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One of the world’s prettiest capitals, Stockholm wows visitors with its food, architecture, design and natural beauty. To rub shoulders with stylish Swedes, head to the Lydmar Hotel, which boasts four of Stockholm’s hottest bars and restaurants. Hotel Skeppsholmen champions all things local including food, beer, design and insider tips to share with guests. Ett Hem translates to “a home” and this 12-room hotel feels exactly like that with a kitchen open to guests at all hours.

Berlin has a legendary nightlife scene, with bars and clubs pouring drinks late into the night. And on weekends, clubbing isn’t just a dusk till dawn affair, it’s an experience that can start on Friday and not stop until the wee hours of Monday morning. From dive bars to glam lounges to hopping clubs, here is how to experience Berlin after dark.

Buddha statues in lower Pak Ou Cave on the Mekong River north of Luang Prabang, Laos. Pak Ou is a series of limestone caves which contain hundreds of Buddha statues palced there over the centuries. It is a popular pilgrimage site for local people, especially during Lao New Year in April when the caves are crowded with devotees who gain merit by ceremonially washing the Buddha statues. The caves can be reached by boat from Luang Prabang in about 30-40 minutes.

Prague’s Astronomical Clock is the world’s oldest working one of its kind. Installed in 1410, it is located on the Old Town City Hall in Prague‘s Old Town Square. The medieval clock features an astronomical dial; “The Walk of the Apostles”, an hourly show of moving sculptures; and a monthly calendar dial with the 12 signs of the zodiac. The clock is the center of Prague and the city’s most popular sight. On the top of every hour, huge crowds gather to watch the movement of the Twelve Apostles. Two doors on either side of the clock open and the statues become animated with twelve moving disciples. Animated statues representing greed, vanity and death also add to the performance, which during the Middle Ages was one of the man-made marvels of the world. For centuries it has been displaying the time and date, the position of the sun, the phase of the moon and astronomical cycles. Even in the age of smart phones, that is pretty impressive! It’s easy to spend a whole afternoon, if not a whole day, here. You can visit the Town Hall, climb to the top of the tower for one of the best views in Prague, watch an Astronomical Clock performance, then enjoy a Czech meal in one of the local restaurants.

While Los Cabos may have caught your eye, there’s a good chance Todos Santos will be one of the most memorable parts of your trip. So ... make sure you give a visit to the town the time it deserves. An hour’s drive from Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos is one of the most magical art towns ... anywhere. Chat up local artists while visiting their studios, eat your fill at some of the area’s best dining spots, go fishing, and so much more.

Eating oysters in Charleston can be a delicate affair, of course, with open shells served on beds of ice with lemon wedges, but it’s more likely that you’ll be served up a cluster of steamed oysters, pried open in front of you, ready for the slurping. Find the refined—and the local Lowcountry—bivalves at our selection of great restaurants for oysters.

The tony suburb of Houghton, whose best-known resident was Nelson Mandela, is home to leafy lanes lined with stately estates. Not too far from the Mandela family manse is the Residence, a stylish boutique property that lives up to its name, evoking a private lair of a chic distant relative that guests are fortunate enough to visit for a spell.

The rooms are plush, with velvet headboards, sumptuous rugs, and glittering chandeliers, but the bathrooms are a sight to behold: the gleaming marble tiles and outdoor showers and tubs merit a special mention. Nods to the nautical can be found in the Boat Lounge, where mini sailboats and life preservers inspire the decor. There’s often a pianist tickling the ivories in the Piano Lounge, where guests can retire with a post-prandial cocktail.

Interior designer and owner Denis Roy eschewed the palapa-inspired elegance employed by so many Costa Rican resorts in favor of a tropical take on European influences—Victorian architecture, French colonial touches, and Grecian columns among them—creating a resort like no other on the country’s west coast. Owing to its vantage point 1,100 feet above the entrance to the Gulf of Nicoya, the views of the rain forest, ocean, and sunsets are stunning, especially from the infinity pool. Rooms in the main building are fairly basic, but suites and villas offer more luxurious touches, such as Jacuzzis, private ocean-facing terraces, and plunge pools. The property has its own beach (with sun beds, showers, and a snack bar), but since it’s at the bottom of a steep hill, the resort provides hourly transfers. Retreat to the open-air yoga studio, then head to the bar atop the Greek amphitheater to linger over a martini at the nightly sunset happy hour.

Bernal Heights is one of my favorite neighborhoods in San Francisco. It’s a little off the beaten path, but on a clear day the park at the top of the hill offers an amazing view of the city and the bay. On a foggy day, the park feels like the setting of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Did I mention dogs are allowed off-leash?

One traveler discovers a tradition even richer than the cuisine.

Though Berlin’s late nights make sleeping in the next day all too tempting, the city’s shops and farmers markets are very good reason to get up and out. If you need a clothing store for your next out-to-the-clubs outfit, bikini berlin is definitely worth a visit--it’s the go-to department store for fashion-forward and design-minded types. A more traditional but equally stunning shopping center is the century-old Kaufhaus des Westens. But if you really want to mix with locals, the city’s outdoor markets of both the flea and farmers varieties are truly memorable stops. Shopping local culture your thing? The city’s record and book shops provide hours of entertainment.

From scuba diving to whale watching to playing through on one of the golf courses that overlooks it, the Sea of Cortez is one of Los Cabos’ most inviting attractions. But there are others, of course. So many others. One of Mexico’s best beaches sits amidst the tourist corridor and the artists colony of Todos Santos is just an hour north of Cabo San Lucas. And there are plenty of other day trips on the Baja Peninsula too. Don’t worry. You can visit again...and again.

Laguna and Dana Point are the stuff happy hour dreams are made of. With ocean views, inventive cocktails, and light bites of California coastal cuisine, the bars here are perfect for drinks after a long day in the sun. Wipe the sand from your feet and step inside to find everything from craft beers and local wines to refreshing cocktails—all within view of the sparkling Pacific.

Three days will only scratch the surface in Sydney, but the city offers enough variety that a traveler can get a good taste of Australian life and culture here. Sydney is world famous for its intricate waterfront, so visitors should prioritize a coastal track like the Bondi to Coogee walk. Otherwise, as much time should be spent on Sydney Harbour as possible. Climb the Harbour Bridge, hit happy hour at the Opera Bar, and meet the residents of Taronga Zoo.

Born free, today’s post-apartheid generation asks, what’s next?