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Locals queue up for delicious cheeses from this fromagerie, whose namesake owner received a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the country’s highest honor for a craftsperson (in this case, for his skills as a master of cheese). Aged Comté is king here, but there are also signature creations not to miss, including Roquefort layered with quince jam and a chèvre marinated in walnut oil. A selection of super-aged cheeses—try them if you dare—are aged right beneath the shop.

One of the last great free attractions in Las Vegas, the enclosed 15-acre Wildlife Habitat is home to a flamboyance of Chilean flamingos as well as a variety of other critters including exotic birds, turtles, and fish. Ring-tailed ducks and sacred ibises move through the knee-high grass, and hummingbirds dart from branches to feeders and back again. Two rescued brown pelicans are fed daily at 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; the sight of their massive beaks opening fully to swallow the fish reliably delights visitors, especially kids. After you’ve watched some wildlife, you’ll find shopping mere moments away: The Habitat is steps from the stores of the LINQ Promenade.

Cyclone Cafe is one of very few Darwin coffee shops that sources its own beans from around the world and roasts them on-site. So you can expect a solid flat white, long black, and cold drip here as well as some fun additions like a triple-strength “hypercino,” the “cafe de coco"—choice of coffee blended with coconut milk—and a virgin espresso martini: a cold drip coffee shaken with with ice and a shot of vanilla that’s topped in foam. The food menu is equally satisfying with a breakfast burrito and “eggs in hell” (polenta poached eggs layered with tomato ragout, spicy chorizo and bocconcini) plus a Thai beef salad and a turkey cranberry for lunch—turkey is surprisingly hard to come by in Australia.

One of the most romantic hideouts on Bonaire, La Balandra is designed to make you feel like you’re dining on an old Spanish ship when, in fact, you’re ensconced in the Harbour Village Beach Club. Cruise passengers have two options here: Pay an approximately $50 resort fee that includes a credit toward the restaurant, but also gives you access to the private beach, lounge chairs, dive shop and other facilities—or go for the restaurant only. Either way, call ahead to reserve (599-717-7500).

A short trip to the hilltop town of Monreale, just outside Palermo, offers the chance to explore some exceptional Norman-era buildings, most notably the Monreale Cathedral. The church’s interior has an extravagant mosaic that covers more than 6,000 square meters (66,000 square feet), much of it glittering with gold. Afterward, stroll through town to window-shop along the narrow lanes and enjoy the view of Palermo in the valley below.

Hansen’s was started in 1939 by Ernest Hansen, who engineered a loud, homemade machine that shaves the ice to a fineness that many argue is unmatched across the city. (Oh, and they will argue.) The shop is still run with considerable care and attention by Ernest’s granddaughter, Ashley. Snowballs—cups of thinly shaved ice topped with brightly colored sweet flavorings—are a minor obsession in New Orleans. While widely available, snowballs, as well as the culture that surrounds them, seem more advanced at Hansen’s. The selection of flavors is vast, and true connoisseurs mix and match flavors, adding two or three to an order to get just the right balance. (Almond-lime? Orange-coconut?)

At Sandpiper Arts & Crafts in George Town on Great Exuma, you can browse handmade pottery, jewelry, photography, ceramics and more all made by local artists. It’s a great way to experience the local Bahamian art culture.

Casa e Bottega is the place to head when you need to offset your vacation eating with a fresh juice and green salad. Try the beet, ginger, and lemon juice and a salad with anchovies from Cetara and the season’s first tomatoes, or maybe a green juice made with spinach, apple, and citrus and a cold rice salad with skewers of grilled vegetables. Love to shop? You don’t have to leave your table! The glassware, ceramics, table linens, and beach bags—all in the same soothing sea glass–green palette as the café’s—are for sale.

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.

If you’re looking for a unique souvenir, consider visiting the boutique at Great Greenland. A local tannery that has focused on clothing made from the hides of seals, reindeer and musk ox for nearly 40 years, Great Greenland sells through specialty retailers internationally as well as online. A visit to the boutique, however, offers a chance to see the company’s latest clothing and fur collections, as well as historic examples of the clothes it’s designed for Greenlanders for generations.

Let me put the good news front and center: This is not your father’s Ritz-Carlton (nor your mother’s). For example take the infinity pool, which practically drops you in the Atlantic. Then, there’s the art deco décor, which comes alive with the Latin beat infused throughout the property. Finally, consider the location: the completely restored landmark hotel is literally steps from Lincoln Road, the epicenter of South Beach life – at least the part of life that’s off the beach. I, for one, could not have been happier reading in a poolside chaise or taking a soak in the Jacuzzi, unless it was when I headed up to the state-of-the-art spa, and then down to the beach, where attendants are standing by to cater to your (nearly) every whim. Sunrises are breathtaking — instead of taking photos to post online, I suggest you do what I did: Stand there and let the new day bathe you in its rays. But there is one important way that this Ritz-Carlton is like every Ritz-Carlton: The top-flight service. I barraged handsome Patrick, the day concierge, with a series of questions: “Where can I have dinner that is quiet and outside?” “Can you find me a yoga studio with ‘flow’ classes?” And so on. Let me say this: He knows his stuff and so does the rest of the staff. I was genuinely sad to leave, wanting more time at the pool, at Bistro One LR. Basically, more of everything, which is the ultimate compliment for any hotel. (A $28 resort fee is charged per night, per room)

For centuries, Rajasthan—and Jaipur in particular—has served as the epicenter of India’s gemstone industry; as far back as the early-1700’s, the skilled craftsmen of this region were cutting, shaping, and polishing about 90 percent of the stones used by the country’s jewelry makers. This legendary Jaipur shop has been witness to nearly all that history, with the founding Kasliwal family serving as jewelers to the Maharajas of the Mughal empire—followed by a long list of international royalty, presidents, and celebrities; they’ve even been granted honors by the British Crown, and their pieces have been exhibited at London’s Somerset House and New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Stop in to ogle the glittering goods—which are available in traditional, modern, and vintage-inspired styles—and learn a bit about the expert artistry and craftsmanship that goes into creating them. Prices run the gamut, so there’s something for most budgets, but be warned that most of the pieces are designed to dazzle. There are also Gem Palace outposts in luxury hotels throughout India (including some Oberoi and Taj locations), as well as a few partner boutiques outside of the subcontinent.

About 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Trapani, and just north of Marsala, acres of salt flats stretch in shallow lagoons, punctuated by crumbling windmills. This region has been producing bright white salt with intense flavor since Phoenician times, and a Museum of Salt lays out the process in a restored windmill, with everything from diagrams of the Archimedes screws used to pump water between flats to the wide, straight shovels used for skimming the salt into towering white mounds. Bags of the stuff can be bought at the gift shop, so you can take home a taste of Sicily.

Walk the long shop-lined Via Capodimonte (or, if you are feeling particularly industrious, climb the 921 Phoenician Steps to the very top) to reach the former home of the Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe. This 20th-century mansion, now a museum with magnificent gardens, sits almost 1000 feet above the sea and offers unbelievable views over Capri and toward Naples and Mount Vesuvius. During your visit, follow tradition and make a wish with your left hand touching the ancient Egyptian sphinx statue. There is a café at the top of the gardens and occasional live music on summer evenings.

Josélo’s location right on the periphery of Parque Lincoln—a peaceful park in the upscale Polanco neighborhood—is one reason to stop by for a cup of coffee. You can sit at a second-floor table and overlook the park as you sip and take a break from the capital’s chaos. The other reason to visit is the coffee itself. Beans here are sourced from the state of Chiapas, one of Mexico‘s main coffee-producing regions.