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Step off the beaten path that leads to Jim Morrison’s grave at Père Lachaise and head instead to the lesser-known, yet extraordinary Montparnasse Cemetery. Locals bring metro tickets to leave on Serge Gainsbourg’s grave in honor of his song “Le Poinçonneur des Lilas (The Lilas Ticket Taker).” Nearby rest the poet Baudelaire and eternal lovers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. A married couple by the name of Pigeon share a tomb that is as surprising as their family name. Susan Sontag opted for a minimalist grave, while artist Niki de Saint Phalle chose a rainbow-colored mosaic cat for the grave of her assistant Ricardo. Brancusi’s The Kiss sculpture stands at the head of his grave. Stop at a guardian’s kiosk when you enter the tranquil space and ask for a map of the luminaries who have made this their eternal resting place.

Hang Ah Dim Sum Tea Room’s brick facade and missing letters may not be much to look at from the outside, and the interior’s low ceilings, fluorescent lights, and basic furnishings won’t win awards, either, but the inexpensive dim sum served inside makes it worth a visit. It’s too small for rolling carts, but you can order soup dumplings, barbecue pork buns, shrimp dumplings, pot stickers, and many other freshly made, shareable bites. The menu has rice, noodle, and vegetable dishes, too. Hang Ah Dim Sum, established in 1920, calls itself the oldest continually operating dim sum restaurant in the United States and has been owned that whole time by the same handful of families.

Local shops and the Big Island go hand in hand. Kona is home to plenty of homegrown shops, but if you are just looking for that great piece of literature to read on the beach, Kona Stories is a fantastic little book shop worth browsing around. Beach goers and holiday makers should be able to find something to pass the time or entertain them while they stay in Hawai‘I.

Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is revered as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The temple is located on the grounds of the Grand Palace at the historic center of Bangkok, and it is a highly important site to the Thai national identity. The Emerald Buddha itself is a 26-inch-high statue hewn from a single piece of deep-green jade stone, and no one but the Thai King is allowed to touch it. Visit the shrine to understand an intimate piece of Thai culture, but be sure to exercise the utmost respect!

Opened in September 2017, Hotel Californian breathes new life into the Santa Barbara waterfront. Where once was a parking lot now stand two Spanish Colonial Revival buildings, done up in Moorish-inspired décor by celebrity designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. The 121-room hotel also comprises the 1925 Hotel Californian across State Street (it retains its original façade but has otherwise been gutted) as well as another building across East Mason (which houses a ballroom and the two-bedroom presidential suite). In other words, the hotel is the new center of the neighborhood, partly because of its size but also due its many offerings, which range from a stylish boutique and Turkish-inspired spa to gourmet café Goat Tree and fine-dining restaurant Blackbird.

Spacious rooms mix Spanish colonial architecture, Moroccan influences, and custom furnishings for a modern take on Santa Barbara chic. All feature plush beds, marble bathrooms, and premium cocktail carts, while some have Juliet balconies or oversized verandas with views of the hotel courtyards, city, ocean, or Santa Ynez Mountains. Larger rooms even have seating areas and fireplaces for extra comfort. Should guests ever wish to venture outside, there’s a rooftop pool and event deck with sweeping views of the coastline, as well as a large lawn space for lounging. Also, the Funk Zone with its popular restaurants and Urban Wine Trail is right down the street, making the Hotel Californian one of Santa Barbara’s trendiest spots to stay.

Set down a small alley just a few meters from Piazza San Lorenzo, the art gallery Il Vicolo is a lovely spot to browse, and purchase, contemporary art in the ancient city. One of the oldest galleries in town, Il Vicolo routinely changes their artistic focus - thus one can come back often for pieces and exhibits from new, well-followed, and even young emerging artists.

Make the trek out to Shanghai Film Studio for two reasons: 1) to wander Shanghai’s Hollywood equivalent and stroll through the sets of some of China’s most famous films (such as “Lust, Caution”), and 2) to experience an older, preserved version of Shanghai, sans traffic and millions of pedestrians. Tip: Stop in for lunch at Talking Land Cafe for a chance at bumping into a famous film star. Ooh la la.

If you are in the San Lorenzo market area around lunchtime, this little enoteca (wine bar) with its old-fashioned, wood-paneled interior is a good place to stop off for a glass of wine and a sandwich or crostino. It’s usually standing room only, but the choice of wines is great and it’s got a buzzy, local feel to it. There’s a great, well-priced selection of wines to go too.

Bar Diz is nothing more and nothing less than a great neighborhood pintxo bar. Open at just the right times, with friendly service and a range of hot pintxos as well as larger portions and sandwiches, it hits the spot. They also have one of Gros’s best pintxo potes, which take place on Thursday nights from 7-10. A drink and a pintxo is two euros. It’s a madhouse.

Montes + Mugica is a furniture studio and clothing store that devotes itself to good, clean taste. It’s been in the family for generations, but each generation has brought a new style to the shop. The young brothers José and Javier bring a distinct affinity for all things Nordic, resulting in a gorgeous, hip aesthetic and real treasures for sale. Don’t miss their monthly pop up market in their other building, Espacio La Central.

Loreak Mendian is the epitome of youthful Basque couture for the people. Carefully designed, shying away from trends and focusing on classic cuts and prints with a bit of ‘edge’, their clothing walks a lovely line between wearable art and utilitarian. The boutique also has a winsome collection of carefully curated shoes and accessories. Worth a visit to pick up a catalog and check out the shop window display alone.

Not everyone gets to live across the street from the White House. Before the current Italian-Renaissance hotel was constructed in 1927, the prime real estate was occupied by the homes of two little-known American icons: John Hay—personal secretary to Abraham Lincoln, ambassador to the United Kingdom, and Secretary of State under both William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt—and Henry Adams, Harvard professor and great-grandson of John Adams. Their houses were hubs of D.C. culture for decades at the turn of the last century, and so, when the Hay-Adams opened, it was only logical that the hotel would continue that tradition. Washingtonians play at the sultry bar scene, everyone from Amelia Earhart to the Obamas has stayed in its elegantly Old World rooms overlooking historic Lafayette Square and the White House beyond, and the hotel is known for its discreet and comprehensive, no-questions-asked service. Should guests need a ride to one of the District’s many important meetings, the house Mercedes drops off anywhere downtown, guaranteeing a first impression worthy of a luminary. Though if you insisted on the meeting coming to you, no Beltway insider would mind.

This hotel is on our list of the best hotels in Washington D.C.

This natural soup-n-burger joint lies far from the tourist hordes, on a quiet residential street in the San Frediano neighbourhood. The kitchen and takeaway operation (open lunch and dinner) stands on one side of the road while opposite there is a pared-down modern restaurant (open for dinner only) with a tiny courtyard. Organic vegetables and herbs and locally produced beef go into tasty, seasonal soups (creamy cauliflower with truffle or earthy lentil and kale) and juicy burgers and there are gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options too. Don’t miss the delicious desserts such as the rich flourless chocolate cake. The drinks list features excellent organic wines from the owner’s estate, craft beers and organic fizzy drinks.

Tucked in a condo complex just north of the bridge, Coco Loco’s is a cozy little pool and beach bar. On hot days, take advantage of the swim-up bar stools or hang out on the picnic tables closer to the beach. What Coco Loco’s lacks in size, it definitely makes up for in personality. Owners Sue and Steve have done a wonderful job with fostering a community spirit, especially with many of the expats on the island. Look for a number of weekly activities like trivia and cribbage that keep the bar hoppin’ pretty much every day. Open daily noon to 10 p.m.

Voted one of the top restaurants in Lima, chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino’s modern Amazonian restaurant, Malabar, is worthy of the praise. From the à la carte menu, order the river snails with chorizo sausage and exotic, sweet-and-sour aguaje fruit, followed by the smoked duck with cacao sauce, avocado, and blue cheese. Or opt for the seasonal tasting menu featuring organic heart of palm salad with chestnut flour and paiche jungle fish with black hot peppers and nutty dale dale. In a city addicted to meat, Schiaffino’s vegetarian tasting menu is a delight. It includes black quinoa, Amazonian honey, and a starchy-sweet tuber dish translated as “seven textures of yucca.”