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“This small mom-and-pop shop is famous for its Taiwanese fruit. The selection is seasonal, of course. In summer, try the mango, pineapple, or bananas. In winter, pears, melons, and grapes are best.” —KK Yeh

This appeared in the November/December 2017 issue.

After more than 15 years atop Boston’s fine-dining scene, Barbara Lynch’s No. 9 Park may be familiar, but never ordinary. Facing the Boston Common, this restaurant is split between a dress-to-impress bar where Beacon Hill pols gather for after-work cocktails and a dining room favored for special-occasion gatherings, from proposals and wedding anniversaries to Harvard-graduation celebrations. Expect an expertly designed Cat Silirie wine list and elegant French-Italian cuisine (the foie-gras-and-prune-puree-filled gnocchi is guaranteed to please, and go with the steak frites if you’re dining at the bar), with an atmosphere to match.

When it comes to Kindred, you can forget your preconceived notions of vegan restaurants. The South Park spot features killer cocktails, filling food, and an edgy design, complete with a coffered ceiling, a white-marble bar, and a demon-wolf-head sculpture mounted on the wall. Pair the refreshing Place of Certainty (vodka, elderflower, Aperol, lemon, Thai basil, winter melon bitters, and cucumber) with Kindred’s take on the charcuterie board (smoked golden beets, kale pesto, and red-chili-and-orange-fennel seitan), or order something more substantial, like the beet risotto or the seared cauliflower steak with squash puree and steak sauce. The restaurant also offers an excellent weekend brunch with everything from cinnamon rolls and banana bread French toast to pancakes with bourbon butterscotch.

Hop on a lightweight bicycle and learn about the history of the Philippines on a guided bike tour around Manila’s old walled city of Intramuros. The bikes are handmade in the Philippines from bamboo, a natural vibration dampener, and fibers from the abaca plant (similar to a banana); Bambike Revolution Cycles won a Manila FAME Katha Award for Eco-Design in 2015. This is a unique alternative to a walking or bus tour, and takes you inside a walled city that is not normally accessible to bigger groups. Intramuros almost doesn’t feel like Manila: The Spanish influence is evident in the architecture, which includes some of the oldest baroque churches in the Philippines. Fort Santiago still houses underground dungeons as well as a tiny underground chapel, hidden at the end of a tunnel. At the Rizal Shrine you will learn about the life of José Rizal, the country’s national hero who played an instrumental role in the Philippine rebellion against Spanish colonial rule, and follow in the footsteps he made as he took his last walk in the fort from his cell to his execution.

All I could say to myself at the Hotel Christopher was: “I don’t ever want to leave this place.” It was just before the Christmas invasion of celebs and sycophants to the tiny island of Saint Barthélemy or St. Barths. For a confirmed curmudgeon, even I was surprised by my response: I loved every moment at the Zen-like Christopher. Between the infinity pool overlooking the Atlantic and our oceanfront room, where we listened endlessly to the breaking waves and enjoyed daily views of the setting sun, nirvana was never far. Pool boys and girls, servers and greeters, all accessorized in Hermés orange, created an atmosphere of sophisticated yet relaxed luxury. One afternoon, with a glass of the hotel’s signature ice tea in hand, I overheard a fellow guest whisper into her phone, no doubt in response to, “What’s the hotel like?” “Dynamic and tranquil,” she responded. Indeed, since the hotel is located just 15 minutes by car from the island’s capital, Gustavia, we had no problem to-ing and fro-ing “downtown” -- whether to catch a bite, do some shopping, or just people (and yacht) watch. The picture-perfect beaches of Saline and Gouverneur are an even shorter drive from the hotel. But back to the Christopher -- which is what my husband and I said to each other every few hours. Frankly, if we hadn’t gotten married two years ago, we would have done it there. As it was, we were celebrating our anniversary; curmudgeon or not, I can’t imagine a more perfect spot.

Thanks to renovations following Hurricane Irma, the Christopher now features several large villas as well as a newly designed restaurant.

Don’t expect to find any Beijing residents on Wangfujing Snack Street, home of spiders, scorpions, starfish and pretty much anything else that can be skewered and cooked. This is firm tourist territory, a place for visitors to test their mettle when it comes to snacking on creatures that have six or eight legs or float about in the sea. It’s almost a rite of passage, to experience foods that most locals would turn their noses up at, and one that usually ranks among the top memories of a trip to Beijing. Scorpions on a stick seem to be particularly fascinating to visitors. In fact, during the Beijing Olympics it would have been easier to make a list of the visiting journalists who didn’t write a story about them. But, and this seems to be rarely mentioned, not everything on snack street has a ‘Man v. Food’ feel. The stalls offer far more identifiable snacks. Fried dumplings. Steamed buns. Mountains of noodles. Jellied acorn and chestnut. Corn. And given the overall cleanliness of the spot, perhaps due to its high tourism profile, it is generally safe to eat here. So, don’t feel you have to stick to the scorpions. The steamed buns will do, too.

A compound-like hideaway on a leafy street a block from trendy South Congress Avenue, Hotel Saint Cecilia is a retro-glam love letter to the 1960s and ‘70s rock music scene, named for the patron saint of music and poetry. But that doesn’t mean that rock stars smash guitars and throw ragers here (unless they rent out all 14 rooms, of course); unlike at its nearby sister properties, Hotel San José and Austin Motel, only guests and club members are welcome at the lounge, a laid-back affair with a Parisian-café–style patio, chesterfield sofas and a fireplace indoors, and craft cocktails and gourmet small plates. Between the 1888 Victorian main house—originally inhabited by a descendent of Davy Crockett—and verdant grounds that hide private porches and a serene pool, the hotel feels more like an impossibly stylish artists’ retreat than a celebrity getaway.

Each distinctively decorated room is larger than many an apartment, and seems ripped from the pages of a fashion magazine photoshoot. Every detail has been thought through, from the refreshing Grown Alchemist body care products to the Swedish Hästens mattresses (the hotel is the only one in North America with them in all rooms) to the impressive library of LPs to borrow. Everyone’s a rock star, here.

If you’ve never had oliebollen, you need to get yourself to this Dutch dessert truck. Like, now. Owner Peter van den Berg fries the beignet-like treats while you wait, then splits the warm dough in half and adds a dollop of whipped cream between. Oliebollen are traditionally served on Christmas, but van den Berg doesn’t care: You can catch his vehicle every Thursday evening in front of Punda’s JL Penha department store. He also serves delicacies like stroopwafel—a thin, double-layered waffle with caramel on the inside—in front of the Riffort Renaissance Mall or outside the Albert Heijn Zeelandia supermarket.

Also known as the 36 Streets (though it’s made up of more than 36 streets), this neighborhood is a warren of alleys and lanes that was, according to some legends, home to 36 artisans’ guilds; streets here were named after the artisan items that were once sold on them (Hang Bo was the location for bamboo products; Hang Ma was where paper objects were sold). Each road today still specializes in a particular category, with some still related to the traditional item. Streets especially popular with tourists shopping for souvenirs, as well as those in search of photo opportunities, are Hang Bac (silver goods, now also filled with gift shops), Hang Ma (religious paper wares, then and now), and Hang Dau (oil products, though currently a center for shoe vendors). Among these timeworn businesses, visitors will also encounter outlet stores selling Gap, Banana Republic, and North Face clothing—some authentic and some fake. The quarter is also packed with hotels, hostels, restaurants, and bars, making it a busy destination at all hours.

A local’s suggestion landed me on Maazgoon’s terrace, a vibrant spot right next door to the Diocletian Palace in Split.

The crew at the restaurant is passionate about modern takes on Mediterranean dishes; food that is all about the best ingredients and, important in my book, food that hasn’t been overworked, or ‘touched too much’.

Go there hungry. I had some whicked tuna sashimi there, and a traditionally prepared octopus in a skillet. They paired a crisp local white with it...and off to heaven I went. My mouth is watering, just writing about it.

They have a saying at Maazgoon: ‘We believe that the whole universe can fit on a plate’. Well, they sure fit a perfect week in Croatia on mine. And that’s a wrap.

>>>Warm thanks to Alan Mandić from Secret Dalmatia, for organizing a truly memorable, and off the beaten path trip for our curious and insatiable group of travelers, and to the Hotel Cornaro for accommodations in Split.

Growing up in Indonesia, chef Ryan Simorangkir says he only craved kid’s food. But as an adult, he fell in love with the local street food of his home country and began to cook from family recipes. After attending Pasadena’s Le Cordon Bleu school, he opened Sama Sama Kitchen, co-owned with chef Tyler Peek, where he celebrates Indonesian cuisine in a warm, casual setting (the name means “you’re welcome” in Indonesian). The menu features renditions of traditional Indonesian street fare, like the signature wings, hot chicken bao, or crispy brussels sprouts. Salads are also a highlight here, including the crispy duck salad, green papaya salad, and market gado-gado. Pan-seared octopus becomes rich with leek and chili oil, as well as rendang remoulade. The black pepper tofu and broccolini may sound simple, but with garlic, scallion, ginger, and chili, it’s a dish that many return to over and over. Don’t skip dessert. Try the banana doughnut fritters or black sesame tres leches with spiced rum milk, and you’ll wonder if you should order an extra to take home.

With its rich soil and tropical climate, Goa is an ideal setting for growing spices. Several plantations in the area offer guided tours, elephant rides, and lunches served on banana leaves but Sai Organic Farm and Herbarium goes beyond traditional spice tourism. Managed by an Ayurvedic doctor, the plantation also includes herbal gardens with aromatic and medicinal flora. Should you be suffering from a common cold, rash, asthma, or even kidney stones, the staff is quick to recommend Ayurvedic remedies. After walking the grounds, visitors can enjoy a Goan lunch prepared with freshly cultivated herbs and spices. Here, organic-farming methods reign supreme to assure the purity and quality of the plants (and also to preserve the site’s ecotourism designation). Sai Herbarium is welcoming and educational, and leaves a smaller footprint on the important spice zones of Goa.

This 27-acre attraction in North Vancouver gets the heart racing with a suspension bridge that bounces 230 feet above a forested river gorge. Even more spectacular, however, is the Cliffwalk, a labyrinth of walkways along the granite flank of the valley. Get a bird’s-eye view of the area during the Treetops Adventure, a canopy expedition through the upper tiers of 250-year-old Douglas firs. The experience doesn’t come cheap at $46.95 per adult, but it does include free shuttle service from downtown and mini-tours that cover the flora, fauna, and First Nations involvement in the park. From late November to late January, Capilano strings holiday lights around the canyon and decorates the world’s tallest living Christmas tree.

While Tamarindo in Costa Rica is no longer a sleepy beach town known only to a lucky few, we can still settle ourselves onto the sand and feel like we have the vast skyline to ourselves. Staying in Playa Langosta, the beach just south of Tamarindo, provides a welcoming relief from clusters of tourists while keeping us close enough for sunsets like this! Extra bonus: Have a friend or loved one in one hand and a cocktail in the other.

Tours of the Sacred Valley, and the entire Cuzco area, often feature side trips through gorgeous landscapes like Moray, an archaeological site with remarkable concentric agricultural terraces. It’s believed the Incas used these terraces—on which temperatures vary 59 degrees Fahrenheit from the top tier to the bottom—as a way to acclimatize non-regional crops for highland cultivation. Even if you don’t find that fascinating, it’s hard not to appreciate the beauty of the spot, and given that this part of Peru is not so heavily visited, it’s a nice escape from the beaten path. The Boleto Turístico covers this admission.