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Is this polished industrial space, in an odd corner of the Centro, the thinking man’s disco? Organizers prefer to speak in terms of a cultural center, and the installation’s multiple spaces are venues for everything from literary events and screenings to a dynamic agenda of live-music performances. But it’s the DJs and dancing that are bringing in crowds, crowds that are alternative and low-key, creative, sex-pref-neutral, and seemingly little impressed that their hangout has become so fabulous. Priced-to-move libations and overall edginess keep the crowd skewing young; the space’s various environments add variety to your night out—and sometimes there’s even a place where you can chat (or canoodle) without screaming.

One of the most famous restaurants in Venice, the Michelin-starred Da Fiore occupies an understated-yet-elegant space in what was once an old Venetian tavern. The food is a modern take on traditional Venetian, with lots of fish and seafood, but the menu changes constantly based on what is fresh and locally available. Everything is wonderfully prepared with a lovely fusion of flavors and textures and comes out perfectly plated. There’s also an excellent wine list. You can order à la carte or choose a six- or seven-course tasting menu at dinner.

Booze Cooperativa is “a brain hub of tribes and nations in creative disruption.” That certainly sounds like millennial trendspeak, but the Cooperativa—a three-story neoclassical textile mill repurposed in 1989 into spaces for art, music, and people-meeting, and eating and drinking, has been promoting local artists, providing community for artists of all sorts (many of whom co-work, or play chess with their friends, at the six-meter-long—almost 20 feet—table by day), and acting as a nighttime watering hole ever since. Booze isn’t just about booze at all, but you can smoke here—its owner registered the building as a political party headquarters to get around the Greek indoor smoking ban.

Southwest of Anguilla is one of the island’s top three beach areas: the two-mile-long brilliantly white stretch at Rendezvous Bay. Its long shore, steady breeze, and calm Caribbean waters provide a break from the crowds at Shoal Bay and Sandy Ground. The western end does offer some fun daytime beach-bar action, which grows rowdier at night and on the weekends, when the famous Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve venue attracts residents and visitors for live music. You can view St. Martin, across the channel, from shore.

Newlyweds looking for a luxury boutique villa style hotel experience will dig the Somerset, which has just 53 rooms spread over eight buildings right on Grace Bay Beach (walking distance to DIY snorkeling). A sort of hotel/villa hybrid, digs are in multi-room suites with fully equipped kitchens. It works great for families, especially as dining out in Provo adds up quickly. Beyond the rooms, there is a 70-foot infinity pool to chill by as well as a lengthy list of activities that will keep the kids busy while you do so. A spa and two restaurants -- one casual, the other more formal -- complete the picture. Oh, and on Monday nights, the property’s general manager hosts a cocktail hour with free drinks, tapas, and live music for guests. Tuesday nights are dedicated to BBQs on the beach. The villa resort also works well for couples, as the suites here are beyond spacious and very private and there are a few different swimming pool options.

Known to New Zealand’s indigenous Maori people as pounamu, jade or greenstone is treasured throughout the country, and in the North Island city of Rotorua, Rakai Jade provides travelers with the opportunity to craft a special memento of their visit. Working with local Maori artisans, a one-day Carve Your Own experience takes you through the full process from initial design to final product. Popular traditional varieties include pendants and stylized fishhooks, but if you can’t spare the time for a custom bauble, many excellent already-carved pieces are also available. (Reserving at least one day ahead is recommended for a design-and-carving session.)

If you’re a major foodie, or if you just want a romantic dinner night, Veya is one of the best picks on Anguilla. Set above Sandy Ground, this home-turned-restaurant serves up Caribbean fusion food in a Moroccan-style lounge, and outdoors on a veranda. The breeze, the candlelit atmosphere, the live music—not to mention the menu (which the restaurant describes as “cuisine of the sun”)—more than make up for not being directly next to the sea. Expect unusual dishes like Moroccan-spiced shrimp “cigars,” grilled jerk-spiced tuna with a rum-coffee glaze, and risotto with basil goat cheese, or try the five-course chef’s tasting menu. Veya is also known for whipping up the best desserts on Anguilla, and the list of options is long.

Blackbird is a charming pub with oodles of traditional atmosphere in the quiet fishing village of Ballycotton in East Cork. Its secret is the Field Kitchen, a trailer that was lowered into the rear beer garden, which supplies fish and chips, garlic mussels, and monkfish scampi to accompany your pint. The beer garden overlooks the stone ruins of Ballycotton village, and inside, the bar is lit by candles in Jameson bottles, as the pub is very near the home of Jameson Distillery in Midleton.

Considered Singapore’s national dish, Hainanese chicken rice is a beloved staple for many. It’s made up of a fragrant bowl of chicken broth, a pile of fluffy rice, and tender poached chicken (skin on), as well as condiments like ginger paste, dark soy sauce, and chili sauce—and sometimes a side of gai lan (a leafy Chinese vegetable). Enjoy the traditional meal in homey surroundings at Wee Nam Kee, a casual and inexpensive restaurant that started out many years ago as a humble food stall. Though the chicken rice is the star, other favorites include cereal prawns, fish-head curry, salted-egg pork ribs, and sambal kangkong (greens).

Doha’s skyline looks like something out of The Jetsons, is futurist, the buildings’ architecture is bold and a feat of ingenuity and good engineering and the best place to see it all is from the water, preferably at sunset when the promenade and buildings are lit and the sky over the teal waters of the Arabian Gulf turns different hues of orange. Dhows—Qatari fishing boats--are available along the promenade for hourly hire. Some dhow cruises offer three- to four-hour outings with dinner, traditional music and entertainment, while others will offer quick itineraries as short as fifteen minutes. Day dhow cruises are also available and include a stop at Al Safliya a nearby island for a swim, jet-skiing and fishing.

Barranquilla’s must-go eatery for exceptional, local, and home-style specialties prepares its meals using organic, locally sourced produce only. In a warmly decorated, landmark colonial residence, Donde Mamá serves up a Colombian delicacy often found on the country’s Caribbean coast—the traditional mote de queso, yam soup with chunks of floating cheese and bits of pork rind.

If you want to get in touch with nature, spend an afternoon in Piedmont Park, Atlanta’s answer to New York’s Central Park. Spread over 189 acres, the sprawling park boasts a running track, bocce and tennis courts, a swimming pool, a lake, and a dog park. It’s also the site of countless concerts, local events like the Dogwood Festival, and the finish line for the annual Peachtree Road Race. It’s not uncommon to see a movie or television show being filmed here, so grab a picnic from a nearby restaurant and plan to spend a few hours lounging in the shade.

Centrally located in Stockholm, the King’s Garden is a lively urban garden/park/plaza that connects the harbor with one of Stockholm’s main shopping districts. It contains a series of “outdoor rooms” including a formal entrance, fountain with planting parterres, stage for performances, a lawn area (was that artificial turf?) and a plaza with a sunken pool surrounded by steps ideal for people watching, oddly focused on a TGI Friday’s Restaurant as a focal point. There is lots to do here and this popular space is bordered by restaurants, galleries, cafes and night clubs. The King’s Garden has been dubbed “Stockholm’s outdoor living room” and there is a full schedule of concerts and performances throughout the summer (when I visited) as well as an ice skating rink in the winter.

Wonderful catamarans that you can rent right off the beach.

The 40 year old hotel has just undergone a $85 million renovation and is in tip-top shape. But aside from that, what makes this place so unique are the cool people that work there. It’s a place that values humans, and their ideas, including some of the more silly ones... For example, there’s Yappy hour (one of my favorites!), where you’re invited to bring Fido to the golf course for sun–downers. Drinks for the two-legged patrons, and a specially designed menu of snacks for the furry, four-legged ones, courtesy of Executive Chef Daven Wardynski!. Human food all over the resort was out-of-this-world amazing, too. I say that somewhat regrettably, as I put on 5 lbs in 48 hours. Here’s a chef, sort of a renaissance man, that makes some seriously good food, creates the Sprouting Project, and, if that’s not enough, engineers smokers for all sorts of things that never imagined they’d end up in one. Iceberg lettuce? Yep. Oh, and the really cool presentation pieces for deviled eggs? Chef made them, because he couldn’t find the right plate. Omni Amelia Isalnd is a great place to relax, eat, play tennis, play golf, eat, go paddle boarding, kajaking, eat, get a spa treatment, oh yes, and you guessed it: eat! __________________________ A warm thank you: My Amelia Island experience was courtesy of Omni Resorts Amelia Island Plantation #MeetMeAtAmelia