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Opened at the mouth of the Singapore River in 1928 to celebrate 100 years since Singapore‘s British founding, the Fullerton Hotel was, at the time, the largest and most expensive building in the Lion City. It served as the General Post Office, Exchange, Chamber of Commerce, and Singapore Club before undergoing a $320 million refit to open as a hotel in 2001. Visually, it’s a showstopper, with coffered ceilings, cornices, and marble floors—a Palladian building in stark contrast to the neighboring bland office towers. The atrium lobby is refreshingly bright, with a grandness of scale that brings drama to the arrival experience. Rooms have vanilla-colored walls, and some open to the atrium. The 25-meter infinity pool is almost theatrical, with Doric columns rising behind. Leisurely afternoon tea is a fine excuse to linger in the atrium lobby and appreciate the airy space’s tranquil qualities.

Across New Zealand you’ll find weekend farmers’ markets packed with vendors of artisanal products and organic fruit and vegetables, as well as innovative food trucks providing tasty options for breakfast or lunch. Held in the leafy surrounds of Christchurch’s historic Riccarton House, this Saturday-morning institution attracts gourmands from across the city. For travelers, it’s a great place to try cheese and salmon from around the South Island, sample craft beer from local breweries, and stock up on baked goods for on-the-road picnics. Must-visit stalls include Sausage Sisters (for hearty pork-and-apple-sausage rolls) and Utopia Hot (for freshly baked waffles with seasonal fruit).

Along with a great view of San Francisco, Treasure Island is home to a popular flea market, formerly Treasure Island Flea, and now called TreasureFest. Each month around 400 curated vendors set up and peddle their wares. Stalls offer antiques, originally designed art and clothing, and vintage curiosities. You will also find about two dozen food trucks, live music, kids’ games and activities, and some local wine sellers to fuel your shopping fire. The two-day flea market takes place the last weekend of every month. Launched in 2011 to support local artists and entrepreneurs, Treasure Island Flea is now a must-do Bay Area event.

Behind a massive bougainvillea vine that covers a century-old mansion on the corner of a quiet, cobbled street, San Telmo’s Café Rivas evinces an elegant, 1920s vibe—but the food is decidedly contemporary. The menu is short and to the point. Three prix-fixe options are posted for lunch and change daily to delight a claque of assiduous regulars. Standout items at dinner include a nightly ceviche special and the dry-aged beef. There’s also a Sunday brunch with traditional favorites like eggs Benedict. In the evening, a bartender arrives to serve up cocktails, and there’s live piano on weekends.

With dark walls, natural wood accents, and red curtains in front of the elevators, the trend-setting Andaz hotel feels like more of a scene than any other property in downtown Napa. In the center of downtown Napa, the hotel is mere steps from restaurants, shops, and arguably Napa’s best pub: the Norman Rose Tavern.

On check-in, all guests over 21 receive a complimentary glass of red or white wine. The swanky vibe continues into the 141 guest rooms, where hardwood hickory floors complement white marble bathrooms and midcentury modern furniture. The most convivial space in the hotel is the Mercantile Terrace, a second-story roof deck with a full bar menu and fire pits, a favorite of couples and business travelers alike.

The lounge is operated by Mercantile Social, the restaurant in the lobby that serves small-plate food items and cocktails; it also books live acoustic music sets a few nights a week. (And Mercantile Social sponsors free wine tastings daily.) If you haven’t had enough wine, fear not—on site are two tasting rooms from the wine empire built by Napa native John Anthony Truchard: John Anthony and JaM Cellars.

When the hip Andaz hotel chain opened in downtown Napa in 2012 it brought a youthful energy to wine country. In addition to its affordable rooms and excellent locavore-minded small plates restaurant, Farmer’s Table, the Andaz also gives guests a dose of culture. The brand’s Andaz Salon program introduces art, photography, music, and readings throughout its different properties.

In a city that prides itself on its reputation as Europe’s Sodom and Gomorrah, Koningsdag (King’s Day) is the one day of the year when everyone gets f*cked-up. It’s when Dutchies honor their monarch by parading down canals in festooned boats, dancing in streets and getting smashed to techno-tunes blasting from disco stages. With King Willem’s 2013 coronation, Koningsdag will be celebrated on April 26, 2014—a day earlier than future years because the new king’s birthday falls on a Sunday. Koningsnacht (King’s Night) will be celebrated on April 25, 2014. Join party-goers on Warmoesstraat, gyrating to pulsating street bands. Belly up to the bar at Stones and admire the barristers over pints of Heineken. Don’t get too f*cked up if you want to get a jump start at the next morning’s Vrijmarkt (free market), when all of Amsterdam turns into a giant garage sale. Would you part with €1 to guess a fat lady’s weight? Or let a child serenade you in Vondelpark? Or throw an egg in a stranger’s face? Have a go on Koningsdag, when entrepreneurs of all ages trade old treasures and new talents for cash. Jostle for a spot on Prinsengracht to watch buff gays in skimpy attire and beer-swilling locals on decorated boats. On Rokin, breathe in the aroma of grilled kebobs and marijuana smoke. Hold on to your hat as you spin on an aerial swing at the Dam Square carnival. However you spend Koningsdag, it’s easy to friends wandering the streets, and poking into bars and coffeeshops until dawn.

The ocean churns as a 36-ton mammal swims up to the boat. With your arm plunged into the cool water, you await the touch of a California gray whale. Like a house cat craving a scratch on the head, the whale pushes its rubbery skin, rough with barnacles and battle scars from boats and orcas, against your palm. From January through March, hundreds of gray whales settle in Magdalena Bay, on the southwest coast of Mexico’s Baja peninsula. From their feeding grounds off the coast of Alaska, they’ve made one of the longest animal migrations—more than 5,000 miles—to mate, give birth, and raise their young here. Visitors who join local fishermen and outfitters in the bay are practically guaranteed to see whales, and the luckiest will encounter “friendlies,” including proud mothers who nudge their wrinkly black calves toward the surface. Sea Kayak Adventures offers a new trip that combines gray whale sightings in Magdalena Bay with blue and fin whale watching in the Sea of Cortez. From $1,495. (800) 616-1943, This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue.

Facing the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India monument, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel blends Moorish, Florentine, and Indian architecture. The historic palace wing reopened in 2010 with 243 new rooms and 42 suites, including one that houses the sitar on which legendary Indian musician Ravi Shankar composed his Concerto No. 1. George Harrison checked into the Taj in 1966 to take lessons from the maestro.

Being in nature is being in my happy place. The US’ National Parks provide plenty of unspoiled nature. The Rocky Mountain National Park is huge, beautiful and abundant with wild life. It’s a pleasure to go and make all your senses happy. If you have kids, it’s even better. Running in fresh air, checking out the wildlife is bliss for them. This particular shot was on the Trail Ridge Road. A portion of it was closed and this is as far as we could go by car.

As obvious as it may sound, what sets Sanctuary apart from any other Scottsdale resort is location. Sitting on the north side of Camelback Mountain yet minutes from downtown Scottsdale, it has a balance of desert mountain isolation and easy access that no other Scottsdale resort can match. Since Sanctuary opened in 2002, the combination has especially appealed to publicity-shy celebs (Beyoncé and Jay-Z even stayed here while on their honeymoon). The views from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the adobe casitas look out at the mountain and across Paradise Valley. The casitas have wood-block floors, glass-tiled showers, and, in many of them, oversize tubs with romantic votive candles.

Wynn Las Vegas, and its younger sister Encore, are known as some of the nicest properties in town, and for good reason. The suites are spacious and clean, the beds are comfortable, there is a lot of room in which to spread out and the views are stellar. Beyond the rooms themselves, the rest of Wynn is equally as beautiful, with fine art located throughout the property, very helpful staff, high-quality restaurants (all of which have at least one vegan option on the menu) and a general ambiance that feels classy, not trashy. This is a great hotel for honeymooners or couples, or for people who want a high-end Las Vegas experience that makes them feel like more than just another visitor in the city.

Part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, Solage is one of Calistoga’s top lodging options; the trio of overnight accommodations, spa, and Michelin-starred restaurant practically force guests to unwind and relax. The experience starts in the 89 studios and suites, which are built like stand-alone cabins and are furnished comfortably. Most have private patios; larger rooms and suites have private backyards (some even have sunken hot tubs); all have in-room showers lined with rocks that feel great on bare feet. With three geothermal pools, the on-site spa is second to none in the Napa Valley. The property’s signature treatment, dubbed the Mudslide, revolves around mineral-enriched mud that guests are encouraged to slather all over themselves and later incorporates a session in a soaking tub and time in a sound chair. Elsewhere on the property, at the Solbar restaurant, chef Massimo Falsini gives farm-fresh cooking a Mediterranean twist. The Monterey black cod in coconut-turmeric brodo is a crowd pleaser. Another must-order: the Macallan 18 butterscotch pudding, made with aged scotch.

Hillside Farmacy is a farm-to-table restaurant in Austin built around a pharmacy theme. While it may sound odd, the execution is brilliant, with incredible food and wonderfully eclectic design. The restaurant space was formerly the home of a 1920s pharmacy owned by Austin‘s first African-American pharmacist. The decor features authentic apothecary items (from a different 1920s drugstore)—a vintage collection of medicine bottles, antique cash registers, tin ceilings, and wooden cabinets. But it’s the “F” in the deliberately misspelled Farmacy that nods to the emphasis on simple, fresh food. The restaurant works with local food purveyors and regularly changes the menus around the highest-quality seasonal ingredients. Local cheese, homemade pate, artisinal breads and pastries, raw bar, charcuterie are all available here. Dishes include bangers and eggs, buttermilk bisquits and gravy, and bison tartare. Other perks include an old fashioned soda counter and a shaded outdoor patio. If I were a local here, this would definitely be one of my favorite go-to places.

Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market is crammed with 120 vendors, butcher counters, bakeries, ethnic eateries, and seafood shops. But there’s one reason why most people come here: the peameal bacon sandwich, which is dished up at the Carousel Bakery. It’s not really bacon—or at least not the bacon you usually eat—but rather tender, thicker strips of pork, cut from the loin and then rolled in peameal (like cornmeal but made from peas), and served on a kaiser roll with a swipe of mustard. It’s a porklicious treat!

Since it was constructed at the top of Telegraph Hill in 1933, Coit Tower has been an integral part of San Francisco’s downtown skyline. Named after a 1920s patron to the city’s firefighters—but not designed to resemble a firehose, as the urban legend goes—Coit Tower’s observation deck will give you 360-degree views out over San Francisco, including the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Entrance fees range from free (children four and under) to $7 (adult non-residents); visit the website for all prices. Coit Tower is open from 10 am to 6 pm May through October and 10 am to 5 pm from November through April.