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No matter where you are staying in the UAE, you can’t leave without visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The mosque, the third-largest in the world, is the final resting place of Sheikh Zayed, the nation’s founder. Even on the hottest summer day, the white marble floors—inlaid with mosaic flowers and vines—remain cool underfoot, and the scale of the space will impress even the most casual observer: The main hall can hold about 7,000 people. Take a tour and learn about the iconography of the intricate tiles and mosaics. Marvel at the huge rug that covers the floor in the main worship space; it’s the largest handmade rug in the world. If you happen to be visiting during Ramadan, you could consider joining one of the community iftar dinners, which sometimes serve as many as a thousand people in an evening.

Katara Beach: It’s only one mile long, and you must pay an entry fee, but this beach is located right in the middle of the city. This beach in the Katara Cultural Village features one of the highest concentrations of water sports that Qatar has to offer. There is a strict dress code precluding women from showing elbows and knees, but Katara remains a very popular weekend spot for locals and expats. The space offers a variety of activities, including fishing trips, parasailing, water skiing, wake-boarding, kneeboarding, and windsurfing. You will also find a bouncy castle in the water, along with banana boats, kayaks, sailing dinghies, and canoes.

Wholesale Market, located off the Salwa Road on the way to Mamoura, this is the equivalent to a Farmer’s Market with a few cultural twists: a section devoted to fish with its own subsection for crabs, lobsters, crayfish, prawns, squid, locally-caught whole fish, and a non-air-conditioned fish cleaning section; an animal/meat section where butchered meat is available as well as live goats, sheep and cows which are taken to the slaughter house next door; a Vegetable Souq, where locals and international chefs barter for imported and locally-grown fruits and vegetables. There is no place like the wholesale market to observe true Qatari life, see porters carrying peoples’ buys in a wheelbarrow to their cars, or spot a few camels ready to be slaughtered.

For a true taste of local culture in Myanmar’s portion of the Golden Triangle, the central market in Kyaingtong is a colourful hub of commerce. It plays host to a mix of tribal people from the hills, fresh and unusual produce and delicious dining options for the adventurous.

Though the venerable Vietnamese leader asked to be cremated, Ho Chi Minh’s remains now reside embalmed inside this imposing, pillared, gray-granite memorial. His resting place is hugely popular, drawing Vietnamese in droves as they pay their respects to the most important figure of contemporary Vietnam. The mausoleum only opens in the mornings, and visitors must abide by a number of rules (these include no hats, no shorts, and no photos inside). Yes, it’s a chance to see the actual remains of a hugely influential leader, but the experience of queuing up for entry is also a way of mingling with ordinary Vietnamese.

Once a separate town, the leafy colonial neighborhood known as Coyoacán has long been absorbed into the city at large, but retains a separate, old-fashioned air that’s impossible to resist. Restaurants and ice cream parlors (plus some venerable, divey cantinas) cluster around the quarter’s two central plazas that fill daily with strolling families, bootblacks, balloon sellers, and organ grinders. Feeling noshy? Locals swear by the esquites (stewed and seasoned corn kernels) on offer at a street stall next to the Sanborns store, right on Plaza del Centenario. A walk down Calle Francisco Sosa takes you past some of the city’s most valuable (often colonial-era) residences and ends at adorable Plaza Santa Catarina, with its petite parish church and a handful of friendly watering holes when it’s time for a drink or a snack.

MIA Park bazaar is an open air market held every Saturday of the winter months at the Museum of Islamic Art Park. This is the place where local and expatriate artisans come to sell their wear in over 150 stalls: jewelry, handmade and imported clothes, books, souvenirs, homemade food, and a wealth of unusual gifts. The bazaar is not just a place to find handmade items, vintage clothing, homemade food or artisan accessories, the place is also a congregation of international cultures and a hodgepodge of languages and cadences. There is a Colombian merchant selling hobo-chic clothes, a Thai woman selling yoga pants, a baker who goes by “The Cookie Man,” a stall of Filipino food, and the list goes on. The bazaar opens from 11 am to 6 pm, which gives its visitors enough time to browse the stalls, have a picnic on the beautifully manicured grounds of the park, fly a kite, lay on the grass and stare into the infinite blue sky.

By far Nagasaki’s largest shopping area, this bustling strip, situated close to the Kanko Dori train station, brims with over 700 shops that range from tiny boutiques to sprawling department stores and high-end emporiums. If you can’t find what you want here, try the surrounding streets, which offer even more choices. The fact that Hamanomachi is a covered arcade means it’s perfect for rainy-day retail therapy, and there are also several key shrines and temples nearby if you need a culture break.

Katara Amphitheater located in the Katara Cultural Village, also known as the Valley of Cultures, is paradise for architecture buffs and those on a tight budget as the entry is free. The architecture of the village is an innovative tribute to the old Qatari traditional architecture, with wind catchers providing a cooling system, overhanging roofs, dovecotes and courtyards. At the center of it all and overlooking the blue sea is the amphitheater, an architectural fuse of Islamic features and classical Greek theatre. The amphitheater can accommodate 5,000 people and has hosted open-air film viewings, dance shows and music concerts by renown artists like Vangelis, who was the special guest for the opening ceremony in 2011.

This property is closed due to damage sustained during Hurriance Maria.

The W Vieques Island is a luxury boutique waterfront hotel located on pristine Vieques Island, located eight miles off the southeast coast of mainland Puerto Rico. What’s interesting about the island is that despite being so close to the mainland, it still has a very raw, untouched feel, with tourism weaving itself into the landscape instead of taking it over. Guests of the hotel can explore ecotourism on the island through kayaking tours of the bioluminescent bay, beach trips, scuba diving, mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding, outdoor yoga, farm-to-bar social hours at sunset, and visits to the the local farm to see where the restaurant’s ingredients are sourced and even to create a meal for themselves. There’s also a sumptuous spa. Inspired by the holistic nature of the surroundings, the spa seems to blend into the landscape, with rivulets and canals flowing throughout the space, front-row views of the Atlantic Ocean, vine-covered treatment rooms, a reflection pool, and a spa pavilion surrounded by lush gardens.

This “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven” was once the heart of Korea. It was the power center of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897), and was originally built in 1395—some new digs for a new dynasty. Like the Forbidden City in Beijing, the palace is a complex of buildings—a throne hall, the king’s living quarters and more—a sort of city inside a city, accented by gardens and pavilions. The Japanese flattened the place in the 1590s, and the site remained a ruin until a complete reconstruction in 1867 brought back more than 500 buildings. At the Gwanghwamun Gate, soldiers, beautifully costumed in red robes, still perform the changing of the guard. Seoul has other palaces, but this is the one to see if your time in town is limited.

A pilgrimage to this enchanting park is a must for any Antoni Gaudí fan. Located atop Carmel Hill to the north of the city, the park was inspired by English landscape gardens, but its fantastical elements make sure you know it was created by Catalonia’s most eccentric architect. Though there are multiple entrances, the most impressive is via a grand staircase guarded by an enormous, mosaic-tiled dragon. It leads to a sprawling plaza with a mosaic-covered cement bench stretching some 328 feet around the perimeter. Park Güell was originally designed as a gated residential development, but it failed; a show home built to lure buyers is now the Gaudí House Museum (not included with park admission). Visitors should reserve an online ticket to avoid lines.

Before the French Revolution, this park used to be the site of the Royal Palace. Today, the garden, which separates the Louvre from Place de la Concorde, is a place where Parisians and tourists stroll amid Rodin and Maillol statues or relax alongside the many fountains after a long afternoon spent at the city’s museums. Done in a formal French style, the garden features manicured rows of trees and grassy areas punctuated by gravel walkways. There are benches throughout but the green metal chairs are the most popular choice of seating; pull one around the ponds as the Parisians do and enjoy your book or a snack while taking in the view. On warm days, people gather at shady cafés around the park; during chilly months, vendors sell mulled wine. Whenever you come, though, we recommend you don’t wear your finest shoes, as the gravel paths will get your kicks quite dusty.

Noventa Grados has been a stalwart in San Sebastián‘s haute couture scene for longer than any of the other ‘modern’ fashion boutiques. In the heart of the old town, it prides itself on an ever-changing, boundary-pushing shop display that proudly announces the new arrivals from the likes of Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, and Stella McCartney. When you enter the boutique, however, you pass first through a hair salon (one of the best in the city). Then you’ll glide through a section of makeup, perfumes, and sometimes even art before you get to the stairs that take you down to the designers. Keep your eyes and ears open in Noventa Grados as there’s always something to discover, both material and ephemeral: they often host hip cultural events within the store.

Since opening her first store in Palm Springs in 2002, fashion designer Trina Turk has forged a style that’s become synonymous with desert chic—an inimitable riot of color, pattern, and texture. Her original shop has now expanded twice to fill an entire 3,800-square-foot Albert Frey building, helping spark the revitalization of the city’s upscale Uptown Design District. Designed by Kelly Wearstler, the interior’s penny tile flooring, vintage foil wallpaper, and Lucite and acid-yellow accents create a glamorous, playful backdrop for Turk’s trendsetting women’s and men’s collections. This being Palm Springs, an entire department is devoted to swimwear (don’t miss the dressing room’s wallpaper). You’ll also find curated pieces that fit with the Trina Turk aesthetic, such as pool floats from Sunny Life, Missoni Home towels, Dinosaur Design resin accessories, and Jonathan Adler home goods. Insider’s tip: This is the brand’s only location where you’ll find vintage treasures, including Missoni and Pucci caftans, that Turk hand selected.