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Each spring, the Belgian Royal family opens their private greenhouse complex to the public, for a short two weeks. It is well worth braving the crowds to visit. This incredible 2.5 hectare structure was built in the late 1800s and its architecture is stunning all on its own. Add in the giant palm trees, rare plants and millions of blooms, and you have a magical, colourful space. Visitors also get a rare look at the palace grounds, including views of the Japanese Tower, not normally available to the public.

Tucked away inside Taman Negara National Park, in the far reaches of Malaysia, you will find the world’s longest canopy walk. Originally built for researchers, the suspended paths are now open to the public. The walk stretches for 500 meters and consists of 10 different bridge sections. While suspended 100 feet above the jungle floor, guides ensure that only about 4 or 5 people are on a section at a time, and that everyone is spaced about 5 meters apart. They instruct you to hold on with both hands at all times, and only take photos at designated points. I listened to none of this, but still made it out alive.

Hampstead Heath is a legend: 800 acres of wide-open space dotted with ponds, woods, walking tracks, and the odd stately home. North Londoners take pride in this place, where you will find dog walkers, picnickers, Saturday soccer players, and hardy outdoor swimmers at all times of the year. It brings a touch of true wilderness to the city, and it’s also home to a lido, a stately home with an unrivalled art collection (at Kenwood House), and the famous bathing ponds established by the Victorians (and thus separate for gentlemen and ladies). Parliament Hill also offers one of the best views in London.

Along with stylish boutiques and design shops, the narrow lanes of the upscale Khan Market are lined with all manner of eateries, from cafés and cocktail bars to food stalls and fusions restaurants. As of late 2018, the roster also includes Sly Granny, which arrived on a wave of buzz generated from its original Bengaluru location. Through this often-packed bi-level outpost is smaller than the sprawling first location, the concept here is the same: a space “inherited” from a mythical globetrotting grandmother and inspired by her favorite recipes and eclectic style. Here, that translates to a décor of plush velvet sofas, old cookbooks, and crystal bric-a-brac, statement tableware, and bold, quirky artwork in the snug dining room, plus a cozy upstairs bar that converts to a cocktail lounge come dark. Drinks there range from the creative (crafted with ingredients like elderflower, yogurt, or honey-ginger syrup) to the classic (twists on G&Ts and Pimm’s cups), not unlike the style of the food menu below, which starts with pastas, steaks, and burgers, then veers towards tacos, schnitzel, chicken liver pâté, and Kerala-style fish moilee. You won’t need a granny’s encouragement to eat up dishes like bacon-gruyere mac-and-cheese balls, house-cured salmon, chocolate lava cake, and a twist on grilled cheese with ricotta, onion jam, tomato chutney, and two kinds of chilies.

For authentic souvenirs from all over the world, head to the West Side Bazaar. The incubator on the Grant Street Corridor supports refugees, immigrants, and low-income entrepreneurs on their path to becoming successful business owners, providing them space to pursue their dreams. Start in the stalls, where you’ll find everything from Rwandan peace baskets and Burmese puppets to Sudanese jewelry and macramé art by an Iraqi woman named Nadeen Yousef. Afterward, refuel with your choice of Mexican cuisine, Asian snacks, Ethiopian fare, halal food, and more.

Scores of sci-fi geeks, space gazers, and physicists worship this iconic particle physics lab. Founded in 1954, CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire) is located just five miles (8 km) west of Geneva and is open to the public. The lab’s main attraction is the Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator that shoots protons around an almost 17-mile (27 km) circular tube, which in turn creates new matter. Other permanent exhibitsl emphasize CERN’s current projects. Two-hour guided tours in English require advance reservations up to 15 days ahead and require a photo ID.

Gal Ben Moshe’s brand new venture picks up where his former restaurant, the celebrated Glass, left off. The concept is still European-meets-Levantine fine dining, but the game has been raised yet further with a more seductive—dark-toned walls, leather chairs, and low-key lighting—which allows space for the food to shine. As before, guests can choose from six, seven, or eight courses, including a wine-matching option for each; expect a series of immaculately presented taste explosions that include foie gras frozen in nitrous oxide, dukkah pulpo foul with chickpeas, and lamb served with eggplant and sour cherries. We recommend you save room for dessert.

Prana began as a low-profile boîte, short on tables but long on creativity. Word spread quickly and soon, long lines trailed out the door. Prana then merged with O Quintal Zen, a health-food restaurant in one of Rio’s most charming neighborhood, Jardim Botânico, and the result is a winning fusion of vegan food, meditation, and serious yoga classes. In the new larger space, the focus is still on quality. Every day, the chefs offer two vegan, gluten-free specials alongside several heathy desserts, so you can enjoy a great lunch before a trip to the Botanic Garden or the beach.

Located on the international culinary corridor that is Buford Highway, Food Terminal brings the flavors of a Malaysian food market to Atlanta. Here, Amy Wong and Howie Ewe (who also own Sweet Hut Bakery and Café and Top Spice, a Thai and Malaysian chain) cook family recipes, drawing from memories of their homeland. Grab a seat in the modern space and choose from a menu of numbered noodle and rice dishes. The Grandma Wonton BBQ Pork Noodles—served with fried pork wontons, tender pork belly, egg noodles, bok choy, and a fried egg—are a favorite, but the Hainanese chicken and roti canai are also popular.

This university for music was established in 1875 by, you guessed it, renowned Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. The building is of course primarily a school—but its lively in-house concert series, including chamber music, student ensemble performances and classical works for larger orchestras in several halls and spaces—assures a lot of public interaction with this place’s wonderful classical music tradition. This gorgeous, recently refurbished Art Nouveau building is packed with lovely tapestries and gold-leaf decoration, making it as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the ears.

With a smart and simple chalkboard menu of cheese plates, salads, sandwiches made with homemade bread, good coffee, and Argentinian wines by the glass, Pain et Vin is a lovely venue for lunch or an afternoon glass of Malbec rosado. The Palermo Soho eatery doubles as a tasting space and shop: look for Friday evening events open to the public, or stop by to choose from the excellent selection of boutique wines to take on a picnic to the park.

In the mornings, Modern General’s the spot to grab an acai bowl, a smoothie, or a wheatgrass shot for high-altitude nourishment. This airy general store stocks an assortment of baked goods (try the tart lemon cake) and grab-and-go wares. Check out the curated lineup of chic garden tools, farm lavender soaps from Albuquerque’s label Los Poblanos, and kitchen utensils. The cheery, canary-yellow coffee cups (for your almond-milk latte) are a bright addition to a friendly, busy space where locals and travelers unite.

After helming two restaurants in Los Angeles, native Santa Fe chef John Sedlar returns to his grandmother’s New Mexican cuisine at Eloisa. The whitewashed, minimal, brick-exposed space serves as a temple for savory empanaditas, sopes, tamales, posole, tortillas made with fresh masa, and creative jicama and guacamole tacos with flower petals. To sip, tequila and mezcal cocktails are crafted by Dede Roybal, a bartending genius. You won’t be disappointed. All dishes are expertly and artistically plated. Afterward, stretch your legs walking around downtown Santa Fe—Eloisa’s locale couldn’t be any more convenient.

A visit to Hyderabad may not be complete until you have savored the cuisine at Paradise Food Court. The Secunderabad location—considered the largest sit-down restaurant in all of India—has multiple spaces, including Paradise Cafe, Paradise Bakery and Confectionery, Paradise Roof Garden, and Paradise Heights. But whatever you do, make sure to try the biryani—a fragrant mixed rice dish cooked with meat or eggs. Hyderabad has more varieties of biryani than any other South Asian destination, so come hungry and sample the goodness.

If you love antiquing or if you’re just searching for a Mexico City souvenir with a bit of history behind it, it’s hard to imagine a more pleasant way to spend a Saturday morning in the capital than visiting Plaza del Angel, a giant antique market with dozens of galleries, located in the Zona Rosa. You can visit during the week, too, but on Saturdays, temporary vendors join those who have permanent spaces here to sell all sorts of wares, from postcards and pictures to religious relics, furniture, books, magazines, and handcrafts.