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Located in the middle of New York harbor, less than half a mile from Manhattan (and even closer to Brooklyn), 172-acre Governors Island feels like a world unto itself, far from the bustling city. It has played a key role in the defense of New York at various points and two fortifications here, Fort Jay and Castle Williams, reflect that history. From 1966 to 1996, the island was a Coast Guard station; since it closed, the city, state, and federal governments have discussed various plans for the island’s development. In the meantime, it is open to the public for six months each year, from May 1 to October 31, when it is possible to wander among the Coast Guard barracks, visit the commander’s house, and bike around the mostly car-free island. Ferries depart from both Manhattan and Brooklyn starting at 10 a.m. and running until 6:15 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. During many weekends in the summer, art fairs, food festivals, and other events help draw visitors to the island, but even if you go on a day without anything special scheduled, a journey here provides a refreshingly different perspective on New York.

The 112-room Surfjack Hotel channels 1960’s Hawaii, with vintage upholstery on the headboards, reed ceilings, and midcentury modern furnishings. The onsite Swim Club, with its outdoor pool bar, hosts music events and movie nights. Don’t miss a meal at Mahina & Sun from celebrated Honolulu-born chef Ed Kenney, whose menu showcases island cuisine and ingredients, or a trip to the Olive & Oliver boutique, whose clothing and accessories line are inspired by Hawaiian culture.

One of Thailand’s most loved dishes, som tam (green papaya salad) is ubiquitous in Bangkok, with vendors across the capital pounding together the essential components of shredded fruit, garlic, fish sauce, palm sugar, and lots and lots of chili. One of the best places to sample a truly delicious version is this friendly venue tucked away in the backstreets of Silom. Besides serving their versions of som tam, a gargantuan barbecue produces beautifully smoky grilled chicken wings. While these are the stars of the show, the restaurant also does a winning line in other classics from northeast Thailand such as kor moo yang (grilled pork neck).

One of the longest-standing restaurants in Chinatown’s Yaowarat Road area, Tang Jai Yoo fits the template of many of the dining venues in this part of town. The decor is faded and the harsh lighting would cast a sickly glow on even the most glamorous diner. Unlike glitzy restaurants elsewhere in the city, people come here solely to eat. Superstar TV chef Anthony Bourdain is among those to have lauded its signature whole roast suckling pig. Other choice items on the Thai-Chinese menu include steamed crab with black olives and ground pork, and deep-fried mantis prawns with chili and salt.

When it comes to pub crawling in Portland, Deschutes Brewing is a classy stop to regroup and recharge in the Pearl. With more than a dozen taps pouring the usual suspects along with a collection of seasonal and experimental brews made specifically for Northwest tastes, the bar has something for every beer lover. The kitchen serves fresh, sustainable fare, including vegetarian and gluten-friendly options. Try the beer-battered halibut or the smoked brisket. The steamed clams with a side of sweet potato fries will also keep you going until your next destination.

The Jaipur Modern boutique stocks products that put a contemporary, worldly twist on the region’s highly-skilled artisan craft traditions—so it’s fitting that the shop’s restaurant does something similar on the culinary front. Committed to partnering with organic and sustainable farms, individual farmers, and agricultural projects—as well as maintaining its own farm—the Kitchen incorporates fresh local ingredients into a globally-influenced menu, resulting in dishes like pizza topped with free-range chicken, spiced couscous, potato rosti with farm-fresh poached eggs, and a lengthy list of cold pressed juices. Most unique is a separate menu—the first of its kind in India—that showcases the versatility of superfood quinoa, sourced locally from Organic Farmers Co. The “Q Menu” features the grain in everything from veggie sushi, pad thai, and dumplings to decadent deserts. Including house-baked cakes and cookies.

Hand-printed textiles are one of Rajasthan’s signature artisan crafts, and the Anokhi shops—found all over India—are some of the best places to stock-up on rolls of printed fabric and clothing, home furnishings, stationery, bedding, and more made from the beautiful textiles. But as with many traditional crafts, hand-printing is in danger of disappearing, replaced by modern technology, so Anokhi created this center in Jaipur both to showcase the art form and provide education and opportunities to those wanting to learn the trade. Now among Jaipur’s more popular tourist attractions, the museum (which is located a short walk from Amber Fort, in a historic haveli, or mansion), houses a permanent collection of antique, vintage, and contemporary block-printed textiles, as well as traditional outfits, wooden tools used in hand-printing, and more. Rotating exhibits focus on specific materials or types of printing, while the education center offers demonstrations and classes, including workshops for tourists. Naturally, there’s also a shop where you can stock up on goodies, including limited-edition items.

For centuries, Rajasthan—and Jaipur in particular—has served as the epicenter of India’s gemstone industry; as far back as the early-1700’s, the skilled craftsmen of this region were cutting, shaping, and polishing about 90 percent of the stones used by the country’s jewelry makers. This legendary Jaipur shop has been witness to nearly all that history, with the founding Kasliwal family serving as jewelers to the Maharajas of the Mughal empire—followed by a long list of international royalty, presidents, and celebrities; they’ve even been granted honors by the British Crown, and their pieces have been exhibited at London’s Somerset House and New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Stop in to ogle the glittering goods—which are available in traditional, modern, and vintage-inspired styles—and learn a bit about the expert artistry and craftsmanship that goes into creating them. Prices run the gamut, so there’s something for most budgets, but be warned that most of the pieces are designed to dazzle. There are also Gem Palace outposts in luxury hotels throughout India (including some Oberoi and Taj locations), as well as a few partner boutiques outside of the subcontinent.

On the west side of Arenal Volcano, this 900-acre tropical reserve was a labor of love for owner and architect Jaime Mikowski, who spent years planting acres of native plants and coaxing the land’s natural mineral springs into a river that now flows throughout the property, spilling over into dozens of waterfalls and pools that range from 72 to 105 degrees. Spacious rooms have marble floors and streamlined furnishings; splurge on a suite, which features a private terrace and a Jacuzzi tub—a little superfluous considering all the other options for soaking in warm water here, but who’s complaining? There are also five swimming pools, one with a swim-up bar and waterslide, and a spa comprising 12 bungalows with treatments that all include, you guessed it, a dip in a thermal spring-fed tub. While the property is also open to day trippers, guests of the resort have exclusive access to Shangri-La Gardens, an adults-only lounge area with pools, cabanas, and a folliage-filled bar.

At the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, above the town of Sandy, Utah, the Alta Resort offers 2,200 skiable acres and an average of more than 550 inches of snowfall a year. While the steep slopes of the Wasatch mountains draw expert skiers, there is plenty of terrain for intermediate skiers and a number of programs within the ski school to get beginners and first-timers out and enjoying themselves. As for families, even those with little ones as young as two months old, day care is available all day long and into the early evening through Alta Children’s Center, and on Fridays and Saturdays until 6:30 p.m. with its Après-Ski Care. To get tykes skiing and on the slopes, Alta partners with the ski school.

The Tin Shed is probably nowhere near wherever you might be in Portland but that matters not. Get a cab and go over there because the biscuits are so good they’ll make you wanna slap yo mama! You serve yourself coffee while you wait under the covered patio seating, they welcome dogs and their bloody mary is spectacular. This place rocks. Go check it out.

Rising from the ashes of the 60’s Red Lion Hotel is the east side’s latest entry into Portland’s hip hotel scene—the Eastlund. Cut from the same pedigree as the downtown Modera Hotel, the Eastlund is a welcome upgrade in the evolving convention center area. The fun starts in the bright, expansive lobby, where eye-catching art welcomes visitors. The staff is tuned to deliver exceptional customer service, and the vibe is genuine and unpretentious. Amenities include great food, local spirits, tech-savvy rooms, and super-fast Wi-Fi throughout the property.

The rooms and public spaces put art front and center, while the meeting areas are wired for productivity. Business and leisure travelers also benefit from attention to detail and a staff committed to getting it if it’s not already available. The efficient, comfort-forward rooms boast big flat-screens and colorful décor, and the river and city views from the upper levels are spectacular day and night. An easy MAX ride from the airport, The Eastlund is also delightfully located within walking distance of a variety of transportation, entertainment, meeting, and dining opportunities. With so many on-site amenities, however, you might just find yourself pleasantly planted during your Portland stay.

Surrounded by acres of manicured gardens, marbled colonnades, and flower-filled pools, the complex of the Taj Rambagh Palace hotel—once the home of the Maharajah of Jaipur—is one of the most serene spots in the Pink City. Even if you’re not staying here, come soak up the history—and escape the city bustle—with a lunch, afternoon tea, or a light supper at the al fresco Verandah Café, where the tables are arrayed under archways and out onto the lawn. Come during the day and you might catch a glimpse of the hotel’s signature VIP guest welcome ceremony (performed by colorfully painted elephants), or call ahead to find out if there will be a dance or musical performance on the lawn in the evening. The menus feature both Indian and international dishes, with choices ranging from sampler thali platters and ratatouille-topped potato pancakes to charred German bratwurst and Caribbean chicken salad. Afternoon tea harkens back to the royal days with traditional English scones, finger sandwiches, and a tower of freshly-baked sweets; go for the Champagne add-on for an extra-regal experience.

Skip the hassle and haggling of street souvenir shopping—and be assured of the quality of the goods—at this government-run emporium stocked with examples of all of Rajasthan’s signature arts and crafts. It’s easy to get carried away amid the swirl of colors and textures, surrounded by hanging wooden puppets dressed in traditional garb, shelves lined with bright blue-and-yellow pottery, and stacks of block-printed and tie-dyed textiles. Larger items like rugs, trunks, and furniture (including bed frames, cabinets, and doors) will probably need to be shipped, while giftables like painted picture frames, carved figurines, pillow cases, brassware, and embroidered wall coverings should fit nicely in a second suitcase.

Lahaina, with its many Victorian flourishes, may look picturesque today, but the port town teemed with sailors, gamblers, and prostitutes in the 19th century. The Pioneer Inn changed all that when it opened for business in 1901, foreshadowing the tourist industry that would ultimately replace whaling, sugar, and pineapples. Step through the swinging doors of this vintage bar, which now bizarrely anchors the courtyard of a Best Western, and you’ll be transported back in time. Oars, harpoons, and a ship’s figurehead still adorn the space, looking down on platters of coconut shrimp, Parmesan-crusted fish over coconut rice, and margaritas made with POG (a mix of passion fruit, orange, and guava juices). Come during happy hour, which runs daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., for discounted beers and cocktails.