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Despite being located just outside Reykjavik’s main center, the Hilton Nordica maintains its popularity thanks to its superb service and welcoming Scandi-mod interiors. Though working travelers tend to favor the property for its many functional conference rooms and business center, leisure visitors prefer to cozy up in a leather armchair by the fire in the plush neutral-toned lobby. The aesthetic continues in the spacious rooms and suites (the smallest is 300 square feet) with their calming, natural palettes, colorful photos of Reykjavik, and large windows that allow Iceland’s generous light to flood in; suites also enjoy separate lounge areas. The VOX restaurant serves gourmet New Nordic cuisine with an emphasis on Icelandic and Scandinavian ingredients, and the open-concept bar serves coffee, tea, and cocktails, and is a comfortable spot for lounging or mingling whether you’re coming in from a busy day of sightseeing or getting ready to hit the town.

Located on East Beacon Drive, off of Route 12 in the town of Rodanthe, is perhaps the most famous beach house in the Outer Banks. The Inn At Rodanthe was the actual setting for the movie based on Nicholas Spark’s prized novel “Nights at Rodanthe” starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. Designed to have the look and feel of a traditional seaside inn, it features six bedrooms and suites, balconies providing stunning views of the Atlantic, and the famous blue shutters and house sign so prominently featured in the film. One can rent the house through Sun Realty and I’m sure you’d have an amazing stay. Or if you’re driving by, the house is easy to spot with beachgoers parking their cars along the street and coming out to take pictures.

The weekly flohmarkt (flea market) in Friedrichshain’s Boxhagener Platz is a popular spot where locals meet up for shopping, drinking, or just a bit of fun each Sunday. While the Mauer Park flea market gets most of the tourists, this one is far less touristy. You’re much more likely to find a good deal on used books, cool T-shirts (some by local designers, even!), music records, and knickknacks. Because the market is relatively small, it’s quite enjoyable to take a stroll through the stalls and then enjoy a picnic on the grassy area in the middle of the square. Many cafes and restaurants are situated on the streets bordering Boxhagener Platz so you won’t be bored for things to do. The market is open Sundays during daylight. On Saturdays in the same area you’ll find a fresh food & produce market.

For the past 10 years, Mario, the owner of VEBorange, has been selling DDR (East Germany) collectables and other German antiques. Most items in the shop on Oderberger Strasse are objects made and sold between 1950 and 1980, making this a great place to find kitschy and totally unique goods. When I visited on a sunny Saturday afternoon, Mario was tinkering with a Sputnik relic from the CCCP. Not everything that he collects or receives ends up on the shelves. Behind the counter are the things deemed interesting or noteworthy—things that might fit in a museum. If the nearby Mauer Park turns out to be too disappointing for you, head over to VEBorange (a short three-minute walk away) to find truly unique and special items. You can find everything from old Soviet war medals to clothes and furniture.

In 2001, hotelier Ian Schrager tapped French designer Philippe Starck to reconceptualize The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel’s wildly modern interiors. A complete contrast to the building’s historic facade, the lobby is dark, edgy and filled with a quirky smattering of cool furniture—among them chairs by Ray and Charles Eames, a coffee table by Salvador Dali, and a surreal stool by Renee Marguerite. Upstairs, splashes of lavender brighten more neutral rooms, which feature wheelbarrow-shaped chairs and sleigh beds designed by Starck. Merino wool blankets are primed to battle foggy nights, while MALIN+GOETZ bath products soothe well-traveled skin with natural ingredients and science. Downstairs in the Redwood Room, a see-and-be-seen crowd nurses drinks. The swanky lounge sports sleek backlit shelves, its original redwood paneling, and a bar supposedly crafted from a single redwood tree. Though The Clift sits just up the street from Union Square, it feels far away from the tourists.

Another hallowed Capitol Hill rock venue, Chop Suey is a short walk up the hill from the Pike/Pine intersection. The performers tend to skew toward local bands, electronic, and drag shows, but one of Seattle’s most unique dance parties is Talcum, featuring the best of Pacific Northwest soul and Motown music (the name refers to the practice of sprinkling talcum powder on the dance floor for better slipping and sliding). Talcum happens every fourth Saturday, and vintage/formal attire is strongly encouraged. Most Chop Suey shows are 21+, and there’s a full bar, but no kitchen; however, you’re allowed to bring your own food inside, oddly enough. Grab a Seattle Dog, slathered with sautéed onions and cream cheese, at the hot dog cart parked out in front. Cash only, if you buy tickets at the door.

For years now, Koregaon Park has been associated with a hint of mysticism. It all began with the formation of the sprawling Osho International Asharam on the quiet and leafy Lane 1. The commune was established by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, a controversial philosopher and guru who died in 1990, and is a center for spirituality and meditation. With its distinct black tiles and white marble pathway, the massive property is easy to identify; followers are often seen in maroon robes, on their way in and out. The focus here is on relaxation and de-stressing. Visitors can amble along the green estate, sign up for a meditation workshop, get a massage or some other therapeutic service, mingle with visitors from across the globe over a cup of tea, or even go for a swim.

If you haven’t before seen 1.5 million bats flying out for their nightly feeding at once, now’s your chance. The largest urban bat colony in North America, Austin‘s Congress Avenue Bridge is the home to hundreds of thousands of Mexican free-tail bats from mid-March to mid-October. Every night around sunset, the colony emerges like a black cloud from the crevices underneath the bridge, heading out to feed on millions of bugs around Austin. A beloved tourist attraction since the bats made their home in the bridge during the 1980 renovations, crowds pack the east-facing sidewalk and the park to the south side of the river to watch the nightly exodus. Want more details? Call the Bat Hotline at 416-5700, extension 3636, for exact exodus times. Christian Bale may or may not answer.

Asia’s first bike hotel, YOHO Bike Hotel in Shanhai, Kenting, Taiwan. The hotel is geared toward bikers, with 68 rooms featuring bike racks, an onsite Giant bike rental and tour agency, a bike maintenance area, a bikers lounge with a projection screen for photos, bikers message board, and cycling magazines, cyclist training courses, an Off-Road Experience Center, a special VIP check-in for cyclists and more. The hotel will give you a map of the area so you can bike to the many attractions, like the National Museum of Marine Biologic Aquarium, Shih Chunghsi Hot Springs, Lake Lunglunan Bird Watching Center, Maopitou Park, Kenting Forest Recreation Area and downtown Kenting. Staying at the YOHO Bike Hotel is a great way to explore Taiwan’s rich cycling culture.

These green huts are known as Cabman’s Shelters. They first started appearing around London in 1875 to provide cheap hot meals to cabbies. Even though the huts are pretty small, there’s enough room inside for a little kitchen and some seats. I wasn’t particularly aware of these huts until I saw a documentary on TV. Apparently, there are now only 13 of them left. This one is located at Thurloe Place in Kensington, opposite the Victoria & Albert Museum. As you can see, it’s located in the middle of the road, and cabbies, stopping for a bite, park their taxis behind it. I walked past the back of the hut and peeped through the window. The place was packed full of diners (around 10 of them) all squeezed in side by side, enjoying their meals.

Cornerstone Sonoma is a collection of shops, galleries, and gardens that offers an unusual experience in the Sonoma wine country. The series of walk-through gardens showcase the work of some of the world’s best landscape architects and designers. Each space is different and evokes a unique feeling or experience, but all contribute to the sense of creativity of Cornerstone Gardens. You can easily spend a couple of hours here, first walking through each of the garden installations and then checking out the unique shops and tasting wine. There is an outdoor sculpture garden as well. Cornerstone Sonoma is open daily 10:00-5:00, but the gardens close at 4:00. Admission and parking are free. It is located just a few minutes south of Sonoma and about 15 minutes west of Napa Valley.

I recently went to Durban to attend a wedding. While I personally don’t consider Durban at the top of list of places to go on holiday in SA, I will say that Durban is great for the sun and the surf. In terms of tourist attractions, Ushaka Marine World is a great place to take the family. You can spend the day having fun at the water park, catch the dolphin show or get in some knowledge and check out the aquarium. The aquarium is themed to resemble a sunken ship with certain rooms even displaying some of the decor and furniture upside down! Those who are brave enough can even venture into the shark tank where you’ll be able to swim with some of the scary predators of the deep blue sea!

The most high-adrenaline way to see Sydney Harbour, BridgeClimb has been dressing up locals and travelers in jumpsuits and safety harnesses to ascend “The Coathanger” since 1998. Along the way, they learn fun facts about the Sydney Harbour Bridge, like how it was built using six million rivets, which bridge workers tossed to each other when they were white hot and ready to weld. You’ll also gain a new appreciation for the Sydney Opera House as well as the world’s deepest natural harbor, which just so happens to be the birthplace of European Australia. At the top, strike your favorite Zoolander pose, or try “the koala,” which Ben Stiller invented during his climb.

Delhi’s Qutub Minar, at 72.5 meters or 238 feet tall, is the tallest tower in India. Built as an Islamic monument in the early 13th century of red sandstone and marble, the minar is not without controversy. Some believe the tower was built to celebrate Muslim rule in the country, and others claim it was erected to call the devoted to prayer. The surrounding complex houses the first mosque to be built in India, tombs, a madrassa, and an iron pillar that is mysteriously resistant to corrosion, even after being exposed to the natural elements for centuries. Until 1981, visitors were able to climb the 379 stairs to the top of Qutub Minar, but the interior is now closed.

The Qutab Minar is notable for being one of the earliest and most prominent examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. It is surrounded by several other ancient and medieval structures and ruins, collectively known as Qutub complex. Within the Qutab complex, amidst the ruins of the Quwat-ul-Islam Mosque, stands one of the legendary Ashoka Pillars. This large iron pillar has withstood the ravages of Delhi’s weather (and recent pollution) and has not rusted in over 1500 years.

Those in search of sublime culture in an exuberant natural setting will find an ideal refuge in the Instituto Moreira Salles, a modernist residence hidden on a lane above the Gávea quarter that’s home to a cultural center. The delights on offer at this off-the-beaten-path spot—visual-arts and photography exhibits, literary salons, film series, and a stunning garden by famed landscape designer Burle Marx—are made all the more amenable by a restaurant as well as petite art– and Rio-focused bookstore. The IMS also happens to be the city’s most extensive photographic archive. If you’re looking to learn Rio history, a visit to this rare gem—nestled into the Carioca jungle—is a must.