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From street food to white-tablecloth restaurants, Mexico City has a meal for every palate and budget. Plus, local, fresh, and heritage aren’t just buzzwords here—they’re a way of life. Come taste for yourself.

Monaco has more to offer than casinos, yachts, and fancy race cars. The Monte Carlo Beach Hotel reminds guests of the city’s glitterati glory days. The casino may steal the spotlight at Le Fairmont Monte-Carlo, but the Nobu restaurant and stellar spa deserve equal attention. Grand Prix fans will want to book a room at Port Palace for its terrific race views, not to mention harbor location. Housed in a 1900s Italianate-style palace, Hotel Métropole Monte-Carlo delivers over the top glamour.

Pokhara, located in the center of the city, has one of the best ambiences around. The quintessential European café, with a touch of Paris and a touch of Spain, it attracts a younger, hip crowd. Don’t expect food beyond the obligatory croissants and tortilla española, but do try their carajillo. They put special care into this boozy alchoholic drink. First vodka or whisky (your choice—but choose whisky) is set aflame. Then a shot of espresso is pulled while the bartender whips body into cool, fresh cream. All of this goes into a glass to form the carajillo, one of the most delicious drinks known to man.

Some of New Zealand’s best souvenir shopping is found at art and craft galleries around the country. Locally-made crafts include Maori woven pieces and wood carvings. One color you’re sure to see all over the place: green, the color of pounamu, the Maori name for greenstone. But the country’s shops don’t just stop at souvenirs, of course. You’ll find local designer labels at shopping centers, including Auckland’s High Street. Watch for pieces by Karen Walker, one of the country’s best-known designers. Living in a camper van during your stay? Stop at the many farmers markets around the country to restock your cooler.

Featured in countless films, novels, and TV shows, Venice can evoke a sense of deja vu in travelers who have never previously experienced the Grand Canal, Bridge of Sighs, and gondola rides. Those are worthy experiences, yet Venice also rewards those who seek out its small islands and give in to getting lost down quaint neighborhood side streets. Museums and a local’s cooking class round out the mix of must-do activities.

The tram gives Portland visitors stunning views of the city, river, and mountains beyond. Grab the streetcar from downtown out to the waterfront. You’re delivered to the lower terminal for the three-minute ride carrying you 3,300 feet at 20 MPH to the upper terminal at OHSU. Linger for photo ops then head back down to explore. If it’s nice, skip the streetcar and walk back along the river. Daily workout, check. Roundtrip cost: $4. At the lower terminal, the Daily Cafe is an easy find in the atrium of the OHSU Clinical building as you disembark the pill-shaped car, built with precision by the Swiss. Head for the river and stroll along the shore in any weather. Double back along SW Bond Ave and consider lunch at Bambuza Vietnamese Bistro. Check out the pricey high-rise condos on the market in the real estate office windows, then relax in one of the pocket parks to people watch. It snows in Portland. A couple of times a winter, even downtown gets dusted and it’s a huge mess. I’ve dreamed about getting my ski gear on, grabbing my boards and heading for the PDX Tram at the South Waterfront. I’d casually climb aboard with the patients and medical folks heading up to “Pill Hill” and blow their minds.

A perfect day in Doha may involve a trip to the desert for the thrill of dune bashing and a swim, or a few hours shopping for traditional souvenirs at Souq Waqif, or breakfast, lunch, and dinner at three of the many fine cuisine restaurants in the city, or a visit to the Museum of Islamic Art or to the private collection of Sheikh Faisal, or a leisurely walk along the corniche, or window shopping for luxury cars at The Pearl, or a dhow dinner cruise. The options are endless.

Cairo Beyond the Headlines

In this modest Asian city, a vast galaxy of street food, night markets, and closet-sized seafood restaurants awaits. Don’t forget that small can be mightily good.

Today’s cosmopolitan, cool Berlin is a global dining city with top places to eat that range from casual street stands selling affordable snacks to elegant restaurants offering Michelin-star fine dining and local ingredients. Sample everything from falafel to Jamaican specialties—and some surprisingly good Tex-Mex burritos. But even modern-day Berlin does classic German fare very well so get in on all the currywurst you can handle. If you just have time to eat around one neighborhood, head straight to Prenzlauer Berg for top-notch brunch spots and some of the city’s best people watching.

Norwegians supposedly drink the most coffee in the world. It’s easy to believe. Stroll the streets of Oslo, and you’ll find coffee shops on every corner.

With the temperature sitting pretty around 75 degrees at all times, walking around Medellín is pure pleasure. To get a deeper understanding of the history of and life in Colombia, don’t miss the Museo Casa de la Memoria, which recounts Colombia’s brutal civil war. After, head to the Parque de los Pies Descalzos, where you get to kick off your shoes and, like all the other kids and adults, run through fountains. For a stellar view, hop a Metrocable car to the neighborhood of Santo Domingo.

There’s tons to do in Guadalajara but, if you have some time to spare, fantastic day and weekend trips are just a short—and cheap—bus, train, or car ride away. In fact, the state of Jalisco, of which Guadalajara is the capital, is home to Mexico’s largest number of pueblos mágicos (magic towns). From the country’s biggest lake, to the birthplace of tequila, to beautiful beaches and ruins, there’s plenty to see just outside the big city.

One of my favorite places in the whole world—Vieques! I’m actually a little apprehensive to share, because I’d love to keep it the semi-secret it is. If you time it well, you can have this beach all to yourself.

Housed in side-by-side 19th-century townhouses amid the gas streetlights and cobblestoned streets of Boston‘s Beacon Hill, the high-end Beacon Hill Hotel retains a distinctly European feel. The original owners and neighborhood residents Peter and Cecilia Rait bought the properties with the intent of opening a hotel and bistro. Nowadays, the property is managed by Saunders Hotel Group, but the who’s-who clientele hasn’t changed. Since the hotel opened in 2000, the intimate property has hosted innumerable A-listers seeking a lower profile, including Todd English.

Each of the 13 rooms has plantation shutters, pedestal sinks, flat-panel TVs with DirecTV, and windows that actually open for fresh air. The second-floor common area invites guests to meet and mingle. Plus, the hotel has a private, residential-feeling roof terrace overlooking Charles Street, perfect for morning coffee or afternoon reading.