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There are some things that are universal, including people’s love of a good dive bar. If you’re looking for a low-key vibe with cheap drinks and greasy bar food, look no further than Cuckoo. Set in the trendy Garusogil shopping area, this unfussy bar and restaurant with graphitized walls and a raucous party vibe is often packed with 20-something locals playing Korean drinking games and downing copious amounts of soju. Although it may serve fried beef tripe, clam soup and stir-fried chicken gizzards with garlic, the beer is cheap and cold and that’s something that can be understood in any language. 4, Dosan-daero 17-gil, Gangnam-gu

This restaurant in northwest Tasmania—defined by a blond wood wall, white bucket chairs, and stoneware dishes—wouldn’t feel out of place in hip Hobart, or even in Sydney or Melbourne. It’s Scandinavian in style, but the food veers more French and Italian: pork, chorizo, and pea risotto; seared scallops with pickled fennel; duck rillettes; a lemon brûlée tart with raspberry chantilly cream. But seven-course degustation dinners and acoustic-guitar sessions are very, well, Tasmanian. Degustation dishes could feature everything from mint-cured ocean trout and sous vide squid for starters to entrées of slow-cooked lamb belly and confit duck served over charred peach purée and prosciutto.

A compelling reason to be in Cape Town on a weekend morning (especially Sunday, if you want to eat your way through the food-focused Oranjezicht City Farm Market, too) is the dynamic Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in up-and-coming Woodstock. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., hip locals and tourists alike weave their way through what can only be described as an abundance of all things artisanal—edible, wearable, and otherwise. The most jam-packed part of the market is usually the massive tent lined with vendors specializing in mushrooms, bread, paella, pizza, honey, cakes, cheeses, and craft brews. It’s a veritable smorgasbord, so wear your stretchy pants, and work it off afterward by strolling the other section devoted to micro-merchants selling baby moccasins, brightly colored swimwear, offbeat home accessories, recycled brass jewelry, and more.

Set along the sacred Ayung River, Four Seasons Resort at Sayan is a tropical paradise shrouded in giant palms and ferns. Designed by John Heah, the property was built and decorated using regional materials almost exclusively, from shells and coconuts to coveted ikat fabrics, giving guests an authentic Balinese experience just 15 minutes from Ubud. A serene lotus pond sits on the rooftop of the resort’s main building, and teakwood villas offer views of rice terraces and the longest river in Bali. Indonesian cooking classes, ancient wellness rituals, and plantings with local rice farmers are just some of the ways guests can connect with the local culture; the rest can be found in Ubud, where vibrant markets, temples, and museums counterbalance the hotel’s tranquil dining and wellness journeys.

Envisioned by Hong Kong-based architect Andre Fu, the Upper House was designed to give guests the experience of staying in a luxury residence within easy reach of the design stores, markets, and nightlife of the Wan Chai neighborhood. Every detail here has been carefully considered, from the environmentally friendly paint to the arrangement of the hotel’s 400-plus works of original art. As they climb the levels of the hotel, guests encounter sculptures with names like Silence, and Rise, and Lifted, which take them on an upward journey that ends at the 49th-floor Sky Bridge—a candle-lined walkway overlooking the atrium that’s lit by a James Turrell–esque skylight.

All the rooms, suites, and penthouses offer a choice between two color schemes: “bamboo,” with ash flooring, bamboo timber, and lilac upholstery, or “celadon,” furnished in green tea upholstery, limed oak flooring, and creme oak timber. Particular attention was given to the bathrooms. Each is nearly 300 square feet and outfitted with concealed televisions and sound systems as well as open-plan rain showers. Some have soaking tubs carved from Turkish limestone, from which guests can take in views of Victoria Harbour or the surrounding mountains. In contrast to many Hong Kong hotels, the Upper House’s restaurant, Café Gray Deluxe, emphasizes simple dishes prepared from the best local and organic produce. The result is high quality but not pretentious, much like the hotel itself.

The Hotel St. Francis lays claim to being Santa Fe’s oldest hotel. Rebuilt in its current location in 1924, after a fire left its predecessor completely ravaged (save the brick chimney), the property formerly known as the De Vargas Hotel played host to elegant ladies and gentlemen in top hats, politicos, and other VIPs during its heyday. After World War II, the hotel lost some of its luster, though it was still popular with government types until the 1960s. In 1986, new owners restored the hotel to its previous grandeur, replaced the barber and beauty shops with a restaurant and bar, and gave the property its current name. Most recently, in 2008, the property was purchased by Heritage Hotels and Resorts and underwent yet another makeover. Inspired by St. Francis, the patron saint of Santa Fe and founder of the Franciscan order, the look is best described as haute-monastic. Think Frette linens and flat-screen televisions paired with neutral hues, wood furnishings crafted by local artisans, and dim, candlelit common spaces.

The Ya Kun experience is a must for foodies looking for an authentic Singaporean breakfast. Ya Kun Kaya Toast started as a humble coffee shop in Singapore’s business district, but it’s since morphed into a café chain with an impressive number of outlets in Singapore and other Asian countries. Ya Kun’s signature dish is its kaya toast, which consists of kaya (a coconut-based jam) spread on a thin slice of toast and served with soft-boiled eggs and freshly brewed coffee (the beans are wok-fried in butter and sugar, strained through cloth, and served with some condensed milk). If coffee isn’t your cup of tea (sorry, couldn’t resist), Ya Kun also serves teh tarik, a Malaysian sweetened-tea-and-milk beverage popular among locals.

One of the capital’s original contemporary cocktail bars, Limantour ranks #20 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. Mixologists here take their sweet time to make drinks, so don’t plan on stopping by if you’re in a hurry; the idea is to slow down and savor the experience of having a drink crafted carefully for you. Cocktails are named for places that inspire them or from which their spirits were derived. Try the Pernambuco, prepared with paprika-infused Cachaça from Brazil and mixed with a compote of plantain, vanilla, and lemon.

Set directly above rocky low cliffs of Negril and lit at night by torches and candles, Rockhouse Restaurant provides the setting for an elegant and romantic evening. (The setting’s pretty great during the day, too—breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in this open-sided palapa and patio.) The New Jamaican cuisine means a refined and more health-conscious preparation of classic island recipes, with as many ingredients as possible from the hotel’s small organic garden across the road. Among the notable dinner offerings are the blackened mahimahi with mango chutney, snapper steamed in a banana leaf, and coconut shrimp.

This NoMad hotel was developed with a community of influential, savvy travelers in mind. Case in point is the upscale-urban design by studio MAI, which includes both modest and globally-inspired décor (think raw-bronze shelving, rich fabrics, and hand-carved benches in a carefully devised layout to maximize space). MADE Hotel, developed by The Devli Group, also anticipates travelers’ needs with a variety of venues, from Paper (a neighborhood coffee shop serving serious caffeine fixes) to Ferris (a new American eatery with plates like lobster toast with kombu and sesame). If you decide to venture out, the team still has you covered—literally. Sutterheim raincoats and Foak sunglasses are available to rent, rain or shine.

Santa Fe Spirits is a laid-back downtown tasting room showcasing their small distilleries production which includes a well-balanced portfolio of gin, vodka and silver whiskey to a barrel-aged apple brandy accompanied by a few bar snacks. Try a few pours of the gin infused with osha root and and sage and kick up your heels.

Ultra-modern Hotel Habita sits on upscale avenue Presidente Masaryk, in the midst of the Polanco’s fine restaurants and shops. Opened in 2000 and renovated in 2012, the hotel, which looks like a glass cube, continues to attract travelers who appreciate its sleek design and superb location. Rooms are typical of Grupo Habita hotels-spare and uncluttered, with luxurious toiletries and high-tech amenities, like flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi. The staff is accommodating and will help guests with everything from transportation recommendations to securing reservations at top nearby restaurants, such as Biko, Pujol, and Quintonil. All three appeared on the 2015 “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants” list.

Dining at Made in China at the Grand Hyatt is expensive, but the staff creates an excellent experience. Open kitchens allow you to catch a glimpse of the Peking ducks roasting in ovens over fruitwood-fueled fires. I always order the dumplings. —Fuchsia Dunlop This appeared in the May 2013 issue.

If the name of this place reminds you of the Boston landmark, you’re on to something. It was named after Steuben’s, a Beantown hot spot from the 1940s well into the ’60s, known for jazz, big band shows, and parties. Steuben’s in Denver aspires to all that. The restaurant serves American comfort food like meat loaf, chicken and waffles, milkshakes, and lobster rolls in a retro-groovy diner setting. The formula has proven so successful that another location in nearby Arvada opened in 2016.

How to choose between sweet potato biscuits, truffle grits, and the free-range lamb meatloaf sandwich? Try them all! (Just kidding) As a solo diner, I skipped the sweet potato biscuits (sadly). The grits and sandwich looked and tasted like perfection, to the point where two passersby commented how delicious the sandwich looked and ended up eating there. Outdoor seating in a petite pedestrian mall makes for lovely ambience as well. No loud motorcycles here!