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Tourism is down, prices are up, social services are disappearing, and the government is bankrupt. Which means it’s a good time to get to know Seychelles.

Kampa, in Prague’s charming Malá Strana district, is Prague’s largest island. Tucked between the Vltava River and the romantic Čertovka channel, the island’s park comes alive in the warmer months with picnickers, dog walkers, and friends gathered on the greenery desperate to catch up on their vitamin D. With direct views of the Vltava’s roaring rapids and the city’s famous Charles Bridge, Kampa is also home to the Kampa Museum, a former mill turned modern art museum dedicated to 20th-century Central European art. Artist David Černý’s gigantic crawling babies are outside the building, while the inner courtyard and galleries showcase other freestanding works, sculpture, paintings, and photographs.

Tadao Ando’s mall on Omotesando Dori is an architectural delight. In an interior skylit atrium, a spiral walkway ascends from the basement up to the third floor. Most of the shops are high-end: fashion designers, jewelry stores, and cosmetics, while Pass the Baton is a secondhand shop of select clothes, antiques, jewelry, and housewares. Vegetable-focused restaurants include Yasaiya-Mei and Kyo-Oyasai-Bar Mei; though they are not strictly vegetarian, both offer seasonal and local produce. Chocolate aficionados can indulge at the Jean-Paul Hévin boutique.

Walk the Forum, queue early for the Vatican Museums, get reserved tickets for the Borghese Galleries. These and a host of other museums are all mind blowing. Stroll Trastevere, with Its vibrant local culture. Take a boat trip down the Tiber to Ostia Antica, Ancient Rome’s port city.Rome has cornered the contemporary arts scene for quite some time and now has two massive institutions to show for it, the Macro and the Zaha Hadid designed Maxxi.

Located along the bluffs on Cliff Drive, Heisler Park is a walker’s paradise. Visitors looking to get some exercise can start at the lifeguard tower on Main Street and follow a one-mile loop through the park, passing more than a dozen art installations—not to mention six Laguna landmarks and sweeping ocean views–along the way. For those seeking something more relaxing, Heisler Park is also home to beautifully landscaped gardens, a marine refuge with tide pools, barbecues, picnic tables, and grassy lawns for lounging in the sun.

If the coffee scene in Paris is as robust as it is today, it’s thanks in large part to Thomas Lehoux, one of the city’s star baristas and co-owner of Ten Belles, just off Canal St-Martin. He collaborated with two Englishwomen, Anna Trattles and Alice Quillet from Le Bal Café, to open this intimate espresso bar in the fall of 2012, and success was immediate. Lehoux and his team turn out some of the finest, if time-consuming, drip coffees in the city, while Trattles and Quillet serve up a small menu of comforting fare—soups, sandwiches, and salads—that rotates daily. The Anglo-inspired desserts—cakes, scones, peanut-butter brownies, and raspberry crumb bars—go down beautifully with a host of coffee drinks. Escape the crowds by heading to the mezzanine, where there are usually seats available, along with a view of the bar from above. But if the weather permits, grab one of the stools and take your coffee outside, or opt for a takeout cup and enjoy it alongside the canal.

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal, and without question it’s one of the most iconic sights in Venice. There has been a bridge at this site since the 12th century, connecting the districts of San Marco and San Polo, and until the Accademia Bridge was built in 1854, the Ponte di Rialto was the only way to cross the canal on foot. Early versions of the bridge were made of wood and eventually succumbed to fire or collapse, until its current incarnation was constructed of stone by Antonio da Ponte in 1591. Beyond the mandatory walk across the single-span stone bridge, there is an open-air market at its eastern foot that is worth a wander. Skip the stores selling jewelry on the Rialto Bridge itself, however; you’ll find better quality and value in other parts of the city.

Head outside the city centre, to the commune of Tervuren, for one of the most beautiful parks near Brussels. Just behind the Royal Museum for Central Africa (pictured here) is a large garden. Joggers and walkers frequent the network of paths through the forest and lakes are populated with fishermen on weekends. The park is home to Flanders largest Giant Redwood tree and there is a good deal of wildlife inhabiting the lake and trees. It is particularly lovely in autumn, as the leaves are changing colour, and in early spring, as the sunshine filters through the newly sprouted leaves.

Both charming and affordable (it doesn’t charge a resort fee), this intimate 37-room property also has an unbeatable central location—near the heart of Old Town and just a few blocks from Duval Street and Mallory Square. Part of the Historic Key West Inns collection, the Key Lime Inn features classic Key West style with a 19th-century main house highlighted by a double-height colonnaded entrance and green shutters. Rooms follow suit with high ceilings and classical proportions, and beds are done up in crisp, white linens; most have sitting areas and private walkouts or porches to encourage lingering. Though short on amenities, the grounds are shaded by tall palms and dotted with Caribbean-style clapboard cottages painted in cheery colors with gingerbread trim, and all offer free WiFi. And if the beach doesn’t call you, a large wood deck surrounds the heated outdoor pool, and hammocks and porch swings are placed around the property for maximum relaxation.

Bray Farm is located in Yarmouth Port, Mass on Cape Cod. There are some scenic walking trails there and a variety of animals. Just behind the farm is a nice Cape Cod marshy area. If you go there during mealtime the animals can get animated. These sheep were too busy eating to care that I was taking a picture of their backsides; Either that or they were in time out.

One could argue that the Pulitzer Amsterdam isn’t actually one hotel. Before 1960, each of its 25 buildings was an individual, 17th- or 18th-century merchant canal house. Painstaking renovations over the years have guaranteed that each room feels distinct, maintaining original architectural details from each house, such as arched windows, exposed beams, and friezes. And, from the outside, each house still looks separate, so that the glamorous, art-filled hotel blends right into its surroundings, seeming to be just another of the neighborhood’s picturesque historic buildings.

The recently restored hotel has entrances on and views over two of the city’s main canals—Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht—with a tranquil garden in the middle. The 225 guest rooms blend traditional and modern Dutch craftsmanship and service, while the authentic restaurant and bar showcase local flavors. Located in the heart of Amsterdam’s historic city center, the hotel is within easy reach of the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, Van Gogh Museum, and the Anne Frank House. It’s also a quick walk, bike, or boat ride to the fashionable Nine Streets, the quaint shops of Jordaan, the flower market, and the Royal Palace.

Thai cuisine, with its balance of three to four fundamental taste senses, may be complex but that doesn’t make it difficult to pick up the basics. Bangkok has a plethora of cooking schools, some of which are attached to renowned Thai restaurants such as Bo.lan and Blue Elephant. Blue Elephant is one of the most respected venues in the city and its tuition reflects its exalted status. Two courses are offered daily, with the morning session featuring a visit to a local market and the afternoon session including a detailed introduction to Thai ingredients. A homier option is Amita Thai Cooking Class. Classes are held in an antique canalside home and include an explanatory visit to the resident herb garden.

Praia da Luz is about a 10 minute drive from Lagos. After ancient historic times passed, it was a little fishing village. In the 15th & 16th centuries, there was a large sardine fishing industry in the area of Praia da Luz beach. As I walked along the promenade in front of the beach, I appreciated the low rise development of the area. The view was of the beach, the walkways, the sea, and the palm trees. There are shops, restaurants, cafes, and the beach sheltered under the “Black Rock”. Market and artists’ stalls are prominent. Behind a gate near the Galley Restaurant, there are Roman ruins of a Roman spa and fish salting tanks. At the beach there is horse riding, kayaking, surfing, swimming, and diving. In the village, you can sign up for ballooning or golf. The village has it all: accommodations, shops, a church, and a bank or two. If you are interested in walking and hiking, you can take the trail three km. east to Porto do Mos Beach (Lagos). If you want to view the fantastic Ponta da Piedade, you will walk another five km. (If you want to return to Praia da Luz there is a bus). The Lagos Zoo is a short drive from Praia da Luz. The zoo has small animals and many birds. A stay at Praia da Luz would be a good choice in the Algarve. Or it is a great day trip from Lagos. We enjoyed the day trip with a delicious dinner on the beach at sunset. Info:www.praia-da-luz.com

Beyond tulips, windmills, and weed, Amsterdam’s global image is entwined with water. The Canal Ring (Grachtengordel) is made up of 165 fluid channels developed during the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age. In the ensuing years, the water network has supported maritime trade while evolving into a centerpiece of one of the world’s most recognizable urban landscapes. In 2013, on its 400th birthday, UNESCO added the Grachtengordel to its list of World Heritage sites. Today the Canal Ring is both a historic transportation system and a stunning backdrop for local festivals and celebrations. The canals, notably Prinsengracht, are packed with partygoers on annual festivals like King’s Day (formerly Queen’s Day), in April, as well as Gay Pride and Grachtenfestival in August. Canal cruises offer an excellent introduction to city sights and are a great way to see Amsterdam.

Upon first glance, Circa Las Vegas revolves around sports betting: There’s a three-story sports book in the on-site casino and the pool deck features giant TV screens on one side and tiered, stadium-style pools and lounge chairs on the other. But the first new casino Downtown in more than 50 years also celebrates Vegas history: The design harkens back to Old Vegas dramatics, with art deco lighting in the high-limit areas of the casino and images of old-school gamblers inside the elevators. Owner Derek Stevens has even given a new permanent home to Vegas Vickie, a two-story neon kicking cowgirl who once graced the nearby stretch of Fremont Street known as “Glitter Gulch.” Vickie presides over an open foyer, seemingly nodding at guests as they wander around the casino.

Guest rooms at Circa—512 in all—have dark wood accents and carpets with geometric art deco motifs. Rooms in the Flex King category are equipped with king-size beds and couches that disappear when a second Murphy-style bed is pulled down from the wall. (Travelers who value selfies swear by the floor-length mirrors flanked by Green Room–style lighting.) Floor-to-ceiling windows offer epic views of either Stadium Swim or the Fremont Street Experience, a covered pedestrian walkway that forms the cultural and entertainment center of Downtown and was the main drag in the Vegas of yesteryear until the destination expanded with mega resorts to the south. The hotel also is a short walk from the unmissable Mob Museum, which offers a peek into the history of organized crime and runs a moodily lit speakeasy bar in the basement.

Related: 7 Hotels to Book for “Non-Vegas” People