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Pisa’s famous leaning tower (the campanile of the adjacent Duomo) is part of the Piazza del Duomo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes the Duomo, baptistery and cemetery. Begun in 1173, the tower began to lean almost immediately thanks to soil subsidence. To try to halt the tilt, cables and counterweights have been inserted. A spiral staircase with nearly 300 steps leads to the top of this unique, iconic building.

The friendly vibe at Delly Deck makes island eatery an ideal spot for celebrating special occasions or just grabbing breakfast or lunch with friends and family. Considered by locals to be a landmark (it’s been around for 40 years!), Delly Deck has a solid breakfast menu, with a range of omelet choices and standard but tasty lunch selections such as sandwiches, wraps, salads, and burgers. Cocktails—frozen and not—as well as beer and wine are on offer, though you probably can’t get into too much trouble before the 4 p.m. closing time.

Home to warehouses and bustling trolley stops in the 1920s and ’30s (with the warehouses becoming artists’ studios and storage facilities in the ’70s), these few blocks in South Dallas’s Oak Cliff neighborhood were designated a National Historic Landmark in 199O—right around the time the area was experiencing a decline. In the new millennium, however, there’s been a revival: Today the area’s brick buildings and charming former homes hold over 60 independent shops, restaurants, bars, cafés, and galleries. Grab a coffee or glass of wine and browse the tomes at the Wild Detectives bookstore, shop for furniture and local artwork at Neighborhood, and find unique gifts and design items at Bishop Street Market and We Are 1976. Foodies also flock to top spots like Hattie’s for Southern low-country–inspired fare; the much-acclaimed (and often hard to reserve) Lucia for Italian fine dining; Eno’s Pizza Tavern for thin-crust pies; Tillman’s Roadhouse for Texas- and Southwest-flavored favorites; and the legendary Lockhart Smokehouse for pit BBQ. Save room for artisan sweets from Dude, Sweet Chocolate (which has garnered national acclaim) and a slice of fresh-from-the-oven pie from Emporium, where the menu changes seasonally. With the area now firmly enjoying “features on travel TV shows” status, and private residences still lining the side streets, parking here can be tricky—especially on the weekends, or during a festival or one of the regular wine, art, or jazz nights.

Fly by Jing is chef Jenny Gao’s pop-up supper club, where 10 lucky diners get to sample 10 to 15 courses of “Sichuan soul food.” Gao was born in China but raised in Toronto, and her dinner menus reflect this East-West tension. Imagine a Chinese-Italian fusion dish with organic black pork dumplings over fresh pasta, the bowl topped with a cured egg-yolk. Dinners happen twice a month and cost about $77, including one cocktail, beer, and wine. Subscribe to Gao’s email newsletter to scoop up tickets to the next culinary event; seats sell out fast.

Housed in the former residence of Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, the early 20th-century chief who created the framework for Fiji’s modern institutions and government, this charming restaurant also has the best food in Suva. While the Western-style breakfasts and lunches are top-notch, it’s the dinners, including Fijian specialties, that make this place shine. Try the kokoda (raw fish marinated in lime, then doused in coconut milk), steamed fish, stuffed crab, and grilled New Zealand lamb. The service is impeccable, there’s a decent wine list, and reservations are recommended. Be sure to explore this colonial house and its interesting collections of memorabilia before your meal.

With its world-renowned chef and ultrachic decor, Blue—tucked discreetly into the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman—seems the sort of place you’d find in New York or Paris. But the main draw is decidedly local: spectacularly fresh ingredients sourced largely from the sea right outside and served up in such specialties as lightly seared wahoo with bok choy and kimchi broth; or poached halibut with sunchokes, salsify, and truffle jus; or bread-crusted red snapper with squid and sofrito sauce. If you’re feeling ambitious, go for the gusto with a six- or seven-course tasting menu—and tack on the wine pairings.

One of the hippest neighborhoods in the city is Amsterdam-Noord, situated directly across the IJ River from the main train station. Here, an iconic 1970s office high-rise has been recently revamped and rebranded as A’DAM, an acronym for Amsterdam Dance and Music. Along with music-themed businesses, restaurants, and an underground nightclub, the tower boasts the rooftop Lookout, an open-air observation deck 20 stories up that offers panoramic views of the historic city center, the bustling port to the west, and the Dutch landscape beyond. Daredevils line up for Over the Edge, a huge metal contraption that lets you literally swing out over the edge of the building. Entrance to the Lookout is €12.50 (about $15) and a ride on the swing is €5 (about $6).

Napoléon and his armies marched through it; revolutionaries and Nazis gathered beneath it; the Berlin Wall ran right behind: It’s safe to say that Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, completed in 1791, has pretty much seen it all. Designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans, who drew inspiration from the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens, the gate is best approached via Unter den Linden, the tree-lined boulevard that runs between the gate and the former Royal Palace. You can combine a visit here with nearby sights such as the Reichstag, Tiergarten Park, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Since 2016, an impressive high-tech museum at the gate has offered a history of the city through the perspective of the iconic structure.

On Sandoval Street, this warmly lit gourmet spot from chefs Mark Connell and Arthur Martel (Arroyo Vino) provides a welcome detour from the standard New Mexican fine-dining route. In a reconsideration of the traditional dim sum cart, shareable dishes—plated on pretty, Instagram-worthy ceramics, are presented to diners. Offerings change seasonally and often include creations like suckling pig wontons or cassoulet with rabbit sausage as well as veggie-focused items like parsnip risotto with thyme and maple, and English pea and stone fruit salad with a goat cheese sorbet. There’s also a stellar wine list.

With its own shuttle flight service from St. Lucia and Barbados and an unbeatable location on one of the Caribbean’s most picturesque stretches of sand, Bequia Beach Hotel is an island unto itself. The 10-acre property, easily Bequia’s most luxurious, also includes a spa, two swimming pools, two restaurants, and a canvas-tented bar on nearby Princess Margaret Beach, plus 56 individually appointed rooms and suites furnished in an eclectic, island-chic style (think red four-poster beds, wicker armchairs, and palm-accented throw pillows). Adventurous types can take advantage of the hotel’s free sports equipment (including kayaks, paddleboards, and bikes), while those who prefer more subdued activities can opt for complimentary yoga classes.

Travelers looking to trade the urban confines of Hobart or Launceston for a more rugged experience without sacrificing on comfort should consider a weekend away at Cradle Mountain Lodge, a wilderness resort and spa that’s tucked away in Tasmania’s Central Highlands. While the forested location on the edge of Cradle Mountain–Lake St. Clair National Park and ample hiking opportunities are enough of a draw—it’s not uncommon to see rambling wombats or, occasionally, more elusive Tasmanian devils in the immediate surroundings—Cradle Mountain Lodge operates as a destination unto itself, with a glass-walled spa that looks onto verdant King Billy pines and hotel-style suites and stand-alone cottages with gas and log fireplaces and private balconies. Rough-hewn wood, leather, and stone greet you in the Highland Restaurant, which impresses with its extensive wine list and strong emphasis on locally harvested ingredients (think ratatouille ravioli and wallaby porterhouse with pumpkin cream).

Finding good Italian food in Asia can be as daunting as Monty Python’s quest for the Holy Grail, which is which why Latteria Mozzarella Bar is so special. The Duxton Hill restaurant boasts nearly a dozen varieties of mozzarella to try, from burrata with roast pumpkin and truffle to smoked buffalo-milk mozzarella with porcini mushrooms. Fish, meat, and pasta mains round out the offerings; savor the homemade red tagliolini with pork sausage ragù, the gnocchi with porcini and truffle cream, or the slow-roasted lamb shanks with chickpeas and red wine. If you’re lucky, you’ll snag a seat on the gorgeous terrace.

With its medieval churches and soft rolling hills covered by vineyards, Kakheti is Georgia’s answer to Tuscany. Among the region’s most charming places to stay is Chateau Mere, located near Telavi, the largest city in Kakheti. The place calls itself a chateau, but the quaint, turreted, rough-hewn stone complex feels slightly like a ramshackle estate of an eccentric, over-hospitable uncle who treats hotel guests like friends. Owner George Piradashvili is gregarious (even by Georgian standards) and is the entrepreneur behind the excellent Winiveria winery. He opened the hotel in 2011 because he wanted a place for his friends, who are mostly Georgian musicians and actors, to stay in. The living room is crammed with photos of Georgian celebrities who usually stay here, along with a piano, antlers galore, Georgian textiles, and an antique gramophone that all create a homey feel. The 15 guestrooms have pine floors and tasteful, minimal furnishings. Most guests prefer to hang out by the pool or on the terrace, taking in the romantic views of the lush Alazani Valley and the dramatic Caucuses mountains beyond, drinking the owner’s juicy Saperavi wines or the aromatic white Khikhvi, and tasting his house-cured meats and stringy, briny artisanal cheeses. The hotel also arranges grape-picking and crushing activities, cheese-making and bread-baking demos, and horse riding. Piradashvili also owns the romantic lakeside Royal Batoni hotel.

Located inside the 1925 heritage building Five on the Bund, this chic space delivers on its name. Glide through a crystal curtain into a lounge decorated with swirling greens, blues, and golds, its walls lined with art from owner Michelle Garnaut’s private collection. Sip one of the 32 wines available by the glass, or sample a posh cocktail like the Saffron and Spice (saffron-infused brandy, star anise syrup, lemon, and apricot bitters). Hungry? Order a treat from Aussie chef Hamish Pollitt’s menu: Think down under, but with plenty of Southeast Asian influence, like beetroot and goat cheese tarts, beef tartare with pickled green mango and pomelo, and a truffled cheese toastie.

One of the most famous restaurants in Venice, the Michelin-starred Da Fiore occupies an understated-yet-elegant space in what was once an old Venetian tavern. The food is a modern take on traditional Venetian, with lots of fish and seafood, but the menu changes constantly based on what is fresh and locally available. Everything is wonderfully prepared with a lovely fusion of flavors and textures and comes out perfectly plated. There’s also an excellent wine list. You can order à la carte or choose a six- or seven-course tasting menu at dinner.