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With its striking white facades and terra-cotta rooftops, you might mistake Cap Maison for a Mediterranean villa on the Costa Brava. However, this all-inclusive resort set on a former sugar plantation on St. Lucia’s north coast offers more than meets the eye. The pastel-hued interiors are matched by the sunny dispositions of the superb staff, who cater to every request, whether it’s finding a shady spot by the terraced pool area, booking a paddleboarding excursion off the private beach on Smuggler’s Cove, or arranging for the house yacht to take you to the neighboring island of Martinique for the day. Don’t miss the sunset views at the Cliff at Cap restaurant, where locally sourced dishes like reef conch ceviche and passion fruit soufflé are topped off with some of the resort’s house-made rum.

If you like piña coladas, make a beeline for this overwater outpost on glittering Palm Beach. Situated on a pier, the open-air bar and grill boasts uninterrupted views of the water—as well as Aruba’s spectacular sunsets. Here, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served alongside an extensive array of chilled beverages, attracting a friendly crowd. There’s live music every day during happy hour and, on Sundays, the Travel Session band plays from 7 to 10 p.m. If you’d rather sing yourself, be there on Saturday, when karaoke starts at 8:30 p.m. While the restaurant definitely has a party-like setting, children are more than welcome and high chairs are available for little ones.

Sitting at the edge of Kenya’s capital city is Nairobi National Park. Kenya’s first national park is home to a huge range of wildlife, including buffalo, rhino, zebra, and lions. You can drive on your own around the park, or book a game drive with the Kenya Wildlife Service in advance. The best times to view the animals are at dawn or dusk; while away some of the time in between by heading to Ololo Lodge for lunch and a swim, or stay the night at Nairobi Tented Camp. Helping fund the park with tourism is more important now than ever: It is under pressure from developers, and there have been a number of incidents involving wildlife straying into nearby farmland, due to the encroachment of humans on the animals’ habitats in recent years.

In the 1850s, a rugged hill overlooking Sydney Harbour was capped with the Sydney Observatory at the behest of English astronomer and clergyman William Scott. What started as a sandstone structure used primarily for time-keeping and navigation developed into an observatory that has been illuminating the southern sky for more than a century. Sydney has much more light pollution today, but the original retractable copper dome does a good job of blocking it out to bring distant constellations and nebulae into view. The resident astronomer will target planets such as Jupiter and Saturn as well as only-in-the-southern-hemisphere sights such as the Southern Cross constellation or the astronomer’s favorite: Jewel Box, a rare cluster of glimmering stars whose different colors reflect distinct ages.

A quick bus ride from the city (or a refreshing end to the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk), Coogee Pavilion is one of the most happening beach bars in Sydney. The downstairs area is home to a wood-fired pizza oven, oyster bar, juice stall, and kids’ zone with giant Scrabble, pétanque, ping pong, and nautical books, while the breezy rooftop features four different bars, outfitted with love seats and wire-frame stools for taking in the breathtaking bay views. Aussie wines and beers plus fruity cocktails shaken with house-made juice pair with Mediterranean-themed tapas like chargrilled lamb chops and blistered Padrón peppers.

Sometimes it’s nice to get off the beaten path. You can take the normal pathways around Cinque Terre (and they are spectacular in their own right) but you can also veer a bit off the normal journey and take the ‘high road’ to catch a glimpse of some breathtaking vistas. Leaving Riomaggiore through the back road on foot, keep walking up hill until you see a small set of stairs under the main road that lead down to a grass path. Follow this path under the stone bridge, and begin your ascent up through the vineyards and terraced gardens. When you reach the top, soak up the unrivaled sea views. From some out-perches, you can see four of the five villages at one time.

Jamaica’s most touristy site—famous for being featured in the James Bond movie Dr. No.—is also one of its most beautiful, in spite of the countless bodies that visit and attempt the climb daily, both locals and tourists. The view of the falls is spectacular. And call it cheesy, but it’s actually fun trying to ascend stone steps while being splashed by 600-foot-high powerful falls that cascade down into a jade pool. Grab a licensed guide on-site if you need one, otherwise latch on to one of the human chains you’ll spot when you arrive. The falls are just a stone’s throw from Ocho Rios, so any route or shared taxi will make a stop here for a few bucks.

Dining at one of Negril’s excellent cliffside restaurants is highly recommended, and the gorgeous setting of Ivan’s Bar & Restaurant at Catcha Falling Star makes it a very nice option. The longtime favorite has one of the best views along the coast and serves lobster dinners and classic Jamaican cuisine with a bit of a modern twist. Guests are seated under an open-sided thatched roof or out under the stars at private tables on a patio near the cliff’s edge. Another favorite choice for romantic cliffside dining is the restaurant at Rockhouse Hotel. (If you want more cocktails post-dinner, walk down to LTU Pub and mingle with the locals. Casual eateries and cliff bars along West End Road include 3 Dives and Sips & Bites.)

If you’re looking for a unique fine-dining experience under the stars, away from tourists and with gorgeous night skyline views, look no further than Robbie Joseph’s Seahorse Grill. Tucked on the grounds of the Montego Bay Yacht Club, this restaurant is popular among expats and residents and remains a best-kept secret. Classy yet unpretentious, it offers outdoor, waterfront dock, and terrace seating and “global cuisine with a twist of West Indian flair.” From a juicy steak night—hard to find in Jamaica—to pastas and Jamaican seafood specialties, you’ll be talking about that dinner under the stars for a while to come. The cocktails are pretty fabulous, too. This restaurant is a west coast gem.

You’ll more than likely gasp when you first glimpse this 180-foot-deep, jade- and sapphire-colored body of water surrounded by verdant rain forest. Though you can spot it from the road as you drive along Port Antonio’s east coast, the Blue Lagoon is best appreciated while gliding across it on a bamboo raft. The entire scene looks straight out of the movies, which is why locals would probably tell you that it was a location for the eponymous 1980 movie starring Brooke Shields (which, in fact, was filmed in Fiji). Even if you don’t hop on a raft for a float, at least get out of the car to take in the stunning view. (An on-site restaurant and deck were closed for renovation some years back and still haven’t reopened.)

Hout Bay is basically Eden. This ecological utopia has everything a nature lover could want, from imposing mountains and miraculous views (check out the Twelve Apostles range) to World of Birds, the largest bird park in Africa, home to 3,000 birds and over 100 walk-through aviaries. On weekends, you can shop for food and crafts at the lively market at the end of the harbor road. Besides Chapman’s Peak Drive, there are two other roads into Hout Bay, one from Constantia and another that passes the gorgeous surfer beach of Llandudno—also the exit for Sandy Bay, a nudist beach.

When someone tells me they’re traveling to Spain and looking for recommendations, San Sebastian (Donostia, in Basque) is my first thought for city destinations in the northern part of the country. It’s charming, beautiful, and steeped in history. Mount Urgull, the hill that stands on the right side of the bay, epitomizes all those characteristics in one easy to explore package. Mount Urgull is an easy walk from anywhere along the Promenade, and you can either walk up from Parte Vieja or walk around by the aquarium and the point to see views of the Bay of Biscay. I’ll recommend that you start with the second way and, coming back down, drop right into Parte Vieja. That way you get the best of both.

Petaling Street is renowned for selling fake goods, everything from designer watches and bags to football jerseys and video games. Originally, the street was open to traffic, but it has since become an enclosed area, complete with transparent roof for protection against rain. Bargaining is the norm when buying, but nowadays stall owners have become so used to this ‘game’ that they’re reluctant to reduce their prices too low (like in the old days). Still, it’s a must visit if you’re in K.L. Even though it’s more crowded, it’s best to go at night when it’s cooler and there are more stalls. The top photo shows the main entrance to the street, and the bottom photo shows the view as you walk in.

Stand on the the quais beneath the Pont Neuf bridge—the city’s oldest crossing of the Seine—and look up. Staring down at you are mascarons, stone faces that resemble gargoyles, but without bodies. No two of these grotesque visages are the same. Enjoy their individuality as you ponder the decades it took to build this stone structure: begun in 1578 by Henri III and inaugurated by Henri IV in 1607. From 1588 to 1599, construction was interrupted by the French Wars of Religion, which lasted 36 years. Then head up the stairs to walk across its two spans, which connect the Ile de la Cité to the Right and Left banks. Great views of the Louvre can be had from the longer, seven-arch span that stretches to the Right Bank.

Acclaimed Mexican artist/painter Diego Rivera (a.k.a. Mr. Frida Kahlo) created these Aztec mosaic murals, which continue to the left, on the outside walls of this house in the old tourist center of Acapulco. He stayed in this house, which belonged to his final lover Dolores Olmedo, while recovering from cancer, and eventually died here in 1957. The mural is titled Exekatlkalli (House of the Winds).