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In an otherwise flat and forlorn section of desert between Tucson and San Diego, exit 67 on I-8 is a sweet pit stop: Dateland! A grove of date palms was planted beside the railroad tracks here in the 1920s. Today, it’s more than just a typical refueling station—it’s a true road-trip oasis for your sweet tooth. Sample the variety of caramel ovals, and then get a milkshake! The date shakes are definitely “local-" if not “world"-famous, and prickly pear cactus fruit is also a flavor option. Look for the palms on the horizon about an hour east of Yuma; it’s not a mirage.

On a recent trip up and down the Belgian coast, as the sun was setting on one of the beaches NOT in front of a town, I saw in the distance several horses and riders coming up the beach. When they passed, on the horizon a ship was also passing in the opposite direction. This picture is the result. The Belgian coast runs from De Panne on the French border right up to Knokke-Heist, on the Dutch border. For convenience, and the fact that it gets very congested in the warm months, there is a tram that runs the entire coastal distance.

Singapore may not have bicycle lanes on its roads, but the country does have a wonderful and growing network of bike-friendly asphalt paths along its many canals and rivers that are sometimes joined up with pathways in parks and along old rail corridors (in Singapore, they’re called park connectors). An easy 3-mile round-trip stretch to sample runs along the Singapore River. Join the riverside pathway just off Zion Road near the Great World City shopping mall—you can rent your chariot nearby from Bike Connect, at 23 Hoot Kiam Road—or grab a two-wheeler from the now ubiquitous bike-share steeds parked everywhere. Pedal all the way to the old shophouses of Boat Quay where the river empties into Marina Bay and then the South China Sea at the heart of Singapore’s colonial core. From there, get a glimpse of the grand Fullerton Hotel (once the national post office), the Asian Civilisations Museum (originally intended to be the city’s courthouse), and several historic bridges.

An epic canyon, Wadi Mujib serves as the last gasp of the Great Rift Valley. Where one of its many mouths opens to the Dead Sea, you’ll find the Mujib Biosphere Reserve—the lowest nature reserve in the world. Within the park, there are a series of marked trails that lead through the canyon or over the hills from the reception center, as well as stylish chalets overlooking the water that guests can book for longer stays. Winter is a particularly good time to visit for bird-watching, as flocks stop here on their migration between Europe and Africa. That being said, most people come for the chance to walk, or wade, up the canyon along the Siq Trail, a nearly two-mile path that ends at a spectacular waterfall. Don’t bring anything that can’t get wet, and know that the Siq Trail is closed in winter and early spring due to the risk of flash floods.

There comes a time for everyone on a Cambodia trip when, no matter how much you’re enjoying sampling the local food, you’ll get a craving you need to satisfy. Fortunately, Siem Reap has an abundance of restaurants serving cuisines from around the globe, and many of them are very good. Filling pastas are fantastic if you’ve been cycling or scrambling the temples all day and a plain Margarita pizza is a terrific choice if you’ve been a tad sick in the tummy. Of Siem Reap’s handful of Italian restaurants, I love Il Forno, on a narrow alley off Pub Street, just down the lane from Asana and around the corner from Miss Wong.

The pizzas come piping hot from the traditional Neapolitan wood-fired oven and many of the handmade pastas are made fresh daily on the premises. While some of the products, such as the Parma ham, are imported from Italy (as you’d hope!), others are local and seasonal, like the beautiful fragrant basil. They also offer decent Italian wines by the glass and carafe. Check the blackboard for daily specials. If you can’t get a table, I also like Little Italy on the parallel lane on the other side of Pub Street. The specialty there is their excellent carpaccio and house-made charcuterie.

Near the northern end of Andros Island, about 15 minutes by air from Nassau, remote Kamalame Cay is worth the effort it takes to get there. The 96-acre private island features 34 rustic-chic rooms and suites, all within steps of a white-sand beach, as well as a central Great House where guests come together to sip wine before dinner and share stories afterward (of course, many opt for a secluded, candlelit meal set up somewhere along the three miles of shoreline). A range of seaside activities keep everyone from the kids to newlyweds to the occasional celebrity happy. There’s a freshwater swimming pool, an over-water spa, world-class fishing off the coast, and entertainment by local “rake-and-scrape” bands. And for those who live in fear of being unplugged, relax. Kamalame Cay offers hotspots around the island for full cell service (if you want it) and Wi-Fi in the reception area.

If you’re in San Pedro on a Tuesday or Thursday night, head over to Wahoo’s Lounge on Front Street for the weekly Chicken Drop. It’s definitely one of the most unique experiences you’ll have on your Belize vacation. Place your bets, watch the lucky person who gently blows on the chicken’s butt and sets him loose on the bingo like board. As you can probably gather by now, expect the chicken to wander around until he finds some lucky person’s number to poop on. Join in the festivities by yelling for your number, as the pot can easily get up to several hundred dollars (Belize). However, before you are quick to run up and claim your winnings – guess who has to clean up the chicken poop?

Inside this 1876 market, you can see the footprint of 18th century Barcelona and read about what life was like before the city’s siege during the War of Spanish Succession. The airy iron and glass market, modeled on Parisian architecture is the largest covered square in Europe and marked the beginning of Modernisme in Catalan architecture. Check out seasonal exhibits or get up close and personal with the ruins on a tour (prior reservation necessary).

It’s nice to know I don’t need to get on a plane back to India to enjoy a plate of decent dal in PDX. The Bollywood serves the “people’s food” of India, simple, fresh and undeniably delightful. Most Americans think Indian food is all tandoori chicken and curry. Fact is, these are the banquet foods served only in high-end restaurants or wedding parties on the subcontinent. I was in Assam province in the Spring at a street cafe, eating whatever was being served on the banana leaf in front of me; no utensils, no problem. Except for the warm beer, eating in India is nothing like eating Indian food here, until Bollywood.

There is nothing pretentious about the physical plant. Amid the chaotic decor, aromas from the kitchen fill the place making it all the more homey and inviting. Lot’s of vegetarian options, with a focus on the standby beans and potatoes. The spicing is classic. The plates and cups are metal, much like you’d find on a corner eatery in Kolkata. Order at the counter and have a seat. Get a paneer, a chaat and a dal with a side of paratha to soak up the sauces. They have a short selection of beer and wine and the former is cold and cheap. There are always specials and you should just order them. The plates are small, so if you have a big group, order a bunch. Then sit back and enjoy the ride...

Curaçao definitely runs on “island time,” but it’s worth getting to this café early so you can eat lunch or dinner on the colonial building’s second-floor veranda. Gaze across the bay at Punda’s colorful houses, then savor the gourmet menu. A top pick is the keshi yena, Curaçao’s national dish: cheese stuffed with spiced meat, olives, capers, pickled onions, and prunes. Wash it down with a glass of awa di lamunchi—lime juice with a dash of brown sugar. Other favorite dishes include the fresh fish, the coconut braised-goat curry, and the braised-beef stew (karni stoba).

Another food-truck-made-good in a permanent location, Molly Moon’s now has five locations around town, but still sends out its iconic baby-blue truck for special events — just follow your nose to the heavenly scent of their freshly made waffle cones. Flavors range from classics like vanilla bean and strawberry to local specialties like Theo Chocolate or Stumptown Coffee (pro tip: get those two swirled together), with more adventurous rotating seasonal flavors (current offerings include blackberry bergamot and watermelon mint sorbet). Locally sourced, organic ingredients are the emphasis here. They also have vegan options and pints to go, as well as plenty of merchandise featuring their goofy-cute pug mascot, Parker Posey.

I was on a cruise in Italy when I heard about this place. I’d mentioned that I was heading to Portland, and a fellow cruiser, a native of the town, had told me that if they had one recommendation it would be the ice cream at Salt and Straw.

What she didn’t tell me was that the flavors are not your usual vanilla, chocolate, and raspberry ripple. In fact, the first thing I tasted at Salt and Straw was their new “Bollywood” recipe, which included carrot custard and cardamom, which sounds almost sensible when you considered that some of their most popular flavors include prosciutto and goat cheese.

There was a huge line, even on a Friday mid-afternoon, but it was worth it for the almond brittle with salted ganache, not to mention the apple pie with real chunks of cheddar cheese. They’re doing their best to “Keep Portland Weird” here...and it tastes good.

When you first show up at Bodega, you could easily mistake it for a popular neighborhood taqueria. Between the Airstream trailer serving tacos and the picnic tables, it looks like a low-key spot. It is that, but as you see the Ubers full of models and clubgoers arriving and disappearing into the small taco joint, you get a sense there might be something more going on. Look around for a guy with an earpiece at the back of the room and tell him your friend sent you, and you might just get directed to a back door that looks like an entrance to a Porta Potti. Pass through here and you’ll enter a graffiti-filled men’s washroom. It’s only after passing through yet another door that you will enter one of South Beach’s hot hidden nightclubs....

Esperanza, an Auberge Resort, sits on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, offering guests exceptional views of the Sea of Cortéz. Each of the hotel’s 57 rooms faces the sea and Esperanza’s private beach but also offers access to four separate swimming pools. Hotel staff keep guests as busy as they want to be with a full schedule of activities, some of which are the usual Baja resort suspects like yoga lessons and cooking classes. A number of options are quite unique, however—book a master tequilero to teach you about the fine art of tequila appreciation, or take classes in Spanish, salsa, painting, and more. Guest rooms are gorgeous, with an earth-tone color scheme and fine, locally made handicrafts as decorative accents. Bathrooms in the casitas look out onto water, while villas have full kitchens and dining rooms.

From its new location on the Singel, Supperclub maintains the old traditions of one of Amsterdam’s most innovative nightclubs. In few other upscale restaurants can you take off your shoes, get in an oversize bed with friends, and savor an unconventional five-course meal over the course of an evening. But supperclub is not for everyone. Part culinary journey, burlesque/vaudeville club, cocktail bar and experimental free state, it’s a unique if somewhat pricey venue for a fun, quirky evening with friends or business colleagues. When not wintering in India, flamboyant Howie may greet you, ushering your posse to La Salon Neige, where you’ll scoop courses from hospital bowls, ash trays and sensual models dressed in slices of Carpaccio, brandishing salad dressing in syringes and deep-fried cricket tidbits—crunchy croutons! Opt for the upper level lounge and you can watch from above as dykes, belly dancers and aerial artists perform. Don’t worry about crumbs in bed; get into the act while the drag queens vamp and the dancers swirl. Between courses, enjoy a Lavender Love or Leap of Faith cocktail in the Chapter 21 bar. Or venture to the downstairs smoking room that doubles as a gay toilet. While puffing on a joint, don’t be surprised if spontaneous music erupts or locals engage you in conversation. There are supperclubs in Istanbul, London, Los Angeles and San Francisco, but this is the original. And there’s nothing conventional about it!