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This charming, unassuming café in Rif is marked with a simple wooden sign, befitting its authentic decoration (laminate floors, wooden tables) and small and traditional—but fantastically tasty—menu. The two women who run the café, the wives of local fishermen, offer, among other dishes, a fish soup made from the day’s catch and flavored with peaches and vegetables, a variety of homemade breads, pastries, and cakes, and surprisingly modern coffee from national roaster Kaffitár. There are also tables outside from which you can admire the pleasant surroundings if the weather’s good, and the lovely proprietors are keen to offer local travel tips as well. Open from June to August only.

Located down on the harbor and hidden inside the chic Reykjavik Hotel Marina, this vintage-cool bar is run by master mixologists who create dapper cocktails from fresh, local ingredients and house-made syrups. Behind the handsome wooden bar there are also several types of beer (including Icelandic brews) on tap, a bunch of wines, and a wide choice of liquor—including ten different types of rum. The food menu is pretty good too, with steaks, fish, lamb, and vegetarian options.

Junkanoo is one of the Bahamas’ most colorful traditions, a more than 200-year-old street celebration and parade, like Carnival with a Bahamian twist. It takes place during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. But visitors can learn about Junkanoo any time of year with a stop at the Educulture Junkanoo Museum on West Street in downtown Nassau. The museum’s exhibits highlight the history of the celebration, along with examples of the elaborate costumes, music, and dances that take place during the events. There’s also an interactive element, with visitors invited to make masks and learn how to dance to Bahamian music. The Educulture Junkanoo Museum is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A short drive south of Da Nang, Hoi An is a spellbinding UNESCO World Heritage site, with intact 16th-century architecture that celebrates its origins as a trading port that long welcomed merchant ships from China, Japan, and Europe. The Old Town on the Thu Bon River has a number of sights that visitors must check off their lists. These include the covered bridge, also known as the Japanese Bridge; gorgeous riverside French-colonial buildings; traditional merchant shop-houses; historic pagodas and temples; ornate assembly halls where Chinese immigrants would congregate; and the town’s tailors, for custom garments. But the greatest joy of Hoi An comes from wandering round its quiet streets—the town center is car-free and a blissfully pleasant place to walk, especially at night, when it’s lit by red lanterns strung on the exteriors of buildings.

Beaches are often named for their principal attributes, and such is the case with Playa Mansa. Mansa means “calm” in Spanish, and the waters are typically placid here, ideal for families with children and swimmers who prefer smooth-as-glass seas over surf’s-up breakers. In contrast to another Punta del Este beach, Playa Brava (Fierce Beach), Mansa’s water is usually warm, and the soft sands are perfect for a long walk. Plenty of bars and food kiosks will keep you sated.

Con Market is the other well-known traditional shopping marketing in Danang aside from Han Market. It offers a very local experience as it is where many families go shopping for their groceries and other items. Visitors can also taste a wide variety of local dishes at the food vendor stalls, a highlight for fans of Vietnamese food.

For comida típica (home-style food) in Guadalajara, you can’t beat La Chata, an old-school, diner-style restaurant that’s been around since 1942. Generations-old recipes for enchiladas, flautas, and the platillo jalisciense (fried chicken and five sides) along with hefty portions and low prices keep locals lined up around the block. However, the line moves fast and the food comes out faster, so you won’t be waiting for long.

If there’s one thing synonymous with Korean cuisine, it’s barbecue, known as bulgogi. In Seoul, dining at a barbecue restaurant is a communal affair. Friends gather around a table and order generous portions of marinated beef or pork, which servers then grill right in front of them. For an elevated experience, visit one of Maple Tree House’s four locations. Each outpost boasts a sleek, contemporary atmosphere and uses only quality cuts of meat. The barbecue-averse can enjoy traditional dishes like noodles, stews, and bibimbap, while first-timers will be relieved to find a friendly bilingual staff who can walk them through the process.

The most traditional of Fes’s two main shopping streets is a cornucopia of carpet vendors, leather babouche makers, Berber jewelry sellers, fondouks spilling over with handmade pottery, and much more besides. The trick here is to sort the wheat from the chaff and get some proper bargains. Among the myriad carpet shops, a favorite is Kilim Berber where the charming Youssef sells an affordable collection of top-quality Beni Ouarain, Azilal, and Boucherouite rugs. Take a gander at the wares of the Fondouk Tazi, which has an excellent range of traditional Fes pottery as well as groovier striped collections. Keep strolling downhill and you’ll see wooden buckets trimmed with brass items meant for the hammam (but which look just as stunning in a modern bathroom); aim to wind up at the Henna Souk, where you can stock up on traditional cosmetics and toiletries from Ahmed and Mohammed—who can also give you a crash course in how to use them.

Starting out as one of the United Arab Emirates’ first food trucks, Meylas is no longer so much about grabbing a quick bite of local culture on the go, as it is about experiencing the traditional flavours in a small cafe decorated like a “canteen” from a bygone era. You will feel like you’re at the start of the modern development in the UAE. Dallah (traditional coffee pots), henna, shopping bags, postcards, and children’s games are on display and for sale if you choose to take a bit of that culture home with you.


Of course, the food and hospitality is at the center of attention. Locally sourced ingredients contribute to chbaab, a pancake served with date syrup and salonat badu, the traditional bedouin stew made with chicken or lamb. At the end of the meal, you’ll find several sweets like khabees that are spiced with cardamom and saffron or legeimat, which reminds me of a donut hole sweetened with dates syrup and topped with sesame seeds. Coffees and teas are prepared the way they used to be and should not be passed up at the end of the meal while you mull over the days events. I recommend ordering a smattering of anything that looks interesting off the menu to share.

This comprehensive museum, which was dedicated in 2002, is housed in St. Kitts’ historic treasury building. Constructed from hand-cut limestone in 1894, the building is still known as the gateway to Basseterre, thanks to its imposing size. Inside, three galleries trace the history of St. Kitts from the island’s indigenous inhabitants to its independence in 1983. Visitors can learn about the sugar, slave, and rum trades as well as carnival customs, and see traditional dress on display.

I know when you go on holiday to Bali Mexico is probably the last place you’re thinking you’ll want to be, but Motel Mexicola is an awesomely kitsch Mexican cantina and bar not to be missed. Go early for dinner because even though this place is enormous, it gets packed on the weekends. The feel good factor is fueled by the bright decor, awesome margaritas, beers served super cold and food that is as close to real Mexican as you’ll get in Bali.

Chef Pedro de Artagão went from fresh-faced promoter to celebrity chef at Irajá, where instead of trying to take things more haute, he gathered traditional—maybe even disdained—Brazilian ingredients and transformed them into something spectacular. The restaurant’s mansion setting requires guests to squeeze past the kitchen to the dining room, on a high-ceilinged loggia, framed by a vertical garden. Locals marvel at what Artagão does with once-lowly cassava, now stylishly presented as high-toned aipim (whole fried), farofa (fried meal), mash, or tapioca. Regulars and out-of-towners alike enjoy sampling ingredients from the Amazon, such as tucupi (manioc juice), jambu (a Brazilian guava), and tacacá (a spicy seafood, pepper, and jambu stew).

Stepping into the enormous main concourse of this landmarked architectural jewel—with its sweeping granite staircases, hulking columns and 38-meter (125-foot) ceilings painted with night-sky constellations—can be a jaw-dropping experience. What’s even more incredible, though, is the sheer number of people who use it as a commuter hub day in and day out (more than 750,000 train and subway passengers every weekday). Wander around the shops, head down to the basement food court for a bite and to marvel at the crowds hurrying by—and if you get jostled, don’t take it personally.

Set high above the St. Lawrence on Cap Diamant, overlooking Old Québec, this imposing yet inviting landmark is as much a lodging as it is a tourist attraction, borne out of its reputation as the most photographed hotel in the world. Opened in 1893 by the Canadian Pacific Railway to drum up luxury riders for its trains, the castle-like Fairmont Le Château Frontenac feels every bit as grand today as it must have when Roosevelt and Churchill secretly hatched plans for the invasion of Normandy here in 1943—and it continues to be the hotel of choice for A-list celebrities and other notables. A $75 million renovation in 2014 updated the 611 rooms with a more contemporary feel, draping spaces in chic furnishings and soothing shades of gray and cream, plus butter-yellow or soft turquoise accents. The spa features seven treatment rooms adjacent to an indoor pool, whirlpool, steam rooms, and a gym, but the hotel has become a destination for its food: Champlain restaurant is helmed by acclaimed young chef Stéphane Modat and offers a modern take on Québécois cuisine alongside magnificent views, while 1608 Wine & Cheese Bar highlights local wines, cheeses, and charcuteries.