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There’s no shortage of refreshing waterfalls in eastern Jamaica. But after Reach Falls, I’d say Somerset—also located on the east coast—is a close second in natural beauty. Somerset Falls’ cascades can be reached by hiking or by canoe ride along the river. Either way, it’s a stunning, still relatively verdant area teeming with bird life—resident parrots—and caves to explore. It’s easy to find too, ideal for a day trip from either Port Antonio or Ocho Rios. Look out for a billboard right off the paved northern highway, about an hour and a half north of Ocho Rios.

You know how they say that Montreal is a happy mixture of North America and Europe? Well, if there’s one place in the city that’s truly unique, and not influenced by any other colony, it’s Plateau Mont-Royal. Located just a few minutes north of downtown, this neighborhood is lively, colorful, and somewhat eclectic. Here young families, hipsters, and fancy folk mingle together in harmony. In this iconic area you will find everything you need—from French bistros, typical French-Canadian brunch joints, clothing stores, and fine groceries. Nothing is expensive as such, but restraint is in order, because absolutely everything is enthralling!

To say that the drive from Nice to Monaco is scenic, is an understatement. After driving around a bend on the mountain, everyone on our tour bus suddenly rushed to one side and pressed up against the windows trying to get a snap of this GORGEOUS view. Pity about the fence at the bottom! ...Guess I’ll have to go back to get a better photo... I couldn’t remember the exact spot this photo was taken, but it was on this drive that we passed the site of Grace Kelly’s fatal car crash, so I have listed it as on that road.

“Have you heard about d’Mongo’s? It is Ryan Gosling’s favorite place to visit when he comes to town!” Although I never saw Ryan Gosling, bartender Red knew immediately that I was new in Detroit and that I’d never been in before. She recommended I try the Detroit Brown, made with Michigan’s own ginger ale: Vernors. As I sipped gently from the cold glass and looked over the top of its rim at the eclectic crowd filling the speakeasy, I couldn’t help but think, “Who cares what celebrity does or doesn’t frequent this place, I’d come back here for the drinks and the crowd any day!” Cafe d’Mongo’s draws a crowd every night it is open—which is usually only on Friday, maybe Saturday—and whether the customers come because of the drinks, the music, the crowd, or because they hope to see Ryan Gosling or Mark Wahlberg, the point is they keep coming. There’s an element of secrecy that has kept even my hotel’s valet from being able to tell me how to get to the revered speakeasy, yet it’s one of the first places I heard about when I asked people on the street where I needed to go get a drink in Detroit. If you find yourself at Cafe d’Mongo’s, tell Red I say hello, and order the Detroit Brown.

Pisa’s famous leaning tower (the campanile of the adjacent Duomo) is part of the Piazza del Duomo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes the Duomo, baptistery and cemetery. Begun in 1173, the tower began to lean almost immediately thanks to soil subsidence. To try to halt the tilt, cables and counterweights have been inserted. A spiral staircase with nearly 300 steps leads to the top of this unique, iconic building.

São Paulo has a thriving culture scene that can be seen in its museums, craft fairs, graffitti, and artsy shops. If you spend a Sunday there, be sure to head over to São Paulo’s main avenue, Avenida Paulista, for a three-part cultural experience. First, the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (São Paulo Museum of Art, or MASP) is well worth a visit. It houses Latin America’s finest collection of Western art, including pieces by Picasso, Rembrandt, Monet, and other European masters. The museum also houses excellent temporary exhibits. If you’re hungry, you can eat at the museum’s cafeteria or wait and get snacks at the nearby crafts market. As you leave, spend some time perusing the huge antiques market that takes place every Sunday under the museum. Then cross the street and wander the “feira,” or crafts market, for typical Brazilian crafts (some of which are quite expensive) and good street food. Finish up with a stroll in the adjacent Parque Trianon, where musicians often play on Sundays. MASP is open 10-6. Admission is about $8 and $3.50 for students. Parking is available in lots and garages on side streets, and the metro station is Trianon.

The Bardini Garden is one of Florence‘s best kept secrets. It was built in the 12th century as part of a large estate owned by the Mozzi family. During the 20th century it was closed for many years and only reopened in 2005 after significant restoration. The garden is small and easy to walk through in about an hour and its hillsides offer spectacular views of Florence. Wandering among the terraces and flowers is an excellent way to escape from the touristy historic center and instead feel part of what this old city once was. During the off-season and in the morning or late afternoon, you may be the only visitor! The Bardini Garden can be accessed in two ways. One is by going into Boboli Gardens and exiting on the left side—this can be hard to find, but is marked on the Boboli Gardens map you receive on admission. The second way is via street da Costa San Giorgio 2. The garden opening hours vary according to season. It is closed the first and last Monday of each month. Admission is included in the Boboli Gardens ticket, or can be purchased separately for around 10 euros (and includes admission to the villa). There is also a restaurant with beautiful terrace views.

Canals are an integral part of the Dutch landscape so it’s only fitting you see them up close and personal, from a boat. Viewing Amsterdam by watercraft puts you level with Golden Age mansions, world-class monuments like the Anne Frank House and Westerkerk, and historic landmarks like the city’s narrowest house. Numerous companies offer canal tours of Amsterdam, including Holland International, which has day, evening and holiday cruises. Around the year, you can see the city in long vessels with enclosed cabins for protection against the unpredictable weather in the Netherlands. Choose from hour-long cruises covering city highlights or dinner, pizza and candlelight voyages. Audio guides are available in 19 languages (including Dutch), and there are toilets on board the boats. If you have more than a few hours to spend on the water, opt for a hop-on hop-off tour in a smaller, electric-powered 12- and 35-person boat. From March‒October, Holland International’s Canal Hopper floats through Amsterdam’s UNESCO-honored canal ring, stopping at 16 city landmarks including the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Rembrandt Square, the Albert Cuyp Market, and Nieuwmarkt, Amsterdam’s oldest neighborhood. There are departures from 11:00‒18:00, Friday‒Sunday from March‒October. In July, August and during holiday periods, the Hopper sails daily with fair weather.

Opened in 2017 as the first Fairmont property in Turkey, this 209-room hotel is inside a 41-story luxury high-rise in the Mecidiyeköy business district, close to high-end shopping and dining. Gaze past the hotel’s landscaped gardens to the city and all the way to the Bosphorus from your private balcony—every room and suite has one, along with a 48-inch smart TV, pillow-top mattress, rain shower, Le Labo Rose products, and your choice of tub or traditional Turkish bath (complete with heated pedestal). More Turkish flair—and flavors—are on offer at Aila restaurant and Demlique café, while Stations serves dishes from around the world and the Marble Bar pairs small bites with an international selection of wine. While these Turkish touches can be found throughout the property—most notably at the expansive Willow Stream Spa, with its selection of herbal products and authentic hammam treatments—the hotel has a decidedly contemporary vibe and style, and feels part of today’s buzzing Istanbul. Case in point: the Ukiyo seasonal outdoor infinity pool, envisioned with Instagrammable whimsy by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders.

In the Palmerie neighborhood outside of town, ethno-botanist Gary Martin and his wife, interior designer Meryanne Loum-Martin, have created a fairytale oasis—whose name translates to “big garden”—with five houses, five pools, and beautiful green spaces spread over nine lush acres. Set in three different villas, the 24 uniquely designed, boho-chic rooms range from the Small (which can be tight and somewhat dark) to the more spacious Standard, Large, Garden, and Pavilion options, which feature plenty of light and perks like fireplaces, terraces, king beds, and artisan details.

When not lounging around one of the pools, guests can play a set on the clay tennis courts, wander around the botanical gardens, take a Moroccan cooking class with Chef Bahija, or explore the surrounding area by bike, vintage sidecar, or camel. Kids are more than welcome here and can look forward to such programming as calligraphy and magic classes, while adults can expect in-room massages and outdoor yoga classes. Breakfast is included in the room rate and, like all meals, can be enjoyed in various spaces around the hotel. Dinner is particularly magical when served underneath countless glowing lanterns.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, Komodo National Park covers vast areas of land and sea between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores. It’s much more than the home of the legendary Komodo lizard (aka the Komodo dragon). Terrestrial denizens include Timor deer, 72 bird species and an endemic rat. And the underwater world is beyond compare, with pristine coral reefs and ocean currents patrolled by manta rays, dugongs, sharks, sea turtles, dolphins and at least 14 whale species.

Le Bernardin, on 51st Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues, is one of the handful of New York restaurants that is regularly awarded four stars by the New York Times (it is also one of five restaurants in the city with three Michelin stars). Chef Eric Ripert’s specialty is fish, and the menu is divided into three categories: “almost raw,” “barely touched,” and “lightly cooked.” If you like your tuna cooked medium, this isn’t the right place for you. Ripert often finds his inspiration in Japanese cooking, with his sashimi and light broths, and adds some Latin American influences, in his ceviches and some other dishes. The fish is always allowed to take center stage, and typically any sauce is merely intended to accent its flavors. The dining room has an understated, contemporary style with light-wood walls and high ceilings. Unlike some celebrated chefs, Ripert has chosen not to build a restaurant empire, increasing the odds that on any visit he will be at Le Bernardin, presiding over its kitchen and dining room.

When it opened in December 1999, the Burj al Arab—a sail-shaped, all-suite skyscraper hotel built on an artificial island—put Dubai on the map as an over-the-top travel destination and became a landmark. Even today, the Burj al Arab sets the standard for outsized luxury with Rolls-Royce airport pickups, a helipad, gold-plated iPads, and butler-serviced duplex suites equipped with beds with mirrored ceilings, double Jacuzzi bathtubs, and full-size Hermès toiletries. The cool architectural exterior conceals a vivid interior with acres of gold leaf, dancing fountains, and room decor so distractingly jazzy that it may make guests feel as though they’ve drunk the world’s largest cup of Arabic coffee. (This is not the place for admirers of subtlety or minimalism.) The Terrace, an ambitious project even by Dubai standards, added nearly 2.5 acres of cabana, beach, pool, and restaurant space to the resort in 2016. Come sunset, though, the place to be is the 27th-floor Skyview bar.

The Pacific Ocean is a force that calls to some to jump in and join the dolphins that frequent its waters. Temperatures are warmest in August and September, but wet suits are available to rent year-round. Go surfing or take a stand-up paddleboard lesson to more fully appreciate the SoCal spirit and connection to the waves. For a more passive yet still exhilarating way to enjoy the coast, you can parasail above the waves or join a sailing charter from Marina Del Rey.

Pescheria Mattiucci is a fish store by day that transforms itself into a small standing-room-only restaurant a few nights of the week. Mattiucci is an old family operation, but this place is the brainchild of a young son, Luigi Mattiucci. Luigi speaks to me from behind the counter as he preps plates of fish. “There’s a tradition of eating raw fish in southern Italy,” he says. “But it wasn’t a restaurant thing. It was something fishermen did because they couldn’t store all the fish they’d caught.”

He passes me a plate of raw red shrimp with the heads still on, slices of Sicilian tuna, and some amberjack, all of it topped with only a spray of lemon juice and some thick grains of sea salt.

Mattiucci has expanded his family business, which began as an outdoor fish stall in the Quartieri Spagnoli. (Everything artisanal in Naples seems to originate from there, probably because only a poor neighborhood like that could supply the child labor that was the foundation of old-school artisanal culture.) Mattiucci expanded from that original location into this store in posh Chiaia and also bought fishing boats in Sicily so they could eliminate the middleman. He serves me a dish of baby calamari stuffed with friarelli, a distinctively Neapolitan bitter green. Then he offers me a sample of a new dish: the same seafood stuffed with sprigs of spring vegetables, just now in season. Mattiucci, I realize, is someone who’s taking an artisanal approach to the very traditional, and non-artisanal trade of fishmongering. He’s already expanded his restaurant to London and Milan, but Naples is still where he cooks himself. “The fish is freshest here,” he says.