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The brand new Marriott Port-au-Prince is located 6.5 miles from Port-au-Prince International Airport, in the city’s emerging commercial district, called Haute Tourgeau. On a recent visit, it provided me with a much appreciated retreat from the wild hustle and bustle that defines so much of Haiti. It’s a cool hotel, and it goes beyond the call of duty to be socially responsible. To begin with, a tremendous effort is made to employ locals, and to support Haitian businesses that provide the hotel with products and services. Much to the chagrin of some of the locals, you won’t find a Starbucks in this Marriott’s lobby. Instead, you can sample one of the best, and most likely strongest coffees, you’ll ever had–Haitian Rebo! The public spaces are filled with a well-curated collection of–you guessed it–local art. Philippe Dodard, a renowned Haitian artisan, selected the works. Some of his own pieces made it onto the walls as well, one of the most prominent ones can be seen in the lobby area. The food is great and there are plans to tap more into the Haitian cuisine in the future. Produce is sourced from local farmers, mostly from the Kenscoff area. ___________________ A big thank you to JetBlue (http://www.jetblue.com) for flights to and from Haiti, and of course the Marriott Port-au-Prince (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/papmc-marriott-port-au-prince-hotel/) for accommodations.

Charlie’s is old-school New Orleans writ large. It’s one of a handful of surviving notable neighborhood steak houses (it’s not far from where the original Ruth’s Chris was also once a neighborhood spot), a no-frills joint with faux-wood paneling on the walls and no menus to hand out. The waiters ask you what size you want, and also if you’d like to start with an order of fried onions. (The correct answer is yes.) Pro tip: Kick off your evening an hour earlier and a couple blocks away at Pascal’s Manale with a dozen or two bivalves at the marble oyster bar of a revered Italian-Creole “red gravy” spot.

With more than 250 acres of grounds, the New York Botanical Garden manages to fit a number of different landscapes and experiences into its garden walls. The garden was established in 1891, the inspiration of Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife, Elizabeth, who returned from a trip to England determined that New York should have its own equivalent to London‘s Kew Gardens. They found backing among New York society and created one of the country’s leading research institutions that also happens to be an ideal place to commune with nature right in the city. The rose garden designed by Beatrix Farrand is a highlight, while an abundance of azaleas reaches their peak in May. In all there are some 20 different gardens, including one dedicated to native plants, a rock garden, and a wetlands trail. The conservatory, constructed in 1902, is the largest in the country and includes 11 different climatic zones. When the last of the fall foliage has fallen from the trees, the conservatory hosts the popular annual Holiday Train Show (from the end of November to mid-January).

The cafés that line the streets of Paris make an easy option for a quick lunch. But not all cafés are created equal, and you don’t want to end up at one that heats up frozen meals and drowns salads in industrial vinaigrette. Follow the crowd of locals to a café you can count on: Café Varenne. Every afternoon, the red leather booths fill up with gallery owners, stay-at-home parents, politicians from the nearby government offices, and shoppers from Le Bon Marché. Favorite dishes here include a tomato tartare with crayfish on a bed of green beans, and grand-mère’s roast chicken; at dessert, the lemon meringue tart is hard to resist.

As far as bars go, Minus 5 is without question the coolest place in Las Vegas. The place sits in a giant freezer, and everything inside is made of ice—the walls, the chandeliers, the seats, the bar itself, even the very glasses in which you receive your drink. When you pay the $39 cover (it’s spendy, but it includes two specialty cocktails), you are issued a warm parka or faux-fur coat for the duration of your stay. Inside, music and lights create a surreal setting that pairs perfectly with the rest of the frozen goodies. It’s a night out you won’t forget soon. There are two locations—one at Mandalay Bay and a newer, smaller one inside Monte Carlo—with the same pricing and chilly experience.

Rustic luxury is the vibe at Amansala, where all accommodations are cabana-style. How rustic? Well, lights go out at 11 each night, after which time candles provide illumination. Ocean breezes do the work that is relegated to air-conditioners at less eco-conscious hotels. Rooms are decorated with locally sourced materials, including driftwood and stones. Candles and incense are in-room amenities. The idea, says owner Melissa Perlman, is for guests to feel that they’re staying at a friend’s home rather than an anonymous hotel where they’re just a room number. The hotel also hosts yoga retreats several times throughout the year, as well as detox cleanse packages and “Bikini Bootcamp” intensives for guests who want to get in shape.

The close-in neighborhood called Colonia Roma was first developed at the dawn of the 20th century as a high-end suburb laid out along tree-lined boulevards and plazas. Prominent families erected elaborate residences in architectural styles ranging from neoclassical to art nouveau and even neo-Moorish. A century later—despite some ups and downs—the district is at a peak as one of Mexico City’s most fashionable areas, and old mansions now serve as retail spaces or smart dining rooms that open out onto the street, day and night, in that marvelous dolce vita way. Stroll the quarter’s main drag, Álvaro Obregón, afternoons and evenings, for a complete sampling of its urban pleasures; shopaholics with an eye for edgy design won’t want to miss the whimsical boutiques that line adjacent Cerrada Colima. Deeper dives into side streets and nearby plazas turn up even more surprises when you’re ready for a walkabout.

Gaon takes diners on a fine-dining journey through Korea’s culinary heritage. For its thoughtful interpretation of traditional food, the Gangnam-based restaurant holds an elusive three-Michelin-star rating, making it more than worthy of a splurge. Here, the experience is intimate—diners are seated in sleek, private rooms adorned with elegant art. Seasonal set menus, with courses like grilled Jeju perch and chicken stewed in red ginseng, are beautifully presented on custom tableware specially designed for the restaurant by the famed ceramics maker KwangJuYo. The highly trained staff offer impeccable service and speak English well. Advance reservations are required, as the restaurant only has four private dining rooms.

Long the heart of the Condesa district (even during the dark days following Mexico City’s devastating 1985 earthquake), today’s Parque México is the quintessential urban park. Well-manicured with ample seating and a recently refurbished open-air forum that plays host to groovy neighborhood events as well as perennial skateboarders, the park’s venerable trees provide shade to the area’s easy-on-the-eyes crowd of joggers, dog walkers, cute old folks, and amorous teens. Along the garden’s perimeter, some of the city’s smartest apartment houses (often in flawless art deco style) share space with cool cafés, kicky boutiques, and crowded restaurants. Few city pleasures surpass Parque México’s people-watching (and pooch-watching) over coffee or cocktails, as golden sunlight streams through branches onto lively, see-and-be-seen sidewalk venues.

Sitting on the edge of the Bering Sea, the village of Unalakleet is, of course, stunning in its stark beauty. But the off-the-road-system village also offers plenty of surprises, including damn good pizza. Even full-on pizza snobs won’t thumb their nose at the thin-crust pies coming out of the ovens. The price of the pizzas is kind of a killer (it costs bundles to get foodstuffs shipped out there, so any restaurants have to charge a bundle to make a buck), but the payoff is dandy. Crust that has the right amount of crunch and tenderness. Proper cheese bubbles! And a light, bright tomato sauce. Chow down and then go explore this marvel of a town.

Even though Thailand is thousands of miles from Telluride, Siam has perfected an edible ode to the country. In fact, the food here is so good that 5280 magazine named Siam one of the best Thai restaurants in the entire state of Colorado. At this downtown spot, Thailand-born and -raised chefs cook the dishes of their home country, using as much local and organic meat as possible. The king crab and lobster tempura, pineapple-and-red-curry mussels, and peanut-dusted pra ram stir fry will have you so besotted with Thai cuisine, you’ll be digging for your passport to take the next flight to Bangkok.

Conquistadors built Panamá Viejo, the first European settlement on the Pacific Coast of the New World, in 1519. The original site was abandoned in 1671 after Henry Morgan’s pirates attacked and the residents relocated down the coast. This second settlement, now called Casco Viejo (old town), is the historic district of Panama City. Together, both locations make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At Panamá Viejo, visitors can explore an archaeological site with famous ruins, while Casco Viejo is abuzz with the markets, cafés and nightlife found along its narrow streets and in its classic waterfront buildings.

Goat Island Café (which locals simply call “Sadie’s) is the place to go in American Samoa for tasty fish and chips or a breakfast of Spam and eggs. Goat Island Café, located inside the hotel, Sadie’s by the Sea, offers generous portions. The café also pours cold Vailima—a beer brewed in Samoa. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, guests can choose to sit inside the restaurant or dine alfresco in a perfect poolside setting where you can also enjoy views of the ocean and nearby Rainmaker Mountain.

As the origin myth for these three rocks near the entrance to Petropavlovsk’s harbor goes, three brothers saved their town by wading out during a storm and taming the ocean before they turned to stone. Locals will tell you that the Three Brothers stack rocks continue to keep the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky tranquil. Home to a variety of birds such as red-faced cormorants and puffins, as well as fur seals and sea otters, the iconic and dramatic formations are a photographer’s dream.

One of the joys of Rio’s southern districts—this in a city of mountains and hills—is their flat topography and network of bike paths, plus shared bicycles at stations all over the map. It’s as easy as downloading the Bike Rio app, grabbing one of the two-wheelers they call laranjinhas, and heading out to Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Less than a half-mile from Ipanema beach, the lagoon is an idyllic postcard featuring the Tijuca jungles plus Corcovado in the background. All told, it’s five miles around, with views that change at every curve—and don’t forget the city’s spectacular sunsets.