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AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent Sloane Crosley on a spontaneous journey to Ecuador.

Kamal Mouzawak created Souk el Tayeb, the first farmers’ market in downtown Beirut, and Tawlét, a cooperative restaurant, where each day a guest chef from a different region of the country dishes up authentic Lebanese cuisine. Here’s his guide to the dynamic city.

For locals in Miami, start the day by visiting a local market where you can shop for artisan breads, fresh produce and cultural gems. Shopping in Miami is always a special experience, but locals tend to choose smaller boutiques. For those who need a lot of things, there’s also a huge outlet mall north of the city which is a day-long activity. A lot of the shopping venues in Miami are filled with restaurants, bars and entertainment, offering something for the entire family and fashionista.

It’s time to drink like a local in Antigua: the island plays host to stellar spirits & brews, with the majority coming from two local places: the Antigua Distillery Limited and Antigua Brewery Limited. From Antigua’s distillery you get national rums like Cavalier and English Harbour, while from the Brewery there’s Wadadli and also Wadadli Gold, which kicks up the manliness a notch. But if you really want to drink like a local, check out Bushy’s and get a taste before it’s gone!

In the past, aspiring artists would head for Mexico City as soon as they could scrape together the cash. More recently, however, they’ve been drawn to Guadalajara, where a new crop of funky art galleries and creative spaces has turned neighborhoods like Colonia Lafayette and Colonia Americana into design destinations for Mexico’s cultural set.

Love architecture? Then you’ll want to know about these hotels.

Mexico City is second only to Paris when it comes to its number of museums, and many museums offer free admission. Check out the world-class exhibits—for fine art, historic artifacts, archaeology, artists’ houses, and more—at some of our favorite CDMX cultural institutions.

Alternative new venues underscore Hanoi’s status as the nation’s capital of understated hip. Hanoi has pop-up cafés in the homes of artists, cafés that strike the right balance between quality coffee and youthful atmosphere. Also, tucked-away you will find Hanoi’s bars and music venues purveying heady cocktails, and soundtracks covering all bases from Thai funk to hip-hop beats sampled from scratchy vintage Vietnamese records.

Discovering a hidden eatery will make any Swiss sojourn utterly memorable. Find out here where the locals in Zurich eat. Discover a restaurant down a quiet side street of the Niederdorf that serves up delicious food using seasonal ingredients. Scale the hill in the Wollishofen neighborhood and splurge on Zurich’s best entrecôte steak. Or enjoy the finest catches of the day from Lake Zurich at a fish restaurant located on the city’s only campground.

Things move a little more slowly in Sacramento than in California’s other big cities. Local food and wine, an eclectic vibe, beautiful weather, and history as the state capital and center of the Gold Rush make Sacramento a fun yet laid-back place to explore.

Wake up hungry, for good things are in store. To many locals, a Santa Fe breakfast is the best meal of the day, with a range of Southwestern-style restaurants doling out hearty huevos rancheros, carne adovada, breakfast burritos smothered in chile sauce—all accompanied by fresh juices and hot coffee. It’s best to rise early and beat the crowds.

Cactus and cowboys are just the beginning here. World-class spa-resorts dot the foothills of this desert city; the mountain ranges are topped with observatories and evergreen forests. A research university and an air force base add variety to the Anglo/Mexican mix. Mild winters and eternal sunshine draw runners and cyclists to the trails and canyons of the lush Sonoran desert. After a sunset hike to precolumbian petroglyphs, civilization awaits...

Fashionistas and heavy spenders heading to Montreal will have no trouble finding pieces worth writing home about; the city being of the creative type, it’s no wonder so many designers set up shop in this part of Canada. Stroll along Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Notre-Dame Ouest for some of the best shopping in Montreal, with gender-defying, high quality, and unique pieces awaiting.

Founder’s Note: Beyond the Headlines