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The Celts were in Austria long before the Romans were, but it was the latter who left a more lasting imprint. With a population of 30,000 at its peak, the Roman legion camp of Vindobona was considered the edge of the world. As old as the Roman presence in Vienna is, the Römermuseum only dates back to 2008. On the Hoher Markt, one of the oldest squares in the city (and one with a fabulous gilded baroque fountain), the museum lies right over the Roman officers’ compound. Displays on everything from cooking utensils to toys are enhanced with a 3-D film on life at the time. Across the square, the Ankeruhr, an intricate and gorgeous art nouveau mechanical clock, was erected in 1914 on a bridge joining two sections of the Anker insurance building.

Set along the sacred Ayung River, Four Seasons Resort at Sayan is a tropical paradise shrouded in giant palms and ferns. Designed by John Heah, the property was built and decorated using regional materials almost exclusively, from shells and coconuts to coveted ikat fabrics, giving guests an authentic Balinese experience just 15 minutes from Ubud. A serene lotus pond sits on the rooftop of the resort’s main building, and teakwood villas offer views of rice terraces and the longest river in Bali. Indonesian cooking classes, ancient wellness rituals, and plantings with local rice farmers are just some of the ways guests can connect with the local culture; the rest can be found in Ubud, where vibrant markets, temples, and museums counterbalance the hotel’s tranquil dining and wellness journeys.

The dive sites scattered around the Maldives are some of the best in the world, teeming with underwater life and vibrant coral—and boasting excellent visibility. Banana Reef, a North Male Atoll spot that owes its name to its curved shape, was one of the first places to put the Maldives on the map for divers. The protected marine area is marked by cliffs and overhangs, sheltering the barracudas, snappers, and groupers below. The reef is also set up for snorkeling, and even those swimming near the surface will be able to see schools of fish, sharks, and manta rays.

One of Scotland’s most important stately homes, Scone Palace has a colorful history. It’s believed to have been the capital of the prehistoric Pictish people, who inhabited much of northern Britain in the early centuries B.C.E., and also served as the seat of parliaments and the crowning place of the Kings of Scots, including Macbeth and Robert the Bruce. The palace visitors see today only dates to 1802, though parts of a 17th-century house, erected on top of a 12th-century abbey, remain. The famous Stone of Scone, upon which royalty sat to be crowned, was here until 1296, when it was stolen by Edward I of England (today, it’s housed at Edinburgh Castle).

Visit the castle and tour the main State Rooms, full of everything from porcelain, ivories, and clocks to furniture, paintings, and other important family belongings. Then explore the expansive grounds, home to the Market Cross, the Old Scone graveyard, a 16th-century archway that once served as the grand entrance to the city of Scone, and a pinetum full of giant redwoods and noble firs.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. ~ Marcel Proust. For my inaugural highlight on AFAR, I am starting with my wife’s favorite quote, and a local sight in Chicago. Sometimes people feel they must jet off to some far off exotic place in order to ‘travel.’ However, if you gaze anew at your immediate surroundings with fresh eyes, you will discover an entire host of wonderful surprises. Here we have Cloud Gate, located down in Millennium Park, back before they buffed out the seams. The contrast between the organic form of ‘the bean’ and the structured grid lines, along with the warped fun house mirror quality of the city, makes this a truly unique destination.

Up until 2004, Switzerland’s iconic furry friends—St. Bernard dogs—were bred at this monastery and hospice. While the canines have been relocated, the Great St. Bernard Hospice, which sits on a barren, treeless plane at 8,100 feet, is still an active monastery run by Augustinian monks. The steep four-mile ascent from the valley is a killer on foot, but still doable—on groomed trails in summer and on snowshoes in winter. Inside, monks greet you and show you to communal tables in the stone dining hall where vegetable soups are served with hunks of Bagnes cheese, thick slices of brown bread, and honey-sweetened tea (or a carafe of red Dôle wine produced in the Valais region just below, which seems to be the more popular option). Don’t miss the odd museum, displaying local taxidermy, ancient coins, and maps once used for Alpine crossings; the 800-year-old crypt is allegedly stuffed with the bodies of ancient travelers who didn’t survive the journey. A register of “Les passants célèbres” includes Charlemagne, Napoleon, and Alexandré Dumas but omits Charles Dickens, who lived nearby for a summer.

Once a separate town, the leafy colonial neighborhood known as Coyoacán has long been absorbed into the city at large, but retains a separate, old-fashioned air that’s impossible to resist. Restaurants and ice cream parlors (plus some venerable, divey cantinas) cluster around the quarter’s two central plazas that fill daily with strolling families, bootblacks, balloon sellers, and organ grinders. Feeling noshy? Locals swear by the esquites (stewed and seasoned corn kernels) on offer at a street stall next to the Sanborns store, right on Plaza del Centenario. A walk down Calle Francisco Sosa takes you past some of the city’s most valuable (often colonial-era) residences and ends at adorable Plaza Santa Catarina, with its petite parish church and a handful of friendly watering holes when it’s time for a drink or a snack.

Although medina dwellers tend to favor local markets for their daily shopping, and tourists enjoy strolling them to get a sense of life in the ancient city, the art deco fresh-produce market in the Ville Nouvelle provides a less harried experience. This is where you’ll find premium regionally grown fruits and vegetables, ranging from gorgeous artichokes, peas, and fava beans in the spring; sweetly fragrant peaches, nectarines, and melons in the summer; and earthy sweet potatoes, great bunches of fennel, and Jerusalem artichokes going into the autumn and winter. Haunches of beef and lamb hang from butchers’ hooks, and the catch from Kenitra and Tangier lays glistening on ice-covered wooden slabs. The market is a great place to stock up on dried fruits and nuts, and souvenirs of herbs and spices, handwoven baskets, and Moroccan serving platters. After shopping, stop at one of several cafés on lively Mohammed V Boulevard for freshly squeezed orange juice or a coffee strong enough to make your nerves jangle, and watch the world wander on by.

As the name suggests, this 37-acre Santa Barbara garden is horticultural heaven. For more than 43 years, socialite and opera singer Madame Ganna Walska filled the grounds with more than 3,000 plants; after her death, Lotusland opened to the public in 1993 as a nonprofit botanical garden. The species of plants hail from all over the world, and the collection includes succulents, aloes, ferns, bromeliads, and water lilies. Other gardens are planted by theme, like the Blue Garden, Theatre Garden, and Water Garden. There’s never a bad time to visit, but if you’re especially interested in seeing the lotuses bloom, mark July and August in your calendar. Nonmember visitors must make reservations in advance for two-hour tours that include both horticultural and historical information, but the parties are small, so you’ll have a clear view of the gardens. If you want the luxury of wandering the gardens unattended, consider purchasing a membership. Either way, be sure to stop at the garden shop for plants and tools, and dream about creating your own little Lotusland at home.

Without a doubt Versailles is the most luxurious palace in Europe, built to astound visitors and impress the king’s subjects into awed submission with crystal chandeliers, gilt, and fine art. This opulent monument is also attractive to those with simpler tastes: Visitors with green thumbs will love the king’s kitchen gardens while others may want to rent bicycles to pedal the lavish grounds, and animal lovers will enjoy the sheep, goats, and chickens receiving the royal treatment at the queen’s quaint hamlet. La Petite Venise, an excellent restaurant on the grounds, offers garden seating on sunny days.

North Star Pinball (or North Star Machines à Piastres, if you were wondering how to say pinball machine in French) is pretty much what you would expect from its name, a bar with a collection of about two dozen vintage pinball machines, most dating from the 1960s to the 1990s. There’s a long list of beers in bottles and on tap, cocktails (including seasonal specials), housemade ginger beer, and a short menu of bar snacks—pickled eggs, pepperoni, mixed nuts. Right on “the Main,” as locals refer to boulevard St-Laurent, the bar draws a loyal group of regulars who appreciate this no-attitude place.

The always-packed third outpost of the much-heralded Uchi (after Austin and Houston) continues the tradition of serving authentic, beautifully presented Japanese dishes in a simple, refined setting. The menu changes four times a year, based on the season, but always includes sushi and sashimi options, makimono hand-rolls, grilled yakimono dishes, tempura, and a six-course omokase tasting. It’s all crafted with products that are sustainably and responsibly harvested, from the fresh produce from local farms to the seafood that’s flown in daily from the Tsukiji and Fukuoka fish markets in Japan. A full vegetarian menu is also available (including for the omokase), as are Sake Social happy hours. Snag a seat at the counter for a front-row view of all the kitchen action.

While many of Napa’s other bakeries are known for their sweets, this one, with locations in Yountville, Napa, and St. Helena, is known for something entirely different: bread. In particular, the Model Bakery’s English muffins have achieved nationwide fame and appeared on Oprah’s “Favorite Things” list. The breads are so popular that you have to arrive by 9 a.m. on weekend mornings if you want them fresh. Model bakes other types of bread as well, including levain, harvest wheat, and sourdough, as well as French baguettes and walnut bread. Even the bakery’s focaccia is off-the-charts good. In addition to all these carbs, the bakery also offers hot sandwiches, salads, and pastries.

A three-day safari in Kruger National Park is a must for anyone visiting South Africa. Entering the gates is like Jurassic Park and you feel transported back in time to the creation of Earth where the wild animals, especially the elephants, are dinosaurs filled with ancient knowledge of the land’s beginning. Although you may not see anything like the infamous “Battle at Kruger” YouTube video, you will certainly witness some interesting animal behavior like hippos bathing, monkeys mating, giraffes snacking or even two elephants flirting in the brush.

Chef Daniela del Balzo is full-immersion Roman, and she shares everything she knows at this intimate cooking school on the Aventine hill. For travelers who love Roman or even Neopolitan cooking, nothing beats a personal lesson from a local, and del Balzo will customize each recipe for your palate. A morning lesson includes appraising produce at her market, then preparing and savoring lunch in her nearby home. Learn how to make dishes like fried zucchini blossom, Roman lamb cacciatora, and maritozzi (Roman buns with whipped cream). Reservations required.