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For travelers who visit Hawaii and want a quiet, tucked-away vacation from the rest of the world, Hilo is a fantastic town to find a condo for rent and sunrises from the local beaches or to enjoy quiet evenings staying in. While no one needs to get lost in a book when there are so many beautiful things to enjoy on the Island of Hawaii, Hilo Bay Books compliments a tucked-away, quiet, beachy lifestyle perfectly by selling secondhand books (their motto is “get used!”) to help you unwind and enjoy the time away from home.

Few things characterize autumn in North American more than apple picking, apple pies, and apple cider. If you feel like connecting with nature and experiencing a Canadian tradition, head to the western tip of the island and the Labonté Orchard for a wee session of apple picking. There is a small admission fee of $2, and you are free to stay on site for as long as you like. If you don’t go for the apple picking, go for the heaven-sent desserts at the on-site café. The apple crumble will make you a believer.

Patti and Giuseppe greet guests at the door with their dogs, welcoming them into the old farmhouse’s stone corridor. The limestone is pale but the walls and corners contain clever splashes of colorful art and furniture. The sunlight filters through the open-air corridor, leading to public spaces and guest rooms filled with surprising luxury and style. Donkey quarters or places to tie animals and store feed have been tranformed by the couple’s creative vision and hard work into a gorgeously designed living room and office. Every corridor is lined by plants and sculptures, every room incandescent with art; the hotel iss vibrant, colorful, worldly.

There are several hidden treasures among the volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii. The one that I found most fascinating was a short (0.7 mile) hike from the Chain of Craters road to the Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs. I was most fascinated that this land has been lava coated—and recoated—for ages and yet these petroglyphs still managed to escape centuries of fresh molten lava. I also thought this image, etched in the rock, was the likeness of a couple and imagined some ancient Hawaiian man carefully carving out the images and comically telling his wife: “I lava you a lot.”

One of the most charming souvenirs from the Big Island is a Hula Lamp. The lamps are a great way to bring the spirit of aloha into your home. They are a much grander version of a dashboard hula doll. Charles Moore is the artist who began creating the lamps based on vintage topless hula lamps he had seen from the past. He’s created a variety of designs, colors, and shades for the hula lamps so anyone can find something they like to suit their home. He’s always thinking ahead to new ideas including hula coffee tables, vases, and sculptures. When you walk into his shop, you’ll be impressed by his creations and likely end up taking one home!

Probably the most visited attraction in the city, the V&A combines many elements of the greatest commercial waterfront projects around the world. There are plenty of draws for tourists (the Cape Wheel, helicopter rides, boat trips to Robben Island) and locals (450 retail outlets, from H&M to a major supermarket), but it remains a working harbor, with small seagoing vessels sailing between the main harbor and the dry dock that lies adjacent to the excellent Two Oceans Aquarium and Watershed craft and design hall. There’s even a fast-growing residential section, connected by canals that stretch toward the city. The latest addition, however, is the Silo District, which became one of Cape Town’s must-visit attractions soon after opening in late 2017. Here, a number of restaurants and boutiques, anchored by the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, are located amid old grain silos.

Surrounded by swaying palms, tropical flowers, pink sand, and sapphire waters, the 100-acre Fairmont Southampton is Bermuda’s ultimate luxury destination. The 593 rooms and suites are among the largest on the island, and feature marble baths stocked with Le Labo products and private balconies that look out onto the Atlantic Ocean, Great Sound Harbour, or the lush landscaping of the on-site Turtle Hill Golf Club. A pool, beach club, dive center, kid’s camp, and tennis courts—plus that 18-hole championship course—offer plenty to keep guests busy. If you prefer to kick back, opt for a lavender-oil massage at Willow Stream Spa, a sprawling space complete with a well-stocked health club, sauna, and steam rooms, or grab a sundowner at one of the resort’s 10 restaurants, bars, and lounges.

The Maiden’s Tower, which seemingly floats in the Bosphorus off Asia, is one of the more popular symbols of the city. Once a Byzantine tollbooth and later an Ottoman lighthouse, it’s most famous for a legend involving a princess and a prophecy that she would die from a snakebite. Her father exiled her to the tower in the hope of protecting her but, alas, the prophecy could not be avoided—a snake made its way to the island, either in a bouquet of flowers or a basket of grapes (depending on the version of the tale).

Opened in 2012, the Four Seasons Pudong resides in what’s known locally as the Jewel Box—the 50-story, 21st-Century Tower, a rectangular prism in the heart of the Lujiazui business district. Art-filled interiors pull their inspiration from Shanghai’s 1920s and 1930s golden age. The lobby wows with a dramatic grand spiral staircase with an underbelly of Maccasar ebony, and a suspended, 1,000-strip metal sculpture created by Japan’s Studio Sawada Design that looks like a dangling collage of willowy twigs. Rooms offer prime views of Pudong’s evolving skyline and come with fresh flowers and Lorenzo Villoresi bath products. The decor is inspired by Shanghai Art Deco, with an intense palette of rouge, glossy black, and textured gray, coupled with smoky glass and metallic accents. In the bathrooms, a custom wall and glass panel mimic Coco Chanel’s iconic No. 5 perfume.

Owned by Terry Kaljo—a former model and founder of the Contemporary Hotels collection of upscale rental homes and villas—the Medusa Boutique Hotel offers 18 unique accommodations in Darlinghurst, an eclectic area and the epicenter of Sydney’s gay community. The 19th-century home is filled with wacky touches, from red Alice in Wonderland–style carpeting that runs up the grand staircase to pastel-pink walls studded with maple leaves in the entryway. The midcentury-modern rooms—with their retro primary colors, geometric patterns, and vintage chaises longues—attract fashion, media, and design professionals looking to get beneath the surface of one of Sydney’s liveliest neighborhoods. But there’s still the opportunity to relax, as guests can settle in next to the fireplace in the lobby to read the newspaper, enjoy a complimentary pastry, or make new friends. Longtime staff members offer the kind of local knowledge and personal attention that keeps guests coming back.

Big baggy aloha shirts—that could double as canoe sails—goodbye. Instead head to this Chinatown boutique, featuring the sharp, tapered designs of the eponymous Roberta Oaks. She draws on her hippie, farmhouse childhood and mid-century modern Hawai‘ian flair to create prints, which she then combines with a more fitted and form-flattering modern silhouette. These fabrics also take a star turn on graceful day dresses and even doggie bandanas. Open since 2009, this alluring boutique goes beyond attire, selling jewelry, candles, surf photography, and scents like Sándalo (a moody meditation on the islands’ vulcanism with ash, patchouli, and Royal Hawai‘ian sandalwood).

At three times the size of the Big Island of Hawaii, this is South America’s largest island. Split almost equally between Argentina and Chile, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is divided from the mainland by the legendary Strait of Magellan that saved sailors the long, treacherous route around Cape Horn. The Argentine town of Ushuaia, on the island’s southern coast, is a launching point for journeys that take travelers through the Strait of Magellan and past the glacier-covered 2,438-meter-high (7,999-foot-high) Mount Darwin off of the Beagle Channel.

Sailors place the Grenadines, with its 32 breathtakingly beautiful islands and islets, among the world’s best places for boating. For help getting out on the water, turn to Horizon Yacht Charters, which rents monohulls and catamarans (either bareboat or crewed) out of Blue Lagoon Marina on St. Vincent. Enjoy a multi-day or week-long sail around the Grenadines, or opt for the one-way charter and sail south through the Grenadines all the way to Grenada, where Horizon has another facility.

The shops of the Grand Bazaar are often derided as a tourist trap. Yes, you may want to see the historic setting, the common wisdom goes, but when it comes to actually shopping, you’ll get better quality at lower prices outside of the bazaar. There are so many exceptions to this “rule,” however, that it’s hardly worth repeating. One of the bazaar’s gems is Sivalsi Istanbul Yazmacisi at No. 57 on Yaglikçilar, the fabric “street.” The small shop’s shelves are covered with embroidered pieces, ikat-dyed fabrics, and ones with traditional Turkish patterns, from light cottons and silks to heavy wools. In short, you’ll find pretty much whatever Turkish or Middle Eastern fabric you might want, appropriate for everything from upholstery to clothing. The owners, Murat and Necdet Bey, count designer Rifat Ozbek, New York’s ABC Carpet & Home, and interior decorators and architects among their clients, but they still have time for ordinary customers interested in Turkish textiles. Prices are pretty much set but fair, starting at around $25 per square meter and going up to $600 and beyond for hand-embroidered pieces.

Henri Bendel is a small luxury department store located in what was originally three townhouses on Fifth Avenue. The building - which features Lalique windows, a grand circular staircase, high ceilings and marble floors - inspired Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to petition the city of New York to grant official landmark status in the 1990s. Founded in 1895 by Henri Bendel, the exclusive store has catered over the years to everyone from society ladies to young trendsetters. Whether you are in the mood to shop or just browse, Henri Bendel is a delightful riot of color and sparkle. You are greeted by fanciful fashion jewelry; candy-colored handbags; luscious candles; polished hair accessories; and high-end cosmetics, all displayed to perfection. Serious, over-the-top “eye candy”. Price points vary to suit almost all budgets. Wander to the second floor for seasonal accessories (beach wear or winter knits), more jewelry, plus an enormous array of scarves, sunglasses, coffee table books, and more handbags. Lingerie on the third floor. www.henribendel.com 712 Fifth Avenue (at 56th Street)