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If you’re looking to visit the quintessential Central European city, you could do no better than Prague. From Wenceslas Square and Prague Castle to Charles Bridge and the Malá Strana, the Vltava River town has Instagram-worthy moments at every turn. Drop your bags at these atmospheric hotels, then set off on foot to experience the World Heritage historic site in all its glory.

The excellent swell and proximity to Taipei make Yilan one of the most popular places for surfing on the island. The swell is biggest and most consistent in the winter, but fun all year round.

Stillwater is a longtime favorite in Launceston for its location on the Tamar River in a lovingly restored 1830s flour mill. Original beams, polished timber floors, and water views set the scene for seasonal dishes such as whiskey-cured Huon salmon; slow-roasted Flinders Island rack of lamb (flavored like ocean salt from the sea-swept grasses the lamb eat); and Cape Grim steak (which hails from the capital of clean air). The same owners run Black Cow Bistro a few blocks up the road, which is doing more incredible things with Cape Grim cuts. Save room for the sweet basil panna cotta with strawberries and breadcrumbs. You can hike it off at Cradle Mountain tomorrow.

We absolutely loved the energy and atmosphere at Myoga, the 100-seater restaurant at The Vineyard Hotel & Spa. Chef Mike Bassett serves a dining extravaganza of seven courses paired with South Africa’s finest sparkling, white and red wines. You’d think with seven courses to choose from, decisions wouldn’t be so tough. But OMG. Gorgonzola creme brulee or kaitafi prawn? Roast leek or chilled avo and cucumber soup? Springbok medallions or duo of lamb? To top it off, Pearl Oliver, our most excellent sommelier, beautifully described the attributes of each pairing. Believe me, it’s worth the long flight to SA just to dine here, and have a look at the menu first on the link below.

A cozy new spot from chef Joseph Wrede that blends a dining experience for the vegetable lover like wild greens vichyssoise and a cast iron cauliflower dish with mustard seed, white beans, anchovies, fried capers. The meat inclined will lean towards the flavorful bison ribeye and southwestern lamb burger. Enjoy a great selection of beers on tap and a winner wine list.

Galicia, Spain has several lighthouses along its Costa da Morte (Death Coast) in Finisterre to protect sailors and ships from wrecking on the wild beaches. After a two day visit to the pilgrimage site of Santiago de Compostela, we traveled farther north in Galicia to visit friends in Camarinas. While there, our friends wanted to show us a couple of these historic lighthouses. One was the Cape Vilan Light which is close to their town ( which is a center of fishing and lacemaking). The lighthouse has an octagonal stone tower of 341' in height with a glass dome and lantern. It was begun about 1896. It is the oldest electric lighthouse in Spain. We arrived and the waves crashed on the rocks and the shore below the lighthouse. It was a wild area. Our friends wanted us to climb the spiral staircase - my husband complied. I knew that for some reason, my legs would “freeze” and not let me advance as had happened before in lighthouses so I politely declined. They ascended and went out on the top deck to wave to us. I was somewhat annoyed that I hadn’t gone but standing on solid ground felt good to me! I was told that the view was amazing and you could see for miles. The area was desolate and very beautiful. The lighthouse continues to protect the sailors and their ships. The Cape (rock) area is an ecologic treasure as there are many birds that nest in the huge rocks and there are many regional paints to see. The grounds are well kept and this is a great historic experience.

Food-lovers and chefs flock to Charleston and many limit their visits to the dining rooms of the latest thing, the just-minted award-winners, but locals (and regulars to town) know that the true taste of Charleston can be found in restaurants that cook from old recipes, making dishes from memories of hot nights, small kitchens, and big flavor.

If you only have three days in Amsterdam, a walking tour, boat tour, museum-crawl, and evening concert are just a few of your activity options. Over three days, you can also experience Amsterdam’s infamous Red Light District, get lost in the canal ring, chill out in Vondelpark and take a ferry to Amsterdam-Noord. Plus: get out of town and see picture-postcard Holland a short cycle-ride away, but worlds apart from bustling Amsterdam.

Spain’s capital offers the best of food, art, architecture, and nightlife. For the best address in town, book a stay at AC Palacio del Retiro, set on the Parque del Retiro. For Old World splendor and a star-studded past, check in to the Gran Meliá Fénix. Foodies will want to score a room at Hotel Hesperia Madrid, home to one of Spain’s top restaurants, while design lovers will appreciate the details—old and new—at Urso Hotel & Spa in the hip Salesas neighborhood.

Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada is a place where elk still wander through town and bears are often spotted along the highway—and the locals prefer it that way. This is a place where residents prefer cabins to condos, and believe 5-star ratings pale in comparison to the 5 million stars in the night sky. Glacier walks and mountain hikes, scenic cruises and epic road trips, Jasper is the largest park in the Canadian Rockies and it’s got the diversity of wildlife, wild views, and adventures to prove it.

Step back in time to Prague’s Bohemian past—the Old Town Square, St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle, the romantic Charles Bridge—before visiting the somber memorial to its Communist rule. Today Prague basks in modern optimism, evidenced by such landmarks as Frank Gehry’s Dancing House Hotel and DOX Centre for Contemporary Art.

My photo does not do this beach justice. Flanked by coral, Baisha (which means “white sand” in Chinese) Beach is possibly the most beautiful beach on the island. Just outside of Kenting, this beach is popular with visitors year-round. There are several hotels nearby as well as two campgrounds. It is rare to hear that somebody has traveled to the south of Taiwan without stopping by this gorgeous place.

This superb beach on the island’s northwest shore is accessible only by water. It’s easy to find a boat; they depart frequently from Porto Vromi, Ágios Nikólaos, Cape Skinari and Zákinthos Town. At Navagio, sheer limestone cliffs cradle sugar-white sands and an azure bay. As for the shipwreck that gave the cove its nickname, the story goes that a freighter smuggling cigarettes, wine and women ran aground here in 1981 while fleeing the Greek navy. The ship’s remains can still be seen in the dunes. Note that this secluded spot has no facilities, so bring your own food and drink—as well as a sun umbrella because the beach heats up dramatically by midday.

The ChuHuo Eternal Flame (恆春出火) just outside of Hengchun in the far south of Taiwan is definitely worth a stop. Natural gas seeps up from the earth and ignites on this otherwise dead area of rock and sand ground. There are several areas of fire to see and, on at busy times, there are vendors in the parking lot who will sell you popcorn to pop over the eternal flames.

Black Dwarf Cave (also known as Black Ghost Cave) is located on Xiao Liuchiu’s west coast. It’s more of a walkway through a maze of precipitous lava rock formations than a tunnel into a cliff like one normally expects of a cave. The cave has a morbid history; more than three hundred aboriginals were burned alive here by the Dutch during their occupation of Taiwan. The cave, however, is beautiful, with several vistas like the one pictured here overlooking the Taiwan Strait.