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Like a nautical version of the yellow brick road, illuminated anchors embedded in the floors of Ironside Fish & Oyster lead you to the Emerald City of raw bars, where the bounteous platters come in Big, Bigger, Biggest, and Holy Sh*t. This last assortment might include, say, 24 oysters, 14 shrimp, 14 mussels, two pounds of lobster, two ounces of sustainable royal white sturgeon caviar, a portion of rockfish ceviche, and some kanpachi crudo for good measure (the mix changes daily according to what’s fresh). Not that lovers of cooked seafood will go hungry at chef Jason McLeod’s Little Italy hot spot, where the catch of the day is a perennial favorite. There’s even a small yet mighty vegetarian lineup (think charred broccolini with dried chilis, garlic, and parmesan; and Japanese sweet potato with scallion chimichurri and puffed quinoa). It’s all rounded out by an impressive bar, where 11 categories of whiskey are represented. While the menu occasionally diverges from the strictly seafaring, the decor never does. The interior design features prow figureheads turned lighting fixtures and artful stacks of steamer trunks.

When this wine country–style restaurant opened in the Laguna Hills in 2016, it was instantly embraced by locals. Maybe it’s the hillside location—no bikinis in sight—that allows diners to breathe easy and indulge. Maybe it’s the warm wood-clad dining room with its lively open kitchen. Or maybe it’s the craft cocktails and 25-plus international wines poured by the glass. Regardless, Ironwood is not the place to come while on a diet. The biggest reason: the house-made giant meatball, served with fresh, made-from-scratch herb pappardelle, spicy pomodoro sauce, and ricotta salata. Limited numbers are made each night, so it’s worth going early (the dinner-only restaurant opens each evening at 5 p.m.). The menu also features American Wagyu burgers, mac and cheese skillets, and pork shanks with fried green tomatoes and fresh burrata—plus colorful, palate-cleansing salads incorporating handpicked local ingredients. When the weather’s good, a retractable roof is pulled back from the heated patio to reveal views of the picturesque Saddleback Mountains. Must-order: the warm fromage blanc brownie with Nutella ice cream.

Downtown Denver’s most playful hotel, The Curtis offers whimsy in spades. Guests are encouraged to unleash their inner child with board games, toys, and old-fashioned candy in the lobby, while each level riffs on a different pop-culture genre, from “Sci Fi” adventure to “Dun Dun Dunnnnn!” horror (fittingly on the 13th floor). Standard rooms are filled with pops of color; unexpected elements in themed rooms include green ectoplasm-inspired floors in the Ghostbusters room and a wall-mounted sailfish in the Jimmy Buffett room (perhaps you’ll finally find that lost shaker of salt). The Corner Office restaurant and martini bar is retro-cool, with plaid upholstery and ‘60s-mod light fixtures, and the menu highlights street and comfort food favorites from all over the globe alongside inventive housemade cocktails and Colorado craft beer. There are also 24-hour business and fitness centers, but nothing about the hotel takes itself too seriously—except, of course, when it comes to showing guests a good time.

Gothic and Renaissance architecture meets modern design at Augustine, where 13th-century details like vaulted ceilings and 19th-century frescoes share space with Czech Cubist furniture and pottery. The seven buildings that make up the property—parts of which date back to 1284—formed some of the St. Thomas Church and Monastery, so you may even bed down in a room where Augustinian monks once slept (in fact, monks still have quarters here). The 101 rooms are a chic combination of old world charm and modern luxury, with generously sized marble bathrooms with heated floors and rain showers; suites have magnificent views of Prague Castle or an interior garden. The Refectory bar serves wickedly good “Archangel” cocktails, named for the subjects of the room’s Baroque frescoes, as well as St. Thomas Beer, brewed from the monk’s original 1352 recipe, but don’t let the spirits get to your head. There’s also a highly regarded fine-dining restaurant as well as a spa.

Guests at Ultima Thule can rest assured they’re in good hands: The lodge is run by the intrepid Claus family, particularly Paul Claus, the legendary bush pilot and adventurer who is known as much for his skilled glacier landings as his mountaineering exploits (he’s gone as far as Everest and as close to home as nearby Mount St. Elias). Hand-hewn logs from the original cabin built by Paul’s father, John Claus, still form a wing of the main lodge, though much has been added to create the world-class resort. There are now five private cabins outfitted with Craftsman furniture, plush featherbeds and bearskin rugs; a wood-fired sauna; and a large vegetable garden whose harvest—along with local game and fish—forms the foundation of many of the meals. But the real appeal here lies in the unscripted adventure excursions, some led by Paul himself in a two-seater Super Cub, which may take guests from exploring an abandoned gold mine one moment to viewing herds of Dall sheep roaming across vast Wrangell–St. Elias National Park the next.

This small, chic hotel came into being after an Argentine PR director and her English record producer husband couldn’t find the perfect place for their visiting guests to stay during their Buenos Aires wedding. They needed a place with a bar, a spa, a nice pool, good cocktails in a friendly environment—and so in 2005 they opened Home, one of the pioneer boutique properties in Palermo Hollywood. Strategically located within blocks of much of the city’s nightlife, Home has become something of a base for those coming to the city looking to indulge in it.

Generally though, Home’s reputation is quite positive. Few modern design elements have been left out, from Knoll furniture and vintage wallpaper to the Chilean wool rugs and tech-friendly amenities like iPod-ready stereos and LCD TVs. A spacious walled garden area is the focal point of the property, holding the heated swimming pool plus deck chairs and ferns, alongside a bar and restaurant.

Whether you choose the wine bar in the basement, the gourmet food hall on the ground floor (where you can also buy hot food to eat in the wine bar), or the fine dining restaurant in a big, bright open space on the first floor, you won’t be disappointed with the quality of food in this Exchequer Street emporium, much of which is organic. Main courses on the menu include dishes like grilled Irish lamb rump with broad bean succotash, black garlic and aubergine purée and smoked potato croquette, or aged Irish rib-eye steak with a choice of Béarnaise, brandy peppercorn or truffle butter sauce. There’s also an excellent lunch menu and the pre-theater dinner menu is good value and runs all night Sunday to Tuesday and from 5.30 to 7pm, Wednesday to Saturday.

To get a feel for the real Dubai, there’s no better way than to book a tour with Frying Pan Adventures. Frying Pan was the first culinary tour outfit in Dubai, and their success is well deserved. A day with Frying Pan will get you out of the glitzy hotel scene and into Dubai’s neighborhoods, which can be hard to imagine when you’re sitting in a bar 25 stories above the city. On Arva’s Middle Eastern food tour you’ll try Syrian, Jordanian, Palestinian, Egyptian, Iranian, and Emirati cuisines. Good Emirati food is difficult to find outside of homes, so the tour is worth doing for that chance alone. You’ll get to sample delectable treats: from succulent Persian kebabs and wonderful Egyptian pastries to baklava dripping with honey and piping hot flat bread straight from the oven. Arva’s walking tours (or air-conditioned vans, in the hotter months), will take you from food trucks to tiny Egyptian kitchens, from Iranian saffron rice to Emirati date-scented desserts. Make sure to book well in advance, especially in the winter months.

It sounds “too good to be true”, right? No big resorts... miles of remote beaches... turquoise water... no crowds. The coastline of Cambodia is truly a tropical paradise! There are signs that things are changing, but today Otres Beach, just outside the Cambodian town of Sihanoukville, is untouched by commercial tourism. The beaches are empty and clean. Decent marijuana can be purchased legally (although the law is grey in this area as it is only legal to consume and NOT smoke!) at a number of hip bungalow bars set up along the beach. Drinks are cheap and very easy to come by, and your toes never have to leave the sand. Everything is rustic here, but there is a lot of charm in the dozen establishments along this remote stretch of beach on the Gulf of Thailand. The roads are still dirt. It’s off the beaten path. Air-conditioning is pretty much nonexistent here, and even electricity is hit or miss. Some describe the vibe here like Thailand 20 years ago before tourism was that country’s biggest industry. It’s what all of us beachcombers are looking for, and I found it at Otres Beach, Sihanoukville, Cambodia!

As proof that Dallasites aren’t all about the carnivore life, this downtown market has been peddling farm-fresh veggies, dairy, and more since 1941. What started as a small horse-and-wagon wholesale market is now a 26,000-square-foot hall lined with farm stands, artisan food vendors, and specialty purveyors, plus food hall–style stalls and four permanent restaurants. From fresh baked goods to gourmet cheeses, globally sourced spices to locally grown produce, and seafood to spirits, you’ll find everything you need to stock your pantry or picnic basket. After shopping, grab some coffee or lunch to enjoy at the indoor or outdoor seating areas—the latter facing views of the downtown skyline.

Treehouse Truck in Orlando, FL is a local food truck roaming the streets throughout Central Florida. If you’re lucky, you might even find them in Ft. Lauderdale or Miami! Known for some jaw dropping menu items, they have some other must try items. “Rachel’s Goat Cheese Burger” is quickly becoming a favorite amongst many local Orlando folks. This is a burger topped with Goat Cheese, Tomato, Fresh Arugula, and drizzled with a Balsamic Glaze served on a Toasted Bun. Treehouse Truck should be on your list of “must dos” if you are traveling to Orlando on vacation. If you are lucky enough to live here, you are lucky enough to be able to eat at Treehouse Truck almost any day of the week.

This historic market has been in operation since 1892, and is beloved by locals as a destination for lunch, grocery shopping, or buying regional gifts at the Pennsylvania General Store. More than 70 businesses sell fresh wares here, including ice cream, cookies, meat, seafood, produce, Mexican cuisine, and artisanal grilled-cheese sandwiches—just to name a few. Philadelphians line up daily for just-baked goods from the Amish-owned Beiler’s Bakery, which also runs a separate doughnut stand in the Pennsylvania Dutch section of the market. The market’s location, across the street from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, can mean throngs of visitors on convention days; try to get to the market as early as possible to avoid the crowds.

One of Australia‘s most famous beaches, Cottesloe is a popular place for locals to go jogging, play beach cricket and bask beside the Indian Ocean. The landmark Cottesloe Beach Hotel across the street features the Beach Club, Cott & Co. Fish Bar and the Verandah Bar, all designed for alfresco drinks, bites and good times overlooking the sea.

Vancouver’s most famous urban space, the thousand-acre Stanley Park, epitomizes everything that locals here love about the outdoors, and visitors have many ways to explore the expansive grounds. Hiking trails weave around totem poles and hemlock trees, while at the beaches, you can swim, people-watch and picnic. Rent a bike or a pair of in-line skates for a scenic ride along the Seawall, or wander through the many gardens where rhododendrons, azaleas and roses bloom.

The hike up Lion’s Head affords incredible views. Since the trail winds around the mountain, you’ll have the unique opportunity to see every side of Cape Town from above. When you start, the ever-stunning Table Mountain will be just to the left, but soon enough, you’ll be facing Robben Island in the distance, with all of Cape Town below. The Lion’s Head hiking trail is eight miles round-trip and takes about three to four hours to complete, depending on your pace. If you happen to be in town during the full moon, be sure to start hiking mid-afternoon and bring your headlamp and a picnic dinner. Along the way, you’ll meet many a local honoring their monthly tradition of hiking up, eating dinner during the sunset, and hiking back down in the moonlight glow.