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A good used bookstore is a glorious thing and Myopic is one of the great ones. They have a giant selection of new, used, rare and out of print books on 3 floors, they’re well organized, they’re open until 11pm and there’s a store cat! There’s also a small reading room on the top floor with a big wooden table and chairs and they host poetry readings and live music. They’re open until 11pm all week long but there’s no public bathroom so factor that in to your afternoon of browsing.

This West Hobart café has long been known for sourdough: stone-ground, organic fruit, fig and walnut—you name it. But the owners of Weston Farm took it over in 2013 and added new breakfast and lunch favorites that outshine the bread—from baked eggs over chorizo hash coated in saffron yogurt to pork and fennel meatballs smothered in spicy paprika sauce. Most produce comes from the farm, including the smoked paprika, which won gold in the 2017 Delicious Magazine awards. (The farm also rents out a cottage overlooking its olive groves.) A mini marble-bar bakery, Pigeon Whole Bakers, fronts Franklin restaurant and is run by the original Pigeon Hole baker, Jay Patey. This is now the place to get your sourdough bread and doughnuts.

Originally a private summer home, Casa Bonita is now a beautiful 12-room resort run by the third generation of the Schiffino family. Located on the Dominican Republic’s southwestern coast near the town of Barahona, the property was constructed from felled trees and thatch, giving it a luxuriously rustic vibe. Inspired by nature, rooms feature white linens, palm wood accents, and wicker furnishings; some have private balconies overlooking the jungle, others have infinity pools with ocean views, and the two-bedroom Villa Bonita includes a terrace with a grill.

The resort’s farm-to-table restaurant uses produce from the local community and on-site Pat’s Organic Garden, while the spa incorporates traditional Dominican ingredients like coffee, chocolate, and coconut into each of its indulgent treatments. Also available to guests are activities like water sports, tennis, yoga, horseback riding, mountain biking, and a zip-line canopy tour through the jungle. Should you want to venture off property, the UNESCO-designated Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve is just next door. There are also coffee plantations, lakes, and caves with ancient tribal art nearby.

Hidden away in the lush jungle south of Siem Reap, the sleepy village of Treak is home to one of Cambodia’s best-kept secrets. In such a tourist-flooded destination, it’s easy to get swept away in the sightseeing infrastructure—both luxury and backpacker—and miss out on local Cambodian culture. But this palm tree–filled oasis of just 10 villa-style rooms has the answer. The hotel is staffed almost entirely by villagers, the sleek modern decor comes from local artisans, water is heated through solar energy, and the restaurant sources its fresh ingredients from nearby farms. Sojourn even has its own NGO, Husk, which works with local families on everything from health to education, providing opportunities for guests to educate themselves and engage with the community in a positive way.

Best of all, Sojourn encourages this responsible tourism without sacrificing a modicum of luxury, from its glassy saltwater pool with a swim-up bar to its custom-made destination dining experiences. The secluded, romantic suites have private gardens, and the decadent spa is the perfect way to bliss out after a day of exploring the dusty ruins.

Mountain Equestrian Trails (MET) Outfitter & Lodge exemplifies the best of family-run ecotourism. Anywhere with an address like “Mile 8” off a pot-holed dirt road in Belize’s jungle is guaranteed to be an off the beaten path experience. The car ride in is a bumpy ride but makes arriving a true reward. The small staff of horse-riding adventurers embraces you like family and personalizes your stay with their endless knowledge of the land, animals, history, surroundings and active excursions. Toucans pose in the tree tops, parrots dart through the lush surroundings and horses graze nearby, ready for guests to ride them to nearby swimming holes, waterfalls and caves. The rooms are cozy, kerosene-lit Spanish bungalows topped with palm-thatched roofs and the Cantina serves as the central hang-out spot where farm-fresh meals and drinks are served. The Cantina is also the only place on the property with electricity and Wi-Fi so you’re not completely off the grid, but with views like the one pictured, you could care less even if you were.

Le Bernardin, on 51st Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues, is one of the handful of New York restaurants that is regularly awarded four stars by the New York Times (it is also one of five restaurants in the city with three Michelin stars). Chef Eric Ripert’s specialty is fish, and the menu is divided into three categories: “almost raw,” “barely touched,” and “lightly cooked.” If you like your tuna cooked medium, this isn’t the right place for you. Ripert often finds his inspiration in Japanese cooking, with his sashimi and light broths, and adds some Latin American influences, in his ceviches and some other dishes. The fish is always allowed to take center stage, and typically any sauce is merely intended to accent its flavors. The dining room has an understated, contemporary style with light-wood walls and high ceilings. Unlike some celebrated chefs, Ripert has chosen not to build a restaurant empire, increasing the odds that on any visit he will be at Le Bernardin, presiding over its kitchen and dining room.

It may seem unbelievable now, given the pace of Siem Reap’s evolution, but reliably great coffee and other deli and bakery staples were tough to find before Blue Pumpkin set up shop near the turn of the millennium. Success may have changed the venture—it now has a number of outlets in Siem Reap, and several more in Phnom Penh—but the philosophy of serving simple but high-quality Asian and Western dishes remains intact. Menu highlights include generously proportioned breakfasts and sandwiches, decadent cakes, famous yogurt shakes, and a wide selection of homemade ice creams and sorbets.

The duo of José Manuel St-Jacques and Simon Bélanger is made in heaven. They design graceful, luxurious clothes for the modern woman who aims at Marlene Dietrich elegance in her every gesture. From crisp white crêpe suits to flowing pleated lamé skirts, their designs are the sort that make you walk taller and feel like you’ve arrived, whether it’s on the red carpet or at a soirée among friends. UNTTLD are masters at blending textures, like see-through evanescent silk worn with a structured cotton pencil pant, and they are known for their unique prints. They sell directly out of their Mile End loft (upon appointment), or through exclusive stores such as Ogilvy.

What must life have been like back in 1739. That was the year the foundation stones were laid for Fort James on the northern entrance to St. John’s Harbour. Upon completion of the fort, it became customary for every vessel passing to pay a fee of 18 shillings to the captain of the fort or risk a shot being fired across its bow! With 10 cannons capable of firing 24 lb balls for over a mile on the ramparts, as you can imagine, ships generally paid the fee. Today, Fort James still sports its signature cannons pointing menacingly out into the harbour. Most of the other structures within the fort though, have crumbled. In their place, at least on the north side of the fort, is a quaint restaurant: Russels. There you can cap off your trip back in time with “old-fashioned rum punches”, fresh fish, peas and rice, and other traditional fare... Something like they must have eaten back in 1739.

The Southernmost Point buoy, at the corner of Whitehead Street and South Street, marks not only the spot for the southernmost point of the continental United States but also the distance (90 miles) to the next country, Cuba. The buoy, installed by the city in 1983, is visited by thousands of people each day. (Before the buoy, a small sign stood at the spot alongside a line of seashells for purchase.) Taking a photo in front of the buoy is imperative for a first visit to Key West, so bring a tripod, or ask a stranger to snap a few shots. Buskers play music, and street vendors sell food and goofy souvenirs and slash open coconuts to drink.

Britxos opened its doors in the summer of 2012 to great fanfare among Brussels expat foodie community. We were already familiar with the team, from catering company La Britannique, for their incredible food and warm, friendly service. Britxos is a cozy little bar in the St. Gilles neighbourhood of Brussels. It is filed with light from the huge windows and colour, from the chalkboard walls, filled with menu items and comments from past visitors. The name is a play on British (chef and owner Alex’s nationality) and Pintxos (the Basque word for tapas). Inspiration is taken from Alex’s love of food and travel and each dish is named for the city that inspired it. Every Monday night there is live jazz. Friday nights are the popular gourmet night,s with a 4 course fixed-price menu, and Sunday is the un-missable Britxos Brunch. You’ll hear every language found in Brussels being spoken here, while enjoying a fantastic and affordable meal.

Context Travel offers history, architecture and culinary tours in various European cities. I went on the " foodie” tour that began on a beautiful fall Paris morning in the toney neighborhood of St. Germain- de- Pres by meeting our friendly English speaking guide, a culinary and food history writer living in Paris, at cafe across from the Abbey. Our guide immediately taught our small group about the importance of the baguette to the French, and various virtues of real baguette verses machine- made by sampling both on the street and in a nearby boulangerie. We then took the handmade baguette and visited a cheese monger (Androuet fromagerie) to learn about different french cheeses. Next an exquisite artisan chocolate shop and finally an ice creamery . Highly educational, recommended for foodies and especially curious fist-time visitors to Paris.

There are two entrances to this historical restaurant. The main entrance on the rue de l’Ancienne-Comedie and a “back” entrance that is part of a lovely passage called Le Passage de Cour de Commerce Saint-Andre. There are many passages still remaining in Paris [note, I am going to do a separate post on some of the ones we visited and will link to it when I do]. They are covered shopping areas that allowed the wealthy to shop unencumbered by the elements. Architecturally they are fantastic to visit and photograph, some have endured better than others. This passage was opened in 1735, and was built on part of the old wall of Paris, around the time of the King of France, Phlippe Auguste. This wall made up the limit of Paris during the Middle Ages! The entrance to this passage is at 128 Blvd St. Germain. No matter what door you enter, Le Procope is a great restaurant to experience a traditional (and yes, heavy) French meal. The menu has all the classics: coq au vin (chicken in wine sauce), entrecot (steak), magret de canard (duck breast); beouf tartare, as well as several fish selections. The starters are equally traditional with terrines, salades and escargot (snail), among others.

After 80 some odd years as one of Houston’s most lauded and refined hotels, the historic Warwick Hotel went from Bach to rock, when new owners gave it a slick makeover and renamed it Hotel ZaZa in 2007. A bold beacon in the Museum District, the dimly lit hotel is a virtual playground for adults, with daring decor, baroque details, and an outdoor pool with private piazza-themed cabanas. While it maintains much of its original 1920s architectural elegance and details, including Baccarat chandeliers, the interior walls are splashed with modern art and iconic editorial-photo shots of beloved celebs.

Many rooms and event spaces are themed, including the space-inspired “Houston, We Have a Problem” Suite and the Conspiracy Room, which nods to Prohibition. A recent refresh includes newly renovated 11^th-floor meeting rooms, new mattresses, new carpet, spa and fitness center upgrades (including treatment room tweaks and the addition of innovative infrared saunas), and new in-room flat-screen TVs. Bottom line: even an overnight stay feels like a true escape.

The Dubai Spice Souk is a traditional market located in Deira, near the famed Gold Souk. It’s easy to overlook the Spice Souk if you’re not looking carefully; tucked into alleyways off of Baniyas Street, the souk is small, but manages to pack a pungent punch. If you plan on purchasing spices – from cardamon to cumin to turmeric to nutmeg, and everything in between – be prepared to haggle. A good rule of thumb is to cut the vendor’s opening salvo in half, and then barter upwards from there until you reach a number you’re both comfortable with.