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Black Pig is one of the most creative tattoo parlors in the capital. Known for its bold and classic styles, the parlor, which collaborates regularly with guest designers and artists, is run in part by Luke Satoru, an expat New Yorker and a founding member of the Bukruk urban arts festival. Visitors seeking other styles can drop by the studio in Charoen Krung, one of Bangkok’s hippest neighborhoods, to discuss their favored designs with the resident team of experts.

When the Four Seasons took over Johannesburg‘s celebrated Westcliff Hotel (a colonial-style grande dame that was admittedly fraying around the edges), its brief was clear: update the tired ambience with a cutting-edge makeover. For its first property in South Africa, the luxe hotel group spared no expense, closing the hotel down for a year and a half until they were satisfied with the full revamp, which debuted in December 2014. The new Four Seasons has modern elegance in spades, from the minimalist View restaurant (the main feature here is, as the name suggests, the panoramic view over Johannesburg’s lush landscape) to the 117 rooms outfitted with chrome details and local contemporary art.

For generations, the Westcliff has been the bastion of Johannesburg’s most rarefied citizens, who decamped to the hotel for special occasions or met for high tea on the terrace. With its new look, the property is ready to welcome back its longtime clientele while opening doors to a more youthful set in the process.

Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet, founders of the eponymous schoolhouse turned farm and the cooking school less than 10 minutes away, opened the Agrarian Kitchen Eatery in 2015 to share their produce and cooking with a wider audience. The light-flooded space, with original stamped tin reflecting off the high ceiling, is so beautiful you’d never guess it was once a mental asylum. The only mental hardship now is deciding what to order for lunch, whether it’s the wood-roasted southern lamb or the hot smoked bay trout. Still can’t decide? For $70 per person, the kitchen will feed you the best dishes of the day. If you’re road tripping up the Derwent River, at least stop in for a biscuit or a lamington with Agrarian Kitchen jam.

The first Disney resort built inside one of its theme parks, the Grand Californian puts you in the epicenter of the happiest place on Earth. And being on the inside has its benefits: Hotel guests get extra time at Disneyland before normal visiting hours, as well as a special entrance for Disney California Adventure Park. The upscale hotel’s 948 rooms, which were redesigned in 2017, blend the park’s playful magic—you’ll find subtle murals of Disney characters throughout—with an authentic arts and crafts motif (for views of the park, choose a deluxe or premium room). At the Storytellers Café and Hearthstone Lounge, kids can hobnob with Mickey Mouse and friends. No less notable is Napa Rose executive chef Andrew Sutton, who connects with diners at his Chef’s Counter, where personalized menus are available alongside the seasonal prix-fixe selection. More than 50 servers with sommelier training can help you choose from the 17,000-bottle wine cellar. Pro tip: Recover from a long day at the park with the Zen Buddhist tea ceremony and Balinese massage at the Mandara Spa.

Italian food is the specialty at this restaurant at the Four Seasons, with house-made pastas and braised meats from chef Antonio Minichiello stealing the show. Though the dining room is stylish, the best tables are outside on the veranda—as the name suggests. The brunch features fresh cold-pressed juice and, on weekends, a doughnut-making machine. There’s also an afternoon tea service from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. that includes scones with cream and lemon curd and a variety of finger sandwiches. For those who prefer cocktails, the evening happy hour is surprisingly affordable.

Siem Reap’s emergence as a somewhat unlikely destination for fashion lovers is largely due to the efforts of one individual: Madagascar-born Eric Raisina. Inspired by the Khmer artisanal silk weaving he witnessed on a trip to Cambodia back in 1996, Raisina decided to base himself in the country and hasn’t looked back since. He opened his original haute couture outlet in 2005, and his daring designs, colorful and often inspired by ancient Cambodian culture, have earned acclaim worldwide. Admirers of his work can find it for sale at two locations in Siem Reap: at his couture house on Charles de Gaulle Avenue and at the FCC Angkor hotel.

Fans of the Montage brand’s Laguna Beach and Beverly Hills flagships will love this mountain version, a ski-in, ski-out hotel wedged into the head of Empire Canyon. The sprawling, Craftsman-style manor debuted in 2010, solidifying Deer Valley’s standing as one of North America’s most luxurious ski resorts. Service shines, starting with the “Mountain Host,” who greets guests in the majestic lobby rotunda. Up the grand staircase, the full-service Vista Lounge acts as a communal living room, with vaulted ceilings, exposed wood beams, floor-to-ceiling windows, and leather furnishings gathered around limestone fireplaces. To further entertain guests, there’s also a museum-quality collection of Western art, including Carl Runguis panoramas, John James Audubon prints, and Frederic Remington portraits.

The hotel’s X-shaped footprint means nearly every room has small deck with mountain or valley views. Averaging around 600 square feet, large guestrooms are airy and inviting with lofted ceilings and soothing natural hues. Remote-controlled gas fireplaces are the centerpiece of each room, though the bath suite with heated limestone floors, marble vanity, rain shower, and soaking tub could occupy your entire evening.

The lifeblood of modern Istanbul is the two-mile-long pedestrian street Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue), running from Taksim Square to the Tünel train station. It’s equal parts touristy and local, commerce and culture, and strolling down the avenue to shop, dine, or just socialize is a favorite pastime of many Istanbullus. (The beloved red-and-white tram is out of service for the foreseeable future while the street gets some much-needed maintenance.) Though many complain about encroaching international chain stores and shopping malls taking the thoroughfare’s distinct character away, there are still plenty of gems if you follow the backstreets and duck into the historic passages. Don’t forget to look up: Many of the art nouveau and Ottoman-era buildings house rooftop cafés and businesses above street level.

This perennially popular bakery and sandwich spot can feel somewhat out of place. With its cozy atmosphere in a plant-filled space, and its menu of warm panini, delicious sandwiches on artisanal breads, generous salads, and perfectly executed pastries, it is the sort of restaurant you’d expect to find in one of Montréal’s cooler neighborhoods. Instead, it’s in the heart of Old Montréal. That is a definite plus for travelers visiting the city’s historic sights. It also means, however, that there is a lunch-hour rush when nearby office workers vie for tables. If you can plan on an early or late lunch—you’re on vacation, after all—you can avoid the worst of the crowd. Olive et Gourmando is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so if you are looking for a place for dinner, the same owners are behind the new Foxy (in the Griffintown neighborhood), which is quickly proving as popular as their first restaurant.

This iconic landmark in London is popular for a reason...it’s breathtaking! Did you know that Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the tower, not the clock? While you are there, check out the Houses of Parliament (if they are in session). Afterwards, stroll across the lovely bridge and rise the London Eye!

Arabica coffee beans, one of Tanzania’s largest exports, are widely grown in the rolling foothills of Mount Meru, outside Arusha. The Arusha Coffee Lodge offers tours of its estate to show how these beans are farmed, harvested, and dried. The lodge offers accommodations in their 30 plantation cottages, tucked among the lush green coffee fields. A beautiful on-site bistro café, which opens out onto a garden terrace, serves full meals or just a cup of very locally sourced coffee. Don’t forget to stop in and browse or visit the workshops at Shanga while you’re here: This social enterprise employs people with disabilities to create handcrafted goods.

While Japan often remains aloof to many first-time visitors, Kyoto feels intentionally difficult to get to know—even to Tokyoites who visit frequently. Getting some kind of entrée to hidden gems is especially useful here. Enter humble American-turned-Kyotoite Nemo Glassman, founder of Plus Alpha Japan. Many years living in Kyoto has given him a deep understanding of the city’s idiosyncrasies, of which there are many. Plus Alpha will arrange insider tours and intimate experiences throughout Kyoto and beyond. His tours aim to facilitate deeper engagement for travelers, whether imbibing with izakaya chefs, practicing zazen meditation with Buddhist abbots, or enjoying a tea ceremony performed by a maiko (apprentice geisha).

Coffee shop by day, cocktail bar by night, this cozy venue is fast becoming the hipsters’ haunt in urban-chic Cihangir. Serkan İpekli, a Turkish barista champion, and Yağmur Engin teamed up to brew, mix, and shake classic and innovative beverages all day with a vibe that’s laid-back, yet irresistible.

Iconic chef Roy Yamaguchi helped popularize Hawaiian-fusion food a generation ago, but at Eating House 1849 he takes a delicious detour with dishes inspired by Portuguese, Spanish, and Filipino flavors. This “plantation cuisine” evokes the immigrant dishes served in the mid-1800s, when the state’s first restaurant—a Honolulu establishment called Eating House—opened (according to legend). Yamaguchi brings some serious chops to the table: He trained at the Culinary Institute of America before serving as executive chef in Los Angeles‘s La Serene and winning a James Beard Award. The menu shifts seasonally, according to what farmers, foragers, ranchers, and fishermen produce. Expect delicacies like a beef-and-wild-boar burger and pork lumpia with green papaya. Cap it all off with cinnamon-dusted malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts) with Koloa Rum sauce!

Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night fare, this bistro-style American eatery is located in the lobby of the historical Continental Bank, right in the middle of downtown. Chef Nathan Powers and his team draw locals working nearby, tourists from afar, and businesspeople looking to impress and woo clients. The menu for each of the meals served throughout the day is sophisticated but not overwhelming, and Powers slowly rotates items as the seasons change and new inspiration strikes. Bambara offers a number of seafood dishes and provides a range of portion sizes to accommodate different appetites.