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Wonderful catamarans that you can rent right off the beach.

Set in the former headquarters of a 19th-century bank, Hotel de Rome forms a major part of Bebelplatz, the historic square best known as the site of the Nazis’ infamous book burning in 1933. Across from the stately Opera House and the equally handsome Humboldt University, the hotel has retained the bank’s neoclassical exterior. Parts of the interior are original, too, most notably an elegant staircase that winds up to the fourth floor (the first three floors are also original), and the former bank vault, which has been transformed into a spa that is accessed via the vault’s original steel door. The high-ceilinged guestrooms and suites are suitably sumptuous, with marble in the bathroom and furnishings of mahogany; the color palettes, however, were devised by designers Olga Polizzi and Tommaso Ziffer and are ultra-contemporary. The hotel also has a swanky restaurant, a popular cocktail bar, and a rooftop patio with splendid views of Bebelplatz and the city beyond.

For 20 years now, the Spring Mountain corridor north of the Las Vegas Strip has been a hotbed of hot pots—and every other Asian dish under the desert sun. When celebs such as Anthony Bourdain and Penn Jillette raved about the real-deal northern Thai cuisine at Lotus of Siam, chowhounds followed. Tell your friends you’re finally making the trip out to the strip mall and they’ll tell you to avoid the items you can order from the takeout joint at home: no pad thai, no chicken satay. They’re right. Dive into the last page of the menu, the one about dishes from Northern Thailand, then entrust your tastebuds to the award-winning hands of Chef Saipin Chutima and try her larb or the jackfruit curry, anything with ground pork sausage, the khao soi (egg noodles and meat in a coconut curry sauce), the nam prik ong (a chunky mix of pork, tomato, and red chili, served with lettuce and raw vegetables), or the whole fish with chilis. The food is spicy, yes, and the afterburn is serious, but the depth of flavor is sublime enough to make you weep with regret the next time you have to call your local takeout place for delivery.

Louise Loubatieres’ gorgeous light-filled little concept store on increasingly hip Hap Guan Street is one of those stores you can easily lose hours in. The fascinating shop is located in self-styled Kandal Village, a compact neighborhood of three parallel streets wedged between the French Quarter and Old Market area that has become an emerging shopping, eating and drinking district. The lovely Louise, who can often be found out the back of the shop baking or making a pot of tea, is of Cambodian, French, British, and Vietnamese heritage, and her ancestry is reflected in her impeccable taste and passion for arts, crafts, textiles and design objects from Southeast Asia, and her carefully curated selection of beautiful things. Unlike some of my favorite shops, Louise doesn’t limit herself to ‘made in Cambodia’ products, and won’t hesitate to source pretty things from places like Chiang Mai or the Mekong Delta if she discovers something special. Louise largely stocks homewares, from colorful lacquer bowls to textiles that can serve as table runners.

Tucked away in tiny Parc D’Egmont, just minutes from busy Avenue Louise, is L’Orangerie. Through the week, this restaurant is popular with the ‘ladies who lunch’ and the office tower executives. However, on Sunday the atmosphere changes, when it becomes one of Brussels best brunch spots. The champagne brunch at L’Orangerie definitely wouldn’t qualify as a ‘cheap eat,’ in Brussels. At close to 30 Euros a head, it’s a splurge, but well worth it for a rare treat. The buffet-style offerings include pastries and breads, cheeses, cured meats, smoked salmon and mackerel, a wide variety of salads and grilled vegetables, hot pasta, and an omelette and crepe bar. Juices are also included in the price but hot drinks are not. In the summer, you can sit in the shade of the park’s huge, leafy trees. It’s a great way to spend a decadent, sunny, Sunday afternoon in the heart of the city, and yet still feel like you are away from it all. More Information at: http://cheeseweb.eu/2011/10/sunday-brunch-lorangerie-du-parc-degmont-brussels/

The Phoenix, a little slice of paradise on the edge of San Pedro, features more modern architecture than most buildings in town, as well as modern amenities. Rooms are one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom condominium suites that feature luxurious eat-in kitchens, bathrooms with walk-in showers and Jacuzzi tubs, large living rooms and laundry facilities. Each suite also has a balcony or patio, and almost all suites are just steps away from one of the pools which are the focal point of the resort. The larger main pool cascades into a shallower lower pool and is saline chlorinated, as is the 55-foot-long lap pool. A pool bar is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Red Ginger restaurant is open daily for breakfast lunch and dinner as well as brunch on Sunday afternoons and serves a tapas menu on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. There are also business services, an on-site spa, and fitness and yoga centers. Rates begin at $325 per night during low season for a one-bedroom beach view suite.

Renowned chef Paco Roncero re-interprets everyday Spanish food without crossing the line into pretentiousness at Estado Puro; here, flavor matters more than presentation and dishes are perfectly portioned. Patatas bravas, fried potatoes spiked with red pepper, is perhaps the most typical bar snack in Spain however Estado Puro has successfully re-interpreted the ubiquitous dish. Using hollowed, roasted baby-potatoes filled with spicy sauce it’s a subtly new take on a Spanish classic. If you’re staying for a snack or meal try the chipirones, cod-fritters, and creative mojitos too. The restaurant is also uniquely designed. Under the glass-topped bar you’ll notice endless rows of tiny flamenco dancer dolls while above you’ll see undulating rows of peinetas—the traditional decorative comb used by Spanish women to hold their flowing mantillas, veils, in place. In Madrid the dinner begins late, so if you eat before nine in the evening you’ll feel as if you have the place to yourself. There are also two Estado Puro restaurants; one across from The Prado and another around the corner from the Plaza Santa Ana (one of Madrid’s liveliest squares at night).

Come here and you’ll find a solar-powered bookstore, a Guatemalan restaurant, pubs, galleries, cafés, and this brick wall tribute to Gregory Colbert’s “Boy Reading to Elephant.” (The words that come to mind when I pass this street art are “tell me a good story and I’ll never forget.”) Just a few blocks north of downtown, and a few blocks west of the University of Arizona, Tucson’s Fourth Avenue district is a pedestrian eat-work-drink-play neighborhood with a new streetcar/trolley system. Construction is done, shops and restaurants are open, and you’ll find hardly a chain along the eclectic streetscape. From college kids and downtown workers, to artists, professors, and out-of-towners, Fourth Avenue is where the Old Pueblo welcomes techies and yuppies along with the ex-hippies... And, every winter and spring, for decades now, the neighborhood hosts a Street Fair—hundreds of thousands of people come for the arts, crafts, food, and music.

The small city of Eupen is the capital of Belgium’s tiny German-speaking community, located in the country’s Eastern Cantons. This unique part of Belgium is far off the tourist map but is well worth a visit for its great food and proximity to the Hautes Fagnes Nature Reserve. But even if Eupen didn’t have these highlights, it would be worth visiting, simply to stay at the stunning B&B Julevi. This beautifully decorated B&B is run by the warm and welcoming Mattens family. The rooms are spacious, particularly the ground floor room, which has its own private sitting room. The dining room and common living room are accented by a stunning spiral staircase, which leads to several upstairs bedrooms. In the summer, guests have access to a small terrace and formal garden, off the kitchen. Breakfasts are fresh and ample and the hosts are quick with suggestions for great places to eat, shop and visit in the area. With rooms ranging in price from 75-95 euro, the B&B Julevi is a steal and a welcome escape from Belgium’s larger cities.

No visit to Antigua is complete without taking in the sunset atop Shirley Heights Lookout at its weekly Sunday sundowner party. The view from Shirley Heights is without a doubt the most famous, most photographed, most celebrated vista gracing Antigua. Immediately below, English and Falmouth Harbours clutch their bays. On clear days you can see Guadeloupe to the south and Montserrat with it’s still active volcano to the south west. It does get busy, so expect a crowd and while there might be a couple locals sprinkled in here and there, it’s mostly visitors. Around 7ish, the tunes crank up with either some reggae classics, some pumping soca, or even live a steelpan band. Smoke from a collection of barbecues compete with the music to fill the air and stimulate your senses. Expect chicken and ribs slathered in local flavors, plus burgers for the less adventurous. I did have some trouble getting grilled fish on my last visit, but once I found some, it was charred to perfection.

At Chat ‘N’ Chill, a beach bar on Stocking Island in the Exumas, you can enjoy cold drinks with your feet in the sand and eat your fill of local fare like BBQ ribs and grilled fish. The menu also has burgers, hot dogs, and made-to-order conch salad. This laid-back spot is a classic island beach bar, and you can even wade into the clear water to feed the conch scraps to the local stingrays. Chat ‘N’ Chill is also famous for its Sunday pig roasts, a lively event with a whole, slow-smoked pig, drinks, and island music on the beach.

In the heart of the medina, not far from the entry to the souks and the main square, two French brothers have transformed a historic riad into an intimate, contemporary Moroccan hideaway. Opening onto two internal courtyards—one of which has a swimming pool—are seven rooms and suites, each named for a local spice (think saffron, nutmeg, and turmeric) and decorated in jewel tones like deep orange and royal purple. All have standard conveniences like hair dryers, toiletries, and air-conditioning as well as complimentary Wi-Fi.

The hotel’s public spaces are separated into a garden section, featuring trickling fountains and lots of flowers, and an oasis section, which houses the pool and a traditional steam hammam. The riad also enjoys a higher position than its neighboring buildings, resulting in particularly great views from the rooftop terrace. Here, you can take in the Atlas Mountains from the plush lounge chairs (each topped with a straw hat for extra sun protection), the fireplace, or the romantic dining tables, where you can enjoy cocktails or a candlelit dinner. Adding to its private home feel, Riad l’Orangeraie provides guests with a local cell phone to use while in town. The hotel is also available to rent out in its entirety for the ultimate house party.

Before you hit the counter at Café Brasil, let us introduce you to some of Houston‘s cleanest ingredients. Local cheese artisans the Houston Dairymaids provide the cheese. Pizza dough, pastries, and breads are made in-house. And the eggs are laid by nearby, free-range hens. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve arrived for breakfast (try the daily quiche), lunch (sample from cheese and charcuterie plates), or dinner (there’s a multitude of pizzas)—it’s a safe bet that whatever you order didn’t have to travel far to make it to your plate.

From the outside, San Giorgio looks like one of Greece’s ubiquitous whitewashed homes. Inside, traditional Greek textiles and locally made furniture adorn the 33 unfussy rooms. Most feature rough-hewn wooden dressers, large circular jute rugs, and beds canopied with mosquito netting. Some have terraces with views of the Aegean Sea. Guests can relax during the day in cocoonlike hanging swings near the pool or take a 10-minute walk to the popular beaches Paradise and Paranga. In the evenings, it’s not uncommon for DJs such as Bob Sinclar or David Guetta to make guest appearances in the hotel’s open-air lounge.

This honky-tonk-inspired bar has a hometown feel and a country vibe, and has great local beers on tap—like Grand Cayman’s classic premium lagers, the CayBrew and Caylight. Don’t miss out on the Thursday night Rock & Roll Bingo: It can get rowdy and is a lot of fun. Lone Star Bar and Grill is well known for its BBQ, including Texas-style ribs as well as barbecue chicken and burgers. When you get the munchies after a few beers it’s a nice break from the gamut of seafood offered at other establishments.