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AFAR chose a destination at random and sent CNN political commentator Sally Kohn on 24 hours’ notice to a city renowned for its “coffee shops” but where tolerance has its limits.

Start with a bubbling locavore scene, add a dash of Soviet nostalgia, and you’ve got the recipe for a delicious Moscow homecoming.

John T. Edge lands in Kazakhstan, determined to get to know the country’s largest city through its food.

Founder’s Note: Surprised in Sicily

In 2008, chef Olivier Roellinger stunned the culinary world by shuttering his famous three-Michelin-starred restaurant to focus on more relaxing endeavors. This was good news, however, for guests of Château Richeux, his picturesque hotel in St-Méloir-des-Ondes. Set on a cliff overlooking the sea, the 1920s villa offers views of Mont St-Michel across the bay, and a serene space where guests can completely unplug.

Without TV or Wi-Fi, you must find entertainment in Château Richeux’s elegant, antique-strewn interiors and beautiful grounds, complete with terraced gardens and a blind for birders. Relax in one of 11 sophisticated rooms with ocean vistas, cozy up in an armchair with a hot toddy, or linger in the living room over a book about the region. Come dinnertime, book a table at the hotel’s singular Restaurant La Coquillage, where Chef Roellinger’s mastery is on full display in dishes of local seafood, produce, and spices. A breakfast of homemade pastries on the ocean terrace is another rare treat.

South Point on the Big Island is the most southern point in the United States. The cliffs were ancient mooring places for canoes belonging to the first settlers on the Big Island. Fishermen still use this place to cast their lines, and adventurous locals dive into the turbulent but clear waters below (not recommended for tourists who are not aware of ocean currents, as the undertow is usually quite strong and has swept many lives away in the turquoise clear waters). Several miles up the beach (toward the Hilo side of the Island) is the Green Sand Beach colored by olivine that formed as part of the volcanic eruptions long ago. It is worth hiking to (or paying for a local to drive you in their 4x4). Green Sand Beach is one of only four green beaches in the world.

Located in downtown facing the square Praça da Figueira, this 18th-century building, with a view of São Jorge’s castle, was recently restored and has become a hotel. The name is that of the square, Figueira, which in Portuguese means Fig Tree. This square once housed a market (many years ago) and was surrounded by fig trees. So you will find green and brown are the predominant colors, and the fig is the main element of the décor, designed by Nini Andrade Silva. The hotel’s restaurant, Honra (Honor), is dedicated to Portuguese cuisine. (Chef Olivier has three other restaurants in Lisbon: Olivier Avenida, Yakuza, and Guilty.)

Want to lounge around the pool that Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Diana Rigg once swam in? Then this is the place. Can Talaias, a large finca-turned-B&B, pushes its ‘agrotourism’ credentials and certainly the home cooking, with eggs and veg straight from the garden, is a powerful attraction. But it has a rather more glamorous draw too. The beautiful interiors of this 1960s villa suggest that someone with both money and taste had a hand in its making; and the photos on the wall reveal who. Comic actor Terry Thomas fell in love with Ibiza after his Hollywood pal Denholm Elliott introduced him to the island; this bohemian pad was his escape from an actor’s life. And his friends came to visit in their droves - Terry Thomas’s parties were legendary, and his swimming pool was one of the first to be built on the island. Somehow, that slice of history makes hanging out at this luxury rural retreat even more enjoyable.

Having built the Savoy Theatre, English agent Richard D’Oyly Carte opened a nearby hotel in 1889 to accommodate the wealthy American patrons who came to see the celebrated Gilbert & Sullivan operas. In the years following, the hotel welcomed such regulars as Winston Churchill, Coco Chanel, Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin, Mel Brooks, and Katherine Hepburn; some of these famous former guests are now celebrated in the menu of theatrical Character Cocktails served at the hotel’s decadent Beaufort Bar, while others have inspired the nine elegant Personality Suites. Anecdotes abound at The Savoy, including the time Marilyn Monroe stopped by for a press conference in 1956 to promote The Prince and the Showgirl with costar Laurence Olivier and caused a media frenzy when she appeared in a black dress that, tantalizingly, revealed her midriff.

But The Savoy, now managed by Fairmont, is not one to languish in the past. The hotel completed an ambitious $350 million renovation in 2010—in time to celebrate its 125-year anniversary—and now features timeless spaces with every modern convenience. The 267 rooms and suites include Art Deco or Edwardian décor, custom-made furnishings, bespoke rainfall showerheads, and Penhaligon’s amenities; many of the higher category options look out over the Thames or city landmarks, and have extras like claw-foot tubs or, in Deluxe Junior Partial Riverview Suites and above, the legendary Savoy Butler service. Rotating programming—from arts and culture events to a writer-in-residence series and expert-led masterclasses—keep guests engaged, while the six dining and drinking outlets include Simpson’s In the Strand (beloved for its Sunday roast), Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill, and the Thames Foyer for the iconic Afternoon Tea.

This stylishly nautical bar and restaurant is located in the Old Town on Olivia and Elizabeth streets, nicely removed from the hustle and bustle of Duval Street. The dining room decor pays tasteful tribute to Key West’s maritime culture with sea-blue upholstered banquettes and accents like sea star mobiles, brass lanterns, compasses, and porthole windows. Perhaps it’s not surprising that the menu too looks to the sea for inspiration. A great wine list, a knowledgeable staff, and a cool sense of romance all add up to Little Pearl being a good choice for a special night in Key West.

This company carries the label of EPV, as certified by the French government for its continued work in a trade considered part of the French heritage. The family business began in 1958 when nearly every local village still had an artisan working in olive wood. Today, there are fewer than 20 professionals practicing the art in the region. Second-generation craftsman Guillaume Dubosq starts with tree trunks, drying, cutting, shaping, and sanding his work by hand, turning out the lustrous olive-wood housewares. Some of the region’s finest restaurants have commissioned his pieces for their tables. Each item sold in the shop is unique; purchasing something here not only makes sense for those seeking made-in-France souvenirs, it supports local traditional crafts as well.

Popular with honeymooners and families alike, this large coastal property is located on Moorea, a quiet, lush island known for its beautiful mountain scenery and ample hiking opportunities. The hotel sits right on the lagoon and offers garden rooms and bungalows, many with their own private plunge pools, as well as fabulous overwater bungalows with glass floor panels in the living rooms and private decks with direct stair access to the warm waters below. Free kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and snorkeling gear are available for those who want to explore their aquatic surroundings, though there’s plenty to do back on shore—from lazing on the white-sand beach (or in a hammock) to getting a massage with traditional Tahitian monoi (gardenia) oil. One of the highlights of a stay here is the chance to visit the hotel’s overwater bar, allegedly the only one in the country, where tiny sharks congregate every evening at sundown for feedings.

Superlatives reign at this massive Palm Beach resort. Among the outsize offerings? The biggest casino in Aruba, with more than 500 slot machines and 26 gaming tables, as well as the island’s largest spa. Its 414 accommodations aren’t lacking for space either: Each room has a walk-in closet, double-sink bathroom, and private balcony; the highest-end suites are so palatial their balconies alone measure up to a sprawling 500 square feet—with ocean views to sweeten the deal. When you’re not playing roulette or indulging in a moisturizing coconut-milk wrap, kick back in one of the beachside palapas, or practice your breaststroke in the free-form pool, complete with cascading waterfalls and a volleyball net (a serene adults-only pool features a swim-up bar if that’s more your speed). In keeping with the more-is-more theme, guests are spoiled for choice with seven on-site restaurants, bars, and cafés, including a Ruth’s Chris Steak House, where the 500-degree plates ensure another best—the hottest meal in town.

A 1901 landmark in Hanoi’s French Quarter, the colonial-style Sofitel Legend Metropole has long been a celebrity magnet, welcoming presidents, ambassadors, and literary and cinematic royalty into its marble lobby. Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene both wrote books here (The Gentleman in the Parlour and The Quiet American, respectively); Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard celebrated their honeymoon at the property; and Jane Fonda and Joan Baez took to the bomb shelter beneath the hotel during air raids (book the complementary Path of History Tour, held every day at 5 and 6 p.m., for a chance to see where they hid out).

The 364 guest rooms are divided between two wings: The historic Metropole section has decor shaped by French architecture and Vietnamese culture (think wood floors, louver windows, bird-cage lampshades, and porcelain light fixtures); the newer wing, opened in 1996 just across the traffic circle from the Opera House, has a strong Neoclassical edge with rooms in dramatic red, black, and white. With its green awning, filigree ironwork, and outdoor wood-deck seating, La Terrasse has the feel of a Parisian café, while Le Beaulieu restaurant serves classic French fare and a decadent Sunday brunch. Spices Garden showcases Vietnamese flavors, and three drinking dens—sleek Angelina, gentlemanly Le Club Bar, and poolside Bamboo Bar—appeal to every kind of spirits lover. Between the central courtyard garden and the pool sit the SoFit gym and Le Spa, with eight rooms for soothing East-meets-West treatments.