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On the Caribbean island of Tobago, you’ll find sand, surf—and the fastest goats on the planet. Now if they’d just run in a straight line….

Beyond the beach, the billboards, and the freeways, there’s a city of neighborhoods waiting to be explored.

A journey through one of the world’s last, best travel secrets.

The best markets and bazaars in Istanbul are scattered all over the city. Either open every day or held once a week, these markets are the places to haggle with vendors to buy a range of Istanbul’s best goods on the cheap, including farm-fresh produce, organic products, affordable souvenirs, leather handbags, clothes, and more. The neighborhood weekly bazaars are the places to go to shop, pay local prices, and nab the best bargains in Istanbul.

Zurich West is trendy, diverse and the ideal shopping hot spot. Im Viadukt is Zurich’s first covered market with over 50 vendors peddling everything from local wine and liquors to fabulously smelly cheeses. Gerolds Markt is lovely and houses seven independent boutiques, but the coolest store in Zurich, possibly the world, is Freitag. Here individually designed cult messenger bags are sold in 19-stacked shipping containers.

Whether you wander by boat, bike, or tuk tuk (or, highly recommended, a combo of all three), Bangkok spills over with places both new and very old to explore. Along the way, modern-day wonders rub shoulders with traditional Thai culture. Hop from the floating market to a day cruise on the Chao Phraya River to a cocktail at one of the city’s innovative bars. Make meals of tastes from street food vendors and mix in some table service at some of the city’s most renowned restaurants. Overwhelmed by all the options? Stop for a Thai massage. Need souvenirs? The weekend market awaits.

Shopping in India’s Golden Triangle of Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra is a treasured affair for both locals and tourists. Open-air markets, government approved shops, bazaars, and luxury boutiques line the streets with goods ranging from precious gemstones to traditional attire. Several markets, including Dilli Haat, feature permanent and transitional vendors who showcase products from across India. Get lost in the labyrinth of silver and spices at Chandni Chowk or bargain for handicrafts and textiles at Janpath. Work with a perfumer to create your perfect scent at Bapu Bazaar.

A journey into the ethnic neighborhoods redefining the City of Light

From the drunken noodles that Jay Fai (yes, she of the Michelin-starred Raan Jay Fai) stir fries in her scalding wok to the “progressive Thai food” at Le Du to Nahm, named one of the world’s 50 best restaurants, Bangkok’s culinary scene is humming. Whether you’re up for a street food kind of day and plate upon plate of sticky rice, noodles, and all of the possible dishes that could top them, or you’ve got high-end sushi in mind, the city’s restaurants and food vendors deliver.

Hoi An’s iconic noodle dish was tangled in mystery for decades. Then writer David Farley came to town.

After a string of personal losses, a writer heads to Tamil Nadu seeking solace from her sorrows. It takes two temples, a palm leaf astrologer, and the driver of a velour-lined taxi to make her feel whole again.

If eating huge plates of pork, deciphering local slang, and snowshoeing through the woods of Québec can’t bring two siblings together, what can?

How do you make sense of diverse, dizzying São Paolo? Talk to the people who make the sushi, spray the graffiti, and build the giant watermelons.

Lime Cay, an uninhabited island about two miles off of Port Royal, is a favorite destination of Kingstonians for white-sand beaches, sunbathing, and swim time. This is an ideal deserted escape on weekdays, and weekends are usually only a bit busier and bring a few vendors. Don’t count on the vendors, though: Bring your own food, water, sunscreen, and snorkeling gear. Wear water shoes, as there can be urchins. To arrange a trip over, ask at your hotel, or inquire at the bar on Morgan’s Harbour called the Y-Knot—they’ll help you find a boat ride or fisherman willing to take you to the island for no more than US$20.

A compelling reason to be in Cape Town on a weekend morning (especially Sunday, if you want to eat your way through the food-focused Oranjezicht City Farm Market, too) is the dynamic Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in up-and-coming Woodstock. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., hip locals and tourists alike weave their way through what can only be described as an abundance of all things artisanal—edible, wearable, and otherwise. The most jam-packed part of the market is usually the massive tent lined with vendors specializing in mushrooms, bread, paella, pizza, honey, cakes, cheeses, and craft brews. It’s a veritable smorgasbord, so wear your stretchy pants, and work it off afterward by strolling the other section devoted to micro-merchants selling baby moccasins, brightly colored swimwear, offbeat home accessories, recycled brass jewelry, and more.