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Before you hit the counter at Café Brasil, let us introduce you to some of Houston‘s cleanest ingredients. Local cheese artisans the Houston Dairymaids provide the cheese. Pizza dough, pastries, and breads are made in-house. And the eggs are laid by nearby, free-range hens. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve arrived for breakfast (try the daily quiche), lunch (sample from cheese and charcuterie plates), or dinner (there’s a multitude of pizzas)—it’s a safe bet that whatever you order didn’t have to travel far to make it to your plate.

For many Charlestonians and tourists, every Saturday is spent in Marion Square at the farmers’ market. Students nursing hangovers wait in line for a crepe at Charleston Crepe Company while farmers from John’s and Edisto islands sell their fresh vegetables. Artists sell their work while children play on inflatable slides and a guitar player keeps the crowd entertained. Between the French, Greek, Cajun, Spanish, Italian, Southern, German, and Indian foods on offer, you really can’t go wrong. Grab an assortment of foods to try and find a nice spot in the shade to eat and people watch.

Give your senses a jolt at Sky Costanera Observatory, on the 61st and 62nd floors of the Costanera Center. A 50-second elevator ride takes you almost 1,000 feet into the sky for a thrilling 360-degree view of the city, population over five million, with the snowcapped Andes as a backdrop. Guides are on hand to point out cityscape highlights. Not for scaredy-cats. Note: In case of rain, return first thing the following day, the best time to visit for the clearest view.

Mexico City is often depicted—and not incorrectly—as a capital city teeming with buildings, people, and cars. It also, though, has a surprising number of green spaces and parks, the most expansive of which is Bosque de Chapultepec, right on the edge of Polanco. It’s easy to while away a good bit of time in Chapultepec; the park has a zoo, a lake where you can rent pedal boats, street performers making music and magic, and the Castillo de Chapultepec—Chapultepec Castle—which houses the National History Museum. If you’re hungry, you’ll find plenty of vendors peddling everything from roasted corn on the cob to cotton candy.

One of the newest - and most popular - attractions to hit these shores, “Xoximilco Cancun,” is a floating fiesta, offering entertainment, colorful anecdotes, history, good food and drink - and three hours of sheer delight. Thanks to the entrepreneurial genius of the Xperiencias Xcaret visitors can experience an improved recreation of Mexico City‘s renowned Xochimilco. Both are replicas of the canals in the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán and the lake it was founded on. A series of floating gardens (chinampas) separated by canals became the marketplace for flowers and agriculture, which were transported in flat boats known as trajineras. The party in Cancun begins at 7: 30 p.m., when you’ll be given the name of the boat you need to board. When the marine bell rings, you head off on your dinner “cruise,” featuring delectable Mexican cuisine and local refreshments, including Tequila. As you glide along the canals, an assortment of musical ensembles glide by, treating you to traditional live music, including: mariachi, bolero trio, jarocho quartet and marimba medleys. A small gift shop offers plenty of souvenir options Recommended for children 10 and older.

The Inn and Spa at Loretto, one of Santa Fe’s iconic boutique luxury hotels, could easily be mistaken for the ancient Taos Pueblo. The hotel’s angular architecture, soothing desert hues, and romantic lighting draw heavily on the original pueblo. Rooms are outfitted with both traditional touches (handcrafted furniture, Anasazi pottery and artwork, kiva fireplaces, colorful textiles) and modern luxuries (slate-floored bathrooms, iPod docks, flat-screen TVs, private balconies). The restaurant and spa are among the best in the state, and the atmospheric lounge one of the coolest spots in town to sip cocktails and catch live music. And, as if it needed another dose of history, the landmark Loretto Chapel sits on the grounds, guaranteeing both excellent views and easy sightseeing access. Now, if only more pueblos were like this.

This hotel is on our list of The 11 Best Hotels in Chicago.

Set directly across from the Art Institute of Chicago, this former members-only men’s gymnasium is now the Chicago Athletic Association, which is part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection. Enter at street level off Michigan Avenue and walk toward the back to find a staircase that leads to the old swimming pool, now a venue for parties and pop-up concepts. Take the nearby elevator to the restaurant, Cindy’s, easily the best rooftop scene in the city, with highly Instagrammable terrace views overlooking Millennium Park, the swooping Frank Gehry–designed bandshell, and Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (aka the Bean).

Park yourself in the second-floor lobby and hang with locals as they tap away on their laptops and sip lattes by the two oversize fireplaces. Walk through that expansive by Roman & Williams–designed room, where light beams in through ornate stained-glass windows, and you enter a warren of table games and darts, all festive and typically open to the public. There’s also the secret six-seat bar, the Milk Room, a relic of Prohibition, and the James Beard Award–winning Cherry Circle Room—a sexy, dark restaurant with a circulating martini cart and a meat-centric menu.

Upstairs in the 1893 landmark, 240 guest rooms reflect the building’s former life, with gym horses as foot beds, working fireplaces in some rooms, plasterwork ceilings, ornate carved wood wainscotting, and a clubby vibe. Some of the rooms are rather small, but the location is hard to beat, and the cozy, wintry ambiance makes it a popular (and fun) place to spend a weekend. And because the CAA keeps an eye on its water conservation, sources its food locally, and adheres to strict recycling standards, eco-conscious travelers can feel good sleeping here.

For one of the best views and best meals in Santorini, try Red Bicycle. Located at the tip of Oia on the northern part of the island, the restaurant is housed in a 19th-century Santorini mansion with a 180-degree view of the famed sunset and the volcano caldera. It was heavenly. Soft island breezes on the open-air terrace. The best food I had in Greece (fresh, local Mediterranean dishes with Greek/Santorini influences). A warm hostess who was incredibly kind to our two children. We ate here twice during our weeklong stay - I definitely hope to go back.

The Thoroughbred Club is in the lobby of Charleston Place hotel, right in the middle of downtown Charleston. They serve up classic cocktails (try their gussied-up negroni) and also have a great tea service, with live music every afternoon and evening.

Guadeloupe’s outdoor markets are an important part of daily life and a sight for sore eyes. Fragrant cooking spices compete with colorful bottles of homemade rhum, women in traditional madras head ties smile at passersby, zouk music or gwo-ka drums blast in the background, and the calm Caribbean Sea is the backdrop. Saint-Anne Market, on Grande-Terre Island, is a favorite. It borders a beautiful white-sand beach, steps from a row of casual restaurants and bars.

Claiming the dubious title of “largest night club in Latin America,” the City is located in the hotel zone. Spread through three floors, it offers nine bars and claims a capacity of 5,000 people, which many guests claim is too many bodies trapped in one place. Laser shows, loud music, and a host of guest artists try to compete with neighbor Coco Bongo, but miss the mark.

It may be located in an outdoor shopping mall, but this restaurant in the Hotel Zone certainly has Southeast Asian vibes. A foliage-lined path punctuated with sweet incense takes you past a Buddhist altar to small tables with lagoon views. Romantic over-the-water private tables require reservations, but you’ll have a memorable experience in any seat here. The food is authentic, and dramatic lighting and mood music add to the experience.

Whether after an adrenaline-fueled day on the slopes or a muscle-sapping climb, the Swiss know how to unwind in their luxurious spas. Les Bains de Lavey provides the warmest thermal baths in Switzerland and is equipped with saunas, Turkish baths, a revolving whirl pool and various options for massages. Its location, in the valley of Lavey just north of Martigny, encapsulates the feeling of solitude needed for just an occasion. Listen out for the underwater classical music!

One of the capital’s most popular bars (which becomes a nightclub in the wee hours), Bar Constitución feels like the inside of a factory warehouse. The walls are graffitied, and it’s got a refreshing mix of people from Santiago hipsters to foreign expats and university students. Bartenders pump out well-mixed cocktails and there’s room to hang out or dance to eclectic music from house to funk to ska. Constitución 61, Bellavista Phone: 56 (2) 2244 4569

From hipsters, fashionistas, and bohemian chic youngsters to executives in business suits, dads pushing strollers, foreigners in ethnic garb, and guidebook-wielding tourists, a true cross section of Stockholm’s diverse residents populates Medborgarplatsen (“Citizen Square”), a central and iconic plaza that is prime for people watching on the island of Södermalm. Once night falls, it becomes one of the active nightlife spots in town—with lounges, clubs, and live music in nearby Debaser.