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The trek to the HOLLYWOOD sign may be the most famous L.A. hike to outsiders, but if you’re looking for downtown views, celebrity sightings, and a typical L.A.-style glamour hike (not necessarily strenuous, but very fashionable), the 3.3-mile Runyon Canyon loop is your best bet. You’ll still get a great view of those giant letters, but you’ll also be able to spot the who’s who of the Hollywood Hills, with plenty of locals out on their routine pre-Sunday-brunch ritual. (And there are lots of grade-A brunch spots nearby, such as the Griddle Café, if you too are in search of a pancake-heavy menu.) The trails are dog-friendly, and dog-loving Angelenos take full advantage, so your pooch will have no shortage of company if you decide to bring him along.

One of the biggest stars of the five museums on Museum Island, the Pergamon was the last to open, in 1930. Built to resemble a Babylonian temple, it houses a trove of ancient treasures from the Middle East, with highlights that include the enormous Pergamon Altar, dating from around 170 B.C.E. and featuring a dramatic frieze showing a battle between gods and giants; the two-story Market Gate of Miletus, built by the Romans in 120 C.E.; and the equally impressive Ishtar Gate, from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II in the 6th century B.C.E. Another poignant highlight, given the large influx of Syrian refugees into the city since 2015, is the 17th-century Aleppo Room, a reception chamber from a merchant’s house with exquisitely carved wall decorations.

While cute souvenir shops and even haute couture boutiques exemplify the changing face of the retail scene in Siem Reap, the city’s famous Old Market remains a heady hub of traditional trade and commerce. Located right in the heart of town, Psar Chas is amply stocked with lots of things that you might want to buy—as well as plenty of things you probably do not. That said, perusing the labyrinthine aisles full of silverware, silks, handicrafts, spices, stone carvings, and other assorted ephemera is worth a couple hours of anyone’s time. Stay calm and haggle politely with a smile on your face, and you’re sure to find a bargain or two.

Las Ventanas al Paraíso represents the epitome of luxury, with gorgeous, gigantic rooms featuring traditional crafts, handmade mosaic headboards, and classy furniture and accents. Balcony railings are awash in pink blossoms of bougainvillea. Some rooms take amenities further still, with private kitchens and wine cellars, as well as personal butler service. The property is set between the desert and the sea, and common areas, such as pools, have exceptional ocean views. Service is ultra-attentive, as one would expect at this price point, and guests rave about on-site restaurants and dining, especially in La Cava, the resort’s private wine cellar. Concierges can assist with planning a host of excursions and experiences, from cooking classes to whale-watching trips.

Set on remote Mull Hill in the southern region of the Isle of Man, the village of Cregneash was one of the last bastions of the traditional Manx crofters—that is, tenant farmers on small lots. It was designated by Manx National Heritage as the Cregneash Folk Village in 1938. Visitors can explore Manx thatched cottages including Harry Kelly’s, a typical fisherman’s home, and that of famous Manx poet Ned Faragher. A joiner’s shop and blacksmith’s shop stage demonstrations of Manx crafts.

More than 250 artifacts of the RMS Titanic are on display at this 25,000-square-foot space at the Luxor. Among the truly incredible mementos excavated from the wreck of the sunken ship: an unopened bottle of champagne, a floor tile, a window frame, and a giant piece of the ship’s hull. Perhaps more impressive than the artifacts themselves are the full-scale re-creations of what guest quarters looked like on the ship—attending the exhibit gives you a sense of the difference in the experiences of a first-class passenger and a third-class passenger. Since it opened in the late 1990s, the exhibit has been seen by more than 25 million people, which makes it one of the most popular attractions in Las Vegas history.

Tango is as essential to Buenos Aires as pizza is to Naples, so the Anselmo Hotel is a perfect fit for the city, with its location in the heart of the San Telmo neighborhood—known for spontaneous street dancing—in a 1906 mansion once belonging to tango composer Anselmo Asiento. The hotel is perched on Plaza Dorrego, a lively public space surrounded by cafes and shops which especially gets going on Sunday, when the San Telmo antique fair and flea market spills into the street, attracting shoppers, musicians, and revelers. Clean-lined, modern furniture and black-and-white photographs of Buenos Aires compliment the building’s original wooden shutters and wrought-iron balconies. Sip a glass of Malbec in the cozy wood interior of the Acacia bar and restaurant, or take it outside into the calm inner courtyard. A small gym is available if you haven’t gotten in enough steps wandering the neighborhood’s cobblestone streets or tango dancing the night away.

Man Mo Temple was built by wealthy Chinese merchants between 1847 and 1862 as a tribute to the God of Literature (man) and the God of War (mo). Both deities were worshiped by ambitious students eager to succeed in the rigorous civil examinations of imperial China; good grades paved the way for a prestigious career in government administration. Today, tucked in the shadows of hulking apartment towers on busy Hollywood Road, it’s Hong Kong Island’s oldest temple and probably its most well known. The dimly lit Man Mo, with its carved wooden panels, ornate ceramic figurines, plaster moldings, murals, and giant incense coils hanging from the ceiling, feels wonderfully ethereal. A visit to Man Mo is a step off the grid in frenetic Hong Kong.

Full disclosure: It’s authentically tourist-tacky in Plaza Garibaldi, the traditional Mexico City center for mariachi music and culture. But when you’re ready for a serenade, you’re ready. The plaza fills up late at night, every night, with a motley crew of local revelers from all walks of life, plus visitors, vendors, and dozens of extravagantly attired orchestras. Taking a table at Salón El Tenampa, right on the plaza, may afford a modicum of order. A Garibaldi institution beneath its fabulous neon sign, this music hall pulls in a fascinating, Felliniesque crew of misbehaving pencil pushers, shady ladies, brokenhearted tequila swillers, wide-eyed travelers, and slumming hipsters. Strolling bands—usually pretty good—are available for hire, but bring them in close to your table to avoid sonic interference from every other trumpet in the joint.

The Hotel Telluride’s Spa Concierge is an insider secret—anyone can book a service, whether you’re a hotel guest wanting an in-room massage, or a Telluride tourist visiting the on-site treatment room. Massages are offered in 60-minute, 90-minute, and two-hour increments and range from classic modalities like Swedish, deep-tissue, and sports to more unique options like the Table Thai Massage and Hot Stone Therapy. If you’re booking a massage in the treatment room, you can even opt to add services like facials, eyelash tints, and waxes for some extra pampering.

Hands down the best place to stay in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico is the aptly named Downtown. Located inside a restored 17th-century casona (mansion), the hotel shares its property with a select group of Mexican businesses, including a chocolate boutique and a mezcal bar, as well as restaurants, cafes, and fashion and jewelry ateliers. Appropriately, rooms evoke a bygone era, with low lighting, brick ceilings, and tile floors somewhat reminiscent of a monastery. Amenities are spare but select (C.O. Bigelow toiletries, for starters), and service is unobtrusive but attentive. After a day spent exploring the city, head to the rooftop pool and bar, where you can sunbathe on a bright yellow chaise lounge or sit under an oversized umbrella while waiting for your cocktail to arrive.

After five days of cooking classes--learning from Estela Salas Silva and Jon Jarvis how to make typical Poblano dishes including sopa de tortilla, crema de chile Poblano soup, tamales, tinga, sopes, pipian verde and pipian roja, mole Poblano, chipotles en conserva, ensalada de nopalitos, and more--the payoff includes a diploma, a loose-leaf folder of recipes, and a deeper knowledge of central Mexican cuisine, culture, and history.

Just north of Downtown L.A., the green neighborhood and parkland of Elysian Park, the oldest municipal park in the city, is a spot seldom trafficked by tourists. In fact, its impressive hiking trails are usually crowd-free. In a city of 4 million, it’s not easy to find quiet, solitary space, but Elysian Park offers just that. The paths are moderate, and the elevation is enough to get some pretty prime views of Downtown to the south as well as Dodger Stadium, which the park hugs on three sides. But for most of the trek, it’ll be just you, the trail, and the thick surrounding trees and foliage—an unusual sight amid L.A.'s sprawling urban jungle.

You might not expect a restaurant in a teensy town to have taken top prize in Parma, Italy’s Pizza World Championship, but that’s part of Brown Dog’s understated charm. The pizza here is unexpectedly delicious—especially the award-winning Pesto pie, with house-made pesto, fresh mozzarella and feta, and a dotting of cherry tomatoes. Bonus: Brown Dog serves Detroit-style, Chicago deep-dish, and classic American pies, so you can pick your pizza poison.

Tempted by trendier bistros in the area, tourists rarely stop by this nondescript café on the corner of the Rue des Rosiers at the St.-Ouen flea market unless they are gypsy jazz fans. Aficionados from across the globe know that La Chope is the place to hear the best of gypsy jazz in Paris and where the spirit of Django Reinhardt lingers. Businessman (and jazz guitarist) Marcel Campion saved the historic spot from destruction, opening a jazz school upstairs, sponsoring master classes, and providing accommodations for wandering talent. Concerts are held every Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations not required.