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Also known as the Reunification Palace, this Vietnamese landmark was constructed on the site of an old French-colonial governor’s residence. It has a remarkably varied past; it housed Japanese officials during World War II and was later the home of the president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The imposing, broad, angular building played a seminal role in Vietnamese history: It was here on April 30, 1975, in an episode that came to be known as the Fall of Saigon, that a North Vietnamese army tank smashed through the gates, symbolically ending the Vietnam War. A tour of the palace is a step back decades in time—you’ll encounter grand, formal rooms used as banquet halls, reception rooms, and government offices. You can also navigate through basement tunnels and former bunkers.

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.

What was in the mid-20th-century just an inexpensive area to build warehouses and showrooms along the Trinity River has evolved into a vibrant live/work community that’s home to noted restaurants, trendy hangouts, upscale apartment buildings, and—true to its name—a wide array of design-focused businesses. Whether you’re in the market for a French impressionist painting or an edgy installation, the galleries along Dragon Street have got you covered, while Slocum Street is the place for antiques, decorative pieces, and midcentury furnishings, and Howell Street is a treasure trove of vintage and thrift shops. Enjoy an upscale meal at Oak, a beer at the Meddlesome Moth or Texas Ale Project, a cold treat at Pop Star Handcrafted Popsicles, or a cooking class–meets–dinner party at The Cookery. Keep an eye out for Eagles co-founder Don Henley, who built a private recording studio in the area.

Call ahead and owners Patrick and Sophie will pick you up and bring you to their relaxed island restaurant and only non-hotel bar in Rangiroa. The small plates menu is limited, but what is offered tastes delicious and is quite impressive (think charcuterie from Spain and France or more simple crepes) considering the middle of nowhere location. What the menu lacks in variety, the booze concoctions more than make up for. The cocktail menu is extensive and there are even beer choices from around the globe, another impressive feat considering the locale. There is also a good dessert selection. Te Mao is also very popular with locals, who come for socializing, free wifi, and maybe some karaoke after dark.

On Tahiti’s rocky east coast, the volcanic Lava Tubes of Hitiaa are underground channels and eroded sections of rock in caves that have been penetrated by water. Although you can visit solo, it is really best to visit with a guided 4WD tour. Check with Marama Tours, which also does a range of other island tours from encounters with dolphins to 4WD trips across the Papenoo valley that is rich in waterfalls and archeological sites.

Over on Moorea, the Restaurant Te Honu Iti offers you a chance to eat on a deck over the water while watching rays swim around. It’s a bit more affordable than comparable Papeete restaurants, and has well-prepared food. But let’s face it, the crowd’s here for the rays, amazingly soft and velvety, who are drawn by the restaurant’s underwater lights and swim right up to the edge of the deck.

Lardo, a sister restaurant to chef Elena Reygadas’s Rosetta and her bakery, is especially warm and buzzy on sunny days, when the Condesa restaurant’s full facade of French doors is thrown open and its handsome crowd spills out. The kitchen applies all the chef’s singular refinements to a winning mix of Tuscan recipes that put special focus on fine charcuterie. Menu items are (perhaps deceptively) simple: poached eggs, seasoned variously; a nice selection of pizzas; fresh, vinegary salads that don’t go overboard; grilled shellfish. The complexity arises from their delicacy on the palate, where each crisp taste is savored separately—and as a part of the whole. A nice wine list encourages sobremesa, the delightful Mexican custom of lingering over the table. Breads—either the ones that come with your meal or the ones you take home from the on-site bakery—might be the best in the city.

Verspertine isn’t so much a restaurant as an experience—a collaboration between chef-owner Jordan Kahn and architect Eric Owen Moss. The futuristic four-level structure, wrapped in undulating steel with glass walls and minimal design elements, sets a dramatic stage for the art on the plates. The restaurant serves dinner only—and by reservation only. Pull up to valet parking and they already know who you are. Wait briefly on the garden’s heated benches for the elevator up, where chef Kahn—whose bona fides include French Laundry and Per Se—is the first to greet each guest by name. Tables seat four people at most, keeping things intimate for a sensorial multi-course meal that’s unique each night. Sculptural dishes could include delicate snowy white asparagus with sword fin squid and macadamia nut, or hirame (fish) served in a glittering black bowl that appears empty at first glance. (They do accommodate dietary restrictions and can offer modifications.) Essentially, get ready for a lot of surprises. One thing that doesn’t change: the layered, effects-heavy original score created by the band This Will Destroy You specifically for Vespertine. Pro tip: Opt for the I beverage pairing option (III features nonalcoholic juices and infusions), which offers a libation for each course.

Continue hundreds of miles south of the main island of Tahiti and you’ll come to the Tropic of Capricorn and the five-island Austral Islands chain. There are plenty of ways to connect to nature here. Take a cue from the locals and join them as they beach-hop and ride bikes through the villages and along the shore (with very little traffic on the islands, biking is a breeze). Then delve into the lush interior of Rurutu island during a horseback excursion. If you time your visit between July and November, you’ll also be able to spot majestic whales in the waters around Rurutu.

The large Destreland Mall, located at the entrance to Basse-Terre as you exit Grande-Terre, is your one-stop shopping center for whatever you need. Generally open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., over 100 stores fill the space with French and local products. You can find fashion, beachwear, sports gear, arts and crafts, electronics, chocolate, pharmaceuticals, and more.

Adjacent to the eponymous hotel, this shopping center near the cruise ship terminal in Pointe-a-Pitre has several boutiques stocking colorful island-style jewelry and accessories, and beauty products. It is named after the 19th-century French poet and Nobel laureate who was born and raised in Guadeloupe. You’ll also find local shops surrounding the center selling textiles, arts and crafts, and souvenir trinkets.

After its previous Vigie location was destroyed by fire, Jacques rose from the ashes at a striking waterfront perch at the entrance of Rodney Bay Marina, a bit removed from the bustle of the other restaurants and bars. As popular as before, the upscale but unpretentious establishment serves Mediterranean and French dishes with a distinctive Caribbean influence to the likes of the prime minister and other high-ranking officials. Chef Jacques offers specialties like pan-seared scallops and red snapper. The veranda setting is particularly romantic at night.

For decades, Québec was viewed by many Canadians, and even many Québecois, as a conservative, traditional, and rural part of the country that was falling behind other provinces that were looking optimistically toward the future. Those are the years that would come to be known as the Grande Noirceur, or the Great Darkness. In 1959, Maurice Duplessis, known for his staunch Catholicism as well as fierce anti-Communist and anti-union policies, died, and he was followed by Liberal governments that led the so-called Quiet Revolution. Québec would emerge from this period as a decidedly cosmopolitan and socially liberal province. The Expo 1967 and the 1976 Olympic Games in Montréal proved to be key moments in which newly transformed Québec introduced itself to the world, and the buildings from both had huge impacts on the cityscape. The Olympic Park’s stadium, designed by French architect Roger Taillibert, is still used for sporting events as well as concerts. The inclined tower on the site has an observatory with sweeping city views. You can explore on your own, though there are also guided tours that provide an introduction to the architectural and engineering innovations of the Olympic Park’s buildings.

This surf-style restaurant elevates local food-truck fare at the new Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina. Expect ahi poke, wild-boar hot dogs, and the coolest French fry innovation out there: A heaping platter of slender spuds topped with Parmesan, cherry tomatoes, and wilted arugula for that “It’s healthy, really” feeling! Wash it all down with kombucha on draft—with flavors like pineapple ginger or liliko’i (passion fruit)—and cocktails such as the Castaway, featuring melon vodka, coconut water, and lime juice. Come prepared to lounge outside, as the Waterman wraps around the family pool and also serves its exclusive beach. Food is served 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There has been a market in Place Maubert since the 1500s. These days it gathers three times a week -- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The Maubert-Mutualité Metro stop is just under the square. It’s surrounded by very French specialty shops: patisseries, boucheries, poissonneries, etc. Cafes, bars, restaurants. A lively street life. Exactly what you imagine Paris to be.