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Grilled meats, bite-size vegetarian meze, and grilled octopus and sea bass are some of the culinary delights that await in Istanbul, where Mediterranean, Turkish, and Ottoman cooking methods combine to deeply satisfying (and sometimes surprising) results. Our favorite places to eat in this magical city range from chef Mehmet Gurs’s fine-dining restaurant with a view to humble neighborhood spots for homestyle cooking.

Life in Curaçao is a colorful mash-up of cultures. Locals speak a multitude of languages (four is the norm), thanks to its Dutch and Spanish colonial history and the influence of nearby South America. One of the best ways to get to know Curaçao is through its cuisine, a mix of sights, smells and flavors. You can take your pick among casual catch-of-the-day spots and chic beachside dining—for taste that’s uniquely its own among Caribbean islands.

New Zealand’s North Island is home to volcanoes, beaches, movie scene locations, stellar dining options, and cosmpolitan (but always friendly) cities. Easy to travel around in, you’ll find that you’re not far from anything including friendly North Island locals willing to personally point you in the right direction and show you what ‘secret places’ not to miss out on. Your best route: Start in Auckland, rent a car, and head south to settle in at Rotorua and Taupo. Enjoy the capital Wellington before heading home or, better idea, making your way to the South Island.

Walk the Forum, queue early for the Vatican Museums, get reserved tickets for the Borghese Galleries. These and a host of other museums are all mind blowing. Stroll Trastevere, with Its vibrant local culture. Take a boat trip down the Tiber to Ostia Antica, Ancient Rome’s port city.Rome has cornered the contemporary arts scene for quite some time and now has two massive institutions to show for it, the Macro and the Zaha Hadid designed Maxxi.

Lemon Arbour began as just another one of the many rum shops that can be found all over Barbados, but as its reputation for spectacular local dishes grew, so did the actual shop. Now, Lemon Arbor has become the place to go on Saturdays for an extended lunch of souse, fried pork, and other pork dishes, plus cheap Banks beers and rum. Locals often spend all day Saturday limin and meeting up with friends over good food and inexpensive drinks… And you could too, for a real taste of Bajan culture.

Why we love it: A socially conscious spot that connects like-minded travelersThe Highlights:- Inspiring community vibe
- Comfortable, well-thought-out rooms
- A critically acclaimed on-site restaurant

The Review:
Founded by third-generation hotelier Katherine Lo (her family runs the upscale, Hong Kong–based Langham group), the Eaton brand aims to bring together travelers, locals, and members who share a like-minded sensibility—namely, one centered on creativity, awareness, and making change. As with Eaton’s Hong Kong location, the D.C. outpost—the first in the U.S.—fosters new ideas by providing private and communal working spaces, areas designed to inspire connection and conversation, and a regular calendar of programming.

Those checking in among all this buzz can choose from five comfortable room categories, from cabins to suites. All have a “global nomad” vibe, with colorful textile accents, Himalayan salt lamps, and organic cotton-and-latex pillow-top mattresses, along with Grown Alchemist bath products, healthy mini-bars, Bluetooth speakers, and USB charge points. Some, like the Artist Studios, have wall canvases where you can leave your lasting mark. Once settled in, gather with others at the on-site American Son restaurant (Chef Tim Ma’s Asian-accented spot), enjoy wellness treatments and classes, or do whatever else helps get spark your imagination.

This hotel is on our list of the best hotels in Washington D.C.

For many Charlestonians and tourists, every Saturday is spent in Marion Square at the farmers’ market. Students nursing hangovers wait in line for a crepe at Charleston Crepe Company while farmers from John’s and Edisto islands sell their fresh vegetables. Artists sell their work while children play on inflatable slides and a guitar player keeps the crowd entertained. Between the French, Greek, Cajun, Spanish, Italian, Southern, German, and Indian foods on offer, you really can’t go wrong. Grab an assortment of foods to try and find a nice spot in the shade to eat and people watch.

It might be the middle of the City, and it might be at the major concert hall in Honolulu, but Wednesday evenings are typically reserved for the Ward (aka Honolulu) Farmers Market. Tents go up, and local food vendors and farmers display their products with music drifting through the air. This farmers market is a great place to pick up some produce for the kitchen, grab dinner on the go, or try something new and different - like flavored butter from the only dairy left on Oahu, or farm fresh macadamia nuts, or locally made ice cream.

When planning a recent trip to Guatemala, I luckily stumbled upon the webpage of a unique retreat on the shores of Lake Petén Itzá, called Ni’tun. My friend Joan and I had decided to visit Tikal and other Mayan sites in Petén and wanted to have a “home base” where we could stay for several days and take day trips around the region. Reading about Ni’tun, I realized we found exactly what we were looking for - a peaceful lodge in natural surroundings. Lorena, one of the co-owners, arranged all details of our day tours for us, communicating regularly by email prior to our arrival. We expected a peaceful, natural retreat, and were not disappointed. Set on a hillside with its own private dock and boat for transportation to Flores and other towns around the lake, Ni’tun’s main building and the guest houses (casitas) were designed and built in traditional Mayan style. Our casita was spacious with two queen beds and outdoor seating. The two-story dining and bar area, pictured here, allows for outdoor dining and a relaxing place to enjoy drinks after a day of trekking through the jungle. Lorena, a talented chef, does most of the cooking, using organic, healthy ingredients, and she prepared one fabulous meal after another (vegetarian meals for me, and gluten-free for my friend Joan). We enjoyed premium Guatemalan rum -- Zacapa Centenario -- over ice (and learned: never use it as a mixer, it is one of the finest rums in the world). We left all stress behind the minute we arrived!

Terraced like the surrounding rice paddies, Soori Bali occupies an undeveloped stretch of fertile coastline roughly 25 minutes from Tabanan, a town northwest of Denpasar known for traditional farming and artisan crafts. The resort’s modern design plays on the shapes, colors, and landscapes of the surrounding area and incorporates local stone. (At the recommendation of the surrounding village’s elder, the property also constructed 10 stone temples onsite within the property.) Outdoor spaces feature bright green trees and grasses along with infinity pools, while high ceilings, cool colors, and marble floors inside create a tranquil escape from the heat. The property’s spacious rooms and wood-slat shades give off an art-gallery vibe, and the reading-room lounge displays the works of the hotel’s artists in residence. Food is another big focus here, both at the resort’s three restaurants and in tours that explore rice cultivation, exotic ingredients found at the Kerambitan market, and the spices, cacao, and coffee from nearby Jatiluwih.

Hidden away behind the stalls in the San Lorenzo market, Da Sergio turns out wholesome, unpretentious food to locals and tourists. Last time I was here I ordered tortelli di patate (potato-stuffed ravioli) with meat sauce and deep-fried calamari washed down with the cheap and cheerful house wine. It was all delicious!

The fresh and local food movement has hit Vegas in recent years, and the fresh52 farmers and artisan market is a great way to discover the best that Vegas has to offer. Also, the Sunday markets often feature live entertainment, chef’s demonstrations, and activities for the kiddos as well.

Situated on Shoal Creek, just a skip downstream from Wildcat Park in Joplin, Grand Falls is the largest continuously flowing waterfall in Missouri. While it’s just 12 feet high and 163 feet wide, it’s a glorious example of Missouri’s natural beauty—and a popular place to fish and swim for generations of locals. There’s an outcropping of chert around the falls that fills with water to form natural pools. Splash around there on a hot summer day, then find a shady spot to relax over a picnic lunch.

You will be served good Portuguese food by the owner, Mr. Cerqueira, and you will feel like home. He knows the locals who come here often, and he knows already what each one of them likes, making a bit of conversation with them. You can reach the restaurant by catching Lavra Lift. Or, at Rossio look for Calçada de Sant’Ana, near the theater, and go up. Address: Calçada de Sant’Ana, 49

Nashville may be known as Music City, but its reputation for inventive cuisine is catching up at a galloping pace that a rockabilly drummer would recognize. Southern staples like biscuits, fried chicken, and macaroni and cheese have been revisited by Nashville’s chefs and transformed into something divine.