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Reykjavík’s Dill restaurant, run by chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason and sommelier Ólafur Örn Ólafsson, is the first venue in Iceland to win a coveted Michelin star. It specializes in New Nordic Cuisine, which means that the kitchen updates traditional dishes such as arctic char, pork belly, and lamb shanks in highly creative and ultradelicious ways—often pairing them with healthy ingredients like barley, berries, and kale. The restaurant is open four evenings a week, and the seven-course menu changes regularly based on availability of local ingredients. Food can be paired with a fabulous selection of champagnes and wines. It’s not the cheapest choice in town, but it is one of the best.

Even with Segway tours rolling through and street performers loudly competing for audiences, the 15th-century Piazza Navona somehow retains a shred of grace and elegance in modern Rome. Calm Renaissance palazzi face the piazza’s centerpiece, the famous and complicated Bernini work, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (“Are these colossal male depictions of the four great rivers of the world writhing on top of a boulder not fancy enough? Let’s top it with an obelisk for a little visual interest.”). The piazza itself was created when a 1st-century arena was paved over to create a market square—you can still sense the oval track of the arena in the shape of the opening. Come for a gelato and some excellent people-watching, especially in the evening.

Set on the grounds of a cacao plantation turned hotel, Boucan’s open-air restaurant is just one more fine-dining option with impressive views, in this case, St. Lucia’s verdant hills and Petit Piton. But the difference between Boucan and the others is that Boucan offers a menu informed by its immediate surroundings, throwing a hint of cacao into many of the dishes. Chocolate balsamic vinegar, cacao butter dip, chocolate onion soup—a meal here is a unique experience. Dessert, of course, is divine; opt for the molten chocolate cake. For more insight, ask for a walking tour around the plantation’s cacao groves. Better yet, sign up to take part in a tree-to-bar chocolate-making experience.

Brussels has a number of African influences due to the influx of African immigrants from former Belgian colonies. A great example is the number of African restaurants in town. We ate at KoKob (pictured), an upscale, trendy Ethiopian restaurant. As is tradition in Ethiopia, we ate with our hands from a shared plate using a spongy crepe-like bread to scoop up meats and vegetables. We washed down the meal with St. Georges, a popular Ethiopian beer. Definitely a fun, unexpected experience.

James Beard Award–winning chef Gavin Kayson returned to his Midwest roots in 2014 to open Spoon and Stable. Here, he uses techniques learned from around the globe to transform the Heartland food that he grew up eating into an upscale experience, all inside an actual old stable.

This lakeside plaza of cobblestone streets is the perfect place for boutique shopping and gourmet dining experiences in Henderson. Shops here cater to guests looking for unique and one-of-a-kind luxury goods. Make sure you checkout Artnova’s gallery of “Soft Art Paintings from Recycled Plastic Bottles!”

Vinos Ezeiza is a store of a dying breed. A knowledgeable owner stands among dusty wine bottles, able to answer any question you might have about his collection. Headed out to a fiesta? Bring your wineskin and fill it by volume. Buying Rioja wine in bulk is the ultimate Basque shopping experience.

For a unique dining experience, try Divan—a Mediterranean restaurant and hookah lounge. Guests are transported to Arabia, surrounded by pillows and curtains. Order small bites like the lamb kufta and hummus while you smoke the hookah. Divan also has a full bar.

With a bakery on every other corner in even the tiniest villages in Belgium, what makes one stand out more than another? The answer is threefold: hand selected organic ingredients; skills built on tradition, passed from generation to generation and, most of all, the passion to create the perfect loaf of bread. All three of these are present at the Boulangerie Legrand in Namur. Baker, Dominique Legrand, has been baking bread since he was 18, but the history of the Legrand Bakery runs much deeper. Six generations ago, in 1831, Dominique’s ancestors founded Boulangerie Legrand and little has changed since those days. Dominique and his wife, Angela, had a mission when they took over the Boulangerie Legrand and moved it to its current location in Namur. Their goal was simply to create the finest breads from the best ingredients they could find. This is the reason people drive all the way from Brussels and even as far as Northern France, just to buy their breads. Some of the grains come from as far away as Egypt and their natural fermentations take anywhere from 18 to 24 hours. These are live breads and we could taste the difference, as the flavours danced on our tongues. From deceptively simple baguettes to sweet brioches to rich loaves made of chestnut spelt, it was impossible to choose a favourite. More Information: http://cheeseweb.eu/2013/08/boulangerie-legrand-namur-belgiums-bakery/

Spectacular hilltop villages are a dime a dozen on the Greek islands, but Astypalea, a distant speck in the Dodecanese, has the quintessential sugar-cube capital cascading over a rocky outcrop to a sheltered harbor. The oldest houses are huddled along the cliffs circling the Venetian Querini Castle. Castro Bar is built right into the 15th-century castle walls (which look even more dramatic when illuminated by moonlight). A series of small terraces on different levels, painted in white, burgundy, and blue, all offer stupendous views across the island and what feels like the whole Aegean. The vibe is mellow, and the drinks are strong. Stay until the sun rises out of the sea, a trippy experience you won’t forget.

This lodge offers a private island stay, paired with the option of experiencing the Swahili architecture, music, and culture of Stone Town (Zanzibar’s main town, 20 minutes from Mnemba by boat plus a 90-minute drive). Ten high-ceilinged, thatched bandas are footsteps from a flour-fine sand beach and are romantically furnished with elaborately carved wooden beds. For those who want a change of scenery, verandas and shaded beach beds offer a variety of places to sleep off all the early morning safari wake-up calls. Just under one mile in circumference, Mnemba Island has permanent residents that include poodle-sized Suni and rabbit-sized Ader’s duiker antelope, breeding doves, and enormous terrestrial coconut crabs. Sunbathers can spot dolphins from the beach year-round, and scuba divers might encounter the occasional whale shark.

If you weren’t sure what you were looking for, you might miss Marco Stabile’s Ora d’Aria restaurant on Via dei Georgofili. The hint of a large birdcage peeking through a tall window in an expansive and otherwise-unadorned wall is all that alerts you to the presence of greatness. White Saarinen tulip chairs are the next thing you see once you’ve decided to explore past the birdcage, and while the dining rooms, both upstairs and down, are not elaborate, they are perfectly suited to let Chef Stabile’s food be the true showpiece. Though his cuisine is not traditionally Tuscan, and nor are all of his ingredients, Stabile’s culinary creations are a delight, finally winning over the hearts of food-savvy Florence residents and every visitor who learns that a meal at Ora d’Aria is a must when in the Tuscan capital. If you’re looking to save a little while still experiencing excellence, Ora d’Aria is also open for lunch.

Tucked in a lush canyon perfumed with the smell of eucalyptus, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa is one of the San Diego area’s most sublime getaways. Even if you’re not staying there, you can experience the magic by dining at the property’s signature restaurant, Veladora. Its hacienda-inspired dining room, with wrought-iron chandeliers and a Damien Hirst original, is a fine setting for enjoying dishes like a Chino Farm corn soup with vanilla popcorn and Alaskan king crab or a Brandt beef tomahawk steak for two served with duck-fat potato fondant, marinated ramps, and heirloom carrots. A deep wine cellar means an impressive selection of wines by the glass, from a chablis 1er Cru to an Andrew Rich pinot noir from the Willamette Valley.

All the redwood trees in the parks can start to blend together, making it hard for any one area to stand out. But Lady Bird Johnson Grove will. There’s a reason Johnson gave her name to this patch of enchanting tall trees and rolling fog. What makes the grove unique is that you drive uphill to get to the trailhead. Most of the groves in the park are in lowland areas, but the elevation at this one means you often find yourself among the clouds as the mist bounds in around the trees. The trail loop is about 1.5 miles and fairly flat. It’s especially appealing for kids, who want to be a part of the nature experience but aren’t always ready for more-strenuous hikes. Once you pass the dedication plaque, you’ll be fairly secluded among the vegetation—even though this grove actually isn’t far from the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center.

This all-inclusive, adult only resort offers a truly exceptional experience. The staff is friendly, the service is excellent and the location is ideal for exploring Cancun. Honeymooners, couples and any vacationer in search of a chic, trendy getaway will enjoy staying here. Straddling one of the area’s best beaches, this newer hotel offers three infinity pools along with modern accommodations peppered with a luxurious South Beach vibe. When you’re ready to take a break from the beach, check into Secrets Spa by Pevonia to detox your body as well as your mind. Steam, sauna, plunge pools and a soothing array of body and facial treatments are sure to cure whatever ails you. Chocolate wraps for exfoliation, green coffee wraps for cellulite, seaweed wraps for detoxification, black mud treatments for aches and pains.....the list is endless. For a romantic touch, moonlight couples massages on beach beckon. In addition to spa services, a beauty salon and fitness center provide more “wellness” escapes. For a unique experience. you can even have a garra rufa fish pedicure.