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As much as Orlando is known for its theme parks, the city is also popular for its many outlets and shopping malls, which draw tourists with great deals on luxury cosmetics, electronics, and clothing. Home to more than 180 retailers, the Orlando International Premium Outlets are a one-stop shop for big-name brands at discounted prices. Here, you’ll find everything from Adidas, Armani, and Banana Republic to Baccarat, Gap, Guess, Kate Spade, Coach, and more. Also available are food options like Panera Bread and Five Guys, so you don’t even have to leave the area to eat.

If you’ve had a tough time finding authentic souvenirs, you might find something suitable in an unlikely place: Cabo’s biggest shopping mall. Puerto Paraiso may be the last place you’d think about going while in Cabo, but it has several stores, including 100% Mexico Hecho a Mano and Mi Mexico Magico, that sell handcrafted and artisanal goods made in Mexico. Look for pottery, textiles, toys, leatherwork, and small-batch food products like organic chocolate and local honey.

You’ll constantly find this small Marietta restaurant packed with customers for their biscuits and burgers. Local Food Network star Alton Brown named Red Eyed Mule’s burgers on the show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” It’s also a favorite of the members of the nearby Air Force base. This hometown favorite opened in 2010 and was instantly beloved. If you’re there for breakfast, grab a biscuit before heading to work. It may be hard to find a seat for lunch, but order at the counter before sitting down. Their burgers are handmade fresh ground beef between pieces of Texas toast with your choice of toppings.

Statues of Communist ideologues once dotted every city behind the Iron Curtain, but in the world’s rush to forget the Cold War, such monuments are hard to find these days. Not in Budapest—once East and West came together in the early 1990s, the city decided not to destroy the evidence. It rather collected about 40 monuments of figures like Vladimir Lenin, valiant soldiers, and even a huge sets of boots from a statue of Stalin, and in 1993 put them all in a park about 25 minutes by bus from Budapest’s city center. History buffs, especially, will find it worth the trek.

It’s not hard to find souvenirs in Cairo. In fact, most of them will find you at every site you visit. While street vendors are a cheap and easy solution for affordable gifts, if you’re looking for a quality souvenir of your time in Egypt, head to Karnak Jewellery. This huge store specializes in handcrafted items from around the country. You’ll find delicately inlaid boxes, statues carved from bronze, silver, and semiprecious stones, hand-made carpets, and even larger furniture items. But handmade jewelry is the specialty and you can have a piece made to any specification. One of the most original and affordable ideas is a hand-carved pendant featuring the name (or word) of your choice in hieroglyphics. I was given a silver pendant as a gift and it remains a treasured reminder of my brief time in Egypt. Alison Cornford-Matheson traveled to Egypt courtesy of the Egypt Tourism Authority and Abercrombie & Kent. Her highlights are part of AFAR’s partnership with The United States Tour Operator Association (USTOA), whose members provide travelers with unparalleled access, insider knowledge, peace-of-mind, value, and freedom to enjoy destinations across the entire globe. See more about Alison’s trip at the USTOA blog.

Brussels’ largest gourmet supermarket, Rob, is well worth the trip outside the city centre for dedicated foodies. This market is filled with all of the finest grocery items from around Europe. This is where locals go to buy hard-to-find ingredients and where expats go to find their favourite tastes of home. There are vast meat, seafood, cheese and deli counters and the bakery is a pastry-lover’s dream. Rob stocks chocolate from all of Brussels’ top chocolatiers for the ultimate in one-stop Belgian chocolate shopping. The wine selection here is beyond compare. Everyday wines and spirits can be found in the main shop but if you’re looking for something really special, descend into the basement. Here you will find a dedicated wine cellar with sommeliers on hand to help you choose the perfect bottle. If your tastes run to high-end whiskeys, vodkas, cognacs and the like, there is also a dedicated shop just for you. It’s kept under lock and key and if you have to ask the prices, it’s best to move along. Visit on a Saturday when the shop demonstrators are active and you can taste your way around Europe.

The weekly flohmarkt (flea market) in Friedrichshain’s Boxhagener Platz is a popular spot where locals meet up for shopping, drinking, or just a bit of fun each Sunday. While the Mauer Park flea market gets most of the tourists, this one is far less touristy. You’re much more likely to find a good deal on used books, cool T-shirts (some by local designers, even!), music records, and knickknacks. Because the market is relatively small, it’s quite enjoyable to take a stroll through the stalls and then enjoy a picnic on the grassy area in the middle of the square. Many cafes and restaurants are situated on the streets bordering Boxhagener Platz so you won’t be bored for things to do. The market is open Sundays during daylight. On Saturdays in the same area you’ll find a fresh food & produce market.

In The Gallery of Great Things, visitors will find much more than “things” to experience when they walk in the shop. The actual building was a nurses’ quarters during WWII serving an estimated 50,000 soldiers who passed through during the war. Maria, the shopkeeper who founded the gallery, has filled her store with art, antiques, and curiosities that reflect the Pacific culture, history of the Islands, and Hawai‘ian lifestyle. She has endeavored to preserve the culture of the Islands through her work in the store and sells the work from more than 200 local artisans, including the best known Hawai‘ian artists. One walk through her crowded shop guarantees everyone will find a treasure—whether it’s a wind chime, koa wood sculpture, painting, or just postcard.

On the Asian side, south of the First Bosphorus Bridge, Kuzguncuk is a charming detour from the well-worn tourist trail and easily combined with a visit to nearby Beylerbeyi Palace. The neighborhood’s multicultural past is very much present, with synagogues, Armenian and Greek churches, and mosques located side by side. You can also expect to find cafes, art galleries, and fresh produce shops. Venture off the leafy main street (Icediye Caddesi) to admire the pretty facades of narrow townhouses and decorative wooden Ottoman abodes, many dating back to the 19th century. To find Kuzguncuk, take the ferry or Marmaray Rail to Üsküdar and follow the Bosphorus shoreline about a mile north (by foot or blue minibus) to Icediye Caddesi.

A few stops up the metro from Windows of the World and OCT, you’ll find Chegongmiao. Get off at exit A, and walk away from the busy street (Shennan Road). Suddenly you’ll find this little oasis in Shenzhen. It’s like a small town neighborhood. There’s a big plaza in the middle where vendors sell snacks and kids chase each other. There’s coffee shops and bakeries. Walk all the way to the end of the plaza and on the left you’ll see a giraffe. That’s Zoo Cafe, which has great waffles and smoothies. A lot of Koreans live here, and so there are good Korean restaurants in Chegongmiao. Just pick the busiest one; they are all pretty tasty.

To while away time, you can go people-watching and vintage shopping in Stockholm’s answer to New York’s SoHo—South of Folkungagatan, called “SoFo” on Södermalm (“Söder” to locals). This busy bohemian district boasts some of the edgiest cultural experiences in town. Visit stores like Sneakersnstuff for funky limited-edition sneakers and running shoes, or wade through rows of vintage clothes at Beyond Retro, offering styles from Victorian-era attire to 1990s grunge-rock Pearl Jam–inspired clothes, with every era in between. If you’re into vintage—vinyl records, throwback clothes, paraphernalia, odd knickknacks—you won’t find them anywhere else if you don’t find them in Stockholm’s SoFo district.

This city-owned park in Berkeley will steal your heart, even before you find the stone slide! While I was exploring the park for the first time, I’d already been wowed by the little league park of my dreams, the magical Redwood trail running section and of course, the famed, tiered rose garden itself. Then I heard the sound of sliding cardboard and loads of laughter. Check out your Berkeley map and find the green patch titled ‘Berkeley Rose Garden’ on Euclid. Feel free to bring your own empty pizza box or other piece of cardboard to do your sliding on, but know that there are many left behind for your use, in case you forget.

Every Sunday from 10am until dusk, about 200 local Santa Barbara artisans line E. Cabrillo Blvd to sell their arts and crafts. These artists line up over a half mile right next to the beach, so not only can you shop- but you can stroll along the beautiful coastline. All art is locally made- painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry, hats, etc. You will definitely find some unique things here! Nearby is Stearn’s Wharf where you can find shops, dining and the Santa Barbara Sea Center (an interactive, educational center that’s great for kids.

A day trip to Lake Como from Milan is easy and worthwhile. Although we did not find George Clooney’s villa, we did find the lake-side towns of Menaggio and Verenna to be charming. With no prior planning we took a thirty minute train ride from Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni and then boarded the public ferry a short walk away from the station. The ferry, preferably sitting on the open deck in the sun, is the best way to see the pretty little towns along the lake. Later we enjoyed a stroll and some lunch in Menaggio and then took another ferry across the lake to Verenna where we caught the train back to Milan.

While in the Alabama hills I fought for my life against the most feared worm in the West. Ok not really, but after finding out the saga of Tremor monster movies were filmed here I couldn’t resist a little photoshopping. While the town of Lone Pine is a bit derelict on the outside, dig an inch deeper and you’ll discover it was the backdrop to almost every classic Western. Hundreds of films, series and advertisements have been filmed here due to the perpetually sunny days and striking landscapes. If you find yourself East of the Sierras, be sure to stop off in Lone Pine for a day to camp, hike, rock-climb, and tour the film museum!