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There are some things that are universal, including people’s love of a good dive bar. If you’re looking for a low-key vibe with cheap drinks and greasy bar food, look no further than Cuckoo. Set in the trendy Garusogil shopping area, this unfussy bar and restaurant with graphitized walls and a raucous party vibe is often packed with 20-something locals playing Korean drinking games and downing copious amounts of soju. Although it may serve fried beef tripe, clam soup and stir-fried chicken gizzards with garlic, the beer is cheap and cold and that’s something that can be understood in any language. 4, Dosan-daero 17-gil, Gangnam-gu

Remember the oldie “Under the Boardwalk” by The Drifters? The owner of Drifters Bar, Luddy Samms, tells stories of his career with The Drifters, as well as tales of singing with Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood and Bruce Willis. Samms opened this hot-spot bar and performance venue on Seven Mile Beach in 2011, and expats, locals, and tourists flock here for cold Red Stripe, good food, and lots of live music in a variety of genres. Because this is an authentic Jamaican beach bar, though, reggae is king.

Some of Palermo’s most beloved snacks are hearty street foods, and none is more iconic than pani cà meusa, a sandwich layered with thin slices of fried cow spleen and topped with lemon and grated Caciocavallo cheese. The hole-in-the-wall Pani Cà Meusa Porta Carbone, overlooking the port on Via Cala, specializes in this Sicilian comfort food.

Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan‘s largest fresh water lake. When I lived in Nantou County, central Taiwan, I would often ride my scooter to Sun Moon Lake for a bit of fresh air and reflection. One day I drove to the lake and traveled up a hill to the Ci-en Pagoda. Parking my bike, I climbed to the top of the pagoda and gazed out at the misty lake, which seemed magical in that moment. Many legends surround Sun Moon Lake, including the one which says the lake was once inhabited by two dragons. These dragons used the sun and moon as toys, causing the world to fall into darkness. Eventually a young couple came and defeated the dragons, brining light back into the world. Sun Moon Lake is one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever visited.

Strikið, one of the finest places to dine in Akureyri, is spread out between two dining rooms on the fifth floor of an office building. The restaurant’s menu—created by owner and head chef Robert Hasler—features traditional Icelandic dishes such as lamb shoulder and seafood soup as well as modern fare such as sushi and reindeer burgers. The terrific food is matched to wonderful views of the fjord and mountains from huge picture windows and, on the long sunlit nights of summer, from an outdoor terrace.

The town of Stromboli, the main settlement on the island, sits at the foot of the volcano overlooking Strombolicchio. Its gleaming white buildings surround the dome of a small church, Chiesa di San Vincenzo. The town is fronted by a stretch of volcanic beach where local fishermen haul out their boats on the coarse black sand.

Though from Guadalajara (he never let friends forget), Pritzker Prize–winning architect Luis Barragán lived much of his life in Mexico City, where he designed and constructed this, his last residence, completed in 1948. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the home is open to be toured by small groups—by appointment only; English-language guides are available upon request—who want a chance to tap into Barragán’s brand of minimalism, which involved bold monochromism and a masterful use of light; striking horizontality and framing applied to windows, gardens, and views; a highly sui generis Catholic spirituality; and, not least of all, the architect’s bizarre need for control, in everything from what staircases guests might use to what records got played in different rooms.

Nearly 1,000 years after the once-powerful central Mexican city of Cacaxtla was abandoned, would-be looters of the hilltop palace ruins came across fantastically well-preserved and still colorful murals painted in a somewhat puzzling Mayan style. Excavation continues today under an enormous protective shed roof. The Mural del Templo Rojo, pictured, adjoins a stairway leading to the Governor’s Room. The huge nearby Mural de la Batalla, dating from 700 CE or earlier, is a grisly blood-and-guts depiction of a fierce battle between “jaguar” and “bird” warriors. The relatively un-touristed site is a short drive from Tlaxcala, slighting longer from Puebla. You come away from a slow stroll through the labyrinthine ruins with the feeling that centuries of mysterious history have seeped into your heart and bones.

Al-Lusail Sports Arena: This conch-shaped stadium, which is colored according to Qatar’s sand, pearl and sea water, can be easily transformed from a site hosting a basketball championship game into a setting for a music concert within two hours. It’s a sexy looking arena, sleek, unique, ultra modern and highly photogenic. With capacity to hold 16,000 spectators; multi-purpose hall fields such as basketball, volleyball and handball; training courts and warm-up area; changing rooms for 4 teams; VVIP and VIP facilities; corporate boxes; retail, food and beverages, this stadium has been blowing minds since serving as the main venue to the 2015 World Men’s Handball Championship.

Located an hour’s drive from Negril on the southwestern coast, Bluefields Bay is a popular beach. It’s crescent-shaped and rocky on the left hand side, but sandy on the right, and the water is an iridescent turquoise. You’ll find more local families than tourists here, as it’s a convenient pit stop on the road between the west and the south to cool off on a hot afternoon. The beach has a handful of food vendors but not much else, and that’s also what makes it special.

Latin America’s largest jewelry market, this four-level spot in the heart of Guadalajara features more than 700 jewelry stores, labs, and repair shops. Precious and semiprecious stones sparkle alongside gold, silver, costume jewelry, and watches, making it nearly impossible to leave with just one thing.

The establishment bears two names for a reason. Lenox is the front room, a restaurant chasing after that holy grail of U.S.-style diner food that’s just refined enough to appeal to the beautiful people (remember Max’s Kansas City?). Tables are tight and eavesdropping may be impossible to avoid, so watch what you say. Behind Lenox lies Parker, a larger (if just as crowded) space, home to live music, sexy lounge areas, and a long, shimmering bar whose staff is thoroughly up-to-date on the latest craft cocktails. What might first seem like a cliquey crowd opens up after a drink or two.

This local joint lives up to its playful name: multicolored stools, round picnic tables, an open-air setting covered by a leafy roof, and its lively bar patrons and pool-playing crowd. A chalkboard menu lists the daily specials, which include creole dishes, grilled pork, and barbecue chicken as well as local vegetables like callaloo. Arrive on the earlier side of noon—sometimes the food runs out, and sometimes there’s a long wait. The cold beer makes this a popular place with the locals, and it can help soothe impatience while you wait.

At the tip of the Baja Peninsula, where the turbulence of the Pacific Ocean meets the calms of the Sea of Cortez, lies Cabo’s crown jewel, Land’s End. Here, the iconic “El Arco” rock formation frames the confluence of waters and shelters a colony of sea lions. This distinctive scene has turned up on countless postcards and Instagram feeds—and rightfully so. Get up close by hiring a panga, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard. Soak in the serenity of the dramatic landscape and consider that if you continued due south, your next landfall would be Antarctica.

Four Seasons Beach is the place to be if you like the sun, own a swimming suit, and have money to blow. This is one of the most luxurious, most immaculately-landscaped beaches in the country. The price tag includes access to private cabanas, shaded lounge areas, a three-level swimming pool, a hot tub, a whirlpool, a separate pool for children, and staff ready to satisfy your every whim. Hungry? No problem: the place has a beachfront restaurant offering a large menu of grilled food. And if after a day on the beach you feel like partying, there’s no need to go anywhere else. Every Thursday after dusk, the resort hosts an upscale beach party.