine here.

Uturoa’s local town market, which opens at sunrise daily (but only stays open for a few hours on Sundays), offers a selection of hand-crafted souvenirs and pareus on its upper level as well as a vast selection of Raiatea’s freshest seafood and produce—which make for curiously colorful photo ops—on the main level. It really bustles on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Peruse the wooden shelves stacked with coffee table books about art and architecture, take in the sandy beiges of the wicker chairs and the sky-blue pillows and tiled walls, and you may think you’ve fallen into a coastal California dreamscape. The menu at this restaurant inside the über-chic South Congress Hotel also evokes California, with grain bowls, salads topped with lean protein, and fashionable avocado toast. The kitchen, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, doesn’t appeal only to the calorie- or trend-conscious, as evidenced by a great throwback cheeseburger draped with American cheese. Executive pastry chef Amanda Rockman is also one of the main attractions here, with her stunning creations, such as an airy kouign-amann.

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.

Owen Brennan founded a fine-dining restaurant empire in 1946, when the proprietor of Arnaud’s taunted him by saying that no Irishman could succeed with anything other than a hamburger joint. Brennan got his revenge at this French-and-Creole restaurant located in a sprawling pink 1795 Spanish-era structure that’s become iconic. After some slouching in recent years, Brennan’s is back on culinary maps following a change in ownership (from one branch of Brennan descendants to another). Pro tip: It’s more famous for breakfast than dinner. Among the more noted dishes is eggs Hussarde, involving poached eggs and Canadian bacon served with both Marchand de Vin and hollandaise sauces.

Across the river from the heart of the old town, the historic Gablerbräu dates back to 1429 and offers the usual mix of Austrian favorites, including schnitzel, Tafelspitz, and goulash, plus seasonal apricot dumplings and the local Salzburger Nockerl pastry. The local draft beer, Gabler Zwickl, is a good choice, but it’s the atmosphere that really makes this place worth a visit. While the chance to dine outdoors on a cool summer evening in Salzburg is hard to pass up, the classic decor inside should not be missed. Ask for a spot in the Richard-Mayr-Stube, a cozy dining area with murals, vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows, and a charming old tile stove.

One of the top restaurants in Namibia is located in the tiny shipping industry town of Walvis Bay. Lyon des Sables is located on the upstairs level of a small oceanfront shopping complex and boardwalk. The restaurant is run by two French men, so you can expect dishes like chanterelle mushroom and parmesan risotto and apple tart. Game meats are particularly popular in Namibia, so this is also a great place to try oryx steak.