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According to a popular saying in Holland, “Money is earned in Rotterdam, divided in Den Haag and spent in Amsterdam.” To see where financial division happens in the Netherlands, head for the country’s seat of government: The Hague or Den Haag, as the Dutch call it. Den Haag is a cultured city with just under 500,000 people―less edgy than Amsterdam but more sophisticated than Rotterdam. Amsterdam may be the capital of Holland, but you’ll find the Dutch Parliament, Supreme Court and Council of State in Den Haag. In addition to being the seat of government, the Netherlands’ third largest city (after Amsterdam and Rotterdam) also is the locale for 150 international courts, foreign embassies and international organizations. As home to the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court, it’s among six major cities that hosts the United Nations, along with New York, Vienna, Geneva, Tokyo and Nairobi.

Overlooking Chesterman Beach, the Wickaninnish Inn, or “the Wick,” as locals call it, offers 75 cabinlike rooms with Adirondack-style furnishings. Amenities include a library stocked with board games and movies, a spa that offers West Coast–inspired treatments, and guided hikes to nearby tide pools every Saturday morning. Swing by the Henry Nolla Carving Shed on the beach, where local wood carvers⎯“Feather” George Yearsley, for one⎯craft wooden objects such as eagle feathers, dugout canoes, jewelry boxes, and First Nations masks. From $460. 500 Osprey Ln., (250) 725-3100. Image courtesy of Wickaninnish Inn

Britxos opened its doors in the summer of 2012 to great fanfare among Brussels expat foodie community. We were already familiar with the team, from catering company La Britannique, for their incredible food and warm, friendly service. Britxos is a cozy little bar in the St. Gilles neighbourhood of Brussels. It is filed with light from the huge windows and colour, from the chalkboard walls, filled with menu items and comments from past visitors. The name is a play on British (chef and owner Alex’s nationality) and Pintxos (the Basque word for tapas). Inspiration is taken from Alex’s love of food and travel and each dish is named for the city that inspired it. Every Monday night there is live jazz. Friday nights are the popular gourmet night,s with a 4 course fixed-price menu, and Sunday is the un-missable Britxos Brunch. You’ll hear every language found in Brussels being spoken here, while enjoying a fantastic and affordable meal.

An enviable location in the quietly upscale embassy quarter on the edge of sprawling Tiergarten Park is only part of SO Berlin Das Stue’s appeal. Occupying a graceful, gray-stone 1930s building that once housed the Danish embassy, the hotel features soothing, sophisticated interiors by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola, who decorated the public areas with animal sculptures—a reference to the neighboring zoo—and colorful, comfortable furnishings. Two original travertine staircases lead up to the 78 rooms and suites, which offer a blend of modern conveniences (rain showers, HD entertainment systems, and iMacs in each room) and considered design touches (black-and-white fashion photographs, hardwood floors, sliding walls, handle-less cupboards), plus views of either the park or the zoo. Guests can enjoy the hotel’s glamorous work and relaxation areas—some with libraries of books on art and design, fashion, and architecture—as well as a spa offering holistic Susanne Kaufmann treatments, and a fitness center with an indoor swimming pool and Finnish sauna. The new staff uniforms come from Viktor & Rolf. Dining options include a chic bar serving light bites (and live music every other Friday); The Casual, offering all-day shareable plates both indoors and out; and the Michelin-starred, Mediterranean-accented Cinco from chef Paco Pérez. A newer wing, designed by Axthelm Architects, features rooms with more direct views of the zoo—which hotel guests can access via the terrace’s exclusive private entrance.

“They get a little cranky if you get too close to their heads,” warned my tour guide at Crococun Zoo. I was in the reptile pen standing near—no straddling—a 6 foot, rescued croc wondering what on earth I was doing when my guide smiled and suggested I squat down and pet him. Crococun Zoo is really a rehabilitation center for exotic animals on Mexico’s Yucatan coast. If you visit, you will find monkeys, parrots, boa constrictors, lizards, deer, wild dogs, coati and more. Most of the animals can be fed or held, and I am generally fine with that. In fact, I enjoy letting 10 foot long snakes wrap their thick bodies around my neck. I love adventure. But at Crococun, you can literally walk among the crocodiles. You can step right over them. Believe me, the $28 you pay to get in the park is a small price to pay to pet the tail of a crocodile. Just make sure they are well fed.

The Crocker Art Museum recently underwent a renovation, and the results are stunning. It feels like a “real” museum, the type you would expect to find in a big, thriving city like Sacramento, the capital of California. The permanent collection of paintings is housed in the old Crocker mansion, with beautiful details to be found in every room. The exhibitions as well as permanent collections of ceramics and Asian and African artworks are housed in the museum’s new modern wing. The light, airy space perfectly suits the purpose. There is also an inviting courtyard and cafe downstairs as well as exhibition spaces upstairs. The museum is located right in downtown Sacramento. Entrance is $10 per adult. Family-friendly activities are held frequently. Parking is available behind and in front of the museum. The gift shop has a nice collection of gifts, puzzles, wall hangings, and children’s items.

Encircling the entire island of Bonaire—and the neighboring islet of Klein Bonaire—Bonaire National Marine Park is home to some of the best snorkeling and diving you’ll ever do. Thanks to long-standing protective measures (dive-site moorings that preclude damage from anchors being dropped nearby, for example), the coral and fish here are some of the healthiest in the region, so expect a profusion of marine life, whether in the form of tiny sea horses, massive morays, or a zillion creatures in between.

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.

The Argentine restaurant that took Sydney by storm in 2010—and even rose from the ashes of a fire that originated in its charcoal grill—finally outgrew its Cleveland Street Surry Hills digs and reopened on Holt Street in late 2016. The old parilla and asado fire pits were transplanted to the new location, this time positioned behind the counter of the open kitchen, and the rockabilly vibe lives on, albeit in a bright, plant-filled, parquet-floored space decorated with vintage sports and movie posters. Old menu favorites like the grilled Wagyu skirt steak and deep-fried Brussels sprouts can now be paired with a seafood cocktail, or wood-fired pumpkin tamales smothered in mole. End with the flan or melon ice cream served in the rind.

The Power and the Glory is a cool bistro in the center of Cape Town that has attracted a cult following among locals. The relaxed style, the bearded staff, the folding chairs, and the sidewalk stools may remind you of a Brooklyn cafe. If you can snag a chair, it makes for a great place to work or to have a meeting over a light breakfast. In the evening, the place is usually packed with revelers. Try the quiche in the morning, the pretzel bun hot dog in the evening, and the Nutella cheesecake for dessert.

My ideal habitat is a warm day on a tropical beach. I’m also a sucker for beauty in all its most unusual forms (part of the reason I’m on the Board of Burning Man). So, when I heard about the Harbin International Ice & Snow Festival in northeast China (Manchuria meets Siberia: that just sounds frozen!), my initial reaction was, “How far would I travel and how cold would I get all in the name of experiencing an aesthetic phenomenon?” So, after 90 degree humidity in Malaysia, two planes delivered me to this cursed, desolate part of China (20 degrees below zero). Amidst the Siberian wind gusts and short days of daylight, Harbin is a revelation, a place where the light of collective aesthetic joy is experienced by 800,000 visitors annually for the Ice & Snow Festival (90% from China as this is one of the country’s top winter destinations). Oddly, I kept having Burning Man flashbacks...night being preferred over day due to the psychedelic visuals enhanced by the dark, the fact that thousands of artists (15k in Harbin) labor 15 days around the clock to create something out of nothing only to know that these beautiful structures will either melt (Harbin) or burn (Burning Man), and, finally, the sense that no picture or video can capture the sensory overload of being surrounded by spectacle. Think: “You had to be there.” Remember the spectacle of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony? I heartily recommend this trek that takes place late December through February.

As far as bars go, Minus 5 is without question the coolest place in Las Vegas. The place sits in a giant freezer, and everything inside is made of ice—the walls, the chandeliers, the seats, the bar itself, even the very glasses in which you receive your drink. When you pay the $39 cover (it’s spendy, but it includes two specialty cocktails), you are issued a warm parka or faux-fur coat for the duration of your stay. Inside, music and lights create a surreal setting that pairs perfectly with the rest of the frozen goodies. It’s a night out you won’t forget soon. There are two locations—one at Mandalay Bay and a newer, smaller one inside Monte Carlo—with the same pricing and chilly experience.

The hip sister of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, this modern and contemporary art museum has become one of France’s most visited cultural venues since opening in 2010. Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, the 54,000-square-foot building features three rectangular galleries, which regularly host exhibitions of 20th- and 21st-century art from France’s illustrious Musée National d’Art Moderne. The piece de résistance can be seen outside, however—the building’s curvy, mesh roof, composed of glue-laminated timber, was inspired by a Chinese hat that Shigeru Ban found in Paris. Take it all in while dining at the museum’s Voile Blanche restaurant or outdoor brasserie, both of which are headed by Michelin-starred chef Eric Maire.

Le Chat has an awesome view, it’s just perfect to finish the day or to have a long lunch. You can enjoy the view over the 25th April Bridge and the Tagus River to the other shore and maybe you will see a cruise ship leaving Lisbon and heading towards the ocean. This glass cube of a joint—near the National Museum of Ancient Art—offers seats inside and outside on a terrace. Even in winter the terrace is appealing, with heat lamps and blankets provided. Rather than ordering a full meal, share some appetizers like sweet potato chips, sautéed shrimp, and a traditional Portuguese dish, Peixinhos da Horta (batter-fried green beans), while enjoying the fresh air and expansive views.

While every major cultural group in Belize celebrates its own festivals and rituals, one of the most unifying festivities is Garifuna Settlement Day, which is also a national holiday in Belize. Celebrated on Nov. 19, the day marks the arrival in 1823 of the Garinagu people to the shores of Belize. Head to Dangriga the evening before, when vibrant celebrations begin in town. Locals and visitors from all over Belize and the world gather under the thatch-roof sheds to dance and chant to Garifuna drums until sunrise. Canoes are filled with cassava leaves and traditionally clothed residents, who paddle their way to shore while those waiting along the banks cheer. Once the canoes reach shore in the morning, the revelry continues in the streets of Dangriga all day long, with a traditional church service, followed by street parades and dancing.