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Taking just the ‘right’ wrong turn on a visit to Pike Place Market can land you in Post Alley, where spearmint, wild cherry, and tropical punch bubble gum drizzles down the window panes and grape, peppermint, and lemon ice gum-cicles form from sills. It may be one of the lesser-known Seattle tourist attractions, but it certainly makes a big impression with plenty of chaotic color on a rainy day. And if you’re a gum chewer, be prepared to stick a drop of your own favorite flavor to leave a colorful mark on the city.

I fell in love. I fell in love with the town of Marfa. Safari tents. Stand alone bathtubs. Vintage trailers. Twinkle lights. Hammocks. An off the beaten path campground takes you to another world. You can choose to stay in one of their hip vintage trailers, eco-friendly safari tents, or in one of two teepees. The place fills up so all that was left was the safari tent. I felt like I was in a part of Moonrise Kingdom. It takes up 18 acres in Marfa, Texas and it has a place where they host live music, a communal kitchen, a shaded nook full of swinging hammocks, a community lounge and a small little shop filled with unique finds. It’s a place that just steals your heart and makes you wonder when you can come back.

With headquarters in Portland, Oregon, the Ace Hotel brings a dose of Pacific Northwest cool to the Flatiron District of Manhattan. Located in a turn-of-the-century building, the Ace has become a hub for stylish visitors and freelancing New Yorkers—locals often set up shop in the hip lobby to work and sip Stumptown coffee. The aesthetic is laid-back yet creative, with fun local art, free Wi-Fi, and quirky touches like tabletops made from discarded Hubble telescope lenses. The Ace is unpretentious and inviting, with a social and interactive lobby and two destination restaurants. Rooms range from small bunk rooms to spacious loft suites—offering a match for a variety of price points.

In operation for almost 160 years, this renowned Belle Époque resort on the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne is steeped in important history and culture. The treaty that broke up the Ottoman Empire was signed here in 1923, and guests have included everyone from Charlie Chaplin and Gary Cooper to Rod Stewart and Nelson Mandela. From 2012 to 2014, the hotel received a nearly $30 million makeover, helmed by famed interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, which complemented the timeless elegance of all 168 rooms and suites with such luxuries as Murano glass chandeliers, expansive mirrors to bring the views indoors, and entertainment screens discreetly embedded in bathroom mirrors. There are four restaurants on the property, most notably the exquisite Anne-Sophie Pic, which has two Michelin stars. In the summer months, the hotel also serves dinner on its own turn-of-the-century, steam-powered paddleboat as it plies the waters of the lake. The state-of-the-art spa, offering a wide selection of restorative treatments, opens up onto the resort’s 10-acre park and includes separate saunas and hammans for men and women, a Jacuzzi, two heated pools (one indoor, one out), and two tennis courts.

The Bonsecours Market is hard to miss, whether you are walking around Montréal’s historic center or looking at the skyline from the harbor. A silver dome caps the long building, which dates from 1844 and was modeled on Dublin’s Customs House. It looks more like a stately civic building than a market, and in fact it was Montréal’s city hall for a while, as well as the seat of Canada‘s parliament for one session. After serving as the central market of the city for nearly a century, it closed in 1963 and was largely abandoned until 1992, when it reopened as the home of a visitors’ center for Montréal’s 350th anniversary. Today it houses a dozen or so boutiques featuring works by local designers, as well as a few restaurants that make for good pit stops on a day of sightseeing.

After opening in 2012, Collinsons quickly became a favorite in the fashionable village of Broughty Ferry, just three miles east of Dundee. Here, high-quality dishes feature seasonal produce and local ingredients. Choose from options like pan-roasted deer loin and fried guinea fowl, perfect for pairing with a reasonably priced selection of house wine. Diners can choose from two- or three-course menus, but will want the latter for such decadent desserts as sticky date-and-ginger pudding with toffee-pecan sauce and vanilla ice cream.

The Ottoman Bank Museum is in the basement of SALT Galata, an arts center located in the former Ottoman Bank. It’s a destination that will appeal mostly to those interested in the history of the Ottoman Empire in its decline at the end of the 19th century. But doesn’t everyone find the late Ottoman period fascinating? The struggles that characterized the era, with a country torn between its Ottoman past and a desire to both modernize and Westernize, played out at the bank. The institution that would become the state bank of the Ottoman Empire was founded in 1856 as a joint venture of British and French banks and the Ottoman government and was managed by a committee of British and French financiers until it was effectively dissolved during World War I. The museum includes many surprisingly engaging displays and documents tracing the bank’s history—its commercial ventures, demographic information on investors and employees, charts detailing the economic turmoil of the period. Architectural plans of the headquarters illustrate its unusual design that featured a neo-classical entrance facing the European quarter and an Ottoman-inspired rear elevation, facing Istanbul’s Old City across the Golden Horn. Deposit slips, photos of employees, and old bank notes in the original vault are on display in almost exhausting, encyclopedic comprehensiveness. If your interest wanes, you don’t need to feel any pressure to linger—entrance is free.

From its new location on the Singel, Supperclub maintains the old traditions of one of Amsterdam’s most innovative nightclubs. In few other upscale restaurants can you take off your shoes, get in an oversize bed with friends, and savor an unconventional five-course meal over the course of an evening. But supperclub is not for everyone. Part culinary journey, burlesque/vaudeville club, cocktail bar and experimental free state, it’s a unique if somewhat pricey venue for a fun, quirky evening with friends or business colleagues. When not wintering in India, flamboyant Howie may greet you, ushering your posse to La Salon Neige, where you’ll scoop courses from hospital bowls, ash trays and sensual models dressed in slices of Carpaccio, brandishing salad dressing in syringes and deep-fried cricket tidbits—crunchy croutons! Opt for the upper level lounge and you can watch from above as dykes, belly dancers and aerial artists perform. Don’t worry about crumbs in bed; get into the act while the drag queens vamp and the dancers swirl. Between courses, enjoy a Lavender Love or Leap of Faith cocktail in the Chapter 21 bar. Or venture to the downstairs smoking room that doubles as a gay toilet. While puffing on a joint, don’t be surprised if spontaneous music erupts or locals engage you in conversation. There are supperclubs in Istanbul, London, Los Angeles and San Francisco, but this is the original. And there’s nothing conventional about it!

I love the wines of Mendoza, Argentina, but I wanted to marry the wines of Catena Zapata when I had the chance to drink them whilst overlooking the green vineyards backdropped by the soaring, snowcapped Andes peaks. The wines of Catena are mostly big reds made from malbec or cabernet, and they make some chardonnay and sauvignon blanc as well. The winery is fashioned after a stepped Maya pyramid and is furnished with state of the art equipment. Wine tours last about an hour and a half and finish at the tasting room, where you can purchase bottles of wine. Catena Zapata and the rest of the Mendoza region wineries are only open by appointment, so be sure to have a day’s worth of wine tours booked in advance for your itinerary. Be sure not to skip over the city of Mendoza, as there are many wine tasting rooms featuring wines from the region and selling limited releases and other rarities not readily available at the wineries.

Sir Bani Yas is a desert island five miles off the city’s Arabian Gulf coast with some curious residents, namely cheetahs, ostriches, and giraffes, among others. Three distinct properties allow visitors to make the most of the rustic wildlife refuge with game drives and one-of-a-kind animal encounters: the Desert Islands Resort & Spa, with its plethora of amenities and dining options; the safari-style Al Sahel Villa Resort, at the island’s rugged center; or the luxe shorefront Al Yamm Villa Resort, where barasti-style villas have turquoise infinity pools and a lagoon teeming with migratory birds. Though each property stands on its own, guests can take advantage of all the amenities with free transfers between them. Don’t miss the innovative Dining by Design experience, which lets you dine at different venues around the island, from a romantic dinner on the beach to a family picnic on safari plains.

Dubai isn’t just about shopping and architecture. The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding offers enriching and intellectually stimulating tours, meant to engage and inform visitors about Emirati history and culture. Visit the center for a communal Emirati breakfast followed by a walking tour of the surrounding Bur Dubai neighborhoods, where Dubai’s rulers have lived since the early 20th century. And if you’re eager to visit a mosque, the center runs the only mosque tours for guests of all faiths. The center is close to several historical and cultural attractions, including Al Fahidi Historical District and Al Bastakiya.

Place des Arts, the jewel of the Quartier des Spectacles in the center of town, is a cultural complex attached to the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal that unites five performance spaces, including the Maison Symphonique de Montréal. It has two main performance arts spaces: Théâtre Maisonneuve, a nearly 1,500-seat modern-day rendition of a classical Italian theatre where dance organizations including Grands Ballets Canadiens regularly perform; Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, which with just under 3,000 seats is better suited for big, boisterous Opéra de Montréal productions; and the smaller, 400-seat Cinquième Salle, home to series of shows by Danse Danse, among others. Photo: Susan Moss

You may have already seen photos of Dubai Mall on social media, but to visit is more of an experience than just a trip to a mall. While the mall has a lot to offer avid shoppers, other visitors may instead choose to experience the space as an art exhibit or performance piece. Hop on one of the mall’s taxicabs to whiz from one wing to the next, grab a coffee at Angelina with Dubai’s elite, or people-watch around the fancier, less crowded sections of the mall. And don’t miss the choreographed water dances and the wildlife on display at the mall’s aquarium.

The Dubai Spice Souk is a traditional market located in Deira, near the famed Gold Souk. It’s easy to overlook the Spice Souk if you’re not looking carefully; tucked into alleyways off of Baniyas Street, the souk is small, but manages to pack a pungent punch. If you plan on purchasing spices – from cardamon to cumin to turmeric to nutmeg, and everything in between – be prepared to haggle. A good rule of thumb is to cut the vendor’s opening salvo in half, and then barter upwards from there until you reach a number you’re both comfortable with.

Just to the southwest of Tucson, on the San Xavier Reservation, sits the late XVIII-century Mission San Xavier del Bac, one of the finest examples of Spanish colonial architecture in the U.S. The combination of late Baroque and Moorish-inspired design is a beacon any time of the year, but on this winter day, the flooded fields worked some magic—panoramas of reflected landscapes are almost nonexistent in southern Arizona! The ‘white dove of the desert’ is the oldest intact European structure in Arizona, and it still serves as a parish church for the Tohono O’odham people.