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The Westin brand’s first foray into South America was, at least when it opened in 2011, the tallest building in all of Peru. That distinction has since been taken over by the Edificio Banco Continental (BBVA) nearby, but the glass-and-steel tower designed by Peruvian-born, Miami-based architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia stands over one of the busiest intersections in the city, and is still one of Lima’s most recognizable landmarks. While it was designed primarily to fit the needs of the growing number of high-end business travelers (the largest convention center in the city is attached to the hotel), the high-profile team, including interior designer Tony Chi, added on artfully modern touches. The striking interiors incorporate pre-Colombian motifs and gold, silver, and bronze finishes. The hotel is a hub of activity, with a full-service spa and high-end shopping, plus a lobby bar and lounges that serve as impromptu meeting spaces.

There is a reason why renting a villa in Tuscany is so popular - rustic farmhouses, rolling hills filled with olive and plum trees, golden sunsets, locally-harvested wine, creamy cheeses, and cool evenings spent with friends and family. Renting a villa provides a relaxing base for your sightseeing in the region. Almost all Tuscan towns allow easy day trips to the main sights: - Florence‘s art and Renaissance history (Duomo, Uffizi Gallery, Michelangelo’s David) - Cortona’s steep, narrow streets and medieval walls - Siena’s cultural city center, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site - San Gimignano’s fortified towers set amidst picture-perfect Tuscan hillsides - Montelpulciano’s world-famous wineries and more This offers the best of both worlds - after a dusty day of sightseeing, you can relax at your villa with a jump in the pool and a glass of wine. Watch the sun go down in a purplish haze, unwind with friends, and enjoy the lovely moment. I recommend YourTuscany.com, which is where we found Villa Coloniale (above) in the town of Pergine Valdarno. The infinity pool and covered patio are guaranteed to put you in a relaxed, Italian frame of mind!

Towering over the tin roofs of the historic Rocks district, the Shangri-La Hotel has helped set the standard for Sydney hospitality, not to mention harbor views. Alongside the Asian influences, personal attention, and secret scent (it’s not just the cascading floral arrangements) that Shangri-La is known for, the Sydney hotel also incorporates earthen Aussie tones and a host of foodie surprises—ranging from an award-winning deconstructed carrot cake to a 36th-floor restaurant with 360-degree, floor-to-ceiling vistas. In 2014, all the premium suites and the Horizon Club Lounge were spruced up with pops of turquoise to complement the color palette of cream, gold, and dark wood. Behind the scenes, the Shangri-La has worked hard to become more sustainable and socially conscious; initiatives include adding energy-efficient and water-saving fixtures, producing much of its food in-house, and donating money to local charities such as OzHarvest.

The Elliott Bay Book Company is the Seattle bookstore and, thankfully, survived its move from Pioneer Square to Capitol Hill with soul and towering cedar bookcases intact. Elliott Bay lost a significant chunk of square footage during the move but gained a home right in the heart of Capitol Hill. Which makes it even easier to execute the ideal lazy Sunday afternoon combo: new novel + Fonte latte and one of the book-size housemade muffins from the on-site café (if it’s sunny, make a beeline for the grassy Cal Anderson park, just across the street). The food is northwest downhome—unpretentious salads with local greens, wholesome soups—but the abundant outlets and cozy café vibe make up for any food misses.

Try it there: The lemon crepe

Bring it home: Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice and tickets to a Neptune Theater reading

Located below street level, the public space Cheonggyecheon offers an easy escape from the hustle and bustle of downtown Seoul. The area is part of a massive urban renewal project in which an old elevated highway was cleared to reveal the stream below. To find the entrance, look for Claes Oldenburg’s sculpture Spring Tower, which resembles a giant unicorn horn, and from there you can enjoy a serene 3.6-mile walk that meanders past art installations, graceful fountains, and green rest areas. Duck out at any point on one of the 22 overhead bridges that cross the stream, or walk to the end of the trail and visit the free Cheonggyecheon Museum to learn more about the area.

Shanghai’s arts and crafts enclave, Tianzifang, is a labyrinth of narrow lanes bursting with diminutive shops, restaurants, and bars. Most of the shops here are located inside shikumen, stone gatehouses dating to the early 1930s. Gear up for your shopping spree with a coffee alfresco at Kommune before checking out Xingmu Handicraft’s gorgeous handmade leather notebooks or Shanghai Code’s vintage Chinese glasses and watches. Pick up delicate stationery at Dongxi Workshop, Shanghai‘s very first boutique, and head to Sky Music Box for—you guessed it—music boxes from all over the world.

Conservatorium has a fascinating past. It started as a bank and then became a music academy before renowned Italian designer Piero Lissoni transformed it into a hotel in 2012. The building itself harmoniously blends old and new, with modern steel beams and glass walls complementing original brickwork and wooden beams. The hotel houses one of the city’s largest and most decadent spas—a subterranean temple to holistic wellness, with its own hammam, Watsu pool, lap pool, and more. Its restaurants and bars are also among the trendiest and most highly acclaimed in the city. Upon arrival, each guest is assigned a personal host to offer recommendations, reservations, and historical tidbits.

Music producer turned hotelier Chris Blackwell has made a name for himself converting Caribbean properties (Pink Sands on Harbour Island, GoldenEye in Jamaica) into jetset destinations with studios where his rock-and-roll friends can kick back while recording their next album, but it all began at Compass Point. Bob Marley, the Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton have all stayed in some of the resort’s 18 rainbow-hued stand-alone huts, which are inspired by the colors of Bahama’s Junkanoo carnival and are simply furnished to encourage engagement with the outdoors; though the interiors are air-conditioned, most have sea-view balconies that are sighted to catch ocean breezes. In keeping with the theme, each comes with a surround-sound system and a library of CDs by artists who have recorded at Compass Point, but you’re just as likely to keep them off, preferring instead to listen to the waves that crash on the hotel’s small beach.

In 1870, Ocean Grove held its first illumination night during its Lake Carnival at Wesley Lake. Each year, there were larger crowds and houses, hotels, tents, and businesses were lit with colorful lanterns. By 1875 the little town was lit up and everyone enjoyed this carnival. By the mid-twentieth century the custom was discontinued. There is a little store in Auditorium Square called The Hub and this year (2014) the manager, Deb Cuddhy has decided to bring back Illumination Night with its “First Illunimation Night”. Thursday, August 7th will be the date at 7:30pm. There will be local music & light refreshments for sale. Residents are asked to light up their tents and houses.The Hub is selling lanterns. This sounds like a really fun event. Let’s check it out! For more info: www.oceangrove.org/pages/Hub2014

Cafe La Antigua has a pleasant courtyard and a choice of two indoor sitting areas. They serve organic coffee that is grown in the shade in the Pluma Hidalgo region of Oaxaca, and they roast and grind the coffee on the premises using solar energy. Besides great choices for coffee, the menu also includes sandwiches, salads and tapas, wine, mezcal and beer, including a local craft beer. They also host occasional live music performances. I wandered into Café La Antigua on a hot afternoon. A cold beer and mushroom tapas sounded appealing, and a large side of salad rounded out the dish perfectly. I asked the waitress for the Wi-Fi code, and I spent an enjoyable hour and a half catching up on social media as I enjoyed the soothing sounds of light jazz piped over the speakers.

On any given Sunday, a multitude of Mexico City parks find themselves playing host to groups of dance aficionados, who gather together to practice their steps in a jovial, non-judgmental atmosphere. But perhaps no park has a better Sunday scene than Plaza La Ciudadela, right in front of La Ciudadela craft market, where live music typically accompanies dancers of all ages, each of them dressed to the nines in their Sunday dancing best. Women wear flowers in their hair and men sport feathers in their hats. Shoes—and hair—are polished to a brilliant sheen, and the most courteous of exchanges are shared as people ask one another for a dance. If you’re without your own dancing shoes, a group of vendors who line the plaza’s edge can supply you on the spot. Don’t be afraid to join in; you won’t find a friendlier bunch of folks to dance with.

Jamaica Jazz and Blues, held just outside Montego Bay, is one of the Caribbean’s most well-known festivals. It hosts some of Reggae’s top stars alongside a host of well known American artists--past performers include the likes of Gladys Knight, Celine Dion and Maroon 5. The three-night concert is not a strictly jazz affair, but it’s a great time and one of the most fabulous international events in Jamaica. The large stadium accommodates several VIP tents for those who pay to receive all-star treatment, hopping from one all-inclusive food and drink tent to another, sampling local dishes from top chefs during or after performances. Part of the festival also includes a shopping village, showcasing some of the best art and other handmade Jamaican crafts. The large space and manicured lawn makes it ideal for strolls while the music plays on.

The Mile End is Montreal‘s version of Brooklyn, Sodermälm, Shoreditch, and Kreuzberg put together. Hipsters, exotic eateries, and vintage shops abound. Mile End is also the cradle of Montreal’s music scene, cultural diversity and all things trendy and fashionable (but not too mainstream, of course). But more than just a hotbed for tuque-wearers and vintage shops, Mile End is a place where many different cultures coexist and enjoy the best of one another, in a post-industrial meets residential tree-lined avenues type of backdrop. Greek eateries meet Hasidic Jews-owned bagel shops, and artsy coffee shops meet up-and-coming, edgy designers. A dynamic area that should be explored by the senses first and foremost, and where most visitors could easily picture themselves settling down, and never leave. With icons like Wilensky’s, Boris’ doughnuts, and Arts Café, there really is no such thing as being bored in the Mile End—even for Montrealers!

Don’t dress up to visit this grunge bar tucked on Marnixgracht in Amsterdam‘s Oude West. Don’t be put off by the abundant graffiti covering its gritty exterior, either. Inside, Café Soundgarden is a welcoming, unpretentious pub with a spectacular canal-side terrace and an alternative vibe. The laid-back joint boasts a pool table, pinball machines and table soccer, in addition to a full bar. Belly up for some of the cheapest beer in town, including a wide selection of domestic and imported brands. Beyond inexpensive drinks, the real attraction of the place is an expansive rear deck overlooking Singlegracht canal. Come as you are to share a beer and a joint with locals, expats and possibly a few tattooed tourists who’ve stumbled upon the gezellig terrace, offering a view of passing boats and the Nassaukade street scene. Stay for live music and party like a rock star while DJs spin techno-tunes late into the night.

Fete Paradiso, the much buzzed about traveling vintage French carnival that has taken over Governor’s Island for the summer, features an incredible collection of extremely rare artisan-crafted carousels, rides and games. Families and Francophiles have been lining up for the 5-minute ferry from downtown Manhattan since opening weekend, which coincided with Bastille Day, to check out this whimsical weekend fair. A few of Fete’s highlights include the late 19th century bicycle carousel (one of only 2 bicycle carousels left in the world — the other, featured in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, is in France), a Chinese Dragon Carousel with a misleading name (though our daredevil 2 year old didn’t mind being whipped around fast and then backwards) and a ball-toss game with life-size caricatures of Charlie Chaplin and Edith Piaf called the Music Hall Ball Guzzler. Set to run from now until September 29th, 2013