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In 2011, one of Chicago’s most popular restaurants, Longman & Eagle, expanded into an inn with the creation of six rooms. The owners, two of whom run the music venue Empty Bottle, built and outfitted the whole place. Each of the rooms is different, but all are stylishly simple and feature details such as wood floors, exposed brick, original art work and site-specific installations by local artists, cassette players with mix tapes, well-curated minibars, and Aesop toiletries. For the noise averse, the hotel reminds potential guests that the rooms are located above “an occasionally raucous, whisky-fueled tavern.”

Chania is one of the most beautiful cities of the island of Crete. One of the most beautiful corners of the city is the harbour. It was built on the Venetian era. Visitors will find there monuments of both the Venetian and the Ottoman history. The harbor was constructed by the Venetians at around 1350. Apart from the monuments to be seen by visiting the Venetian Harbour in Chania, you will find along many restaurants, cafes and bars. The area is very lively and crowded day and night.

Shopping for unique crafts and other souvenirs is a trip highlight for many travelers, and this art collective, representing 70 local artists, is a special spot. Nordic imagery, such as the northern lights and winter landscapes, figures prominently in many of the works. You’re sure to find a one-of-a-kind gift here, from glass angels to handmade cups.

A short drive south of Da Nang, Hoi An is a spellbinding UNESCO World Heritage site, with intact 16th-century architecture that celebrates its origins as a trading port that long welcomed merchant ships from China, Japan, and Europe. The Old Town on the Thu Bon River has a number of sights that visitors must check off their lists. These include the covered bridge, also known as the Japanese Bridge; gorgeous riverside French-colonial buildings; traditional merchant shop-houses; historic pagodas and temples; ornate assembly halls where Chinese immigrants would congregate; and the town’s tailors, for custom garments. But the greatest joy of Hoi An comes from wandering round its quiet streets—the town center is car-free and a blissfully pleasant place to walk, especially at night, when it’s lit by red lanterns strung on the exteriors of buildings.

Vice Versa is the best of many worlds. It serves Western fare by day as a cafe and restaurant, and at night it morphs into an underground bar serving cocktails and local and foreign beers. The bar also hosts a variety of bands for intimate live music nights. Frequented by both locals and expats, Vice Versa also has a stellar rooftop space for those sunny days and breezy nights. Still not enough? There’s also a skate shop run by pro skater Xiao Jian on the premises.

Bến Thành market has been around Saigon in one form or another for over 300 years. At some points it neighbored bodies of water including a small lake. It is a monster, overwhelming at first. If you come to Saigon and you love to shop, this is the one-stop shop you are looking for. Personally nothing is more thrilling at Bến Thành than the art of “The Barter.” It’s a strategic game of wits of where you pit product desire against pocketbook ability and the house always wins. It’s not always easy, in fact it’s never easy. Hot, stagnant air ripe with the smell of fish and squid always seems to hang in the air right over that gift you can’t live without. You’re constantly walking that fine line between feeling like you got ripped off or feeling you’re further oppressing the local population. Bến Thành is the stadium packed with hundreds of thousands of pieces of clothing, jewelry, and art- and they’re all yours to play for.

An hour south of Hambantota, bustling Tangalle is the center of commerce in this part of the island. Every Wednesday and Saturday, vendors flock to its covered market to sell their wares—everything from pots of buffalo curd to fruits and vegetables to handwoven baskets and ayurvedic potions. The town’s main drag is also home to a procession of clothes and souvenir shops where you can spend some of your rupees.

Montréal’s main artery, rue Ste-Catherine, runs for seven miles along the length of the city. From its origins as a dirt road lined with farmhouses and orchards, the street today is now a thoroughfare passing through a number of neighborhoods. The best-known stretch runs roughly from rue Guy to rue Aylmer, where La Baie department store stands. This is the heart of the city’s busy downtown shopping district, with a mix of familiar international brands and only-in-Canada department stores and shops. Continuing east, the street passes through the Quartier des Spectacles before forming the main street of Montréal’s Gay Village. There, it is closed to cars in the summer, and patrons of bars and restaurants spill into the streets.

There’s a comfortable stillness to the acres of Ojai Valley Inn and Spa that’s apparent even when a cacophony of voices fills the air. Sunlight shines brightly against the resort’s white façade, which gleams in unison from the restaurants, accommodations, spa, and pools outstretched on shaded grounds. Flowers – from roses to bougainvillea, lavender to jasmine – line pathways where views of the surrounding rolling mountains peek out between buildings. And even when bicyclists, pedestrians, and the occasional golf carts use those pathways, the motion is as calm and quick as the breeze. Originally built in 1923 as a country club and golf course, the inn has never lost its luxurious appeal for intimate, quiet privacy. Old Hollywood stars have come and gone through its Spanish-style property, and today, the resort is still known as a place where big names can tee off or swim undisturbed. Its more than 300 guest rooms are tucked away in a series of terracotta-topped buildings that share a style of calm blue and white shades. Many rooms feature fireplaces enclosed by a sitting area, and private balconies are scented by the surrounding blooms. In the morning, sip a Keurig coffee from the soft white sheets of bed, or step outside for the view. Then, walk or bike to breakfast before a swim in the newly opened, “adults only” pool.

The cheeky signs leading you down the sand road to Ngepi Camp are your first indication this is no ordinary campsite. First, you’ll check in at the bar, which is decked out in currency from around the world. The campsites and chalets along the shores of the Okavango River and are decently spread out, providing the ultimate backyard to escape to with a good book. Watch crocs drift by as your morning kettle boils for coffee. This is an eco-friendly camp, with fun informative signs all over the property which tell you more about exactly how things work. The bathrooms at the campsite are totally outdoors. There’s nothing like showering and looking up at the tree tops and listening to the birds as you wash. The highlight of Ngepi Camp is the special cage floating in the river so you can swim ‘safely’ among the crocs and hippos - if you dare.

If shopping is on your agenda, be sure to stop at Mongoose Junction, at the north end of Cruz Bay where North Shore Road heads out of town. The open-air mall is small but attractive, made of local stone and mahogany and landscaped with tropical plants. Mongoose Junction is packed with art galleries, restaurants and boutiques selling locally made clothing and jewelry. Before you leave, check out St. John Scoops, which makes almost 100 flavors of ice cream and sorbet (like mango, passion fruit and salted caramel) and serves them up in hand-rolled waffle cones. Delicious superfood smoothies are on the menu, too.

Built in 1891, St. Lucia’s most colorful and largest open-air market sits in the heart of its capital. It’s a one-stop-shopping favorite for fruits, vegetables, spices, handmade arts and crafts, and even handwoven beachwear. The produce is definitely the highlight. The stall tables are beautifully set and decorated, while the fragrance of herbs and condiments fills the air, turning it into a multisensory island experience. The market is open daily, 7 a.m.–1 p.m., but the most active morning is Saturday. After shopping, grab a seat at the adjacent annex to sample some local foods—a breakfast bowl of cow-foot soup (the perfect hangover cure) or a Creole fish lunch.

The stationery shop Itoya resembles a museum, with its exquisite displays and handsome collection. The main shop on Chuo Dori has 12 floors of paper, stationery, pens, planners, and a café. The annex on the backstreet has seven floors of paints, colored pencils, notebooks, and more. Itoya is a great spot to pick up gifts for friends back home. It’s easy to find—just look for the giant red paper clip in front of the building.

Ready-to-wear and made-to-measure dresses, shirts, pants, and skirts are just some of the beautiful things you will find in this pretty store. Around the corner from the flashier names on the Via Camerelle and a short stroll down the hill, the family-owned Laboratorio Capri is where Michele and his mother design and sew for movie stars as well as Capri locals. Shop the sandals and bags, whisper-weight scarves printed with images of old Capri, and colorful jewelry that will remind you of the island.

Roseau’s only oceanside dining option, the elegant Palisades pairs sweeping water views with one of Dominica’s best culinary experiences. Here, creative dishes showcase the island’s natural bounty, including produce sourced from local farms and fish straight from the Caribbean Sea. Start with dishes like BBQ jerk octopus and sesame-crusted tuna with a soy-chili dip. Then, move on to the lion fish, served with green-banana croquettes and mushroom sauce. Fancy something lighter? Try a lentil-black-bean cake or callaloo soup, made with baby taro leaves, coconut milk, yam, and green bananas.