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The Culinary Institute of America opened in the former Copia building in 2017, and, in doing so, resuscitated a vision of a foodie attraction in downtown Napa that celebrates the valley’s long and colorful epicurean history. The facility, originally built by the Mondavi family as a food and wine center, now operates as a cooking school and gastrohub, complete with classes, tasting experiences, panel discussions, and art collections. There’s also a restaurant where visitors can dine on food prepared by CIA student chefs-in-training, and a store that rivals Sur La Table for its selection of kitchenware. In spring and summer, be sure to stroll the culinary gardens, which are so large they stretch across First Street.

Although Montreal‘s Mile End neighbourhood is rife with hip and fashionable restaurants and cafés, this one is different. This salon de thé plays in another league, where lines are blurred between tradition and modernity, and where everyone and their (grand) mother feels welcome. Originally a nightclub, the massive open space was converted to a Victorian tea room a couple of years ago; the love story between Cardinal and Montrealers has not faltered since. Understandably, some would say. With their tall windows, elegant furniture, purposefully mismatched dainty china and their friendly waiters, it’s no wonder people flock to this place. Cardinal serves 20 different kinds of tea, as well as a variety of baked goods including but not limited to the mandatory scones. Salted cakes, sausages and salads and sandwiches are also on the menu for the brunch types. Cardinal is the kind of place where a group of local girlfriends will go on a dark November afternoon to drink tea and catch up on their love lives. So don’t be surprised if you see a couple of them on your visit.

Cultural events, live music, and a variety of artwork can be seen at Donkey Mill Art Center. The gallery is open daily for visitors and features exhibits as diverse as the creative minds that make them. An appreciation for art and culture along with a determination for art education on the Big Island brought a group of people together to start offering classes and workshops for artists of all ages around the Kona area of the Big Island. Since their humble beginnings, the Donkey Mill Art Center has been able to take over an old coffee mill, add an artist in residence program, and expand their studio to include printmaking and ceramics. The impressive committment by volunteers has made the Art Center a well-respected venue for continued learning.

Royal Street is to antiques and fine art what Bourbon Street is to booze. This elegant urban thoroughfare is not only home to some of the best examples of the city’s early-19th-century Creole town houses, but is also loaded with high-end antiques retailers. These feature mostly ornate 18th- and 19th-century European sculptures and paintings, early furniture, chandeliers, and dinnerware used by the upper crust. Most of the inventory has a decidedly Continental air to it. Among the better-known shops are Waldhorn and Adler (343 Royal St.); Ida Manheim Antiques (409 Royal St.), run by the same family since 1919; and haute-upscale M.S. Rau (630 Royal St.), with its warren of hidden back rooms open only to serious customers.

Karawari Lodge is one of the most remarkable places I’ve ever stayed in what is the most incredible country I’ve ever visited. There’s no AC at the lodge, no WiFi, and very little hot water. But what there is is a real sense of adventure. Stationed on a ridge some 300-feet above the Karawari River, deep in remote Arambak country, the lodge serves as a gateway to the dense lowland rainforest that is home to a staggering array of flora and fauna and what seems like an endless number of spectacular villages. After days of exploring via riverboat, the lodge is a great place to return home to – watching the sun set over endless expanses of jungle with a cold South Pacific beer in hand is my idea of a good time. Flash Parker traveled to Papua New Guinea courtesy of Tourism Papua New Guinea and Swain Destinations as part of AFAR’s partnership with The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), whose members provide travelers with unparalleled access, insider knowledge, and peace-of-mind to destinations across the globe. For more info on Flash’s journey, visit the USTOA blog.

Lamu, one of the most magical destinations in Kenya, is famed for being the oldest and best-preserved example of a Swahili settlement in East Africa. The Old Town has been inhabited for over 700 years and is made particularly beautiful by the assortment of Swahili, Arabic, Persian, Indian, and European architecture. Since 1370, different cultures have been lured to Lamu, making it an important trading port along the East Africa coast. Nowadays it enchants visitors with its narrow cobbled alleyways, wandering donkeys, weather-beaten stone buildings, hidden courtyards, and the sight of rustic wooden dhows sailing in the distance. Visit the local mosques, wander the streets of quaint Shela village, sail over to the luxurious Majlis Resort for a swim and a cocktail, or while away the hours on an ornate roof terrace.

Built in 1927, the neo-Gothic structure of the Windsor Arms was intended to resemble the buildings of the University of Toronto. (The hotel is near Victoria College at the university.) The entrance feels like stepping into a castle, the Windsor Arms logo perched neatly beside the portico, doorman at the ready. The hotel was purchased by developer George Friedmann in 1995 and resurrected with modern touches for a fresh debut in 1999. The hotel is birthplace to the idea of the now-famous Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It continues to attract celebrities who want a boutique feel, and though TIFF has shifted its headquarters south, the Windsor Arms will always be a refuge for those who want Old World charm and exclusive service. The streetside patio is perfect for people watching during the lively month of September. And in the hotel’s hallways, you can “stargaze” at the portraits of celebrities, from Robert Redford to Barbra Streisand.

Expert glass artisans create colorful decanters, vases and glasses at this workshop and showroom. Watch the process and admire the crystal displayed in the on-site exhibition. The artists can create a custom-made piece for you and, if you don’t have room in your luggage, ship your purchases home.

Jean-Michel Cousteau and family have created an award-winning, five-star resort on the island of Vanua Levu, in Fiji. No phones, no wi-fi and no worries at this casual, luxurious resort. The thatched “bures” are private rooms and suiteswith views of the ocean or gardens. “The Villa” is the ultimate in privacy and island-style luxury with a private infinity pool, Jacuzzi tub, your own waterfall and outdoor shower. If you are familiar with the Cousteau family and the work Jean-Michel, and his father ocean conservationist and scientist Jacques Cousteau have done, you will be happy to know that the resort continues their work to preserve ocean life and teach people to co-exist with the flora and fauna of earth. Recycling, earth-friendly lighting and growing their own food for the kitchen along with ocean activities that promote learning and understanding of our world are key features. If you are a diver, you are in true paradise here. The resort provides access to the best dive sites in Fiji and the South Pacific. The Jean-Michel Cousteau Dive Centre is located just minutes away from a host of exciting dive sites. Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort’s restaurant offers a diverse cuisine, using only sustainable fish and local products. You’ll have an extraordinary ocean views from your table. If you brought the children, they can attend the complementary Bula Club at the resort. Glass-bottom boat excursions with the resort’s full-time Fijian naturalist/marine biologist Johnny Singh is a highlight. Children under the age of five have their own nanny assigned to them included in the accommodation. Website www.fijiresort.com

Niue’s small museum of artifacts of local cultural and historical significance is especially impressive when you consider that much of the original collection was wiped out by the 2004 cyclone. The salvaged items, books, handicrafts and photographs provide insight into the history of the island, its surprising involvement in World War I (when 150 residents fought in Europe alongside troops from New Zealand) and the traditional arts and crafts produced by its people. The museum is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Barbuda is a birders paradise, home to some 170 avian species, including one of the largest frigate bird colonies on the plant. Located in the vast Codrington Lagoon, which also hosts dozens of other species, off the island’s northwest coast, is the Frigate Bird Sanctuary, which is home to more than 5,000 of these black-feathered birds that like to roost amid the scrubby mangroves found here. Visit the sanctuary during mating season (September to April) if possible. The birds have a fascinating ritual. While the female birds circle above, the male frigates line up in the bushes with their heads arched and chests puffed, and try to attract he attention of a potential mate. When a female frigate sees a male that she fancies she lands at his feet and begins the mating ritual. The lagoon can only be accessed by licensed sea taxi from the jetty in Codrington – boat drivers act as tour guides. Arrangements can be made through your hotel. The taxi tour costs about $70 for up to four people, and admission to the park is just $2 per person.

Born in Auvergne, Thierry Busset trained with European masters before taking his pastry prowess to London’s Le Gavroche and Marco Pierre White (both of which peaked at three Michelin stars). His talent even tamed the famously mercurial Gordon Ramsay, who called Busset “one of the finest pastry chefs in the world.” Nestled on Alberni Street (which is rapidly turning into Vancouver’s version of Rodeo Drive), Busset’s eponymous café is constantly bustling. Pop in for the pillowy macarons, but stay for the soups, quiches, and sandwiches crafted with house-baked bread. Open until midnight daily, the chic eatery also serves spiked drinks, perfect for sipping on the gorgeous heated patio. If you have your heart set on a particular treat, swing by early—fan favorites can easily sell out before noon.

Climb the grand baroque staircase and pass the Jesuit church, cross Gundulić Square, and follow the COLD DRINKS WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIEW signs. Then, yes, walk through the walls. Buža translates to “a hole-in-the-wall,” and a hole-in-the-wall it is, one that leads to a cliffside ledge with a bar on it. From the moment you order a cool beverage off a simple menu, you begin to unwind. The backdrop to your drink is stunning: a sky-high stone parapet on one side and nothing but the blue sea between you and the horizon. This is the ideal spot for swooning over Adriatic sunsets.

Never underestimate the power of shocking pink. The intimate but lively dining room at Dulce Patria—the smash hit by celebrity chef Martha Ortiz—feels not unlike a stage set. Soon after 2 p.m., it starts to fill with high-powered ladies-who-lunch types, cooing over a menu of updated Mexican classics with extravagant, architectural presentations that are at least half the fun. That said, chef Ortiz’s flavorful sculptures really deliver: Tastes are delicate, authentic, and quite delicious. The well-balanced offering presents ample choices without overwhelming, in favorites like the corn-kernel soup, a full portfolio of quesadillas, duck mole, and an extravagant dessert list (gelatin lovers rejoice) that really does drive home the dulce part. A recent seating included telenovela stars and a former Señor Presidente. And who knew there were so many edible flowers?

If the weather and smog conditions cooperate, the views from the top of Victoria Peak, aka the Peak, will make your day. Go in late afternoon to catch the sunset and then the glittering, lit-up nightscape of Hong Kong. Getting up to Hong Kong Island’s highest point, at 1,800 feet above sea level, is part of the fun. You can always opt for a bus, train, or taxi, but for the best taste of Hong Kong, ride the outdoor (but covered) Mid-Levels escalators, something you won’t find anyplace in the world. It will take about 20 minutes to travel via the series of 20 escalators and three moving walkways up to the Peak Tram, a historic century-old funicular railway that makes the rest of the steep trip to the top.