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Once the vacation home of the Italian Duchess Rosa de Ferrari, this exceptional estate was converted into a hotel in 2005. 2014 marked the arrival of a new owner and a new era for the property. Today, Hotel Esencia is an elegant small resort on one of the prettiest beaches on the Mayan Riviera. Surrounded by 50 acres of lush jungle and manicured, palm-fringed grounds, Esencia pairs the amenties and comforts of a larger hotel with the attentive care typical of a boutique property or B&B. Amenities include two swimming pools, a spa, and two restaurants. In the spacious rooms, lots of details stand out: iPod surround systems, well-stocked minifridges, 600-thread-count sheets, and walk-in closets.

Madrid’s largest park, named after King Juan Carlos I, is a short metro ride from downtown, but from the moment you leave the station you feel as though you’ve been transported to a faraway land of fairy tales. Giant sculptures decorate the massive grounds, with dedications to Galileo, victims of the Holocaust, and world peace, respectively. If the weather is fair, there is a free train which offers rides every hour on the hour around the entire park—the only way you can see the whole place in a day!

Mexico City is often depicted—and not incorrectly—as a capital city teeming with buildings, people, and cars. It also, though, has a surprising number of green spaces and parks, the most expansive of which is Bosque de Chapultepec, right on the edge of Polanco. It’s easy to while away a good bit of time in Chapultepec; the park has a zoo, a lake where you can rent pedal boats, street performers making music and magic, and the Castillo de Chapultepec—Chapultepec Castle—which houses the National History Museum. If you’re hungry, you’ll find plenty of vendors peddling everything from roasted corn on the cob to cotton candy.

Similar to the original L’Atelier in Paris and the other “workshop” in Tokyo, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the MGM Casino is a must-try spot for anyone who admires this Michelin-starred, Chef-of-the-Century-titled French master Joel Robuchon. You can eat at tables, but the best seat in the house is at the counter where you can watch the ballet the chefs and sous-chefs dance to make delicious food look equally as gorgeous to the eyes. It is a bit of a splurge, but with any luck at the tables, you can win yourself the cash needed to have this luxury meal.

The limited-edition Nikes and kiosk of independent magazines (Corpus, Out of Order, System) at this brilliantly edited multibrand boutique in the upper Marais recall the city’s renowned concept shop Colette. But its abundant natural light, and market-fresh, Scandinavian-influenced café make it a place of its own. Minimalist, rustic decor and sparsely furnished racks reinforce a feeling of calm. An in-house florist is in the works. 12 Rue Perrée, 33/(0) 1-44-61- 53-60. This appeared in the October 2013 issue.

While the art of puppetry is common throughout much of Asia, Vietnam has the unique discipline of water puppetry. These puppets are carved from wood and then lacquered to protect them from the water. The stage for a show is a pool of water, with the puppeteers standing behind, hidden by a screen, manipulating and moving the figures with rods and strings. Water puppetry is believed to have originated in northern Vietnam in the 11th century, possibly in the rice fields around the Red River Delta—flooded paddies were the original stages—and themes often explore the daily routines of rural or coastal life or old folktales. Today visitors can most easily catch a performance in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City at one of a handful of well-established theaters.

Stone and Man, a permanent outdoor art installation launched in the 1990s, features the stone carvings of 40 different artists. Conceived by Greenlandic artist Aka Høegh, the installation includes 40 works located around the city by creators representing all the Nordic countries. Many are carved directly into the lichen-covered rock outcrops. On a tour of the sites you’ll come across representations of whales, native faces and other traditional designs that feel as if they’ve been there for hundreds of years.

Explore Ireland’s rich archaeological legacy, starting with the Megalithic period and moving through the Viking and Medieval eras, with eye-catching artifacts like the Tara Brooch, Cross of Cong, Ardagh Chalice and a glistening collection of prehistoric gold. The museum has two other locations in the city: one dedicated to decorative arts and history at Collins Barracks on the banks of the River Liffey and the wonderfully Victorian Natural History Museum on Upper Merrion Street.

One of Portugal’s oldest cosmetics companies, Claus Porto cemented a major comeback after Lisbon’s coolest store, A Vida Portuguesa, began carrying its products. In 2016, the company opened its own boutique in the trendy Chiado district, offering even more access to its eye-catching inventory. Packaged in art deco– and Belle Époque–style cases, the signature products look supremely cool as bed-and-bath decor. Of course, you could also buy the soaps, lotions, and shave creams for actual use. As an extra incentive, on Saturdays, men who spend more than €50 (around $60) receive an old-school hot shave in the barbershop at the store.

See some of Sicily’s most prized artworks at the Regional Gallery of Sicily, housed in the Palazzo Abatellis, in Palermo’s Kalsa neighborhood. The palace’s Catalonian Gothic–style architecture, which dates from the 1490s, is worth a visit in its own right. Among the prominent works in the collection are the Virgin Annunciate by Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina and a sculpture of the head of Eleonora of Aragon by Francesco Laurana.

Constructed in honor of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957), this seaside park and memorial is one Helsinki’s major attractions. The abstract monument, entitled Passio Musicae, was created by pioneering artist Eila Hiltunen and is actually a kinetic, musical sculpture—a bundle of 600 steel tubes that capture the wind like a pipe organ. When it was unveiled in 1967, it sparked a debate about abstract art. (To appease the critics, a second sculpture—a representational bust of Sibelius—was added to the memorial.)

Amsterdam’s Royal Palace sits on Dam Square at the heart of the city. Though it remains a working palace—it’s where King Willem-Alexander was crowned in 2013—the Dutch royal family only uses it occasionally and the rest of the time it’s open to the public. Walk through the 350-year-old palace to explore its vast halls and priceless art collections. The truly passionate can get a deeper look by booking a guided tour from an art historian.

In a city known for glamour, Waldorf Astoria managed to up the ante when it opened in 2017. Lalique crystal, Italian marble, hand-blown Murano glass, and custom-made art deco–inspired furniture fill the interiors, decorated by French interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon. All 170 rooms and suites have floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies (the 3,215-square-foot Presidential Suite comes with its own spa and home theater). On the rooftop, a saltwater pool has unparalleled views of Beverly Hills and is busy both day and night, when warm mimosa eggs served with caviar emerge from the kitchen and ginger margaritas flow. Acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened his first Los Angeles restaurant at the hotel and handles all the room service, too. If you want to power lunch with the best of them, order his ahi tuna tartare and avocado carpaccio pizza. Pro tips: Hotel amenities encourage guests to go all in on the Beverly Hills lifestyle. Guests booking a Signature Suite get an option to reserve an Aston Martin to cruise around town. This is also home to the only La Prairie Spa in Southern California—the Rejuvenating Platinum Facial is a local favorite.

First opened in 1894, the open-air Folk Museum has some 160 historic buildings, five of them dating from the medieval period, including Gol Stave, a 13th-century shingled wooden church. The buildings, from sod-roofed farmhouses to village shops along a cobbled street, represent rural and town life in Norway. In summer, visitors enjoy demonstrations and historic reenactments of folk life. Indoor exhibits explore the indigenous Sami culture and display folk art, textiles and historic native costumes.

A visit to Ripley’s Aquarium will swiftly transport you to the tranquil depths of the ocean—or to a different planet completely. This popular attraction, home to 16,000 sea creatures, features a number of galleries that show different ocean habitats from around the globe. Fancy some up-close time with jellyfish? A backlit display can transfix even the most jaded visitor. An underwater tunnel lets you walk through a shark tank. A journey into Canadian waters reveals what lurks beneath. (Hint: There’s plenty of kelp in the Pacific.) But not everything is behind glass: Aquatic fanatics can get in the water to swim with a stingray or assist the animal caretakers.