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Some dispute that okra originates from West Africa but there’s no denying that the word okra is of Western African origin. Okra soup and banku is a traditional recipe from western Africa and is most popular in Ghana. Banku is made from partially-fermented ground maize and grated Cassava. We met the Okra Lady in Mallam Atta market (also known as Malata market). If you want a true local market experience, you’ll find it here. In the three hours we were there we didn’t see any other tourist and you won’t find African masks or other tourist handcrafts at this market.

Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is revered as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The temple is located on the grounds of the Grand Palace at the historic center of Bangkok, and it is a highly important site to the Thai national identity. The Emerald Buddha itself is a 26-inch-high statue hewn from a single piece of deep-green jade stone, and no one but the Thai King is allowed to touch it. Visit the shrine to understand an intimate piece of Thai culture, but be sure to exercise the utmost respect!

Also called the Party Zone, this block along Cancún’s main boulevard pulsates with lights, music, and gaudy signs inviting partyers into nightclubs lining the street. From smaller open-air clubs like La Vaquita and Congo, to internationally renowned nightspots such as Dady’O and Coco Bongo, this strip was once just for spring breakers but now features shopping centers, restaurants, and markets that draw in locals and low-key tourists for walks on the not-so-wild side, too. For late-night snacks before or after the clubs, peek into El Callejón de los Milagros, an alley behind Dady’O, once seedy, now replete with souvenir shops and restaurants serving up authentic tacos and other Mexican favorites.

If you’re looking for a classic martini or Aperol spritz, move along—this bar is all about taking the cocktail to unexpected places. In a tiny, spartan space (think red brick walls and lightly adorned wooden tables), noted booze alchemists Neri Fantechi and Julian Biondi, along with their team of Florence award-winning mixologists, whip up drinks with unique flavor profiles and combinations, like carrot jam with bourbon and egg whites. (The drinks also have names that will make you smile.) The menu is divided into three parts—Soul Warmers, A Fistful of Dollars, and Fabulous Spirits—and also includes a nice selection of mezcals and rye vodkas (Biondi serves as a brand ambassador for Russia’s Poulgar vodka.) The duo also hosts mixology classes and other drink-focused events for fellow enthusiasts and novices alike.

As the snow glistens on the surrounding mountains and the Wörthersee sparkles with ice crystals, Klagenfurt lights up with its Christmas market. The scent of mulled wine and baked goods permeate the chilly air around Neuer Platz, while stalls sell handmade ornaments, jewelry and toys, as well as other regional specialties. It’s considered one of the best Christmas Markets in Austria. An additional market focusing on crafts can be found at Domplatz in front of the cathedral.

Chef Thierry Blouet’s Café des Artistes made an immediate impression on the region when it opened inside the JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Los Cabos. Blouet has spent more than a quarter century perfecting his Café des Artistes concept, one that blends gourmet French techniques with highly curated Mexican flavors. The results are magical: A tuna tartare is stacked delicately with pickled vegetables, avocado slices, and crispy fennel; pork belly is served with hibiscus and red wine sauce; and shrimp comes with a plum-habanero mole. The setting is equally striking: A sophisticated dining room opens to a terrace with breathtaking views of Cabo San Lucas Bay and, in the distance, city lights.

Fancy yourself a brave one, do ye? Aye, aye, then the Cliffs of Moher are right up your alley. Ireland‘s most popular tourist destination does not disappoint, though visiting during the middle of the day means you’re going to have to share the walking paths with plenty of other folk - most of them American visitors in their finest Notre Dame Fighting Irish t-shirts. Come early in the morning or late in the afternoon and you’ll have the cliffs, beautiful light, and ancient rock monsters all to yourself. That’s right; rock monsters. That’s one giving tourists the finger right there in the ocean.

I’m not one to skip breakfast, especially in Italy, where thoughts of cappuccino, pastries, and local ham tend to rouse me early from slumber. But on my first morning at the Hotel Sant’Angelo, in the old quarter of Matera, I was having a hard time dragging myself from the creature comforts of my cave. Staying in a cave, it turns out, can be surprisingly pleasant. There was just one small window high overhead, but the room and adjoining bath were in no way dank—a testament to the natural ventilation that keeps the caves cool and comfortable. The wavy contours of the white tufa-rock walls conjured a feeling of being enveloped in some primordial womb. Yet there were modern amenities: luxurious linens, Internet service, a telephone. Fred Flintstone never had it this good. I might have snoozed until noon, were it not for an impatient mate eager to see the sights. We had arrived in the village the previous night after a long drive across the treeless plains of the Basilicata region, located at the instep of Italy’s boot. Matera is an enchanted world of Stone Age splendor. Known as the sassi (Italian for stones), the bisque-colored hilltop cave homes comprise one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth, according to UNESCO. The caves have provided shelter for more than 7,000 years. A millennium ago, shepherds inhabited them and carved churches into the rock; during the Renaissance, the area prospered and elaborate buildings were carved out, the excess tufa sculpted into ornate facades. By the early 1900s, the sassi had fallen into neglect. Families and their animals crowded into the caves for warmth, and disease was rampant. When writer Carlo Levi brought this tragic state of affairs to light with his 1945 book Christ Stopped At Eboli, the Italian authorities moved residents en masse to modern housing—leaving the sassi abandoned, save for the occasional crew brought by film makers (Pier Paolo Pasolini and Mel Gibson among them) in search of a biblical-looking backdrop. It was only in the 1990s that the Italian government encouraged people to move back. Residents revamped the cave dwellings as homes, restaurants, and inns. When the Sant’Angelo opened in 2004, it was the area’s first luxury hotel. The 19 cave rooms are sparsely but tastefully appointed with rustic wooden furniture. Some carved decorations—crosses, hearts, an owl—date back hundreds of years. Fossilized shells embedded in the walls reveal that the region once lay underwater. Eventually, my fiancé and I did emerge from our cave to wander the town’s ancient alleys. A local guide named Dora Cappiello took us into some of the 150 chiese rupestri (rock churches), where she pointed out wine troughs and frescoes of San Nicola, the patron saint of local shepherds. We also visited a cave dwelling that had been restored to resemble its state when the caves were equal parts manger and living space.
Simple, delicious meals punctuated our explorations. The curvy walls of Baccanti, a cave restaurant, created a private nook where we feasted on silky pappardelle pasta with a cinghiale (wild boar) ragu, accompanied by a dry, fruity red aglianico from the nearby Vulture wine region. Tired and sated after a full day, we headed back to our cave—on moonless nights, a flashlight or trail of bread crumbs is advised for the stumble back to the hotel—where the promise of a deep, sound night’s sleep awaited. —Amy Cortese Hotel Sant’Angelo, 39/0835-314010, from $211 for a double. This appeared in the March/April 2010 issue.

Petra flourished more than 2,000 years ago, trading with Rome as an equal before being abandoned after a series of earthquakes in the 4th and 6th centuries C.E. It wasn’t until the 19th century, when European explorers “rediscovered” it, that the ancient city returned to the public consciousness. Now, visitors can walk down the narrow canyon of the siq to the city entrance—as dramatic an approach as any to a tourist attraction on the planet. The canyon opens up onto the carved facade of the Treasury, Petra’s most iconic site. From there, you can explore the cliffside tombs with their colorful bands of sandstone, the Street of Facades, and the amphitheater hewn from living rock. The ancient center lies some distance off, along with the splendid old Monastery, which sits at the top of a steep but rewarding climb. Consider buying a three-day ticket and visiting at different times of day to enjoy the changing light—early in the morning is best for the Treasury, while late afternoon is better for the Royal Tombs.

As with many things in Zurich, it took an Auslander (foreigner) to raise the bar on local gastro cuisine. Run by Australian chef Fabian Spiquel, arguably the city’s most creative, this splurgeworthy eatery is located in the Hasidic Jewish neighborhood of Manesseplatz. It was awarded its first Michelin star in 2014 and a second in 2016. Inside, whitewashed brick walls and hanging lighthouse lanterns lend the space a contemporary urban feel and offer a refreshing change of pace—many Swiss restaurants are overly refurbished or fastidiously “cozy” with weathered wood and stained glass. Typical dishes on the gastro menu include sliced duck with pumpkin, beef tartare with jalapeño oil, and morels with wildflowers. Given the restaurant’s emphasis on fresh produce, the seasonal vegetarian tasting menu is always a standout.

Despite being just a 40-minute drive away from the airport, the Mandarin Oriental is located in the heart of Hong Kong’s Central district, surrounded by major business hubs, the thriving art scene, and cultural sites.

Inside the 432 rooms and 67 suites, the decor nods at the hotel’s Chinese heritage, and there’s high-speed Internet and an interactive entertainment system. A SMART lighting system and pillow menu make sure you have a restful night’s sleep, and butler services are on hand as well. For an ultimate indulgence, the stunning 3,843-square-meter presidential Mandarin Suite provides a stay that you will never forget.

You’ll have to spend quite of time in Hong Kong to work your way through the hotel’s many gastronomic offerings: 10 on-site restaurants, including three with Michelin star accolades, will satisfy every craving. Meanwhile, the award-wining spa specializes in traditional Chinese medicine therapy to ease post-travel muscles. A 24-hour indoor pool and fitness center allows you to keep to your exercise routine while away from home.

The Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, is truly representative of contemporary luxury, and has remained one of the most iconic hotels in Hong Kong for over 55 years.

The most enviable address in Waikiki, the beachfront Halekulani is all about restrained elegance and pitch-perfect service. The hotel dates back a century, though it was entirely rebuilt in the 1980s—and the room decor—fifty shades of white and plantation shutters framing the turquoise sea—complements the scene outside. The beach itself is small and usually mobbed, but the pool is a dream—a giant oval big enough for laps, and quiet enough (few kids here) for a long doze under your chaise’s umbrella. The grassy courtyards and seaside restaurants are just as improbably serene; some might say stuffy, but for others, the reliably hushed atmosphere is a welcome tonic to the hubbub of Waikiki, just outside the Halekulani’s marbled entrance.

Set in a historic Beaux-Arts building, The NoMad exudes European sophistication while maintaining a distinct New York edge. Located in the changing north of Madison Square Park neighborhood, this design-centric property opened its doors in 2012. French designer Jacques Garcia was inspired by the Paris apartment of his youth. Rooms are comfortable and timeless, with original artwork. This hotel brings back pleasures of another era, from freestanding claw-foot tubs in the rooms to a bar and restaurant that entice guests to stay under the hotel roof. Start an evening with a drink in the Library (reserved exclusively for hotel guests after 4 p.m.) then dine in the acclaimed NoMad restaurant, where you are certain to rub elbows with New Yorkers—this property has completely won over the locals.

On most days in Prague, it feels like every tourist in town has gathered on the Charles Bridge. And for good reason — this 14th-century cobblestone span crosses the Vltava River, connecting the Old Town with the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) and providing picturesque views of both sides of the river, medieval churches, towers, and Prague Castle on the hill. King Charles IV commissioned the bridge in 1357. The bridge has 16 arches and protected by towers on either end: the Old Town Bridge Tower in Old Town and the Judith Tower and Lesser Town Bridge Tower on the Mala Strana side. The bridge is lined with 30 large statues of religious figures and luminaries, dating from the Baroque era to the present day The best time to go is at dawn, sunset or after dark after the crowds have thinned and romance is in the air.

For much of its history, the western edges of Manhattan neighborhoods like the West Village and Chelsea consisted of small manufacturing buildings and warehouses that served the piers on the Hudson River. Over time, those factories were replaced with residential developments, and shipping largely moved out to Brooklyn and New Jersey. What remained, however, was an abandoned light-rail line, located above street level. After 10 years of lobbying the city, state, and federal governments, the first section of the High Line park opened in 2009. It now extends for 1.45 miles, from Gansevoort Street in the south to 34th Street at its other end. An innovative design by James Corner Field Operations uses native species to preserve some of the feeling the old rail line had when it was overgrown with weeds. It has quickly become one of New York’s most popular attractions, both with residents and visitors who stroll the length of it, as well as a model for other cities attempting to find new uses for old infrastructure.