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The town of Gamboa lies at the center of a rain forest on the banks of the Panama Canal, where Lake Gatún and the River Chagres meet about 20 miles from the capital. Gamboa’s Summit Park is home to Panama’s national bird, the harpy eagle, as well as to Soberanía National Park and the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center, where visitors can walk the Camino del Oleoducto (Pipeline Road), a famous bird-watching path where up to 300 avian species can be spotted on a single day. Another tip might be sailing the Chagres in piraguas (local pirogues or handmade dugout canoes) that plumb dense jungles and give visitors the chance to interact with the Emberá Quera indigenous community. This historic community lives off fishing, farming, artisanal craft-making, and tourism. Native-led tours showcase various local customs such as dances as well as vegetable-dye body-painting techniques and their meanings (known as jagua), in addition to the people’s relationship with nature. Navigating the rain forest with a traditional Emberá botanist is a singular experience.

This outdoor ceramic school in the Coyoacan neighborhood is located close to the Museo de Frida Kahlo. The head instructor is a ceramic artist whose simple, Japanese-inspired designs can be found in some of the city’s best restaurants. They also have a booth at the Bazaar del Sabado, but I recommend stopping by the studio so you can catch a glimpse of the pros at work. Watch your feet, because the owner’s cats and crazy-looking Mexican hairless dogs (the breed is called Xoloitzcuintli) have the run of the place.

El Morro means “hill” and from the top of this one, you’ll be able to take panoramic photos of the port, city and valley of Arica. If you’re keen on military history and, in particular, the relationship between Chile and neighboring Peru, the on-site museum is likely to be of interest. There’s also a tomb of the unknown soldier and a gigantic Chilean flag at the top of the hill.

One of the most luxurious Western guest ranches, opened in 2005, Paws Up Montana, in Greenough, sprawls over 37,000 acres of classic Montana landscape: elk-filled meadows, rocky peaks, and ponderosa pines in the Blackfoot Valley, with the river of the same name running through it all. The most sought-after accommodations are the “glamping” tents on the banks of the Blackfoot or along Elk Creek that are available May through October and organized into five separate camps, taking just six guests each. The camps combine a Western lifestyle with an African safari formula: canvas suites with private baths, a communal dining pavilion with fireplace and fire pit, private camp chef, and butlers to help organize guest activities. Families and friends who prefer four walls between themselves and nature stay in enormous wood-and-stone villas with heated hardwood floors, fireplaces, leather furniture, huge flat-screen TVs, and panoramic windows; some of these homes come with outdoor hot tubs and tented bedrooms for kids.

All guests have the opportunity to hike, rappel, canoe, play paintball, take cooking classes, and more, but the main action is on-site fly-fishing and horseback riding for all levels on 100 miles of private trails or in a 23,000-square-foot equestrian arena; adults and kids 12 and up can help move small herds of Black Angus cattle on sample stock drives. If parents want private adventure time, kid wranglers entertain young’uns. In the evening, communal entertainment takes place in a renovated barn that serves as stock sales venue, dance floor, and movie theater. Despite the busy activity menu and flow of golf carts transporting guests to and fro, the ranch is large enough, and accommodation so widely spaced that guests can survey the landscape and not see anyone.

This 27-acre attraction in North Vancouver gets the heart racing with a suspension bridge that bounces 230 feet above a forested river gorge. Even more spectacular, however, is the Cliffwalk, a labyrinth of walkways along the granite flank of the valley. Get a bird’s-eye view of the area during the Treetops Adventure, a canopy expedition through the upper tiers of 250-year-old Douglas firs. The experience doesn’t come cheap at $46.95 per adult, but it does include free shuttle service from downtown and mini-tours that cover the flora, fauna, and First Nations involvement in the park. From late November to late January, Capilano strings holiday lights around the canyon and decorates the world’s tallest living Christmas tree.

What was in the mid-20th-century just an inexpensive area to build warehouses and showrooms along the Trinity River has evolved into a vibrant live/work community that’s home to noted restaurants, trendy hangouts, upscale apartment buildings, and—true to its name—a wide array of design-focused businesses. Whether you’re in the market for a French impressionist painting or an edgy installation, the galleries along Dragon Street have got you covered, while Slocum Street is the place for antiques, decorative pieces, and midcentury furnishings, and Howell Street is a treasure trove of vintage and thrift shops. Enjoy an upscale meal at Oak, a beer at the Meddlesome Moth or Texas Ale Project, a cold treat at Pop Star Handcrafted Popsicles, or a cooking class–meets–dinner party at The Cookery. Keep an eye out for Eagles co-founder Don Henley, who built a private recording studio in the area.

This 4th-century Greek Orthodox monastery clings to a cliff face 1,200 meters above the Altındere Valley National Park. With its admired Rock Church, complete with biblical frescoes inside and out, this rock-hewn historical site is like no other in the country. Visitors should be aware that the 300-meter walk to the entrance is no easy feat: A path of gnarled undergrowth leading to steps may challenge those with limited mobility. While the monastery is closed for renovations until 2017, its exterior is still impressive.

Walk, cycle or people-watch along the shores of Elliott Bay, a downtown stretch known for its circusy flair and spectacular vistas. You can ride the Great Wheel or visit the beloved Seattle Aquarium, home to wolf eels, sea otters, and the world’s largest octopuses. Refuel with chowder from local favorite Ivar’s Acres of Clams, then hit the market’s 200 owner-operated shops, ranging from a radical book collection to the Northwest’s oldest magic store. Just don’t turn your back on the famous salmon-slinging fishmongers: They’ve been known to wallop selfie-photographers with a plastic decoy for yucks!

Located in Sainte-Anne, Karukera Land is a recreational park that makes for a fun and self-contained outing for families. Learn about the island’s flora with a walk through the tropical gardens, and visit a range of Caribbean fauna, from goats to peacocks. Active kids will love the acrobatic course, trampolines, and swimming pools with multiple toboggan slides. There’s plenty to entertain grown-ups as well, including billiard and ping-pong tables, a mini-golf course, and spa relaxation area with massage hut.

Florence’s wonderful Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Works Museum) is open to the public with double its original floor space and a new contemporary look. The unique collection of works by masters such as Donatello, Michelangelo, Luca della Robbia, and Lorenzo Ghiberti includes statuary from the Duomo, bell tower, and Baptistery as well as models and other exhibits relating to the building of one of the world’s largest cathedrals. Showstoppers include the bronze panels from the Baptistery’s doors, gleaming from their recent cleanup; Donatello’s emotive Mary Magdalene; the two exquisite cantorie (choir lofts) by Donatello and della Robbia; and a vast scale replica of the Duomo’s original facade, ripped down in 1587.

Said to be the oldest structure on the island, Wallblake House is also the only surviving 18th-century plantation home that has been restored and that can be toured. Located in the Valley, capital of Anguilla, the 1787 property was once part of a 97-acre sugar and cotton plantation. Bestowed to the Catholic Church in 1976, it was abandoned until it was finally refurbished in 2004. The main home, which suffered a fire at the hands of the invading French forces, and the outbuildings are intact in design. Though the house is currently used as a rectory, tours can be arranged by emailing in advance.

For a refreshing splash of natural beauty amid the urban landscape of Lantau, the largest of Hong Kong’s islands, head to the Discovery Bay rock pools. This oasis that seems to pop out of nowhere is a great way to cool off on a balmy summer weekday—avoid weekends, though, when seemingly everyone else in the city has the same idea. A short 15-minute walk from the Discovery Bay ferry pier, in the direction of the Discovery Bay Golf Club, this miniature valley of boulders, waterfalls, and natural pools surrounded by cool greenery is definitely worth the trip.

Cozy, romantic, and right on the beach, this Sanibel restaurant is perfect for a special-occasion dinner. Book a table for the hour leading up to sunset, then linger over New American cuisine like lobster tempura, blue crab cakes, and roasted oysters with chorizo. Also available are meat-centric dishes like short ribs, grilled filet mignon, and Hudson Valley foie gras.

Though from Guadalajara (he never let friends forget), Pritzker Prize–winning architect Luis Barragán lived much of his life in Mexico City, where he designed and constructed this, his last residence, completed in 1948. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the home is open to be toured by small groups—by appointment only; English-language guides are available upon request—who want a chance to tap into Barragán’s brand of minimalism, which involved bold monochromism and a masterful use of light; striking horizontality and framing applied to windows, gardens, and views; a highly sui generis Catholic spirituality; and, not least of all, the architect’s bizarre need for control, in everything from what staircases guests might use to what records got played in different rooms.

The Armani Hotel Milano occupies a beautiful, box-shaped 1930s palazzo in the beating heart of Milan’s fashion district. As striking as it looks from the outside, it’s arguably even more glamorous on the inside. Every aspect of its interior, from the mother-of-pearl doors to the leather-lined walls, has been either designed or approved by Giorgio Armani himself. The overall aesthetic is smart and elegant, thanks to the neutral color scheme of beiges and light grays. Special touches abound, including Armani amenities in the gray marble bathrooms, complimentary minibars, and a “lifestyle manager” appointed to each guest upon arrival.

The hotel’s 95 rooms come in various sizes and types, ranging from Armani Deluxe rooms, with their own deep bathtubs, to two-story Armani Signature Suites, which offer stylish central staircases and their own living rooms. The seventh floor of the building houses the impressive Armani/Ristorante, with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto Milan’s skyline. An Armani/Bamboo Bar and Armani/SPA provide further opportunities for exquisite in-house indulgence.