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To visit Mwanza is to head off the traditional tourist trail of Tanzania. Here, on the coast of Lake Victoria, commercial ships fish for Nile perch and sardines that will be sold across Africa; every year Tanzanians flock to Mwanza for work opportunities. Explore this thriving and interesting city with a stop at the Mwaloni fish market (where you’ll also find produce brought in from villages around the lake) and take in the pretty views of Lake Victoria. Bismarck Rock, a tall boulder balancing atop a jumble of rocks out in the lake, can be visited en route to the ferry terminal. Ferries carry passengers across the lake to Bukoba and points along the shore. From Mwanza, it’s also possible to hop a train across the country to Dar es Salaam, but be warned—it’s regularly delayed for as many as 12 hours.

The Marine Room faces the Pacific Ocean and is the only place in San Diego where you can eat great food in a cozy atmosphere while the surf pounds the glass. Don’t even bother coming here unless it’s during high tide. When you visit San Diego- just check the tide charts and then call the Marine Room to reserve your breakfast spot during high tide. They do an elaborate buffet and I was actually impressed at the quality of food. There’s something for everyone. The set up is buffet style, but the food is definitely not! From wild caught salmon to pastries to breakfast meats- there’s something for everyone. Recommended: Definitely check the restaurant website before reserving your seat. And definitely reserve a seat!

Thermal springs dot the countryside just north of San Miguel, some as close as a five-minute taxi ride away. Newest—and closest among them—is the Spa at Los Senderos (pictured above), with an adjacent sandy lakeshore for a day-at-the-beach facsimile. In fact, this is a wider residential and ecological project that includes vineyards and organic orchards. Older spas like La Gruta, Escondido Place, and Taboada merit daylong excursions, with lunch being served while you recline in your chaises longues. And the Mayan Baths, with an underground rock-walled grotto complete with candles and piped-in music, can make for a romantic evening, even including a buffet dinner. (That said, double-check the somewhat irregular schedule.)

This stretch of beaches and rocky islets north of Catania were named for their role in Homer’s legend of the Odyssey. In the story, it was here that Odysseus encountered the cyclops Polyphemus, and the lava rocks jutting from the sea are said to have been thrown by Polyphemus as the hero sailed away. Today, the beaches around fishing villages like Acireale and Aci Trezza are beautiful—and popular—summer hangouts.

Of all the Greek islands, sybaritic Mykonos has the most to offer big spenders. Instead of worry beads and flip-flops, the shopping scene is more Louis Vuitton and Lalaounis jewelry. Ergon, a stark white concept store with rag rugs installed between the rafters, stocks an exciting collection of clothing and accessories by Greek designers. Embroidered caftans, tasseled espadrilles, and colorful straw fedoras are just the thing for sashaying through town or showing off your tan at beach bars such as Alemàgou and Scorpios. Gifts inspired by ancient Greece include a Trojan horse paperweight, a minimalist amphora pendant, and gold olive-branch earrings. You can also customize your own espadrilles, T-shirt, or beach tote.

Deep in the red-rock country of central Southern Utah, this hidden gem of a national park doesn’t draw much attention to itself, making it a great place to avoid the crowds. It’s situated along most of the nearly 100-mile-long Waterpocket Fold, a classic geologic monocline created by a shift in the rock layers. The majority of guests here drive the main road through the north-central section, where the visitor center is located, but there’s lots to see in Cathedral Valley in the far north and Strike Valley in the far south as well.

This group of more than 30 cafés across Denmark are open early, so they’re great for breakfast. The tea, coffee, and sandwiches are all very nice, but what really sets Lagkagehuset apart is the quality of the cakes. It would take an iron will to resist one of their strawberry tarts or a slice of Christianshavnerkage, a hazelnut torte topped with strawberry-vanilla cream and berries. The café in Copenhagen overlooks the lakes, and when the water glitters on a sunny day, there are few places more pleasant for an impromptu afternoon tea.

If you’re driving out to the beaches or bars of St. Kitts’ southeast peninsula, make sure to stop for an envy-inducing photo op at the top of Timothy Hill. Up here, your 360-degree view includes the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, Friar’s and Frigate bays, Nevis, and the hilly peninsula itself.

Across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh, in the town of North Queensferry, the Wee Restaurant has remained a Fife standout for more than a decade. As its name implies, it’s a small spot with just 40 seats, but the close quarters create a relaxed, intimate atmosphere. Here, husband-and-wife team Craig and Vikki Wood offer simple food like char-grilled sirloin steak and smoked haddock with potatoes alongside a carefully considered selection of wines. In addition to à la carte dishes, the restaurant serves a seasonal “Menu du Jour” at lunchtime Tuesday through Saturday and in the evening from Tuesday through Thursday. It’s perfect for lighter appetites and offers great value, with two courses for £16 (around $21) or three for just £20 ($26).

Back in the days when there was no road to White Bay, on the island of Jost Van Dyke, boaters would anchor in the bay and swim ashore to belly up to the bar on the beach. They’d pay for their drinks with the cash they’d carried in their pockets—hence the name, the Soggy Dollar Bar. Some patrons still arrive the traditional way, settling in to enjoy the Soggy Dollar’s signature cocktail, the Painkiller, a potent mix of Pusser’s Rum (a BVI brand), pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut cream and a generous grating of fresh nutmeg.

The bay of Les Saintes ranks among UNESCO’s list of most beautiful bays in the world—and it’s not hard to see why. The views, whether on approach from the sea or from atop one of its bluffs, make up a dreamy Caribbean postcard, with the bluest of waters punctuated by small sailboats and a few docks, and its shores lined by sugar-white beaches. Under its surface, coral reefs thrive, making it an excellent snorkeling and diving destination. Lazying on a catamaran drifting across the bay is also a worthwhile experience, whether you get into the water or not.

Set on a village site that dates back a thousand years, this park aims to show visitors what life was like on Guam 500 years ago, when the Chamorro had the island to themselves. Walk through a small botanical park to the re-created village. What’s most interesting is the specialization: a cooking house, a men’s house (common in Micronesia), even a house for the sick. And, of course, the biggest house of all was the chief’s. The park offers an excellent introduction to the Guam that existed before the Spanish arrived.

Limo offers Peruvian fusion par excellence that uses typical ingredients in daring new ways. It’s particularly known for fish, including many types of sushi, as well as a variety of entrées that feature tuna, shrimp, octopus, crab, salmon, or trout, some inspired by Andean recipes, others taken from the Japanese tradition. Not a seafood lover? No problem! Limo also has delicious options featuring chicken, pork, beef, and alpaca. This second-floor restaurant overlooking the Plaza de Armas is also a great place for sampling pisco cocktails. Reservations are a good idea, especially if you’d like to score a balcony table with a town-square view.

The Buccaneer has a long history. The colonial great house was built by Maltese knight Charles Martel in 1653. Located on a protected bluff, the house later became the home of Danish governor von Prock after Denmark’s 1733 purchase of the Virgin Islands. Fast-forward to 1947, when the Armstrong family transformed what was by then a cattle estate into the Buccaneer, St. Croix’s first family-run hotel. The resort, completely modern and still quite popular, operates the Buccaneer Golf Club, celebrated for its par 70 course that offers Caribbean views from 13 of its 18 holes.

Built in 1928 by Asia’s oldest hotel brand, the Peninsula Hong Kong is one of the most historic properties on the Kowloon Peninsula, just across Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong Island. Designed originally as an upscale accommodation for passengers riding the adjacent Kowloon-Canton railway, the Peninsula has been a fixture of Hong Kong society throughout the region’s history. It was a magnet for Hollywood stars and dignitaries, the site of Hong Kong’s surrender to Japanese forces at the start of World War II, and temporary housing for residents following the war.

In 1994, a 30-story tower was added to house 135 additional rooms and suites as well as shops, a spa, a fitness center, twin rooftop helipads, and Felix—the hotel’s 28th-floor fine-dining restaurant, designed by Philippe Starck. The entire property was renovated in 2013 to update rooms with creamy colors, polished wood, and stitched leather and introduce high-tech extras that include a bedside control panel allowing guests to adjust the room’s light, sound, and temperature without getting out from under the covers. Today, the hotel is sleek and modern, but historic relics evoke the glory days that established the Peninsula as the “Grande Dame of the Far East.”