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Even during Antigua Sailing Week, when English Harbour is chock-a-block with yachts from all over the world, the 28-room Inn at English Harbour remains serenely detached from the chaos. The inn is five minutes by water taxi from the center of things at historic Nelson’s Dockyard, but its tucked-away location on a white-sand beach backed by 19 leafy acres (and a no-kids-under-10 policy) ensures tranquility. Four snug rooms, with marble floors and queen beds, occupy two beachside cabanas, while 25 more generously proportioned suites, all with dark mahogany floors, four-poster king-size canopy beds, and verandas or balconies, are in three wooden buildings sitting farther back among the tropical greenery. Although the Terrace Restaurant and Stone Bar are in the property’s original stone house, the rooms, despite their colonial look, are relatively modern, which means there is a flat-screen TV, an iPod docking station, and Internet access.

Craft cocktails and modern Asian cuisine reign at this hip noodle bar in Honolulu‘s Chinatown. Dig into a bowl of ramen, garnished with sesame seeds, green onion, ginger, a soft egg, and wakame (dried seaweed). From there, things get lively with additions like oxtail won tons and togarashi shrimp with housemade kimchi. Other standouts include lamb lumpia and pork belly bao (buns). Adventurous eaters should try the uni gnocchi—made with creamy urchin gonads—enhanced by leeks, tomatoes, and butter cream sauce. A popular late-night stop, Lucky Belly serves its full menu until 12 a.m. every night except Sunday. Its takeout window serves specials—announced via @_dawindow on Instagram—until 2 a.m., Thursday to Saturday.

El Morro means “hill” and from the top of this one, you’ll be able to take panoramic photos of the port, city and valley of Arica. If you’re keen on military history and, in particular, the relationship between Chile and neighboring Peru, the on-site museum is likely to be of interest. There’s also a tomb of the unknown soldier and a gigantic Chilean flag at the top of the hill.

A sense of discovery pervades at this innovative, open-air retail development in Culver City, which opened in 2016. Six buildings house first-to-market concept shops, pop-ups, and creative company headquarters. The place is constantly evolving, with a stylish lineup of businesses stepping in temporarily (St. Frank housewares, Charlotte Stone shoes) or permanently (Bird Brooklyn’s first West Coast outpost, Magasin men’s boutique, design shop Poketo). Be sure to hit some Southern California favorites, including The Edit by Freda Salvador and Janessa Leone, for shoes and hats, and Reservoir L.A. for an impeccable edit of local fashion brands. You’ll also find great iced coffee at Blue Bottle, acai bowls at São Acai, and tacos at the unmissable Loqui. Studded with cacti and succulents, as well as hanging chairs, the outdoor areas encourage leisurely shopping breaks. Keep an eye on the Platform’s schedule of events for outdoor concerts, film screenings, and food festivals. Pro tip: Put aside 35 minutes for an Aesop Express Facial at the cult Aussie beauty shop—it’s one of only four of the brand’s shops worldwide that offers them.

The Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is a majestic resort that sits at the spot where the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortéz meet. All 119 rooms have an ocean view, complete with binoculars for whale-watching, as well as a private plunge pool, a fireplace, a rain shower, and a welcome bottle of Clase Azul tequila. Decorative accents include tasteful local art, such as hand-embroidered pillows, ceramic sculptures, and hand-forged metal light fixtures. On the service side, every guest is assigned a round-the-clock personal concierge. The relatively small number of rooms keeps the vibe intimate and creates a sense of privacy throughout the property.

A short trip from Barcelona via bus or car, explore Besalú’s medieval old town. Cross its restored 11th century bridge into a picturesque village with cobblestone streets. Shop for handmade trinkets or stop off for a meal or a drink in bars and restaurants offering traditional Catalan fare. While you’re there, be sure to stop off and see Besalú’s historic synagogue and Jewish ritual baths.

Avalon Hotel is situated in the very center of town, opposite the covered market, on a site formerly occupied by a vegetable market. When the neighboring house was destroyed in a fire and the location was up for development, Avalon was born. The hotel has a modern, artistic look with Nordic simplicity and bold colors. The 101 rooms are decorated in a style that combines the strict Scandinavian aesthetic with a more artistic coloring. Twenty-four of the rooms have an open bath—integrated with the rest of the room, so you can watch TV while taking a bath—and three of them have their own gym. One of the first things you notice about the hotel is the turquoise pool that looks like it’s going to fall off the roof. That belongs to the top-floor penthouse suite, but you can access the pool and have a swim while overlooking the streets below even without booking the room, since the pool is open for all guests in the afternoon. And the outdoor street-level terrace is a good place for an afternoon drink in the sun or a long summer lunch.

Good breakfast spots are on the rise in San Pedro, but one of the most beloved places to grab a bite will always be Estel’s Dine by the Sea. Aside from its perfect beachfront location where you can eat with your toes in the sand, the food is pretty darn good as well. At Estel’s, you won’t find menus on the table; you must walk inside to check out the board. Don’t be surprised to find a crowd on the weekends, especially Sunday mornings. Just follow the smell of Charles Jr.’s famous BBQ specialties cooking on the grill, and you’ll understand why people are ordering plates of ribs first thing on Sunday! Aside from some impressive barbecue, Estel’s has a number of dishes that might leave you feeling the need to return once or twice more for breakfast. Personal recommendations include the Mayan Eggs, which is scrambled eggs with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and sausage, served with a side of refried beans and fry jacks, or try the breakfast burrito. Don’t forget the Marie Sharps hot sauce on top! Breakfast is served all day. Closed Tuesdays.

Philadelphia locals who love the outdoors are particularly fond of walking, jogging or biking the scenic 8.5-mile riverfront “Loop”. The Loop is what we call the recreational path that runs from near the Art Museum to the west side of the Schuylkill River on Martin Luther King Drive, then crosses the Falls Bridge in East Falls, and continues along Kelly Drive back to Boathouse Row, Lloyd Hall and the Art Museum. (Or it can be done in the reverse.) One of the best things about this route for cycling or jogging is that Martin Luther King Drive is closed to vehicular traffic from 6 am to 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays from April through October. (A small portion of the road from Eakins Oval to Sweetbriar Drive re-opens to traffic at 12 noon.) Bike rentals are available from Wheel Fun at Lloyd Hall. The view of Boathouse Row above is just one of many scenic views from Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive (formerly known as West River Drive) on the west banks of the Schuylkill.

Philadelphia’s City Hall is the largest and tallest city hall in the US, and for locals, the midpoint for all things Center City. Designed by architect John McArthur, Jr., it was completed in 1901 and originally designed to be the world’s tallest building, an honor that it held only briefly. There are over 250 ornamental marble statues decorating the exterior of the building, and it is topped off by a bronze statue of the city’s founder, William Penn, created by sculptor Alexander Milne Calder. (Trivia: The statue is 37 feet tall and weighs 53,348 pounds, and once wore a super-sized Phillies baseball cap; then some years later was dressed in a giant Flyers jersey.) Underneath the William Penn statue is a tower with an observation deck that offers incredible 360 degree views of the city (and the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, and New Jersey, and beyond!). This view, toward the southeast, captures the iconic PNB Building. Visitors can purchase timed tickets for the observation deck from the City Hall Visitor Center, Room 121 (east of the central courtyard).

There are many secrets and many stories hidden beneath Pune’s bustle, waiting for you to uncover them on this fascinating three-hour walk. Duck into narrow alleyways—some forgotten by time, others stuck in a time warp—to uncover medieval royal courts, ancient temples, erstwhile aristocratic dwellings, and aging bazaars. You have 2,000 years of history at your disposal, and a well informed volunteer guide to lead the way. If historical facts and dates aren’t your thing, join the walk for a look at the pace of life in old Pune, where the new jostles with the old, and the old with the ancient. A number of families continue to inhabit their ancestral homes in the old core, particularly in the wadas of Pune. A wada is a traditional residential structure. It consists of two or more floors with multiple rooms built around one or more inner courtyards. The more ornate wadas belonged to wealthy families (merchants, aristocrats, and so on), while the simple ones were designed as community housing, with many families living there. The walk ends at one of Pune’s most well known wadas, Vishrambaug Wada.

Blink and you’ll miss this tiny Indian-run eatery serving eclectic international fare between Mitte and Prenzlauer Allee along the trendy Kastanienallee. Notable for its upside-down McDonald’s sign (hence the “W” in the name; Der Imbiss means “The Snack”), the restaurant consists of a service window and a few brightly colored tables, and has quirky Hawaiian and African decor. The food is not only cheap and tasty but also healthy and diverse, pulling off an ambitious mix of Mexican, Californian, Indian, and Italian influences. It’s most famous for naan pizzas—Indian naan breads baked in the venue’s tandoor, with pizza-esque toppings from olives and cheese to artichokes and salmon. The menu also includes filling Indian thali platters, soups and salads, and Mexican-style wraps.

I’m generally more of a details guy, but now and again there’s a place for a high-level, 30,000 foot view of a place (and cheesy sociology jargon). Kota Bharu’s massive central market is not for the feint of heart - or the vegetarian. The central section, depicted here, is generally where you’ll find standard fruits and veggies. If you wander deeper into the bowels of the complex, you’ll find a rather intense wet market (men chopping beef flanks like a lumberjack would fell an oak, pig intestines hung like festive garlands, and unscrupulous vendors hawking sea turtle eggs). We visited with a few travel friends, and I think I was the only one from the group who could handle the sensory assault. I found parts of this market particularly disturbing (just a whole lot of things going on I’m not used to seeing anyplace else), but as a travel experience - whoa, yeah. I’ll never forget this one. I must have shot more than 400 photos in the couple of hours I dragged our party through this complex. I’ll focus on the details in a future post.

Soak up the endless horizon on this 15k tramp alongside Lake Wanaka. Why is this worth your Kiwi time? The rolling and winding track that follows the lake’s edge provides an unobstructed and ridiculous view of the snowcapped mountain tops (head over in spring for sunny skies and cool winds). Park your car in one of the lakefront car parks in town and head clockwise along the lake. You’ll pass Waterfall Creek and the small Damper Bay before you reach Glendhu Bay. The only thing that is missing here are sculptures of hobbits, dwarves, and trolls (just saying).

The Durian is fondly known as the king of fruits in Southeast Asia. It’s a fruit that the locals love, but that many outsiders find to be an acquired taste. In fact, Andrew Zimmern, the presenter of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods, (the guy who eats the world’s craziest and weirdest things) can’t stand durians. The name durian comes from the Malay word “duri,” which means “thorns.” Cutting open a durian is an art. You have to cut along certain lines created by the thorns, which are barely visible. If you get it wrong, it would be tough to open. Once cut, you use your palms to push apart the insides to reveal the yellow flesh. The smell of the durian is strong enough to make you salivate or faint, depending on which side of the fence you are on regarding it’s taste. If you’re ever in Malaysia, you must give it a try. Who knows? You could end up liking something that Andrew Zimmern himself can’t stomach!