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The wine bar Vinologia: La Maison des Porto specializes in the city’s namesake port. Drop by the cozy tasting room to sample one of 200 bottles, mostly from regional small-batch producers. Rua de São João 46, 351/936-057-340 This appeared in the January/February 2012 issue.

Restaurant l’O à la Bouche has better-than-usual seafood—try the papio (small amberjack) cooked with fruit. The joint’s not much on ambiance or views, but it’s run by a chef who cares and who can offer a delicious taste of both French and Polynesian worlds.

Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa is located in one of the Philippines’ most popular vacation spots. And while it has all the musts—the turquoise waters, the powdered-sugar shores, the lush hills—what it doesn’t have is the crowds. And therein lies the resort’s beauty, or at least some of it. Tucked into an eco-reserve with its own shimmering beach, the Shangri-La is also home to a canopy-cloaked dining aerie, sunset-surveying clifftop cabanas, and a peninsular spa on a private bay. Accommodations are impeccably appointed with local touches (think woven abaca rugs and lamps bedecked with capiz shells), and several of the lodgings feel more like private vacation homes. Take the aptly named treehouse villa, for example, where the canopy-level second story commands stunning sea views (best enjoyed from the hot tub on the balcony), or the pool villas, where the lure of en suite swimming almost overpowers the sea just outside.

On a hillside, just north of Antigua, stands this stone cross. From the top of Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross), you have sweeping views south over the city of Antigua with the magnificent Volcán de Agua, towering over the landscape. I would recommend going up to Cerro de la Cruz only after you have already spent time in Antigua. That way, when you get up to the hill and look over the city, you can try and find all the landmarks that you visited. That is what we did when were there – trying to spot the Arco de Santa Catalina, Iglesia La Merced, Parque Central, Fernando’s (our favorite place for coffee) etc.

Overshadowed by its larger and more well-known cousins, Palenque and Chichén-Itzá, Uxmal (“Oosh-mahl”) is the ruins of an ancient Maya city located near present-day Campeche. In its heyday, Uxmal was one of the largest cities of the Yucatan peninsula with a population of about 25,000 Maya. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ancient Maya architecture in this part of Mexico is referred to as Puuc architecture, and Uxmal is a prime example of this style. Though there are some Puuc structures in Chichén-Itzá, Uxmal is unique in all of Mexico. Puuc design is most notable for buildings with a plain lower façade and a richly decorated upper façade. Carvings most commonly found include serpents and latticework. Uxmal is dedicated to the Maya rain god, Chaac, and you can see his image everywhere. On the day we were here, it was blisteringly hot and humid; I could’ve used some rain! When I first laid eyes on the four buildings that make up the complex known as the Nunnery Quadrangle, I thought they were the most elegant Maya ruins I had ever seen. The clean lines of the buildings give them a modernity that is surprising considering Uxmal was built more than 1,000 years ago! The carvings on the upper facades are just spectacular and give the entire structure a very delicate feel. Uxmal is located close to Chichén-Itzá, so if you go to Chichén, consider going a bit further to visit Uxmal. You won’t regret it!

If you are coming to Genoa to find a luxurious seaside escape, get out of the urban city and make sure you stay at least one night at the Grand Hotel Miramare in Santa Margherita Ligure (roughly 45 minutes from Genoa by train). With a full service spa, massive saltwater pool, and breathtaking ocean views, this hotel makes a perfect base to explore the entirety of the Italian Riviera (including neighboring Portofino, the tiny villages of Cinque Terre, and the hidden beaches that dot the coastline). With these sea views, it is definitely worth splurging on an oceanfront room. (Unfortunately, this hotel is closed January through March, so you may need to plan accordingly.)

A honeymooner’s dream, the 40-acre Grand Wailea hails from the era of the Hawaiian mega-resort. From its perch over the Pacific, the hotel offers an impressive collection of original art (much of it created by locals specially for the property), 40 acres of lush tropical gardens, and over-the-top water features among the nine swimming pools, including slides, caves, a Tarzan swing, swim-up bars, and a canyon with an enclosed “lava tube.” The resort even boasts Humuhumu, a Hawaiian-inspired restaurant set in a man-made lagoon, and 780 guest rooms, all of which include a private patio or balcony. Opt for accommodations on the Napua Club level for a more intimate “boutique hotel within a resort” feel.

Here at the très chic Boulangerie Fauchon, on the Place de la Madeleine in the heart of Paris, the loaves can look almost too good to eat. In French, the idiomatic equivalent for ‘window-shopping’ is “leche-vitrine,” which literally means ‘window-licking'—appropriate for staring in the storefront of a bakery on a cold February day!

The Court, an off-the-radar lounge bar with front row seats to the Colosseum, is the perfect place to wind down in Rome. The bar overlooks the archaeological ruins of the Ludus Magnus (the site where the gladiators trained) and offers a view of sunset over the Colosseum, the world’s most amazing arena. The cocktails are the creation of mastermind Matteo Zed, one of Rome’s top bartenders, whose tasty Rising Sun (a gin, yuzu, and matcha cocktail) may well keep you at the bar until dawn.

Located on the north side of Playa del Carmen, the family-friendly Plaza Las Americas houses 12 movie theaters and well known Mexican department stores such as Liverpool and Sanborns. There are also clothing shops and boutiques, as well as a supermarket and large food court.

This museum is on the site of one of the most important places in Swedish history and it gives visitors a vivid taste of Viking life. Cistercian monks came to Varnhem in the 12th century and built the Varnhem Abbey. The ruin has for a long time been considered one of the oldest churches in the country. But archeological finds from 2005 revealed that the Vikings living here were Christians long before the monks arrived. Behind the ruin of the Varnhem church archeologists found the remains of a 10th-century church that was part of the Varnhem estate and graveyard where more than a thousand graves have been identified. The graves of master and the mistress of the estate, Kättil and Kata, were found the beautiful stone crypt, and this enabled the scientists to reconstruct their daily life, habits, clothing, and age when they died.

Not since the Atlantis Paradise Island opened in 1998 has there been this much hype about a resort in the Bahamas. After years of on-again, off-again setbacks, Baha Mar officially debuted in summer 2017, with the launch of the 1,800-room Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, the first of three hotels on the 1,000-acre beachfront development. Accommodations come with floor-to-ceiling windows, marble baths, and balconies overlooking the ocean or lake fountain, but the grounds are the main attraction here. Over-the-top amenities include a gleaming 100,000-square-foot casino, the largest in the Caribbean, as well as six swimming pools (one has a swim-up aquarium “cave”), a Jack Nicklaus Signature 18-hole golf course, and a guests-only beach club. There’s no shortage of food and beverage options with 18 restaurants and bars, though celeb hotspot Katsuya, designed by Philippe Starck, is the frontrunner. You’ll find even more restaurants and shopping next door at the resort’s sister properties, SLS and Rosewood.

To stay at this three-story courtyard hotel in the historical heart of the Latin Quarter is to be surrounded by intellectual giants: the ghosts of figures such as René Descartes or James Joyce, who each lived nearby, and by present-day students and teachers at the most elite universities and high schools of Paris. The youngsters’ extracurriculars—café lounging, bar hopping, and vintage record, book, and clothes shopping—give the quarter a unique mix of history and life.

Hotel des Grandes Ecoles occupies three 19th-century houses along a private cobbled passageway leading to a courtyard garden. Old-fashioned in the best sense, one of the charms of the place is that the compound feels like an escape to a French granny’s country cottage. Small by American standards, rooms done in toile or floral fabrics exude classic Gallic charm; French cotton lace and matelasse drapes the sitting tables and beds. Bathrooms are immaculate but simple, with either shower or bathtub and toilet.

There may not be much to this tiny island in the French Polynesia but it’s big on history if you have any interest in Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel. If you are looking for a secluded spot with little amenities, this is a perfect spot in paradise.

Originally a 15th-century convent, followed by stints as the headquarters of the Dutch Admiralty and Amsterdam’s town hall, the Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam—or simply, The Grand—presides over the heart of the old city. With its imposing brick facade flanked by canals and its location within a stone’s throw of Dam Square and De Oude Kerk, The Grand would be a legend even without Sofitel’s designation. The majestic entrance courtyard hasn’t changed since its construction in the 17th century—a fact that’s reinforced by the hotel’s horse-drawn carriage, which offers guests a different way to explore the city center—and even before the building became a hotel, landmark figures in European history stayed on site, including William of Orange.

While today’s interiors are starkly modern, the designers alluded to the hotel’s storied past in the decor and textiles featured in the 177 rooms and suites, which overlook either the interior courtyard and gardens or the canals, and come with touches like rainshowers and signature MyBed mattresses. The private Canal House Suites—especially popular with the dignitaries and celebrities who frequent the hotel—may appear boldly contemporary, but accents like round windows and wood-beamed ceilings hint at their past as the private homes of Dutch admirals. The hotel’s five dining options include the Michelin-starred Bridges restaurant—set in what was once the town hall’s canteen—as well as the casual, all-day Bridges Bistro, traditional Flying Dutchman café, sophisticated Library D’Or lobby lounge, and peaceful Garden Terrace. The two-floor SO Spa houses a gym, heated indoor pool, wet area with Turkish hammam, and treatment rooms for French-inspired services.