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Amsterdam isn’t known for great service, but this casual restaurant inside the Kimpton De Witt hotel is a welcome exception. In the spacious, modern dining room, the friendly, attentive staff serves up an international menu that particularly excels at wood-fired dishes, including octopus, swordfish, and steaks. An American-style Sunday brunch includes chicken and waffles, avocado toast, and unlimited Bloody Marys and Mimosas.

Resting amid verdant gardens overlooking eastern Crete’s Mirabello Bay, the five-star Elounda Mare Hotel is a family-run Relais & Chateau property that feels like a stylish cocoon—no wonder it has entertained everyone from Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio to Kathleen Turner and Lady Gaga. Designed in the manner of Cretan mansions, the 92-unit resort makes generous use of stone and timber, with warm shades of white and red splashed throughout; balconies or terraces and full-length windows look out on the sapphire Aegean, and bungalows and suites include private pools and fireplaces. While the hotel itself has three restaurants and a bar on site, guests have access to five other restaurants and three additional bars spread among two sister properties, which are separated by olive groves but reachable via golf-cart shuttles. Chances are good that you’ll spend your days sunbathing on the private sandy beach or near the salt-water pool, but guests can also arrange to use shared facilities, like the spa and nine-hole golf course.

This lodge offers a private island stay, paired with the option of experiencing the Swahili architecture, music, and culture of Stone Town (Zanzibar’s main town, 20 minutes from Mnemba by boat plus a 90-minute drive). Ten high-ceilinged, thatched bandas are footsteps from a flour-fine sand beach and are romantically furnished with elaborately carved wooden beds. For those who want a change of scenery, verandas and shaded beach beds offer a variety of places to sleep off all the early morning safari wake-up calls. Just under one mile in circumference, Mnemba Island has permanent residents that include poodle-sized Suni and rabbit-sized Ader’s duiker antelope, breeding doves, and enormous terrestrial coconut crabs. Sunbathers can spot dolphins from the beach year-round, and scuba divers might encounter the occasional whale shark.

If you’re a fan of history and/or photography, be sure to spend time at Charles Fort in County Cork. This National Monument of Ireland is the bastion on the water’s edge near Kinsale, and is open year round. The fort was built on the site of an earlier stronghold known as Ringcurran Castle, that was featured prominently during the Siege of Kinsale in 1601. The fort you see today was built in the 1670s and 1680s to a star fortification design - a layout specifically designed to resist attack by cannon.

Tucked away in a quiet area outside of town, Flora Farms is an excellent place for lunch, dinner, or — better yet — a cooking class. While there, we learned how to make vegetarian tacos (tortillas and all) after going through a tour of the gardens. I’d highly recommend.

They also have a lovely garden in the front of the restaurant with an ice cream stand, perfect for nice days.

Spectacular hilltop villages are a dime a dozen on the Greek islands, but Astypalea, a distant speck in the Dodecanese, has the quintessential sugar-cube capital cascading over a rocky outcrop to a sheltered harbor. The oldest houses are huddled along the cliffs circling the Venetian Querini Castle. Castro Bar is built right into the 15th-century castle walls (which look even more dramatic when illuminated by moonlight). A series of small terraces on different levels, painted in white, burgundy, and blue, all offer stupendous views across the island and what feels like the whole Aegean. The vibe is mellow, and the drinks are strong. Stay until the sun rises out of the sea, a trippy experience you won’t forget.

When you hear the phrase, “summer in southern Arizona,” naturally your thoughts will tend toward heat and sunshine. Most wouldn’t think of mounds of fresh produce at a farmers’ market in the desert city of Tucson. But the arrival of the monsoon coincides with nature’s edible bounty, even here in the desert. The nearby Santa Cruz valley is actually one of the oldest continually-farmed regions in North America, with agriculture dating back four thousand years! Heirloom beans, squash, chiles, and tomatoes are still grown. The nearby higher elevation lands near Willcox are known for their orchards and even a few vineyards. Mesquite flour is made into cookies and tortillas. Prickly pear cactus is made into jams and frozen treats. All this is available throughout the week at various farmers’ markets around Tucson. The biggest one is on Sunday morning in the neo-colonial courtyards of St. Philip’s Plaza. And, if you’re curious, you’ll get language and cooking lessons, too. On a recent Sunday morning, my wife and I asked what some curious looking greens were. The answer? Purslane, or “verdolagas” in Spanish. They grow like weeds once the monsoon rains begin, and they contain more omega-3 fatty acids (think fish oil) than any other leafy plant. In a salad, or sautéed or stewed, they’re great. Who knew? Farmers’ markets are always a great place to get a vibe for a city—a cross section of people and produce. And, even in the desert, it is possible to shop and eat local.

The soft, gold sand of Batibou Beach stretches along Dominica’s northeast coast, where the Atlantic is calm enough for swimming. Visitors and locals alike come here to relax in the shade of towering coconut trees, or sip rum punch in a hammock at the tiny, rustic beach bar. To reach Batibou, walk 20 minutes down a rough, often muddy trail, or hire a roundtrip ride from the Hampstead Country House. If you’re seeking solitude, avoid Sunday afternoons, when the barbecue scene is particularly lively.

While few in number, Milan‘s canals can be charming. Naviglio Grande, the largest, is my favorite to walk along. Lined by shops, outdoor cafes and bars, there is life alongside the water anytime of day. If you’re lucky you’ll catch the Antique Market that fills up the walkways on some Sundays. It is a treasure trove of pottery, jewelry, vintage designer clothes, and Murano glass—Milanese have impeccable taste for both the old and new.

The founders of Soho House and the developers behind such buzzy hotels as New York City’s The NoMad teamed up to turn the historic Midland Bank building into—what else?—a one-stop lifestyle hub that’s drawing regulars of both the suit-and-tie and hipster variety. Part-hotel, part-member’s club, The Ned (named for the moniker of legendary, 19th-century architect Edwin Lutyens, who first envisioned the building) features eight dining options set around the former banking hall, from Italian, French, and Californian spots to a New-York-style deli, Pan-Asian favorite, and lounge for an overflowing, British-style Sunday feast, complete with a Bloody Mary bar and mimosa trolley. Hotel guests also have access to a downstairs bar, and a wellness level with a nail bar, gym, separate hair salon and barbershop, Cowshed Spa, traditional Moroccan hammam, and vitamin IV drips by The Elixir Clinic. The spa level also features an indoor pool, while the Ned’s Club Upstairs offers a rooftop pool and restaurant (with views out to St. Paul’s Cathedral) to Club members or those staying in higher-category rooms.

The entire property is done up in cool, vintage-inspired design, including the 250 guestrooms, which range in category from Crash Pad and Cosy to Heritage and six types of suites. All feature 1920s flair, such as mirrored cocktail cabinets, wingback chairs, and Jazz Age motifs, as well as marble-mosaic bathrooms stocked with rainfall showers and 10 full-size Cowshed products. Suites have bonus perks like dining areas, bathtubs, and upgraded views. Take all the pictures you want in your room, but Insta-addicts may want to leave their phones behind when in select public areas: there’s a photo ban in any place that’s part of the Club membership, including that stunning rooftop.

Hard Rock Hotel’s pools might be famous for its hard-core Sunday party, Rehab, but there are acres of non-party pools for guests to enjoy, too. I love this view, taken from one of the top-story suites, where you can see the pool and the Strip. The beach-like atmosphere (there’s sand instead of concrete) lends itself to a frozen drink or three. Enjoy! Note: technically, Hard Rock isn’t on the Strip, but it’s so close that I kept it on the Strip Wanderlist, as “off-Strip” usually indicates downtown, Summerlin or Henderson.

Off of busy West Peachtree is Cypress Street Pint and Plate, a neighborhood bar surrounded by apartment buildings. The welcoming patio and weekly specials make it a favorite of locals. On Mondays you can get their tasty Philly cheesesteaks for only $5 and brunch is every Saturday and Sunday. There are 14 draft beer and 40 bottled selections as well as wine and spirits. Every Tuesday is Beer Geek Tuesday, where the experts at Cypress Street celebrate one brewery or style of beer. The food menu is delicious, especially the aforementioned cheesesteaks, buffalo chicken sandwiches and meatball sliders.

When the sun finally dips behind the minaret skyline and the moon starts to rise, Sultanahmet Park—between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia—brightens up with a colourful lighting display. In summer enjoy the show by savoring a creamy Turkish ice cream (dondurma) by the illuminated fountain and people watch Istanbul‘s international guests from one of the park benches.

Accessible only by boat or helicopter, Biras Creek Resort offers remote luxury. The property sits on 140 acres, between two hills crisscrossed with six hiking trails of varied elevation gains. Couples kayak, snorkel, or just sun on the beach. The walk to the Hilltop Restaurant is worth it for the views alone.

The intimate, dimly-lit setting of Lodi – the Garden Restaurant provides the perfect place for a romantic rendezvous or a business dinner. There’s a beautiful outdoor deck that overlooks the lush Lodhi Gardens or you can opt for the cozy confines within. The food is absolutely something to rave about, bagging the award of one of the best restaurants in Delhi. You’ll find all the Mediterranean staples like hummus, tabouli, shish taouk, and shwarma, but their specialties are Pistou Soup and River Sole Steak Creole. It’s one of the very few places in Delhi that serve actual beef, so feast your senses on real steak. And the best of all is the dessert menu — it’s killer! There’s also live jazz bands for your entertainment, usually on the weekends, but call before you go to check. You’ll come in hungry and leave happy!