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While many area hotels offer a subtle interpretation of Southwestern design (adobe walls, kiva fireplaces, local art), there’s nothing understated about the Inn at the Five Graces. The inn is a showcase for designers Ira and Sylvia Seret’s far-flung finds: Navajo bedspreads, Uzbek and Pakistani rugs and tapestries, iron and woodwork from Mexico, Peru, and India. It’s the epitome of East-meets-West. First opened in 1996 as Serets’ 1001 Nights, the hotel is located on one of the country’s oldest inhabited streets and is comprised of 17th- and 18th-century adobe buildings connected by a maze of courtyards. In 2002, the inn was renamed to reflect Afghan and Tibetan artifacts in its collection and the eastern idea of the five graces (sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste). In 2009, it became a Relais & Chateau property.

Just down the street from fashionable Omotesando is the Nezu Museum, with an exquisite Japanese garden. Architect Kengo Kuma’s touches include a warm welcome with a bamboo wall at the entrance and rooms with picturesque views of the garden. The museum’s renowned permanent collection comprises a vast selection of Japanese and Asian pieces, including lacquerware, calligraphy, sculptures, and paintings. The Nezu Café has three walls of windows to enjoy the garden over a light meal, coffee and cake, or matcha and traditional wagashi sweets.

When Berlin was divided, Checkpoint Charlie was the most famous of the border crossings between the eastern and western halves of the city. It was here that Allied soldiers registered before crossing over into the Soviet-controlled sectors. Thanks to its appearances in Cold War thrillers from Bond movies to John Le Carré novels, it has become a symbol of that era in the city’s, and world’s, history. A small museum nearby includes a replica of the guardhouse that once stood here.

This Upper East Side legend opened its doors in 1930 and, since then, has offered big-city accommodations to a legion of luminaries, from John F. Kennedy and Ingrid Bergman to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The hotel’s famed restaurant Café Carlyle is where much of the action—and longstanding history—exists, having consistently hosted top talent like Woody Allen, Alan Cumming, and Rita Wilson since opening in 1955.

As ubiquitous as “mandu” (dumplings) may be in Korea, when in Seoul, seek out their Mongolian lamb-filled ‘ancestors.’ One theory says that meat-filled dumplings were introduced to the Korean peninsula during the Mongol invasions of the 14th century. If that’s the case, then “buuz” (Mongolian dumplings) have made a comeback in the 21st century. In recent decades, tens of thousands of Mongolians have immigrated to South Korea, and the neighborhood just to the west of the new Zaha-Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza has become home to a Central Asian village. Seek out the Cyrillic lettering and look for “Ulaan Baatar” restaurant, on the second floor of an otherwise nondescript building in an alleyway. A plateful of “buuz” would make a hearty meal, but it’s best shared. Hand-cut noodles, al dente, stir-fried with carrots and mutton are another option. If you want a break from the seemingly non-stop chile-garlic-soy palette of Korean food, but still want a ‘local’ flavor, this is your fatty chance. My wife and I were the only non-Mongolians when we had lunch here. We followed the example of the other diners and ordered salty milk tea to go with our food. I couldn’t bring myself to dunk my dumplings in it, though, as everyone else was doing. (Beer and Fanta are also available.) By subway: at “Dongdaemun History and Culture Park” station, take exit 12, walk west and turn left at the next corner; look for the 10-story building with cyrillic lettering on your right.

Shops, a market, and a truly pan-Asian food court wrap around a busy plaza at this classic Chinatown stop on the corner of Hotel and Maunakea streets. Note: Don’t even try to enter the Maunakea Marketplace during Chinese New Year—a 15-day festival that starts on the new moon between January 21 and February 20—unless you’re agile and adept at navigating tight-packed crowds.

Located on Yeouido Island in the middle of the mighty Han River, the Conrad Seoul is a relatively new addition to the South Korean capital’s futuristic skyline. Opened in 2012, the hotel is situated in the bustling Yeouido business district (aka Korean Wall Street). The Conrad is one of four buildings that make up the International Finance Center designed by world-renowned architecture firm Arquitectonica. The firm is praised for its sleek and modern architecture, and Conrad Seoul is no exception. In fact, its asymmetrical design, avant-garde interiors—including a mesmerizing spiral staircase in the lobby—and impeccable service helped the hotel to win a prestigious World Luxury Hotel Award in 2014. Touches of the Far East such as a Korean-style sauna and Asian fusion restaurant add a sense of place to the luxury property, but the international and multilingual staff ensures that guests from every nation feel right at home. Begin your day with a swim in the 82-foot indoor lap pool, and end it with a sunset cocktail as you watch Korea’s capital light up the night sky.

One of the country’s largest Asian markets, this massive complex has anchored the International District since 1928—and contains a Japanese bookstore, a 12-station food court, and a Taiwanese hot-pot hot spot: The Boiling Point. Its shelves stock everything from curry to durians and juicy kalua pork, plus surprisingly good, affordable freezer bags to preserve your haul on the way home. Fancy a quick bite in the food court first? Hit Uwajimaya’s Asian deli last and pay at the express lane. While one-stop shopping rocks, fans of Asian curios and calligraphy supplies may want to wander to nearby Kobo (koboseattle.com) or Deng’s Studio and Art Gallery.

Rocky’s has been in business in Detroit since 1969. In its current form on Russell Street in the Eastern Market neighborhood, it’s a superstore for candy and nuts. However, it also offers spices, oils, specialty cooking items like gluten-free flours and mixes as well as ‘Made in Michigan’ products, such as McClure’s Pickles. Most items are only available in bulk. Some items are pre-packaged. Take your time exploring the aisles, Rocky’s is not small and hidden gems abound in its many aisles. It’s an ideal place to take the kids but travelers of all ages will find something to love. Products can also be ordered online and shipped to your home.

There is nowhere else in Bangkok quite like the Siam Hotel. For starters, it’s owned and run by a Thai rock star, Kamala Sukusol, and her son Krissada. The boutique property includes mid-century timber buildings built by the legendary silk baron Jim Thompson, as well as open and modern structures, with a focus on harmony and comfort, designed by one of Asia’s best-known architects, Bill Bensley. But beyond the glamorous background, it’s the design of the Siam that makes it stand out the most. There’s a 1920s jazz theme mixed in with some Asian colonial flair; the result—with lots of open spaces, natural light, antiques, potted plants, and a black-and-white palette—is simply beguiling. The views of the river here lack temples or interesting landmarks, but it’s a lazy spot to watch boats go by, which adds to the relaxing atmosphere. Service is personalized and extremely professional, as you’d expect from a property of this caliber. In all, this is the closest thing one can find to a resort in Bangkok, and it is one of the most stylish accommodation choices to boot.

Being in a busy Asian capital like Taipei can easily make your stress levels skyrocket, leaving you in need of a serene haven. With its futuristic interior (even the massage tables give off a soothing glow), AWAY Spa puts a fanciful spin on a spa experience that is literally “out of this world”. But if the spa interior is ethereal, the treatments are entirely tactile—the AWAY Spa masseurs combine rigorous Asian beauty techniques with Western approaches for a unique range of treatments. In addition to the fundamental massage and facial treatments, AWAY offers options such as slimming beauty treatments with contouring bandages, skin-whitening illuminators, and even daring snake serum facial peels for men. The day before my stay at AWAY, I’d done a grueling 4-hour waterfall hike. After a quick consultation, I was booked for the Body Refuel, a massage incorporating techniques previously reserved for elite athletes. An hour in the spa room with an experienced masseuse and a prime view of the city worked its magic on my aching muscles. I soaked off the last bit of my soreness in the spa’s tranquil CHANGE room, equipped with a sauna, stream room, and a range of hot tubs. Next time I over-indulge at the hotel brunch buffet downstairs, I’ll be heading up to AWAY for that body-slimming bandage treatment. Double and single rooms are available—visit the AWAY Spa website to book an appointment.

A landmark since the 1920s, this glamorous resort at Monaco’s easternmost border with France still evokes the glory days of Monte Carlo, when high-society scenesters were frequent guests. The rooms, airy and bright after a makeover by designer India Mahdavi, have an elevated Deco-meets-nautical vibe with porthole windows, Mediterranean stripes—in turquoise, white, brick red, and beige—tailored furnishings, and artsy line drawings on the walls that recall Matisse and Cocteau. The superb, all-organic restaurant Elsa (named after Elsa Maxwell, the American columnist and hostess who was instrumental in attracting the beau monde to the hotel) is another throwback, while the Olympic-size heated seawater pool—open to guests and Beach Club members who swan around on weekends with their children in tow—remains a draw now as it was then.

To get a feel for the real Dubai, there’s no better way than to book a tour with Frying Pan Adventures. Frying Pan was the first culinary tour outfit in Dubai, and their success is well deserved. A day with Frying Pan will get you out of the glitzy hotel scene and into Dubai’s neighborhoods, which can be hard to imagine when you’re sitting in a bar 25 stories above the city. On Arva’s Middle Eastern food tour you’ll try Syrian, Jordanian, Palestinian, Egyptian, Iranian, and Emirati cuisines. Good Emirati food is difficult to find outside of homes, so the tour is worth doing for that chance alone. You’ll get to sample delectable treats: from succulent Persian kebabs and wonderful Egyptian pastries to baklava dripping with honey and piping hot flat bread straight from the oven. Arva’s walking tours (or air-conditioned vans, in the hotter months), will take you from food trucks to tiny Egyptian kitchens, from Iranian saffron rice to Emirati date-scented desserts. Make sure to book well in advance, especially in the winter months.

How a complex of German-built factories became one of East Asia’s hottest art destinations is also the story of modern China. When construction on a number of electronics factories began in Dashanzi in 1956, the area was farmland. Joint Factory 718 was built and a decade later divided into smaller factories, including Factory 798. By the mid-’90s, the factories had shut down and Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts, lured by cheap space, had moved out to Dashanzi. Interest snowballed, and soon more artists were setting up shop in these abandoned industrial spaces. Today, 798 is a powerhouse of contemporary Chinese art, with major galleries like UCCA, Long March Space, and Pace Beijing, as well as a few restaurants, shops, and even hotels.

Nearby reefs and big boulders keep Bermuda’s beaches calm and colorful for snorkelers and swimmers. Both Tobacco Bay & Church Bay offer great snorkeling conditions along beautiful shorelines. With one in the east and the other in the west, you could combine a day of snorkeling and sunrise/sunset viewing. Tobacco Bay is located on the northeastern side of the island near St. George. This small cove of calm water protects a variety of parrot, clown, and other tropical fish. Tobacco Bay has a snack bar and equipment rentals, restrooms, showers, and changing rooms. When you tire of swimming with the fishes, dry off with a short walk to the historic site of Fort St. Catherine. Its eastern location makes Tobacco Bay a prime sunrise spot. Located along the island’s western side in Southampton, Church Bay is a local favorite for snorkeling. Tucked into a small cove within cliffs of coral, the reefs are close to shore and offer lots of small hiding spaces in which to discover tropical sea life. Just watch out for the jellyfish. Youngsters will enjoy exploring the tidal pools formed by the many rocks. Forget to pack your snorkeling gear? No problem. You can rent equipment from Church Bay Beach Rentals during the summer months. Sunset seekers should not miss this beach.