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One of New York’s loveliest historic districts, Brooklyn Heights sits along the East River to the south of the Brooklyn Bridge. Its streets are lined with beautifully preserved and restored 19th-century town houses while a promenade along its western edge offers views of the skyline of downtown Manhattan—especially stunning when the sun is setting over New York’s harbor. Simply wandering its streets, you’ll feel transported back in time, but there are some buildings of special interest you may want to seek out. The celebrated 19th-century preacher Henry Ward Beecher (brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe) presided at Plymouth Church (57 Orange St.). Truman Capote finished Breakfast at Tiffany’s and wrote In Cold Blood during the 10 years he lived at 70 Willow Street, and novelist Thomas Wolfe lived at 5 Montague Terrace from 1933 to 1935. Grace Church (254 Hicks St.) and St. Ann & the Holy Trinity (157 Montague St.) are outstanding examples of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture. After you are done exploring, Atlantic Avenue, which marks the southern edge of the neighborhood, and Montague Street have a number of restaurants to choose from if you are ready for a meal.

Bright Angel Trail was turned over to the National Park Service in 1928, but its history in the Grand Canyon goes back thousands of years as a natural route navigated by the region’s American Indians to reach the inner canyon. Today it’s one of the most popular Grand Canyon hikes and often is combined with the South Kaibab Trail for a longer excursion. Bright Angel is a shaded trail with plenty of natural water, so that means more plant and animal life for you to view. At Indian Garden, water is available year round, and there’s a must-see creek-side trail that snakes through ravines of water-sculpted stone and green cottonwood trees; from Plateau Point, you can see three miles of the Colorado River. Mules have the right of way on the trail.

An unassuming little neighborhood restaurant in the shadow of Mount Tabor, Coquine offers one of the best dining experiences in the city. Chef Katy Millard cooks what tickles her fancy, usually something seasonal, vaguely Continental, definitely Northwestern, and always interesting. (One constant, though, is the whole chicken to share, a crowd favorite.) Unlike at many fine-dining establishments, you can stop in for breakfast or lunch, too. Try the chocolate chip cookies, which are so popular that you used to have to call ahead and order them in advance if you wanted them at dinner. Ksandek Podbielski, Millard’s husband, oversees the regionally focused yet still surprising wine list.

Perched between South Atlantic beaches and lagoons and the massive sand dunes of the Namib Desert, the town of Swakopmund reflects a Bavarian-meets-African heritage in its buildings, cuisine and language. (It was the main harbor of German South West Africa, which lasted from 1884 until 1915, when South Africa took over the administration of the area.) Learn about the history of the town at the Swakopmund Museum, with exhibits on native flora and fauna, historical objects and archaeological relics, and the ethnology of the Namibian people and their cultures. The architecturally striking Kristall Galerie showcases Namibia’s mining history and includes the world’s largest quartz crystal cluster, a gem garden and a studio and shop for fine jewelry and precious stones.

This small, colorful restaurant located near Fourth and South streets showcases authentic Venezuelan street food, including Venezuelan-style arepas rellenas (thick cornmeal patties stuffed with meat, cheese, and other fillings) and patacones (sandwiches with fried-plantain patties in place of bread). With a friendly staff and fast service, Puyero is popular for dining in as well as for takeout and delivery. The limited menu is geared toward meat eaters, but two of the arepas and several sides are vegetarian-friendly. Try the tequeños—deep-fried dough wrapped around white cheese—and the churros. Muy delicioso! Puyero is BYOB.

Few people associate a wired city like Seoul with nature. However, South Korea’s capital is nestled amid 37 mountains, putting the great outdoors just a bus or subway ride away. Thanks to its location within the city, Bukhansan holds the Guinness World Record for the national park with the most visitors per square foot. You’ll find numerous trails of varying difficulty leading past temples, ancient fortress walls, waterfalls, and golden Buddha statues. The park is also home to Baegundae, Seoul’s highest peak, which offers a challenging but fun day-hike with a perfect picnic spot and bird’s-eye views of the sprawling metropolis.

When most people think of Korean cuisine, the first food that comes to mind is usually kimchi. In addition to being the country’s national dish, the spicy, fermented vegetable condiment has been shown to contain many health benefits. Learn even more about it at Museum Kimchikan, located in Insadong. Fun for children and adults alike, the museum features interactive exhibits about the history and process of making kimchi, culminating in a little tasting room with several varieties to sample. The small entrance fee includes an audio guide and complimentary hanboks (traditional Korean clothes) to wear inside the facility. If you plan to visit on a Wednesday or Thursday, secure advance reservations for a kimchi-making class.

Why we love it: A historic building turned stylish hotel with a buzzy restaurant and lavish spa

The Highlights:
- Chic decor that mixes historic preservation with contemporary style
- A rooftop cocktail bar with citrus-inspired drinks
- Amenities like an on-site boutique, open-air yoga, and house car service

The Review:
Much has been written about Charleston’s antebellum charms, but modernists seeking respite need look no further than The Dewberry, a 1960s federal building on Marion Square that’s now one of the city’s coolest hotels. Here, a wood-paneled lobby gives way to a cozy living room straight out of Mad Men, complete with mid-century furnishings, antiqued mirrors, live music, and a brass bar serving up deviled eggs and classic cocktails. Up a flight of stairs, the second-floor spa features tufted-velvet recliners and treatments that incorporate Lowcountry flora, plus a full-service fitness center and open-air yoga classes on the hotel rooftop.

The 155 light-filled guest rooms are equally stylish, with luxurious Irish linens, marble baths, and armoires clad in custom-printed linen by local illustrator Becca Barnet. Barnet’s work is also on display in the by-reservation-only Citrus Club, a rooftop lounge with craft cocktails and light bites overlooking the Holy City’s famed steeples. For a heartier meal, guests can head to on-site restaurant Henrietta’s, where traditional French brasserie fare meets local ingredients. Rounding things out are unique amenities like house car service in luxury Volvos, complimentary Papillionaire bicycles, and a boutique curated by Garden & Gun, with fashion, barware, jewelry, and more from Southern artisans and craftsmen.

Sydney’s 158-acre botanic garden, which hugs the harbor between Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and the Sydney Opera House, is home to nearly 9,000 plant species. Depending on the season of your visit, you might seek out spring peaches and wisteria or tropical orchids and summer lotus flowers. On any occasion, don’t miss descendants of the 200-million-year-old Wollemi pine, a dinosaur of a conifer only discovered in 1994. The gardens are also studded with sculptures from historical statues to modern works by Bronwyn Oliver, Paul Selwood, and Keld Moseholm. The quartz-and-sandstone Wurrungwuri depicts an Aboriginal shield once used by the traditional owners of this land. Tours are offered throughout the year, including a 1.5-hour Aboriginal history tour on the food and medicinal properties of native Australian plants.

While cute souvenir shops and even haute couture boutiques exemplify the changing face of the retail scene in Siem Reap, the city’s famous Old Market remains a heady hub of traditional trade and commerce. Located right in the heart of town, Psar Chas is amply stocked with lots of things that you might want to buy—as well as plenty of things you probably do not. That said, perusing the labyrinthine aisles full of silverware, silks, handicrafts, spices, stone carvings, and other assorted ephemera is worth a couple hours of anyone’s time. Stay calm and haggle politely with a smile on your face, and you’re sure to find a bargain or two.

Two hours from Rio de Janeiro, off the coast of Angra Dos Reis, Ilha Grande makes for a spacious retreat for two or an epic group vacation. The private island’s six-bedroom house comes with kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, plus a staff ready to whip up caipirinhas at all hours of the day.

There is perhaps no landmark of San Francisco, and perhaps even the entire state of California, more iconic than the Golden Gate Bridge. This much-photographed bridge spans the Golden Gate, the strait separating San Francisco (to the south) and Marin County (to the north). The 2.7-kilometer-long (1.7-mile-long) bridge was completed in 1937 in one of the most remarkable engineering feats of its time. Although the idea of traversing the Golden Gate by way of a bridge had been discussed for decades, the fear that fog and wind would make the project nearly impossible discouraged planners. In the end, the bridge was completed in four years at the cost of $35 million as well as the lives of 10 construction workers. A pedestrian path along the bridge offers stunning views of the bay and San Francisco as well as an up-close look at this Art Deco wonder.

Fire Island, in the heart of South Addition, one of Anchorage’s oldest neighborhoods, handcrafts an astonishingly delicious array of baked goods, breads, sandwiches, and savory delights that keep locals lining up for more. The bakery uses as much local produce as it can squeeze into its scones and muffins, offers interesting flavor combos, and serves up a tofu banh mi that is one of the finest tofu sandwiches known to man. If you’re hanging out in Anchorage for more than a day or two, check out the class schedule. You could leave Alaska with some serious sourdough skills. Please note: Fire Island is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as most of January.

Escape to another world just 30 miles south of San Francisco: In Half Moon Bay, fog-shrouded cliffs and deep-green cypress groves give this sleepy fishing town a retreat-like vibe. Take it all in at the rolling 14-acre grounds of the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, which offer a front-row seat to the Pacific. The accommodations are classic and well-appointed—like a comfortable guest room at Ralph Lauren’s Hamptons house—but it’s the view that steals the show. Stare at the ocean from a coastal view room or suite, and relish in the fact that your every need can be met without ever stepping off the property. Guests can swing a club at one of the two championship golf courses at Half Moon Bay Golf Links, soak in the Roman mineral baths at the 16,000 square-foot-spa, or indulge at the Ritz’s unparalleled brunch. Or do a whole bunch of nothing, beyond sitting fireside and sampling the s’mores kits.

A short drive north of the South Island town of Oamaru, Riverstone Kitchen is often lauded as one of New Zealand’s best regional restaurants. The stylish dining room is anchored by a robust fireplace crafted from local river stones, and much of the seasonal menu is crafted from the restaurant’s own organic orchards and gardens. A more relaxed café ambience for daily breakfast and lunches segues to a more formal mood at dinner from Thursdays to Saturdays, and the savvy drink list includes wines from the nearby Waitaki Valley as well as small-batch beers from around New Zealand. Ask if any of the excellent Belgian-style farmhouse ales from Oamaru’s Craftwork Brewery are available.