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A Starwood Luxury Collection hotel in the heart of historic Cuzco, Palacio del Inka occupies a former palace, built by the Incans as part of the Coricancha (the centerpiece of their empire). Since ancient times, it’s had many lives—it was seized by the Spaniards in the 16th century, served as a museum in the 1800s, and finally became a hotel in the 1970s. Today, the property features artwork and artifacts from both the Incan and colonial eras, which guests can tour each day at 5 p.m.

Situated around a large central courtyard, the 203 rooms are decorated in a colonial motif, with carved-wood furnishings, jewel tones, and gold accents. Also on-site is a small but very nice spa with a hydrotherapy pool, dry sauna, Turkish bath, whirlpool tub, and showers with lighting effects, as well as a small gym with cardio machines and weights. While Palacio del Inka is just a few minutes to Plaza de Armas and its many eateries, guests would be remiss to not dine at least once at the hotel’s Inti Raymi Restaurant, which serves Andean and international dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. Before dinner, grab a drink at the Rumi Bar, which offers excellent cocktails and a free pisco tasting each night at 6 p.m.

Located in Tagaytay in Luzon, just an hour and a half by car from Manila, Taal Volcano has a complex and unique landscape and offers one of the most picturesque views in the Philippines. Taal Lake is a freshwater lake that partly fills the Taal Caldera, a large collapsed area formed during prehistoric eruptions. Within the lake is the nine-square-mile Volcano Island, which is the active part of the volcano and consists of at least 47 cones and craters, including the Binintiang Malaki cinder cone, which looks how you imagine a volcano should. In the center of Volcano Island is the crater lake, which hosts a small rocky island called Vulcan Point. So there is an island within a lake on an island (which is a volcano) within a lake on an island! (Vulcan Point is in the crater lake on Volcano Island, which is in Taal Lake, which is on the island of Luzon.) The volcano has not erupted since the seventies, though there are occasional signs of unrest. Visiting Taal’s crater lake is a great day-trip option: You hop on a boat across Taal Lake to Volcano Island, where you can hike or ride on horseback to the crater lake. Or you can simply take in the great vistas from Tagaytay, enjoying the cool weather and exploring the many places to eat.

As a fan of all things artisanal, nothing excites me more than stepping into a place that looks the same as it did 100 years ago. When my eyes adjusted to the dim light, inside the Brasserie Caracole, I could see this Belgian brewery was just such a place. Dinant’s Brasserie Caracole brews artisanal and organic Belgian beer over an open fire, just as they have since the 18th century. In the centre of the front room stands one large vat for mixing the 850kg of malt with hot water. (Caracole is apparently the last beer to be brewed over an open fire in all of Europe.) Hops and spices are added to the mix as the beer gradually ferments. From there, the beer is piped into a holding tank, for 15 days, where it will become clearer as it cools. My favourite part of the Brasserie Caracole was tucked behind the brewing room. Here, the building opened into a large hall, filled with tables, and the prominent bar displaying Caracole’s Belgian beer varieties. The walls were decorated with posters of the colourful and quirky beer labels, each one sporting a ‘caracole’ or snail-shell. The Brasserie Caracole is well worth a visit. It’s open every day during July and August and Sunday afternoons the rest of the year. To organize a tour, be sure to contact them in advance. More Information: http://cheeseweb.eu/2013/10/artisanal-organic-belgian-beer-caracole-brewery-dinant/

The Newseum is an interactive, ever-evolving tribute to our First Amendment freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. Powerful exhibits such as eight sections of the Berlin Wall (the largest display outside Germany) provide historical context for the importance of free press, while timely exhibits about the civil rights movement provoke reflection on the progress of achieving equality. The daily-updated “Front Pages” gallery of local, national, and international publications is a comparative study on current events, while the archive of headlines highlighting momentous events from the 1400s through today is an engaging history lesson. Peruse Pulitzer Prize–winning photography, enjoy panoramic views down Pennsylvania Avenue, and test your journalistic skills with a recorded mock-broadcast—reading a teleprompter is not as easy as you may think!

In a city where gold-spired temples are much more ubiquitous than green space, Lumphini Park is a veritable oasis in the heart of Bangkok. Established by King Rama VI in the 1920s and completed after his death, the 142-acre chunk of tropical greenery is a treasured spot. One of the few parks of any size in central Bangkok, Lumphini is well used: In the morning, tai chi practicers arrive, while in the early evening, joggers monopolize the main path that runs around its perimeter. Even so, there’s ample room to get away from the crowds here. More than 30 species of birds flit among the park’s giant trees, and monitor lizards and turtles inhabit its waterways. Other attractions within the park include a public library, a youth sports center, and swan paddleboats in the man-made lake.

The location for the most charming scenes in the movie Amélie, this once-forgotten neighborhood is now a destination for the young and fun-loving. As soon as the weather turns warm, picnickers line the paths along this 19th-century waterway, watching bridges rise and turn to allow barges to pass. Shopping, food, drink, and diversions also abound here: Artazart (83 Quai de Valmy) is recognized as one of the best design bookstores in Europe, while Le Comptoir Général, just across the bridge, offers live music and cheap drinks. Chez Prune has one of the city’s most popular terraces for enjoying a glass of something refreshing and a chance to watch Paris go by.

It’s one of the most recognizable facades on Passeig de Gràcia: a modernist fantasy of undulating stone, brightly colored mosaics, and stained glass—one that could only come from the mind of famed Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Designed in 1904 as a home for local industrialist Josep Batlló, the building pays homage to the legendary tale of Saint George and the Dragon. The balconies are reminiscent of skulls, and exterior columns look like bones—recalling the dragon’s human victims—while the roof’s arched shape and scale-like tiles mimic the dragon itself. The interior is just as fantastical, all sinuous lines and curving forms. To avoid the crush, try going first thing on a weekday morning, or shell out a bit extra for a Fast Pass timed ticket online (28.5 euros, or about $37—5 euros more than regular admission).

eÑe was one of Costa Rica’s first so-called cultural boutiques. Its showroom, in a beautiful Barrio Amón building overlooking the Parque España, is a pleasure for the eyes. Even its sign is stunning: an enormous red “Ñ” against the building’s otherwise gray facade. Inside, the works of more than 60 local designers are artfully displayed—brightly colored must-haves that range from pencils and coffee cups to one-of-a-kind apparel, scarves, handsome leather accessories, posters, framed artworks, and more—and all items cleverly conspire to make consumer decisions tough.

Auntie or Teta Smilja, as locals lovingly call her, opened her cozy shop back in 1994. Since then, her sweets—made using traditional and original recipes—have been featured in international magazines and won national awards. Packed to go, her klaštuni (walnut-filled dough) and amareti (almond cookies with lemon and orange) will make your walk around Korčula memorably sweet.

Feast on fresh-caught fish and seafood and wash it down with Italian wine during a leisurely summer lunch at Alla Maddalena on Mazzorbo Island. A 45-minute ferry ride from Venice and far removed from the crowds, this charming, less touristy and altogether tiny island in the Venice lagoon is wonderful place to escape for an afternoon. And Alla Maddalena serves amazing fried fish as well as top-notch mussels and clams, all of which can be eaten al fresco either in the back garden or by the canal. The trattoria is also known for handmade pastas and seasonal ingredients from fruits to locally hunted game like wild duck. (Mazzorbo is a short walk across footbridge from Burano Island, so if you’re planning a trip to Burano, you can add a stop here for dinner.)

Industrialization came late to Sweden, which may explain why locals have retained a love for traditional crafts. Come here for well-priced goods made from natural materials—everything from scrubbing brushes and birdhouses to bread boards and table linens—that will add a bit of Scandinavian charm to any home.

For several centuries, the tiny hamlet of Amma, set about 1640 feet above sea level in the Chianti hills, was renowned for its farming and winemaking practices, which were overseen by a group of prominent families. When the Hapsburg Grand Duke Peter Leopold visited in the 18th century, he wrote a detailed report extolling the beauty of the setting and the high quality of the town’s grain fields, olive groves, and vineyards. Some of his complimentary words now adorn a plaque set at the entrance of Castelo di Ama, a winery and estate founded in the 1970s by a group of families looking to revive the town’s glory days. The label has won many accolades over the last decade—from the current owner-winemaker being named Winemaker of the Year in 2003, to the wines consistently landing on best-of lists around the world. Visit to get a taste of what all the fuss is about, and you’ll not only get to experience world-class wine, but art, too: Since 1999, the estate has worked with galleries and curators to invite renowned artists to visit, get inspired, and create new works, over a dozen of which now live at the estate. On a guided winery tour, you’ll visit aging cellars, the working winery, some of the ancient village’s sites (including the chapel), and the estate’s historic villas and gardens—where you will spy pieces of art by names like Anish Kapoor and Louise Bourgeois. Tours last about 90 minutes and are followed by a tasting at the Villa Riucci Enoteca.

Water sports aficionados will want to head straight to Sunzal, a beach where surfing, snorkeling, and shallow scuba diving are the most popular activities. Local outfitters offer surfing lessons for beginners, though proceed with care: Sunzal has a world-famous point break.

A city of red-tiled rooftops, pine- and cypress-shaded hills, and sparkling turquoise waters, the Old Town of Dubrovnik stuns with both its architecture and scenery. Its surrounding stone walls, built between the 11th and 13th centuries to protect the city from war and epidemics, stretch for a full 1.3 miles, comprising an immense system of forts, bastions, and walkways that offer breathtaking views. Hike along them, then be sure to check out the Lovrijenac Fortress, built atop a 100-foot rock looking out toward Venice (Dubrovnik’s historic rival). The Old Town’s main street of Stradun, known locally as Placa, is also worth exploring. It’s especially nice in the late afternoon, when the sun shines off the historic buildings and swallows soar in the blue sky above.

There’s always a line in front of this hole-in-the-wall, but don’t be deterred: Jia Jia’s queue moves fast, and its steamed soup dumplings are worth the wait. When it’s your turn to order, you bark what you want—pork, crab, or pork and crab xiao long bao—pay, and move to the side to claim a plastic table. The only sounds in the restaurant are tapping chopsticks, satisfied slurping, and the occasional camera shutter. Jia Jia closes when it sell out, usually by early evening. And while the crab dumplings are available year-round, they’re absolutely incredible between September and December.