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Housed in Johannesburg’s historically significant University of Witwatersrand, the Origins Center details the history of humankind through displays, artwork, and more. Touring the interactive exhibits, either with a guide or a headset, will not only change the way you think about human existence, but also provide further insight into the way we’ve developed over the ages. While the museum focuses most on South African human development, there’s enough on offer to keep everyone engaged. Be sure to check out the 11 panels depicting the history of the San people in South Africa. Created by local women’s groups, the works serve as a timeline, covering everything from the distant past and the colonial period to issues affecting the San community today.

Mission Dolores Park, aka “Dolo”, is one of the most popular parks in San Francisco, especially when the sun is out, since this neighborhood is known for being one of the sunniest in the city.

On a sunny weekend, you’ll be hard pressed to find a patch of green to plant yourself on, but that’s what makes Dolores Park so much fun. Yes there is a playground for kids, and basketball and tennis courts, too. But the real sport here is people watching.

You’ll hear music booming between dog barks; people toss footballs, tightrope walk, and fling their Frisbees. Bodies slathered in oil glisten in the sun; ice cream melts down the arms of laughing children; the whiff of cut grass (and other questionable varieties) linger in the air. Vendors will also come around to sell a variety of snacks and drinks, and you’ll also encounter people collecting your cans after they’re empty.

The abundant restaurants and markets in the area (Bi-Rite and Tartine are two popular ones on 18th street, just a block from the downhill portion of the park) make make it easy to pack a picnic and fuel your day out. All you need to do is bring a blanket, plop down on a hill where the views reach to downtown, and chill out San Francisco-style.

Dolores Park is named for Miguel Hidalgo, a priest in Dolores, Mexico who urged his countrymen to overthrow their Spanish rulers in 1810, sparking Mexico’s battle for independence. A statue in his tribute stands in the center of the park.

Tours of the Sacred Valley, and the entire Cuzco area, often feature side trips through gorgeous landscapes like Moray, an archaeological site with remarkable concentric agricultural terraces. It’s believed the Incas used these terraces—on which temperatures vary 59 degrees Fahrenheit from the top tier to the bottom—as a way to acclimatize non-regional crops for highland cultivation. Even if you don’t find that fascinating, it’s hard not to appreciate the beauty of the spot, and given that this part of Peru is not so heavily visited, it’s a nice escape from the beaten path. The Boleto Turístico covers this admission.

The thermal hot springs in Rincón de La Vieja at Rio Negro (Black River) may not be as well known as those in the Arenal area, but we had the pools and surrounding forest to ourselves. From where we stayed at the Hacienda Guachipelin Rincón de La Vieja, the springs were accessible by horseback or vehicle, followed by a short hike and crossing a rather dubious hanging bridge. The pools are heated by the Rincón de La Vieja Volcano, so you definitely want to test the steaming water. There are seven pools to sample of different shapes, sizes and temperatures. The first pool was too hot to plunge more than our toes into. And the pool that was “just right” was the last one, which happened to be ideally situated next to the churning river. After two days of horseback riding, hiking, canyon ziplining and rappelling, it was great to unwind at this private oasis. If a rainforest/volcano adventure beckons you, I recommend staying at Hacienda Guachipelin Rincón de La Vieja and getting an adventure pass from Adventure Tours--both are at Rincón de La Vieja National Park.

Terraced like the surrounding rice paddies, Soori Bali occupies an undeveloped stretch of fertile coastline roughly 25 minutes from Tabanan, a town northwest of Denpasar known for traditional farming and artisan crafts. The resort’s modern design plays on the shapes, colors, and landscapes of the surrounding area and incorporates local stone. (At the recommendation of the surrounding village’s elder, the property also constructed 10 stone temples onsite within the property.) Outdoor spaces feature bright green trees and grasses along with infinity pools, while high ceilings, cool colors, and marble floors inside create a tranquil escape from the heat. The property’s spacious rooms and wood-slat shades give off an art-gallery vibe, and the reading-room lounge displays the works of the hotel’s artists in residence. Food is another big focus here, both at the resort’s three restaurants and in tours that explore rice cultivation, exotic ingredients found at the Kerambitan market, and the spices, cacao, and coffee from nearby Jatiluwih.

No matter how many postcards you’ve seen of Rome’s iconic Colosseum, you just don’t get it until you pass beneath its crumbling arches. Built by Emperor Vespasian in 72 C.E., the huge amphitheater held 50,000 spectators and marked its opening with 100 days of brutal spectacles like gladiator combat and animal fights. The Colosseum was in use for four centuries, and now you can tour the ruins. Walk through the Hypogeum, an intricate series of tunnels and elevators originally used to transport animals, slaves, and gladiators, to the performance above, or take a moonlit tour to have one of the world’s most storied structures all to yourself.

As fascinating for children as it is for rock hounds, this geologic reserve is named for its string of massive pink-granite boulders that resemble a train of circus elephants. Estimated to be around 1.5 billion years old, the rocks are prime for climbing, but also feature carvings by miners who worked in the area during the 19th century. The best way to tour the park is via the Braille Trail, which was specially designed for visitors with visual and physical disabilities. Equipped with Braille signage, it winds through the main area of rocks and leads back to the ruins of an old railroad engine house—a remnant of the area’s quarrying history. When you’re done walking around, locate one of the picnic tables scattered strategically under shady trees and treat yourself to a picnic lunch.

Dating back to 1843, this massive museum has grown and modernized over the years, especially with the addition of the Neue Staatsgalerie (New State Gallery) in 1984 and a modern hall specially built in 2002. Spanning some 96,875 square feet of exhibition space, the collection focuses on early Swabian panel painting and 19th-century Swabian Neoclassicism, but also includes modern pieces like Oskar Schlemmer’s Figurines for the Triadic Ballet, Matisse’s famous Back Series, and a Joseph Beuys room that was installed by the artist himself. Other highlights range from Dalí’s Raised Instant and George Grosz’s The Funeral to Miró’s Bird with a Calm Look. Opt for a guided tour to ensure you see everything, then visit the museum shop and the Fresko café-restaurant. Note that, on Wednesdays, you can visit the permanent collection for free.

The Black Forest is famed for its cuckoo clocks, and the German Clock Museum (Deutsches Uhrenmuseum) in Furtwangen is the best place to get up close and personal with several examples. Here, visitors will find a collection of more than 1,000 iconic clocks, some 160 years old and others extremely rare, as well as troves of information on the history and technology of clock-making, including the concept of timekeeping. Visit the main exhibition to see items like an atomic clock, iron clocks from the 16th century, and the first-ever radio-controlled wristwatch, then check out the library and archive, which features books on horology from the local university. If you have kids in tow, be sure to also take advantage of organized treasure hunts for children, guided tours, and workshops on how to make and decorate a clock.

From 1883 to 1926, Claude Monet lived in this pink stucco house in Giverny, where he cultivated his flower and water gardens and painted his famous Water Lilies series. Visitors to the house will find it just as Monet left it, complete with an all-yellow dining room and blue-tiled kitchen. You can tour everything from the sitting room, pantry, and studio to the bedrooms, dining room, and kitchen, then head outside to wander the gardens and see the famous arched bridge. Though you won’t find any of Monet’s paintings on-site, you can view his collection of 46 Japanese prints, and shop in the gift store, which is located in his old studio. When you get hungry, there’s also a café with healthy dishes and a spacious outdoor terrace.

A brief walk from the Strasbourg Cathedral lies the glorious Palais Rohan, a former Episcopal residence built between 1732 and 1742. Designed by the king’s architect for the Prince-Bishop of Strasbourg, the architectural masterpiece has welcomed everyone from Louis XV and Napoléon to Marie Antoinette, whose fate was later sealed by palace resident Cardinal Rohan.

Today, visitors can tour the Decorative Arts Museum on the ground floor for a peak at the gorgeous cardinal apartments and the jaw-dropping, solid-mahogany library, as well as various furniture, jewelry, and sculptures. Afterward, head up to the first floor, where the Museum of Fine Arts features masterworks by Botticelli, Raphael, Rubens, and Delacroix, or down to the basement to see the Archaeological Museum, one of the largest museums of its kind in France.

Set on almost four acres in the Catskill Mountains, a couple of hours outside of New York, The Villa at Saugerties is a tranquil four-room inn surrounded by stunning gardens, complete with weeping willows, streams, and a lily pond. All four rooms here are impeccably maintained, with gas fireplaces and lovely bathrooms complete with Moroccan tiling. While the Villa’s pleasant grounds and the 40-foot swimming pool are enough to keep guests from leaving the property, there’s also plenty to do in the sylvan surrounded, from hiking and mountain biking on local trails to touring the myriad quaint old towns for which the Hudson Valley is known. The gourmet breakfasts here cooked with local ingredients get rave reviews, as does the warm hospitality from the inn’s owner-operator couple, Amanda and Joe.

Amass Hotel may be located in the heart of one of Seoul’s most traditional neighborhoods, but its interiors are modern and industrial. Black-and-white rooms are compact yet comfortable (think heated floors); opt for a quad room for double the space and a private terrace with a covered long table and benches. The rooftop bar offers views of N Seoul Tower and the city’s skyline, and a downstairs café provides a convenient breakfast option, with many others within walking distance. The nearby Bukchon Hanok Village and Insadong-gil street are shopping hubs for souvenirs, folk art, and handicrafts, and the Changdeokgung Palace is across the street (best to buy tickets in the morning and return later for the tours). The hotel offers free bicycle rentals but is also very subway accessible.

Siem Reap sees a lot of Koreans visiting throughout the year, both tour groups and independent travelers. This means the city has a large number of Korean restaurants to cater for them. My favorite is Dae Bak, on busy Sivutha Boulevard. This simple place with stainless steel tables that get packed with groups of tourists, as well as off-duty guides and Korean expats, does deliciously authentic Korean food. There’s a fairly long menu of specialties, including everything from dumplings to kimchi soup and bulgogi to seafood pancakes. A few dishes to share is enough for a couple, as also serve half a dozen tiny dishes of starters, from kimchi to various pickled and fermented vegetables. Dishes start at $5 and a bottle of soju goes for $4. My only gripe is that the Korean BBQ is done outside and not at the table.

Perched next to San Francisco Bay, Hotel Griffon makes an ideal base for business travelers who work nearby and visitors who want a waterfront location. Free town car service to the Financial District is available every weekday morning, while a fifth-floor boardroom provides a short commute for conference-goers. Leisure travelers can arrange Alcatraz tickets, tours, and sought-after reservations through the concierge.

The eco-friendly hotel is green down to the smallest details, from recycling unused hygiene products as part of the California Green Lodging Association and Clean the World to recycled notepads. All of the rooms were remodeled in 2012 and get turned down every evening with chocolates. Top-floor suites also have a wet bar so guests can raise a glass to their view of the city or bay and toast their time in San Francisco.