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This colorful, photography-friendly collection of the one-eyed glass artist’s work is more than just another tourist attractions. The Northwest room, with its ceramics, textile art, Pendleton blankets, and photography of Native Americans, is a nod to the traditional arts that inspired Chihuly’s work. Playful, brightly colored glass is everywhere: oversized spheres piled into a rowboat, sea creatures and undulating glass ribbons that evoke the movement of the ocean, and fanciful “flowers” in the outdoor garden. The gift shop is large, with a nice selection of gifts, novelties, and Pendleton blankets. King County residents get a $4 discount off admission. Great for visitors, residents, and anyone who has a nice digital camera they’re itching to try out.

This glitzy shopping district in the city center is home to department stores and shopping malls like Ginza Six and Tokyu Ginza Plaza. There are many Michelin-starred restaurants for sushi, tempura, and kaiseki, as well as classic bars such as Star Bar and Bar High Five. Casual restaurants serving tonkatsu, Western-style yoshoku, and old-school kissaten cafés also pepper the area, offering something for everyone regardless of budget. The area is rich with so-called antenna shops (regional food shops), and fans of the lifestyle store Muji will not want to miss the flagship store. Ito-ya and Kyukyodo are must-shops for stationery, traditional washi paper, and pens.

This Cuzco corner presents a notable juxtaposition between ancient Incan and Spanish colonial architecture. Since the Incas worshipped their sun god, Inti, above all others, this temple in their imperial capital was the most important of the entire realm. It was here that they brought the idols of all peoples they assimilated, to offer them representation as they demanded allegiance in Cuzco. When the Spanish arrived, they tore down much of the temple and built a monastery on top of it. However, the walls that do remain provide stunning examples of pre-Hispanic engineering, particularly the rounded outer wall that can be seen from Avenida del Sol.

The historic Kiya shop specializing in cutlery has been in the Nihonbashi district since 1792. Come here for Japanese knives and traditional Japanese kitchenware, including donabe for cooking rice and hot pots, copper graters, and mortar and pestles. There are wooden boxes for making pressed sushi and wooden cutting boards that are gentle on the Japanese knives. Staff are friendly and helpful, guiding customers to the right knife or utensil. Beyond cutlery, Kiya also has other cutting tools that are worth checking out, including nail clippers, shaving gear, pruning shears, and scissors.

From its beachfront locale to the sweeping terraces and sliding-glass doors, everything about this hotel is aimed at maximizing views of Bali’s most sought-after shoreline. Local stone and wood put an Indonesian twist on the resort’s Thai design, which incorporates a dark-wood color scheme, a mini waterfall, and lattice screens. The hotel offers one-of-a-kind experiences, including special-occasion dinners on the beach and spice-infused cooking tours that introduce guests to regional flavors (don’t miss Spice Spoons, in which you’ll sample exotic fruit and other local ingredients, or the seaside Indonesian cooking class with a master chef). Bustling Seminyak lures travelers to its restaurants, bars, and nightclubs—often early into the morning—but Anantara’s spacious sundecks, refreshing pools, traditional spa suites, and umbrella-shaded beach chairs are waiting to revive you the next day.

Chef Jorge Vallejo—an alumnus of the capital’s most famous restaurant, Pujol—rose to star status with his internationally-ranked Quintonil, a restaurant he runs in partnership with his wife. Vallejo’s more recent venture is Fonda Fina, where his protege, Chef Juan Cabrera, interprets the renowned restauranteur’s dishes in a warm, inviting setting. Guests will find clever, thoughtful design touches like clay cooking pots that have been turned into light fixtures. The servers are attentive, and every dish on the tradition-inspired Mexican menu is presented beautifully.

Adjacent to the restaurant is a cheery boutique filled with gourmet products from all over Tuscany. Thanks to the restaurant’s long-standing relationships with many of the region’s top purveyors, you’ll find high-quality olive oil (tastings can also be arranged), cheeses, cured meat, preserves, breads, and more. Not all of it will make it through customs, but you can savor any perishables on a picnic to the Tuscan countryside.

Even if you aren’t planning to take a cooking course during your visit to San Antonio, a trip to the Culinary Institute of America is worth a visit. It’s a great area to walk around in, and you can try coffee and pastries at the CIA Bakery Cafe. You can also eat at NAO, the award-winning restaurant at the CIA that’s also part of the student’s educational experience. Be sure to make a reservation.

While most shojin ryori (Buddhist cuisine) meals are very simple, Daigo elevates such cooking to the level of kaiseki ryori, the multi-course haute cuisine that was long favored in aristocratic circles. Diners are introduced to an impressive array of vegetables prepared in classic renditions: tempura mushrooms, vegetable sushi, deep-fried eggplant with grated daikon dressing. The traditional setting includes tatami mats and low tables, with a sunken area under the table for comfortable seating. Note that some bonito is used, so if you are strictly vegetarian, let the restaurant know when you make your reservation and the kitchen will accommodate you.

Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan‘s largest fresh water lake. When I lived in Nantou County, central Taiwan, I would often ride my scooter to Sun Moon Lake for a bit of fresh air and reflection. One day I drove to the lake and traveled up a hill to the Ci-en Pagoda. Parking my bike, I climbed to the top of the pagoda and gazed out at the misty lake, which seemed magical in that moment. Many legends surround Sun Moon Lake, including the one which says the lake was once inhabited by two dragons. These dragons used the sun and moon as toys, causing the world to fall into darkness. Eventually a young couple came and defeated the dragons, brining light back into the world. Sun Moon Lake is one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever visited.

Why we love it: A converted farmhouse in the Xlendi Valley offering traditional charm and sweeping views

The Highlights:
- Superior rooms with private balconies and outdoor Jacuzzis
- Original details like stone walls and Maltese tiles in the suites
- A rooftop pool with panoramic views of the valley

The Review:
Nestled in the Xlendi Valley on the island of Gozo, Cesca Boutique Hotel was once surrounded by a working farm. While the original owners were focused on growing cotton, their great-grandsons, who now own and operate the property, turned the 350-year-old farmhouse into a luxurious boutique hotel, complete with 15 guestrooms done up in lace-print wallpaper and elegant furnishings. All rooms feature marble bathrooms with walk-in rain showers and balconies with epic valley views, while superior options also boast outdoor Jacuzzis. Three additional suites even include original stone walls, columns, and Maltese tiles, plus extras like a separate seating area, free-standing bathtub, and decorative fireplace.

Elsewhere in the hotel, guests will find a rooftop pool with scenic vistas and an indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar, which serves a large breakfast spread each morning, lunch a few days a week, and dinner nightly. Should you wish to get out and explore, Cesca is within walking distance of the towns of Victoria and Xlendi, making for easy sightseeing.

Why we love it: A wellness-centric resort with a luxury spa for the adults and multiple pools for the kids

The Highlights:
- An authentic Ayurveda Center for balancing spa treatments
- Three outdoor pools, two indoor pools, and a Jacuzzi
- Six on-site dining and drinking destinations to please the whole family

The Review:
Surrounded by more than seven acres of greenery on the small island of Gozo, this wellness-focused resort offers the ultimate escape from larger, busier Malta. The five-star hotel has 140 rooms and suites, multiple indoor and outdoor pools, and six restaurants and bars, though the highlight is most definitely the spa, which comprises one of the largest Ayurvedic centers in the Mediterranean. Here, guests can indulge in a variety of Eastern and Western treatments, take complimentary yoga classes multiple times a week, or simply make use of the facilities, which include two indoor heated pools, a Jacuzzi, relaxation areas, and a steam chamber.

Standard and deluxe rooms offer ample space to spread out with seating areas, balconies, and marble bathrooms, while suites take things to the next level with sweeping views of the hillside or pools. If you’re traveling with a group, spring for the two-bedroom family suite, which even includes a kitchenette and dining area. Across all the guestrooms, design is traditional with modern accents, making for a stylish stay.

Why we love it: A foodie hideaway from a three-Michelin starred chef

The Highlights:
- A Michelin-starred chef overseeing operations
- Gourmet—yet affordable—fare at the on-site restaurant
- A lovely setting in the Rhine Valley

The Review:
The Rhine Valley village of Fürstenau may officially be the world’s smallest city, but it does boast the famous Schauenstein Schloss restaurant and castle hotel—and, since 2018, this more casual and contemporary option set in the castle’s former stables. Designed by Spanish-born interiors guru Patricia Urquiola, Casa Caminada is, like its parent restaurant and hotel, overseen by Swiss chef Andreas Caminada, who can often be spotted bustling around the property.

Given the hotel’s foodie cred, most guests come for the eats—whether they choose the fine-dining option at the castle or the restaurant at the Casa, which offers similarly elegant Swiss fare at more wallet-friendly prices. Breakfast is included in the room rate and features epic breads from the on-site, traditional-style bakery. After all the great meals—and some bracing hikes along nearby trails—relax in the guesthouse’s garden with a glass of wine, then retire to one of the 10 rooms. While they’re all different sizes and shapes, each is awash in warm woods, simple furnishings, and crisp Italian linens, and equipped with a private balcony that lets the views take center stage.

A warren of rooms make up this cozy restaurant that some claim is the oldest on the island. The building itself was originally a private waterside home constructed in 1652—some 40 years after the first English settlers arrived to Bermuda—and it has operated as restaurant for more than a century. The name comes from the married Irish poet who lived here and spent his days on Bermuda composing love poems to local women. However, don’t let the tavern in the name fool you: The cuisine and vibe here is haute, and the menu showcases French influences on island favorites, as well as traditional Bermuda fish chowder and grilled meats; if they’re listed on the day’s menu, the soufflés are a must-try. There’s no longer exactly a dress code (the emphasis is on “elegant casual”), but like everything in Bermuda, it is best to err on the side of formal.

Four thousand modern art pieces throughout public areas and guest rooms liven up this Pudong waterfront hotel, which opened in April 2013. The highlight is the lobby’s Glass Murals, made from almost 72,000 mosaic tiles and inspired by local artist Miao Tong’s painting Sound of the Wind. Elsewhere in the lobby, guests will encounter Chinese screens, sculpted furnishings, and bronze tones that mimic the glow of sunset on the river. Rooms have taupe furnishings, with flashes of indigo and lotus-green, and abstract ink paintings of traditional Chinese garden landscapes. Some have hypnotic Huangpu River views. As with many hotels in Pudong, the property is set within a larger complex, in this case the 61-acre mixed-use Harbour City development.