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The wild and rugged coastline of Sumba, Indonesia has yet to be discovered by most travelers to Indonesia due to the allure of other popular islands, namely Bali, Java and Lombok. Sumba has yet to be developed and there are only a handful of accommodations spread around this large island catering primarily to surfers seeking the fabled monster waves that break on its reefs. The beaches are long stretches of soft white sand and you will most likely have them to yourself. The villages on the island are very primitive and constructed of timber and tall thatch roofs. Sumba is serviced by air a couple times and week at tiny airstrips in either Waingapu or Waitabula. Cancelations are frequent and I ended up stuck on the island a few days longer than I had anticipated. Sumba feels like you stepped back in time a couple hundred years and it’s a real adventure.

Housed in the former residence of Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, the early 20th-century chief who created the framework for Fiji’s modern institutions and government, this charming restaurant also has the best food in Suva. While the Western-style breakfasts and lunches are top-notch, it’s the dinners, including Fijian specialties, that make this place shine. Try the kokoda (raw fish marinated in lime, then doused in coconut milk), steamed fish, stuffed crab, and grilled New Zealand lamb. The service is impeccable, there’s a decent wine list, and reservations are recommended. Be sure to explore this colonial house and its interesting collections of memorabilia before your meal.

This late-19th-century city-owned seafood market, which was by and large abandoned after Hurricane Katrina, was reborn as an upscale food hall several years ago. The dilapidated structure was spruced up and the navelike interior painted an austere, modern white. Then a dozen or so food vendors moved in, serving as a sort of incubator for those with an idea but no desire to go the food-truck route. It’s a great place to swing by for lunch or a casual dinner—you can get craft cocktails and spend some time at the oyster bar, then browse the other offerings, which include crab mac and cheese at Fritai and alligator-sausage hash at Elysian Seafood.

Formerly known as Bastakiya, the Al-Fahidi Historical Neighborhood was preserved in the mid-2000s amid the city’s rush to modernize. As you wander around this district off Dubai Creek, you’ll see teahouses, art galleries and private homes on narrow pedestrian alleys. The area was settled in the 19th century by Arab merchants from Persia. In those days, wind towers called barjeel were used as a form of air-conditioning.

Taste Fiji is all about the local bounty, drawing on the very best ingredients from the islands—breadfruit flour, unusual mountain greens, and of course abundant tropical fruits—to create delicious dishes that are addictive. The star offering on the lunch menu is caramelized Vuda pork belly with sour, spicy chili vinegar and topped with toasted sesame seeds. The modern, café-style restaurant first made its name with its fancy cakes, so leave room for dessert—they’re still the top wedding cake maker in Fiji. There’s also a gift shop where you can buy soaps, crafts, jams, and jellies, all made locally.

One of the most famous restaurants in Venice, the Michelin-starred Da Fiore occupies an understated-yet-elegant space in what was once an old Venetian tavern. The food is a modern take on traditional Venetian, with lots of fish and seafood, but the menu changes constantly based on what is fresh and locally available. Everything is wonderfully prepared with a lovely fusion of flavors and textures and comes out perfectly plated. There’s also an excellent wine list. You can order à la carte or choose a six- or seven-course tasting menu at dinner.

This is the best way to explore Portland’s budding dispensary scene. At Serra Modern Druggist’s flagship downtown location, you’ll get a one-on-one walkthrough of edibles, flower, and every other form of cannabis product imaginable. The space screams high-end retail: glass, white oak, marble, white walls, succulents and plenty of branded items. Entry is limited so that customers receive one-on-one service when they enter the store. Snag a set of “feel all the feelings” matches and prepare for a learning session with a knowledgeable docent. The overall effect is calming, as well as a fascinating window into what legalized cannabis stores will look like as they spread to other parts of the United States.

My visit to the Chichu Art Museum was somewhat of an art pilgrimage. My journey started with a flight across the Pacific Ocean, followed with several bullet trains, a ferry through the beautiful Seto inland sea for Naoshima island, and at last, a walk of a few miles by a serene landscape to find a vessel for art under a veil of green grass. While many modern museums use its architecture to make a statement, the Chichu Art Museum—Japanese for “in the earth”— opted to become one with its natural settings. Architect Tadao Ando built the museum with the intent to “rethink the relationship between nature and people.” He also gave himself the challenge of using sun as the sole light source for the artwork. The museum is primarily made of steel, glass and concrete with many galleries designed specifically for the art pieces from Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria. I’ll never forget how the water lilies in the Monet painting glowed and came to life under ambient light. While underground, guided by natural light pouring from above, I felt like I was in a futuristic cave discovering relics from the past. The art, along with the architecture fused with nature, make Chichu Art Museum the most illuminating museum I’ve ever been too.

Aiming to create a world steeped in dreamy, early-20th-century Parisian style, boutique hotel Pigalle exists in a building that has housed a hotel for more than 130 years. Located just a five-minute walk from Gothenburg’s central station, amid the offices and department stores of one of the busiest parts of town, you might expect Pigalle to be a noisy, stressful experience. Nothing could be further from the truth! As soon as you walk through the door into the small reception/café you enter a different time and place, and the modern city life outside fades away. The rooms are decorated with patterned wallpaper and have thick velvet curtains in soft colors, but have all been individually designed and no one looks quite like another. If you want to treat yourself, the luxurious Belle suite has its own champagne bar. Don’t miss the rooftop terrace garden or top-floor restaurant Ateliér, with its delicious food made from seasonal local ingredients. And if you’re missing something from your wardrobe, the hotel has an arrangement with nearby department store NK. Note that Pigalle has a minimum age of 25 years for guests, and is a cash free, cards-only hotel.

Part of a family of three restaurants, Mango Mango has a prime location in Hoi An, on the Thu Bon River close to the Japanese Covered Bridge. Its bright interior—sunny walls; high, wood-beamed ceilings; a colorful replica fishing boat that doubles as a countertop—sets the stage for the modern Asian food. While many of the dishes have witty, pun-inspired names, like Lust in Translation (tuna rolls with seaweed) or Chasing the Chick (grilled chicken breast with house-made Asian pesto), the combinations of spice and texture are spot-on. In addition to the chow, expect delicious cocktails, Pasteur Street brews, and live music.

Alain Llorca, one of the best-known chefs on the Côte d’Azur, runs a hotel, a boutique, and a series of seasonal cooking classes. While Hôtel Restaurant Alain Llorca in Colle sur Loup has stunning views and exceptional cuisine, its more modest, modern-chic cousin in Vallauris offers exceptional value for a delicious meal that is kinder to the wallet. Mixing Provençal cuisine with recipes from his native Catalonia, the chef woos guests with dishes like cold melon soup, sea bass with artichokes and mashed potatoes, and a tempting variety of pastries from the display case for dessert.

While the name translates to the rather simple “dining room”, the experience at Esszimmer is anything but. Since 2004 it has grown to become synonymous with fine cuisine in Salzburg and has been awarded three toques by Gault & Millau as well as one Michelin star. The interior design is modern yet cozy, with a fireplace, warm lighting, and a glass floor providing a glimpse into a water channel from the Middle Ages. Chef Andreas Kaiblinger’s creative plates are visually delightful and scrumptious with bold yet recognizable flavors. Several tasting menus are offered with primarily Austrian and French influences (including excellent vegetarian options), though individual items can be ordered as well.

There are a few contemporary boutique brands poised to put San Francisco on the fashion map. Freda Salvador shoes have become the “it” footwear for a subset of effortlessly cool creative women. Editors and designers can be spotted sporting the brand’s modestly heeled modern loafers, mules, boots, and sandals, which come in gorgeous colored leathers and satins. The shoes are all designed in Freda Salvador’s Sausalito studio by cofounders Megan Papay and Cristina Palomo-Nelson, and fabricated in a tiny family-run factory in Elda, Spain. Quality is paramount, as is wearability, but it’s the styles that have truly set the brand apart. The San Francisco flagship on Fillmore Street attracts a ladylike version of the obsessed sneakerhead—Freda fetishists who collect new styles like playing cards.

Famous for being Southern Germany’s hub of the Enlightenment during the late 18th century (Hegel and Hoffmann both lived here), Bamberg is also home to a superbly preserved medieval town center, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. Here, visitors find an endless array of architectural styles, from Gothic and Renaissance to Baroque and neoclassical, all spread through three distinct areas: the episcopal town, the island town, and the market gardeners’ town.

The Romanesque-Gothic cathedral of St. Peter and St. George is Bamberg’s most prominent building (it’s home to the famous Bamberg Horseman statue, the tomb of Henry II and Cunigunde, and the only papal grave in Germany), but the New Palace and the Alte Hofhaltung Palace are also must-sees, as are the town hall, the tanners’ cottages, and “Little Venice,” a former fishermen’s village with half-timbered houses and tiny gardens. If you’re a suds fan, be sure to sample Bamberg’s famous smoked beer before leaving.

Opened in 2013, The Chedi Andermatt enjoys a unique location in the charming village of Andermatt in the Ursern Valley. Designed by architect Jean-Michel Gathy, the luxurious hotel draws on both Alpine and Asian influences, spanning traditional styles and materials (oakwood paneling, local stone, murals inspired by 17th-century European artist Rubens) as well as contemporary elements like soft leather chairs. Rooms are full of light thanks to panoramic windows (which also afford views of the Swiss Alps, Andermatt Village, and Furkapass, where the James Bond film Goldfinger was set), but also cozy at night with fireplaces. In the plush bathrooms, guests will also find large tubs, heated stone floors, and rain showers. The hotel has all the perks you could dream of, from an indoor lap pool and relaxation lounge with several fireplaces to four dining outlets, The Wine and Cheese Cellar, and a walk-in cigar humidor. This is one of those places that’s almost impossible to leave.