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Taiwanese chef-owner Ling Huang landed in Shanghai after stints in New York, London, and the Seychelles, and Pirata’s tapas menu reflects her globe-trotting spirit. The octopus salad with chickpeas and fennel appears on nearly every table in the restaurant, as does the platter of mini gyros, palm-size pitas stuffed with shredded steak, onions, and French fries. If you eat seafood, order the clams with Thai basil and the ventresca (tuna belly) paired with a slice of sweet piquillo pepper, drizzled with good olive oil, and served on a slice of baguette. For dessert, go straight for the praline ice cream crepes—squares of sweet and savory ice cream rolled in crushed peanuts, topped with coriander, and wrapped in (yes) a crepe.

Maputo’s heart is the Praça da Independência, or Independence Square, sitting amid a surprising blend of architectural styles and straddling the city’s uptown and its historic downtown area called Baixa. Renamed in 1975 after Mozambique won its independence from the Portuguese, the square is dominated by a large statue of the country’s first president, Samora Machel, who died in a mysterious plane crash. On the north side of the square, look for the neoclassical city hall. To its east, the Art Deco Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which resembles a wedding cake and was consecrated in 1944, is impossible to miss. Nearby, the French-Mozambican Cultural Center hosts everything from jazz performances to art exhibitions, and the Tunduru Botanical Gardens, a few blocks away, are worth visiting for some shade from the African sun.

The past is present at Quinta Real, a colonial-style hacienda set in a residential neighborhood 20 minutes from downtown Guadalajara. In keeping with history, the property features soaring stucco ceilings, stone archways covered in crawling ivy, and wrought-iron balconies overlooking manicured gardens and cobblestone walkways. The story is the same inside, where 76 spacious suites are decorated with ornate Corinthian columns, well-curated antiques, and a palette of soothing ochres and greens. Like other hotels in the area, the Quinta Real has a swimming pool, butler and valet services, and a business center, but it’s the international dishes at Tierra Mia restaurant that are truly worthy of the hotel’s five-star rating.

In 1934, architect Luis Barragán won a contest put on by the city of Guadalajara to design a park on former prison land, creating a gateway to the city center. Together with his engineer brother, Barragán based his design on functionalist, Art Deco, and California modernist styles, incorporating elements of red and yellow as a nod to French 1930s design. Although the park (originally named Parque Revolución but now referred to as Parque Rio, or Red Park) has undergone significant changes over the years, certain elements—the red-and-yellow benches, the kiosk, the fountain, and the mashup of 1930s and ’40s architectural styles that would come to define Barragán’s later work—are still intact.

If Mandapa, “temple” in Sanskrit, feels more like a community than a hotel, that’s because it is. The resort occupies 24 green acres on a property previously owned by a group of neighboring families, who retain access to the land and its on-site temple. As a result, it maintains three acres of rice paddies and a traditional rice barn on stilts, and the villagers bring daily offerings to the temple, giving Mandapa a strong connection to local culture.




The hotel’s open-air lobby sits 300 feet above the Ayung River valley, overlooking 35 hillside suites with views of the jungle and rice paddies and 25 villas along the flowing river. The suites are furnished with traditional Balinese pieces and artwork and stand-alone soaking tubs, while the high-ceilinged villas, decorated with vividly colored botanical panels, have large pools and separate master suites.





Everywhere, local materials and design elements feature prominently, from the thatched roofs to the fringed umbrellas that shade the lounge chairs by the pool. The riverside spa is another place to discover Balinese products through deeply relaxing treatments and spiritual ones with a local healer, too. Five dining and drinking outlets include fine-dining restaurant Kubu, a spot for high tea, a cocktail and dinner venue called Ambar, and Sawah Terrace, where Sundays feature a Royal Brunch. Ubud’s center is only 10 minutes by car, but the guided vintage VW convertible tours on offer are arguably the best way to get around. From $1,250

At the edge of the Baja Peninsula, One&Only Palmilla was originally built in 1956 as a 15-room hideaway for Don Abelardo Rodriguez, son of the then-president of Mexico. Today, it’s one of the region’s most luxurious resorts, composed of 174 oceanfront rooms and suites and two villas decorated in neutral hues and splashes of red; many have infinity pools and patios that face the Sea of Cortez.


One&Only Palmilla has one of the area’s few swimmable beaches, plus three private rocky coves complete with floating beds, lounge chairs, and dedicated butlers. Activities include snorkeling, surfing, parasailing, and golfing the award-winning 27-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus. The massive spa’s wellness garden features a juice bar and 13 treatment villas; several have private plunge pools, rain showers, and swinging daybeds.



One&Only Palmilla is a member of EarthCheck, a scientific benchmarking certification program, for its sustainability efforts, which include a state-of-the-art water purification system that produces and bottles filtered water on site. The resort works with the Red Committee for the Protection of the Sea Turtle by helping with daily patrols of nearby nests, an activity guests can join.

Opened in 1950, the Jamaica Inn is one of the oldest and most gracefully aged of the classic Jamaica luxury resorts. It sits on its own private beach, which is rare in Jamaica, and each of the 52 suites and cottages has a Caribbean view. It is a timeless place, which may be why there are no TVs, radios, or clocks in the rooms, with a quiet serenity about it that may have been the appeal to such guests as Marilyn Monroe, Ian Fleming, and Katharine Hepburn. The grounds are immaculately kept, and the dining is as romantic as starlight and live music can make it. But the standout feature is that each suite has an oversize covered veranda that guests could literally live on. On it, they’ll find a full-size sofa, wingchair, breakfast table, coffee table, and, should one want to write home about it, writing desk.

Look to the top of Seoul’s 860-foot-tall Namsan Mountain and you’ll see the N Seoul Tower, which rises an additional 777 feet. This aerial perch is the highest point in the city and offers incredible views. Far below, Seoul sprawls out like a toy wonderland, while, on a clear day, North Korea lurks on the horizon. N Seoul Tower also boasts the world’s highest mailbox, so after taking in the views, buy a postcard and send it to someone special.

This is my favorite Scottsdale resort because it gets Southwestern style down without being kitschy or over-done. There are no cheesy dream catchers or Kokopelli statues here – just a color palette as bright and breathtaking as a desert sunset. Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale is perched in the city’s northern half, and surrounded by miles of Saguaro cacti and rugged rocks. Its location adjacent to Pinnacle Peak Park is perfect for hikers and if you crave more of an adrenaline rush, check out the high-octane tours from Arizona Outback Adventures. At Proof, the resort’s American canteen, dinner is practically a cross-country road trip with home-style comfort food inspired by, and sourced from, the 50 states. Plus, there’s a hearty list of wine, microbrews, and small batch and craft distilled American spirits. The Spa at Four Seasons also celebrates the resort’s sense of place with treatments like the Sonoran Honey Body Polish and Jojoba and Prickly Pear Polish.

A city as ancient as Istanbul has many layers of history, and you’ll have to go below the surface to see the Basilica Cistern, the largest of the underground cisterns. Built in the sixth century for the Byzantine emperor Justinian, the atmospheric reservoir is supported by 336 columns, many of which have been repurposed from other ruins over the centuries. The Medusa-head column bases are a favorite to photograph, along with the carp that swim silently in the dimly lit waters. The cistern is located between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and the best time to visit is simply whenever the line looks short, especially on a hot summer day—it’s always cooler underground.

Right off the beach at Matira Point, Lucky House Fare Manuia Restaurant & Bar is a refreshingly casual dining spot. It serves a varied menu including seafood, pasta, meat, traditional Tahitian specialties, and some standout pizza. Cooked in a wood-fire oven right by the front door, it’s a popular choice and you’ll find locals on scooters pulling up to get a box to go. Strangely, there are also some quite tasty Chinese selections as well. Choose from tables inside or out, and after you’re done dining grab a couple of drinks and head out to terrace, where you grab a lounge chair and even take a dip in the onsite swimming pool. For budget travelers this can be a serious plus!

The cathedral in Amalfi, with its glittering gold mosaic facade and colorful Majorca-tiled dome, dominates the main piazza. Construction on the cathedral began in the 9th century, and centuries of additions and renovations are revealed in the mashup of Moorish and Norman Romanesque styles present. Climb the 62 steep steps in front to admire the enormous bronze doors that were cast in 11th-century Constantinople. Inside, the crypt holds the relics of St. Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint of Amalfi. Through the cathedral’s portico, you can enter the Cloisters of Paradise, a 12th-century arcade bordered by 120 columns surrounding a garden. This peaceful space was created as a burial place for the noble families of Amalfi.

Bistro Don Giovanni opened more than 20 years ago and is still among the most popular Italian restaurants in Napa, meaning it can be downright impossible to get a table at the eatery unless you roll in late. Dishes include fritto misto, agnolotti with salmon and sweet pea cream sauce, and branzino poached in a tomato-garlic broth. Locals love Mamma Concetta’s meatballs, the beet and haricot vert salad, and, when it’s on the menu, lasagna. Don Giovanni also has a sophisticated bar program that includes a number of specialty cocktails, as well as wine imported from Italy, and the attentive, old-school service is appreciated by patrons. The generous back patio has a fountain and overlooks vineyards and a kitchen garden.

A short drive north of the South Island town of Oamaru, Riverstone Kitchen is often lauded as one of New Zealand’s best regional restaurants. The stylish dining room is anchored by a robust fireplace crafted from local river stones, and much of the seasonal menu is crafted from the restaurant’s own organic orchards and gardens. A more relaxed café ambience for daily breakfast and lunches segues to a more formal mood at dinner from Thursdays to Saturdays, and the savvy drink list includes wines from the nearby Waitaki Valley as well as small-batch beers from around New Zealand. Ask if any of the excellent Belgian-style farmhouse ales from Oamaru’s Craftwork Brewery are available.

Birders, hikers, and all manner of nature lovers score big with a visit to this former NASA tracking station and U.S. naval base on the northeast coast of Bermuda. Despite its name, Cooper’s Island is no longer an island, having been connected to St. David’s Island via land reclamation since the 1940s. While the U.S. military has moved on, the wildlife sanctuary is still home to the base of a radar tower that tracked shuttle movements in the early days of the Space Race. Today, the 12-acre reserve is crisscrossed with paths and fringed with pristine beaches. Of particular note is Clearwater Beach, which teems with conch and turtles. Inland, a restored lake and marshland are home to crabs and seabirds. The former radar tower makes an ideal perch for bird-watching.