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For a unique Malaysian dining experience, head to Pia’s the Padi, where panoramic views of vibrant green rice fields and distant mountains are as sumptuous as the food. Inside the restaurant, huge windows open onto the fields, creating a lovely terrace. Indulge in samosas, chicken butter masala, beef rendang (a favorite), and other traditional dishes. Order à la carte or from a set menu; you can even ask for the chef to prepare something special just for you. When it’s time for dessert, a popular choice is the mango kulfi, a creamy frozen treat. To recreate the dishes at home, sign up for the daily cooking class that begins at 2 p.m. Call ahead for restaurant and class reservations.

The Moka brothers in question are restaurateurs Daniel Urdaneta and Alex Molina, pals, partners, and owners of Beijing restaurants Mosto and Modo. The pair decided the capital needed a healthy-eats joint and, judging by the packed house, they were right. Moka Bros. has several branches in Beijing, including one in Sanlitun. Lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains make up most of the dishes here. The menu sections let you know exactly what you’re in for—“Power Bowls” includes salmon sashimi bibimbap, with melt-in-your-mouth slices of salmon served on black rice, avocado, roasted pumpkin, carrots, and seaweed and topped with a poached egg. To drink are various trendy juices and smoothies, among them the fatigue-fighting C-Shot—mango, mixed berries, beetroot, lemon, and ginger.

While not as large as other ancient Mayan cities in the region, Tulum draws in visitors for its stunning setting of centuries-old temples perched on a cliff by the Caribbean Sea. You’ll pass a large market with souvenirs, a casual Mexican restaurant, and even a Starbucks before reaching the entrance, where a train can take you to the site if you’re not up for the 10-minute walk. It’s advisable to hire a guide to fully understand each structure’s significance and the history behind the ruins; informative signage is all but nonexistent. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit, as the site encompasses a white-sand beach with soothing waves and beautiful rock formations that’s reached by a long wooden staircase.

Mexico City’s mammoth cathedral was built across three centuries (1573–1813)—starting soon after Cortés and his allies vanquished the Aztec Empire—using stones taken from a destroyed indigenous temple. Today’s sanctuary serves up contrasts between unadorned neoclassical walls alongside exuberant gilt chapels and altarpieces as well as a massive pipe organ, with some baroque elements, that’s still dusted off and played from time to time. Be sure not to miss the high altar, and consider shelling out for a visit to the sacristy, with its glistening dome, grand canvases, and massive cabinets, fit to hold an archbishop’s entire stock of holy utensils. And for a queasy view of how much the ground beneath the city is sinking, note how chandeliers appear to list in comparison to the chapel’s vertical lines.

If you happen to be French, French Canadian, or simply of French descent, the Musée de l’Amérique Francophone (Museum of Francophone America) in the heart of Old Québec will be of special interest—the interactive displays will help you trace your family heritage. It’s worth a visit even if you don’t have French ancestors, however, as an introduction to Québec’s francophone community, its remarkable history, and the story of how the culture has survived, even after being absorbed into the British Empire and then sharing a country where Francophones are far outnumbered by Anglophones. Exhibits trace the history of the francophone community beyond the province, including migrations to New England and the Canadian Prairies. You’ll also learn about lost episodes in the history of New France, like the settlement of Cap-Rouge, which existed for only two years (1541 to 1543) and was recently rediscovered. And see if you can peek inside the deconsecrated chapel from 1900 that’s within the museum, though was constructed as part of the Québec Seminary, located next door. This lavishly restored space is often used for private events, but you can ask the guards to let you take a quick look.

This all-but-plain-Jane spot—in Clavería, a neighborhood “no one” knows—is in fact among the most delightful lunches in the city, the project of architect turned chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo, who decided to take the neighborhood restaurant his parents had run for decades to the next culinary level, yet without ever losing touch with his roots. The queen-bee hostess and waitstaff make sure every diner feels special, with plenty of talk about what’s fresh this season—and what’s so good it’s about to run out. Items on offer cover everything from refined versions of street classics to exquisite, almost exotic, wild-game preparations whose recipes come from some of Mexico’s remotest corners. Live music and an excellent mezcal cart sweeten the already delicious deal.

This former royal palace is one of the largest museums in the world, and its art collection is considered one of the most comprehensive. It contains around 400,000 works, although—mercifully, perhaps—not all are on display at any one time. There are some pieces that never get taken off the walls. The Mona Lisa and her smile attract millions of visitors each year. Other must-see masterpieces include the sculptures Winged Victory of Samothrace and Michelangelo’s Rebellious Slave, and the Eugène Delacroix painting The Death of Sardanapalus. There’s no real trick to avoiding crowds at the always-packed museum. The best you can do is try to go in the off-season, early or late in the day, and on a weekday. Your chances of being alone with the Mona Lisa will still be slim to none, but you might be able to actually see that enigmatic smile behind the Plexiglas.

Founded by the Sbigoli family, this Florentine workshop has been glazing and painting terra-cotta pottery since 1857. Now run by the artistic Chini family, the sense of history remains. Every piece in the showroom is handmade and unique. The simple patterns are based on medieval and Renaissance colors and designs, ranging from muted green-and-ivory geometrics to bright yellow flowers. There are full dinner settings, lamps, serving platters, coffee sets, and tiny bowls perfect for holding your rings beside the kitchen sink.

Housed in a 1964 structure whose modern lines and central fountain greatly complement what’s on view, this anthropology museum is a repository of the most important pre-Hispanic treasures modern Mexico has discovered. The works are displayed in exhibits that trace the entire history of the Americas’ indigenous population, from the Bering migration to the present day. Exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) in scope, many visitors choose to jump ahead to “greatest-hits” galleries focusing on name brands like the Aztecs (to see their misnamed calendar stone); the Maya and their artifacts; or the Olmec culture, famed for its colossal (and quite sensual) head sculptures dating back to Mesoamerica’s earliest recorded eras.

Built of mud and adobe, Chan Chan—the nine-square-mile former capital of the Chimú empire (850–1470)—was the most expansive city of its time. Wander along pathways with a guide to see wall reliefs that depict creatures from the nearby Pacific. You’ll learn where various community activities, including human sacrifices, took place.

Turneffe Atoll’s sprawling central lagoon is a beautiful natural playground marked by thick mangrove islands and littoral forest, and hosts dozens of remarkable marine species – including crocodiles. Yes, the central lagoon is pretty to look at and one of the best places in Belize to watch the sun rise, but I wouldn’t recommend you go for a dip. Crocodiles spend their days escaping the heat in the thick mangroves, then swim out into the open ocean at dusk to feed. I saw two crocs during my time on the island; a very young juvenile whose curiosity had brought him right up to the sandy patch of beach behind the Blackbird Caye Resort, and a suspicious adult who kept his distance (thankfully). Still, the lagoon is a great place to spy on the aforementioned crocodiles, photograph marine birds, and more. Photo Finish: Nikon D800 | 24-70mm f/2.8 lens | Aperture f/6.3 | ISO-400 | Shutter 1/60 sec.

Anyone interested in the city’s complex and vivid past—and if you’re still breathing, that should include you—would do well to make a stop at the Historic New Orleans Collection. This is a private entity with a public purpose: It was founded to both preserve French Quarter buildings and to amass and display some of the key documents and artifacts covering the city’s three centuries of history. The collection is housed in the impressive Merieult House, which dates back to 1792 and which underwent a Greek Revival makeover in the 1830s. Self-guided tours of the Williams Gallery downstairs and the Louisiana History Galleries upstairs are free; be sure to check out their exhibits on Louisiana’s culture and legacy.

The Miramar flea market is comprised of a string of outdoor kiosks where vendors sell everything from flip-flops to jewelry crafted from shells. They’re exactly the kinds of items you’d expect for the locale, which is right along the beach. Less expected, perhaps, are the vendors selling locally made candies. Traditional sweets include cajeta, a milk caramel, and other goodies created with regionally sourced ingredients, including tamarind.

Las Cumbres is the newest of the bunch of hotels to open in 2015 in Lastarria. Cuddling the backside of Plaza Mulato Gil, the hotel fused itself to the existing colonial structure with an edgy, modern architecture. Inside the rooms have clean lines and an understated design overseen by king designer, Enrique Concha. Sporting 73 rooms, conference areas, an outdoor pool, and tapas bar, it’s just brought more buzz to an already happening area of town.

This “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven” was once the heart of Korea. It was the power center of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897), and was originally built in 1395—some new digs for a new dynasty. Like the Forbidden City in Beijing, the palace is a complex of buildings—a throne hall, the king’s living quarters and more—a sort of city inside a city, accented by gardens and pavilions. The Japanese flattened the place in the 1590s, and the site remained a ruin until a complete reconstruction in 1867 brought back more than 500 buildings. At the Gwanghwamun Gate, soldiers, beautifully costumed in red robes, still perform the changing of the guard. Seoul has other palaces, but this is the one to see if your time in town is limited.