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It isn’t uncommon to see large tour buses idling in front of Merci, one of the city’s most popular home and design shops, as visitors alight, armed with canvas shopping totes and credit cards at the ready. The store’s philanthropic mission brings in droves of both tourists and locals—profits are donated to a charity in Madagascar that aids women and children. It is a veritable feel-good shopping destination. One caveat: The goods for sale don’t come cheap. While high-end homewares and designer duds don’t match all budgets, Merci’s space itself is undeniably cool. When I’m feeling strapped for cash and want the Merci experience, I head to its Used Book Café. Used books, old and new, decorate this cozy library-inspired café where I can read, write, people-watch (and play the guessing game of “What’s in that Merci bag?”), and rejuvenate with a freshly pressed lemonade. With each sip, a feeling of calm washes over me—a type of Zen harder to reach on the bustling streets of Paris. All beverages, hot or cold, are served with a bite-size piece of cake and a smile. Grab one of the mismatched vintage armchairs, the fresh scones with jam, or the American-sized lattes. But on a warm, sun-drenched Paris day, it’s the citronnade between shop-hopping that sets you right.

The Peak 2 Peak Gondola that connects Whistler and Blackcomb mountains was considered a glitzy and expensive PR move when it opened in 2007. Today the 1.9-mile span, the longest unsupported span in the world, ferries hikers, bikers, and of course, skiers and snowboarders to the slopes they seek. Best of all, the Peak 2 Peak provides access to alpine wilderness usually reserved exclusively for the athletically inclined. (This is the adventure I take my 83-year-old mother on in Whistler, and she is blown away, as is her 8-year-old grandson.) Flying through the air, 1,431 feet up with hardly a support tower in sight, is a thrill. The 11-minute ride soars above snow walls, wildflower meadows, Fitzsimmons Creek, and several trails down, around, and behind the Whistler peaks.

Is Bar Agricole the best bar in the city? It’s certainly in the top five, based on the groundbreaking cocktail program developed by bartender and owner Thad Vogler; the award-winning architecture and interior design by local favorite Aidlin Darling; and a daring menu centered around produce from nearby organic and biodynamic farms. Vogler used to bartend in Tokyo, and his obsession with Japanese precision shows. You’ll see influences of that in the hand-cut ice cubes he uses, and in Agricole’s glassware and aprons (all from Japan). The bar stocks a limited selection of 20 or 30 spirits, almost all small batch, and with a special focus on rum. Come for drinks, come for dinner, or come for brunch: the midday menu highlights include ricotta doughnuts with quince marmalade and a chicory salad with fuyu persimmon and house-made vinegar. Pro tips: In winter, book the private dining room (nicknamed the Grotto) for a seated, though still laid-back, dinner for up to 32 people; for an outdoor event, Bar Agricole’s covered and heated patio is perfect for larger, more casual groups. For lessons in liquor, check out the private spirits tastings that Vogler offers through IfOnly.

Now this is truly a place you never want to leave. The infinity edge pool at the Marriott in Wailea, Maui. The pool reached right out to the Pacific Ocean, and you almost felt as if you were in the ocean itself. Grab an umbrella drink, swim over to the edge, and stay there for a couple hours to take it all in. The wonderful staff will also bring you the freshest fruit you have ever had too. And, as you watch the sun go down on the horizon from this exact spot, you can join the Luau by the beach below...or simply stay here all night.

One of the most convivial Garifuna dining spots in Hopkins is run by the entrepreneurial Tina, born and raised in the village. Sample local dishes, such as the breakfast fry jacks, and Tina’s Garifuna hudut—snapper simmered in a seasoned coconut stew, with a side of mashed plantain. You’ll also find a variety of surprising daily specials, including curries and lobster cooked several ways, and small bites like quesadillas. Locals come in and out all day. There are Friday evening Garifuna drumming sessions in the open-air thatched restaurant.

As you enter Barcelona‘s famous Mercat de Sant Josep de La Boqueria from La Rambla, one of the first stalls you encounter is Tocineria Marcos, purveyors of Iberico ham and a stunning array of other cured, cooked, and fresh meats. It’s just one of the dazzling displays of delicacies in this, the most famous of Barcelona‘s 40 or so food markets. (Another favorite, and slightly less touristed, is the beautifully remodeled Mercat de Santa Caterina, short walk away.) La Boqueria dates back to 1217; a pig market was conducted here starting in 1470; and the current metal roof was built in 1914. There’s no better place to shop for a taste of Catalan culture.

Della’s, the breakfast-and-lunch-only restaurant at the Delano Las Vegas, prides itself on sourcing ingredients from local farmers and growers—yes, they really exist in the middle of the Nevada desert. The menu has options that can satisfy diners with all sorts of dietary restrictions: vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian, and more. For breakfast, you can taste the difference that comes with farm-fresh produce, especially in the egg dishes. At lunchtime, the off-menu ramen bowl features a savory mushroom broth with a pork shank, house-fermented cabbage, and a slow-poached egg. Della’s is also one of the only places on the Strip where you can get cold-pressed juice made to order. The overarching commitment to sustainability extends beyond the menu: Glasses here are created from recycled liquor bottles from Vegas clubs.

Housed across a 1940s mansion and modernist tower, Casa Fayette is a stylish boutique lodging inspired by Guadalajara hometown hero Luis Barragán. With the architect in mind, Milanese interiors firm Dimore Studio designed the hotel’s 37 rooms in a Mexican palette of artichoke, salmon, and burgundy, adding a mix of custom and European furnishings by the likes of Pierre Frey and Michael Thonet. Downstairs, public spaces take on a global-chic aesthetic informed by the surrounding Lafayette neighborhood. Graphic cement tiles line the pool and spa area, while a glam brass-and-wood bar complements tropical-palm-patterned seating in the restaurant.

The name says it all: To dine at Bliss is pure euphoria. In an intimate space with just 52 seats, this Southtown restaurant offers a dining experience you won’t soon forget. Mixing hearty classics with Southwest-inspired cuisine, the menu ranges from braised beef short ribs with buttery mashed potatoes to vegetarian enchiladas stuffed with roasted butternut squash, cremini mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, and cheese. Appetizers are equally enticing, especially the Japanese hamachi sashimi tostadas and the oyster sliders, served with candied bacon on buttermilk chive biscuits.

There’s no better place in Hobart for a sundowner than this bar and restaurant, situated on the pier where the ferry to the Museum of Old and New Art departs. Its menu is filled with Asian-inflected dishes such as Korean fried chicken and pork belly bao.

Owned by a Japanese-Israeli couple, Sakana is situated near the red cliffs of Vagator Beach. The interior is fittingly adorned with photos of sake and kimonos, and an oversize sakura tree sparkles with white lights. Though one of few Japanese restaurants in Goa, Sakana still works hard to stand out with traditional dishes like sushi, udon noodles, beef yakiniku, salmon rolls, and chicken katsu with pickled radish. The sake is flowing, naturally, and there are cocktails and refreshers like lemon soda on hand, too. If they’re available, order the amaretto or cherry ice cream for a light and sweet finale. Note: Sakana is closed during monsoon season, so make sure you eat there before the end of May.

The Berns knows how to party. A Gilded Age palace of luxury and hospitality in the center of Stockholm, the opulent building began life in 1863 as a restaurant, before transforming into a hot nightlife spot. When it was reinvented as a decadent boutique hotel filled with understatedly luxurious modern decor (there’s that signature Scandinavian style), the Berns combined those pasts, opening not only one of the city’s top restaurants—in a previous iteration, Asiatiska was Sweden’s first Chinese restaurant—but some of its coolest bars and dance clubs, one of its most sought-after concert venues, and some of its most exclusive electronic music clubs. Suffice it to say that, although the gilded, airy main bar and dining room is always lively, filled with attractive, designer-clad Swedes, the building practically buzzes come evening. Not that any of this scene disturbs the rooms upstairs, because the second most important part of a good night out is a good sleep, and the Berns doesn’t disappoint there, either.

Hang Ah Dim Sum Tea Room’s brick facade and missing letters may not be much to look at from the outside, and the interior’s low ceilings, fluorescent lights, and basic furnishings won’t win awards, either, but the inexpensive dim sum served inside makes it worth a visit. It’s too small for rolling carts, but you can order soup dumplings, barbecue pork buns, shrimp dumplings, pot stickers, and many other freshly made, shareable bites. The menu has rice, noodle, and vegetable dishes, too. Hang Ah Dim Sum, established in 1920, calls itself the oldest continually operating dim sum restaurant in the United States and has been owned that whole time by the same handful of families.

Not only do husband-and-wife team John Shields and Karen Urie Shields share an impressive culinary background (one that entails gigs at Tru, Alinea, and Charlie Trotter’s between them), they now share two restaurants: the Loyalist, a neighborhood restaurant focused on farm-fresh fare, and Smyth, an upscale tasting-menu eatery embodying those same sourcing philosophies. It’s the latter that garnered a Michelin star within just six weeks of opening, thanks to an incredibly ingredient-focused approach that often means making key elements of dishes in-house. Dungeness crab with saltwater-poached foie gras and scrambled kani miso continues to be a favorite for diners, as is the egg-custard dessert—a brilliant and beguiling bowl of egg yolk, salted licorice, and frozen-yogurt meringue.

Seoul is a city built on innovation and commerce. Combine the two and you get Common Ground, the world’s largest container shopping mall. Developed by the design firm Urbantainer, the project was intended to revitalize unused land in the Gwangjin neighborhood. Now, 200 stacked, prefab blue containers stand on the site, helping connect the community with creativity. Independent boutiques in the Street Market and Market Hall areas lure shoppers, while gourmands head to the terrace restaurants and food trucks in the courtyard. A never-ending lineup of events is also on offer, from DJ nights and performances by emerging musicians to pop culture exhibits sponsored by Toy Republic.