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Most of Zurich’s department stores have restaurants, but by far and away the most sprawling—and value-oriented—is this spot, atop Manor near Hauptbahnhof. The city’s unofficial canteen has a tantalizing salad bar (that’s priced not by the pound, but by the plate, which you can pile as high as you would like for about 12 Swiss francs or $13), grill (for burgers topped with herbed butter, steaks and local fish prepared as you wait), and sections for pastas, stir-fries, desserts, and fresh-squeezed juices.

Located on the first floor of the bustling central market, Nerbone’s food stall has been serving up steaming plates of warming nourishment to hungry market workers since 1872 and is a great place to find local color and rock-bottom prices. The specialty is lampredotto (cow’s intestines) served in a bun with bright green salsa verde, but if you can’t stomach that (sorry….), there is also pasta and roast meats. The locals stand at the bar counter to eat, but there are a few tables too.

Brussels has a number of African influences due to the influx of African immigrants from former Belgian colonies. A great example is the number of African restaurants in town. We ate at KoKob (pictured), an upscale, trendy Ethiopian restaurant. As is tradition in Ethiopia, we ate with our hands from a shared plate using a spongy crepe-like bread to scoop up meats and vegetables. We washed down the meal with St. Georges, a popular Ethiopian beer. Definitely a fun, unexpected experience.

While there are a number of ways to cross the Huangpu River, the most scenic is—without a doubt—by ferry. Part of Shanghai’s incredible public transportation system, a couple yuan will get you from one bank of the river to the other, with a view to boot. Ferries run every 15-20 minutes depending on the time of day and take off from various ports on either side. Check out the link below for more details.

Just an hour’s drive from the busiest town in Laikipia County, El Karama Lodge feels like a world away. Set on 14,000 acres of private land, six cottages and two riverfront cabins are simply decorated with locally sourced stone and thatch and regionally made furnishings, giving emphasis to the lush natural surroundings. If total immersion is more your speed, the staff can arrange a personal fly camp before your arrival: after a hike to a remote location, you’re greeted by a suspended tent with a clear view to the night sky, complete with comfortable bedding, a drinks table, and a small barbecue. What you won’t find here? Cell service, though you’ll hardly miss it. A drive through El Karama land is almost certain to include sightings of elephants, giraffes, and zebras, but guests can also see creatures that are unique to northern Kenya, including gerenuk and Laikipia hartebeeste. Back at camp, there’s nothing to do as darkness sets in but lie back, stargaze, and listen to the calls of the wild.

Quinta do Vallado welcomes its guest in its comfortable Wine Hotel since 2005. It belonged to the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira and remains to this day as property of her descendants. It is located on the banks of the River Corgo, a tributary of the Douro River, right next to the river mouth near the town of Peso da Régua.For nearly 200 years the Quinta do Vallado was primarily engaged in the production of Port wine, subsequently marketed by Casas Ferreira (that belonged to the Family). After Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, her great grand-son - Jorge Viterbo Ferreira and her great-great grand-son - Jorge Cabral Ferreira - were responsible for the great development and growth of the Quinta.

Located on the left bank of the Chao Phraya River, the Peninsula is one of the most consistently high-ranked hotels in the city, in particular for its attention to service. The rooms are decorated in white and comforting, honey-colored wood, with teak or carpeted floors and marble bathrooms; they all feature views over the river and city. The slim, three-tiered pool sits riverside, so guests can lounge in Thai-style gazebos—called sala—while sipping cocktails and watching Bangkok life literally sail by. In fact, a large part of the fun in staying here is the proximity to the river. Free, constantly running shuttle boats will ferry guests to three different piers along the river; the views of river life, traditional wooden Thai boats, and the high-rises along the way are unforgettable. The Peninsula is the tallest building in the vicinity, so the rooms on the upper floors offer yet another perspective—a near-bird’s-eye view of the city that is both exhilarating and potentially vertigo-inducing.

While most pizza in the Napa Valley is made with thin crusts and cooked in wood-fired ovens, Velo Pizzeria takes a different approach, featuring a yeast crust that’s doughy and chewy and using pizza ovens. The result is more like the stuff you might find in New York City. Options abound but the Nineteen Steps is by far the most creative, topped with rosemary fries, fennel sausage, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and citrus zest. (There’s also a white pizza topped with wine grapes and gorgonzola.) The menu at Velo also offers pasta, subs, and salads. Inside, the pizzeria has a warehouse vibe, with exposed brick walls and steel railings that lead to a second-floor loft. The restaurant looks out onto the Napa River, providing great opportunities for people-watching on sunny days.

The hike up the Mayfield River to the waterfall nicknamed the Washing Machine requires walking in the river itself at times, and at one point, swimming through a tunnel. Along the way, you’ll be surrounded by lush fern trees and bamboo. You’ll need water shoes, a swimsuit, and a sense of adventure to take part in this, one of the best ways to see Jamaica‘s verdant interior. The trailhed is an hour’s drive from from Negril, and you’ll find lockers and a small restaurant there. Guides are always on hand to show you the way—you won’t make it without them, they know all the right places to place your foot. (Be generous with your tips—they may be having a great time, but this is their job.) The reward at the end of your hike? Two waterfalls. Swim underneath and feel the refreshing force of nature.

L’Express, on rue St-Denis in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, opened in 1980 and has about it the air of a beloved institution. Indeed, with its timeless style, it feels even older than it is. This popular spot serves classic renditions of bistro fare—steak tartare, bone marrow, onion soup—into the early morning hours (2 a.m. except for Sundays, when it closes at 1 a.m.). When the kitchen ventures into new territory, the results are impressive. The spaghetti with mushrooms is unconventional in its presentation (topped with a healthy serving of arugula)—one of those dishes you try on the road and then want to re-create at home. Reservations recommended.

Towering palms and a true Scottsdale vibe greet guests of the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, located in northern Scottsdale. Families will love features like the Adventure Water Park, which has a lazy river perfect for floating on a sunny day, a water slide, and even a spot to do some desert-style surfing on the FlowRider. A kid-friendly light show takes place seasonally at night, and the projection onto the hotel makes the building look like it has come to life. For the grown-ups, the property is an even better place to play. By day, go for a round of golf on the award-winning links, lounge at the adults-only pool, or enjoy a massage at Agave, the Arizona Spa (the namesake plant, native to the area, is used in many of the treatments). By night, choose from four on-site dining options—not including cozy in-room bites. Be sure to make a reservation at Deseo, where Chef de Cuisine Derek Biazo serves up delicious contemporary Latin American small plates (try the hamachi ceviche with truffle ponzu sauce, and definitely don’t skip dessert or the exceptional wine list). Tipplers will also appreciate the open-nightly Scotch Library, which boasts more than 300 labels and kilt-clad Scotch Ambassadors who can guide you through a tasting. The Scotch Library is one of the hotel’s many tributes to the area’s history and culture. Scottish immigrants played a role in establishing the early economy of Arizona, and homage to that heritage is evident not only in the Scotch Library but also in the sunset bagpipe shows and the offering for golfers to play Scottish-themed golf. Other nods to local culture include the rehabilitated desert reptiles in the lobby (don’t worry, they’re enclosed) and room decor highlighting important personalities and moments from Arizona’s history like female pilot Ruth Reinhold, who taught pilots in World War II and eventually became Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater’s personal pilot.

This place is in the middle of nowhere in Southern Albania. There is no bus stop. You just have to motion to the driver to pull over at the side of the road when you see a promising looking dirt trail. You take that trail off the main road, all the time assuming that you couldn’t possibly be in the right place. And then, almost inexplicably, there is a sign for the Blue Eye and a guard, sitting in a booth along the road. He’ll collect a few coins from you, and then you keep walking. If you’re lucky, a truck driver or local tourist will pick you up along the stretch of windy, dusty road that weaves along the side of a body of water that gets ever clearer as you move along. At the end of the trek, you’ll find the clearest, bluest water you’ve ever seen, and if you’re lucky you’ll be able to eat on the little floating deck they’ve installed in the river that flows out of the Eye. The restaurant serves heaping plates of lamb ribs, grilled over charcoal and big bottles of cold Albanian beer, all for a few dollars. A short walk up a dirt path from the restaurant lies the main destination: a coldwater spring of unknown depth and unbelievable color that bubbles up into a green little grotto. It’s often too cold and fast for a swim, but it’s refreshing to put your feet into and beautiful to hang around. There is also a small hotel for people who want to spend the night or can’t manage to catch a bus onward before nightfall.

The UAE is one of the most multicultural countries in the world and its largest city Dubai the most cosmopolitan. Indians make up one of the largest population groups and have a long history in Dubai dating to its early years as a tiny trading port when most Indians arrived as merchants. My Indian friends in the UAE always swore Dubai had the most authentic Indian food outside India and after 8 years eating it there I can assure you they weren’t exaggerating. It was my go-to for take-away, the food being so good and so cheap there was no reason to cook it at home. My favorite Indian eateries weren’t in hotels but on gritty backstreets in my old Bur Dubai neighborhood -- an area few tourists explore after they’ve done the sights and shopped the souqs. Farida Ahmed, sister of Arva Ahmed, who started Frying Pan Adventures, Dubai’s first culinary walking tours, runs a mouthwatering foodie tour of the Meena Bazaar area, Dubai’s Little India. During the four-hour foodie walk, which will take you through the bustling area, bursting with Bollywood CD and DVD shops, cheap electronics stores, textile shops, and an abundance of simple family-owned eateries, you’ll try everything from fried street food snacks, such as samosas, and piping hot Indian naan breads to Dubai’s best chicken tikka and spice-infused drinks. As with Arva’s Middle Eastern food tour, during the balmy winter months Farida leads you on foot and during the sultrier period uses an air-conditioned car. A must.

This huge property comprising two towers—the River Wing and the Grand Tower—showcases Huangpu River views from its position by the riverside promenade. The Grand Tower, designed by New York–based Kohn Pedersen Fox, features 375 rooms and suites, while the more classic River Wing has 577 rooms. High-style restaurants and bars sit between the two. Rooms have crystal chandeliers and a mural of Chinese flowers above the bed. The Gallery, in the Grand Tower, exhibits paintings and sculptures from up-and-coming artists, which rotate each quarter.

The Mursi tribe of Ethiopia lives within the boundaries of Mago National Park in one of the most remote regions of the country. As is true with other Ethiopian tribes, the Mursi live difficult and often dangerous lives. But as I learned, they also know how to enjoy themselves. Dueling or stick fighting is a popular past time and for the women, beautifying themselves. Men, women, and even children love to paint their faces and wear jewelry and elaborate headdresses. For the women, signs of beauty also include scarification and the wearing of large pottery discs or ‘plates’ (debhinya) in their lower lips. I have to admit that the Mursi sense of beauty is a not pleasant to my eyes and when I found out how they work the plate into their lower lip, it was even more disconcerting. But that’s just on the outside. Through my guide, I was able to exchange a few words with the women in the photo. Despite any hardships they have, they were very friendly and welcoming towards me – we were even able to share a few laughs. In the end, the beauty of the Mursi woman is truly on the inside – they’re not so scary after all.