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After opening in 2014, it didn’t take SALT Plage long to start appearing on lists of the world’s best beachfront restaurants. At the Christophe Harbour dining destination, guests gather on a palm-shaded deck overlooking White House Bay for craft cocktails and Caribbean fare, served from a corrugated steel bar that manages, like the menu, to project both a casual and sophisticated vibe. Live music and full-moon parties make this the place to be for sunset and beyond.

One of the capital’s original contemporary cocktail bars, Limantour ranks #20 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. Mixologists here take their sweet time to make drinks, so don’t plan on stopping by if you’re in a hurry; the idea is to slow down and savor the experience of having a drink crafted carefully for you. Cocktails are named for places that inspire them or from which their spirits were derived. Try the Pernambuco, prepared with paprika-infused Cachaça from Brazil and mixed with a compote of plantain, vanilla, and lemon.

It may not look like much from the outside, but take a peek at the current cartelera (performance listing) and you’ll get a sense of how important this recently renovated venue is as the stage for a veritable who’s who of Cuban salsa and timba performers, including NG La Banda. Expect high energy from the crowd, who can’t help but dance for hours. Cursed with two left feet? You can easily find someone there eager to help teach you the basic moves of Cuba’s favorite dances.

Cobá holds what remains of a large pre-Colombian Maya civilization located on the Riviera Maya. Lesser known than Tulum, the name Cobá means turbid (cloudy) waters—probably having to do with the five cenotes (underground rivers) in the region, which played an important role in agriculture during the development of this region. At one time the city is believed to have had 50,000 inhabitants. Much of the area is still unexcavated, although recent excavations unearthed a stele, which is unique to the Maya world, as it is covered in hieroglyphics. A restored ball court confirms that the popular ball game was practiced here. Bloodletting rituals traditionally followed Maya ball games at Cobá and slaves were forced to participate. This differs from what was practiced at the later site of Chichen Itza, where the captain of the winning team was beheaded after the game.

Head five miles out of town for great scenery and a fun family outing. Pick your own seasonal fruits and vegetables (or buy them at the farm stand) and enjoy casual farm-to-table dining, Prince Michel, wines and Bold Rock hard cider—all with an impressive view. Thursday evenings until 9 p.m. from May through September feature dinner, live music, hayrides, and memorable sunsets. The Apple Harvest Celebration starts in September.

On Karlin’s impossible to pronounce Krizikova street (where the neighborhood’s foodie scene is most visible), this inviting wine bar was among the venues to solidify the foodie scene here. Led by oenophile and poet Bogdan Trojak, Veltlin offers natural wines (what they prefer to call authentic wines) from the former Austro-Hungarian empire with a diversity of blends from the Czech Republic’s Moravian and Bohemian regions to Croatia and Austria. You can check the menu online to see the day’s open bottles on offer. A local illustrator is behind the whimsical map of the former empire adorning one wall.

Inishmaan is one of the Aran Islands of the west coast of Ireland—one of the most unspoiled spots in the country—and Inis Meáin restaurant uses the good things that come from the pure earth and sea around it. The garden and greenhouse grows salads, herbs, and vegetables, while the fish is wild caught from the Atlantic, and meat is homestead reared. The restaurant has large windows overlooking the ocean and island and seats just 16 guests for a four-course dinner. The menu changes nightly, based on what’s available and in season, and each dish prepared by chef and native son Ruairí de Blacam has just two elements, a unique dining experience indeed. Open from April to the end of September.

A nondescript shopping arcade in a tony neighborhood might not be the place you’d expect to find one of the world’s top restaurants—but if there’s any place that reinforces the adage about not judging a book by its cover, it’s Mexico City. Biko has been ranked on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for years now. The two executive chefs aren’t as visible as other local chefs on the list, but that may be because they’re constantly in the kitchen, turning out memorable dishes. Guests can order off one of two menus: one is more traditional-inspired Basque cuisine, while the other is contemporary. Expect playful presentation and exceptional service.

While the art of puppetry is common throughout much of Asia, Vietnam has the unique discipline of water puppetry. These puppets are carved from wood and then lacquered to protect them from the water. The stage for a show is a pool of water, with the puppeteers standing behind, hidden by a screen, manipulating and moving the figures with rods and strings. Water puppetry is believed to have originated in northern Vietnam in the 11th century, possibly in the rice fields around the Red River Delta—flooded paddies were the original stages—and themes often explore the daily routines of rural or coastal life or old folktales. Today visitors can most easily catch a performance in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City at one of a handful of well-established theaters.

A stay at the adults-only Rachamankha feels like an extended visit to a supremely stylish friend’s home. Designed by interiors maven Rooj Changtrakul and renowned Thai architect Ongard Satrabhandu (who happens to be Changtrakul’s stepfather), the 24-room boutique hotel is inspired by 15th-century Lanna and features crisp white walls that offset Chinese antiques, vaulted wood ceilings, and colorful Thai silks. Serene courtyards give way to a library, an art gallery, and a poolside massage pavilion for low-key relaxation. Even the restaurant is primed to make you feel at home, serving regional comfort food like Burmese curry in an alfresco setting that reminds you why you booked here in the first place.

If you’re looking for a special spot to celebrate an occasion or a loved one Scottsdale, make your way to T. Cook’s. Chef Paul McCabe is an Arizona native from Sedona’s red rock country who’s inspired by local, seasonal ingredients. His menu abides by fresh Mediterranean principles and features grown-up takes on comfort food. The bolognese, for example, is made with rabbit and sits atop a bed of edible flowers, while short rib-stuffed ravioli is paired with scallops, chanterelle mushrooms, and a little peach for sweetness. Brunch is a popular draw, too, with sweet and savory options that include lemon ricotta pancakes and a pancetta omelet.

This is the closest you’ll get to France without actually going. The shop of famed pâtissier Christian Faure recently opened in the heart of Old Montreal, on the site of the first public market, and it’s already become a must-do. A look at the picture above might explain the instant popularity. The title of this highlight is a quote from Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry—and a longtime motto of the talented pâtissier. It represents his brand quite perfectly. Biting into one of his creations is indeed nothing short of a dreamy experience. The shop also offers pastry courses so you can learn to replicate the dream creations yourself.

This Romanesque Revival landmark has become Nashville’s crown jewel. The city’s main train station from 1900 until the 1970s, when railway service was discontinued, the building sat vacant for decades until it was restored to its former glory and reopened as a boutique hotel in 2016. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel retains pieces of the past—including its iconic clock tower, an original arrivals and departures board, and the solid wood staircases—while providing all the comforts of the present. The 125 guest rooms skew contemporary, with soothing tones of gray and neutral walnut, as well as cowhide headboards and custom ironwork lights. By contrast, public spaces veer on the nostalgic: The atrium lobby has painted barrel-vaulted ceilings, 100-year-old stained-glass skylights, bas-relief moldings, and ornate crystal chandeliers. It’s an atmospheric backdrop for the hotel’s “Riffs on the Rails,” a weekly series of live music performances.

This 19th-century complex, originally built as a hospital for the disadvantaged, is host to an impressive display of modern art, most notably a series of frescoes by famous Mexican muralist Jose Clemente Orozco. The collection includes one of his most well-known murals, El Hombre de Fuego, which earned its building the nickname “the Sistine Chapel of the Americas.” A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hospicio Cabañas is a perfect example of Guadalajara’s ability to embrace its history and its future, combining 1790s architecture, 1930s murals, and, finally, a space for rotating exhibitions of contemporary art.

Having functioned as an orphanage, an insane asylum, and a military barracks in the past, Hospicio Cabañas also has a spooky side. There are several ghost stories about the space, including a legend about a clock that stopped whenever a child died in the orphanage.

If money is no object, staying near the Marina in Singapore is a great choice. On one side you have the bizarrely mesmerizing Marina Bay Sands development, which includes a hotel, casino (note that the Chinese take their gambling very seriously), shops, a theater, a rooftop pool, a rooftop restaurant/bar/club (Cé La Vi), myriad celebrity-chef restaurants (try Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro & Oyster Bar), and much more. Although MBS is fun to visit and certainly worth strolling through, you get more for your hotel money across the Marina at the Fullerton Bay Hotel.