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This private island features stunning views of Mount Otemanu and Matira Bay from its own motu just a few minutes’ boat ride across Bora Bora’s truly stunning fifty shades of blue (one minute it is turquoise, the next emerald or aquamarine) from sister resort Sofitel Marara. The private property is the perfect pick for romantic getaways (it’s geared toward couples, and children are not allowed). Privacy and intimacy are emphasized here with only 31 bungalows (20 are overwater, another 10 are located on a lush garden setting on a hill with stunning views) and one luxury villa that while not overwater, features direct lagoon and sandy beach access and a private jacuzzi (the only one on the property). There is no swimming pool, but guests can use the pool and all amenities at the Marara resort via free water shuttle. Should you not wish to leave your little slice of paradise, however, the onsite Manu Tuki restaurant does excellent French Tahitian fare; order lobster anything. There is also a bar, the Mako. Whether staying overwater or on the hill, the layout is the same, and all rooms feature contemporary Polynesian decor, gorgeous wood floors, and luxury toiletries in oversize bathrooms. Overwater bungalows also boast glass viewing panels in the floors and direct access into the lagoon. Make sure to book the “Romantic Soiree” for one night. It combines sunset champagne on top of the hill, followed by a romantic dinner on the beach under the stars. The breakfast delivered by canoe also is a must.

Foodies, rejoice. Torvehallerne is a one-stop shop for several meals, snacks, and gourmet groceries or gastronomical gifts. It’s an airy, light-filled building with all kinds of purveyors, from fantastic coffee shops, chefs cooking fresh pasta and serving it hot to you at the counter, a farmers market outside, a tapas bar, you name it. If you’ve ever been to Florence, think of Mercato Centrale, but in a nicer setting and housing more variety. Ride your bike there to grab a bite or to spend the day enjoying its bounty.

One of my favorite discoveries in Chicago is the Empire Ballroom inside The Palmer House. It’s just up the stairs from the hotel’s magnificent lobby and has a rich history most anyone working at the hotel will be willing to tell you more about. This room with its shiny wood floor and opulent chandeliers is where Frank Sinatra used to perform. While the ballroom itself is beautiful, it’s most interesting feature is what’s hidden behind the mirrored wall in its corner. Push on the last panel and you’ll stumble into a dressing room where famous acts - including Sinatra - used to get ready to go on stage. Several autographed pictures are still hanging on the walls.

This funky boutique hotel on the edge of the Britomart shopping district goes way back in Auckland history. Built in 1841 as The Commercial Hotel, the DeBrett building survived two fires and two rebuilds plus a stint as a hostel before becoming the quirky place guests experience today. The Housebar has always been the center of hotel life, and today, the intimate wood-and-mint venue exudes its original art deco style and serves classic cocktails and local beers and wines alongside refined pub snacks.

In addition to restoring the bar and adding a glass-roofed atrium that houses the hotel restaurant, DeBretts Kitchen, the current owners affixed contemporary artwork and photography throughout and sheathed the entire building in candy-striped carpeting, custom designed from 100 percent New Zealand wool. Besides the carpet and small-batch minibar selections, no two rooms are the same. Each features unique furnishings from the 1930s on, and every bed has an original screenprinted throw. Two of Hotel DeBretts centerpieces, the chandelier and water sculpture in the restaurant, were crafted by Auckland artists from materials salvaged during the latest renovation. The result is a local experience from top to bottom that gives guests a real taste of New Zealand.

“We hope you adapt to our bohemian philosophy,” say the staff at Hotel La Semilla, by way of explanation when guests ask why rooms have no televisions (there is, however, Wi-Fi and AC). With distressed walls and furniture, the hotel has a shabby chic feel (or, as they describe it, “rough luxe”), and owners Alexis and Angie treat all guests as friends. Part of the room rate is earmarked as a donation to the Friends of Sian Ka’an, a conservation group dedicated to the preservation of the nearby Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.

Imagine a scene from Scott F. Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby where a live jazz band serenades guests as they subliminally move to the rhythm of the music, with hors d’oeuvres in one hand and a vodka martini in the other. Expect a mirrored image of the same vibrant energy and posh ambience of Gatsby’s soirees aboard the Orient Express. Orient Express, the most expensive restaurant in Delhi and voted one the world’s best restaurants, offers a world-class dining experience alongside live jazz bands and fresh food flown in daily from France. The luxurious culinary journey begins in private booths on faux carriages that beautifully mimic the legendary train. The crisp menu offers cuisines of all countries through which the Orient Express traversed, with the classic French fare remaining triumphant. Revel in the seven-course meal, with an appetizer to whet your appetite and the signature dessert to perfect the extravaganza, and of course, succulent sorbet bites in between dishes to neutralize your overwhelmed, yet gratified palate. The individual carriages of the Orient Express are illuminated by gleaming brass fittings, polished wood paneling, and steel facades which not only mesmerize, but promise to fiercely invigorate your senses.

Gonçalo Alves and his wife, Marta Fonseca, spent eight years turning an abandoned chicken farm on Portugal’s wild Costa de Prata into their dream retreat. “We wanted a big house to share with people,” says Alves. Their hotel, located a 45-minute drive north of Lisbon, is a whimsical escape with a hippie vibe. Each night Alves and Fonseca invite guests to join them for wine and traditional folk music around a bonfire. The architecture is modern, but the interiors have a fashionable flea-market feel. Inside the 10 rooms and four villas you’ll find bedding, rugs, and light fixtures from Morocco and India, driftwood-frame beds, and fireplaces that hang from the ceiling. Doubles from $345. 351/2-6193- 6340. This appeared in the October 2013 issue.

Just when it seemed like the Riviera Maya Riviera had become nothing but a sea of all-inclusive beach resorts, you stumble upon the quaint little Mexican village of Puerto Morelos. There are almost no huge developments, no shopping outlets, and no chain restaurants. The place is absolutely magical and is like traveling back in time. There is a small town square or plaza lined with palm trees, small cafes, and local boutiques. You can always find a good margarita to sip on at the super hip little bars scattered around the small town. If you find yourself on the Yucatan peninsula don’t miss this opportunity to travel back in time 50 yrs and experience the “old” Mexico.

Located in the heart of Whalers Village on Kāʻanapali Beach, Hula Grill is a busy hangout with live music seven days a week. You can sit for a meal in the open-air dining room, but the real party happens at the restaurant’s Barefoot Bar, right on the water’s edge. Kick off your shoes and sink your feet in the sand, then order a Barefoot Brew (made specially for the bar by Maui Brewing Co.) or cocktails like piña coladas, mojitos, and Maui Mules with organic vodka. Also on offer are a range of non-alcoholic drinks, from house-made sodas and fresh-squeezed juices to local kombucha and pure coconut water, as well as a solid food menu that highlights Hawaiian farmers and fishers. For a great deal, head here for Aloha Hour, which takes place daily from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and includes special prices on pupus and drinks.

The Evergreen Brick Works, a reclaimed quarry in the lush Don Valley, is a showcase for sustainable and green living, as well as for urban design. A community has been established in this once-derelict industrial site and former landfill. Toronto’s largest farmers’ market sets up shop on Saturdays, and spotlights food from all over the province. On Sunday, the market shifts its attention to crafts. A full schedule of activities and diversions make this a perfect weekend escape: There’s a children’s garden (with weekly programming), bike trails and rentals, and a hike that leads to a rewarding view of the city’s skyline.

This perennially popular bakery and sandwich spot can feel somewhat out of place. With its cozy atmosphere in a plant-filled space, and its menu of warm panini, delicious sandwiches on artisanal breads, generous salads, and perfectly executed pastries, it is the sort of restaurant you’d expect to find in one of Montréal’s cooler neighborhoods. Instead, it’s in the heart of Old Montréal. That is a definite plus for travelers visiting the city’s historic sights. It also means, however, that there is a lunch-hour rush when nearby office workers vie for tables. If you can plan on an early or late lunch—you’re on vacation, after all—you can avoid the worst of the crowd. Olive et Gourmando is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so if you are looking for a place for dinner, the same owners are behind the new Foxy (in the Griffintown neighborhood), which is quickly proving as popular as their first restaurant.

If these walls could talk they’d recite plans for military campaigns and tales of love, lust and betrayal that make this former residence and imperial seat of the Ottoman Empire so intriguing. Walk the dazzling tile-and-mosaic-lined corridors, see the jewels the sultans wore, the baths where they washed, the rooms where they entertained, the quarters that housed their concubines, and the kitchens that created feasts for 5,000 residents.

Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market is crammed with 120 vendors, butcher counters, bakeries, ethnic eateries, and seafood shops. But there’s one reason why most people come here: the peameal bacon sandwich, which is dished up at the Carousel Bakery. It’s not really bacon—or at least not the bacon you usually eat—but rather tender, thicker strips of pork, cut from the loin and then rolled in peameal (like cornmeal but made from peas), and served on a kaiser roll with a swipe of mustard. It’s a porklicious treat!

Now this is truly a place you never want to leave. The infinity edge pool at the Marriott in Wailea, Maui. The pool reached right out to the Pacific Ocean, and you almost felt as if you were in the ocean itself. Grab an umbrella drink, swim over to the edge, and stay there for a couple hours to take it all in. The wonderful staff will also bring you the freshest fruit you have ever had too. And, as you watch the sun go down on the horizon from this exact spot, you can join the Luau by the beach below...or simply stay here all night.

Since it was constructed at the top of Telegraph Hill in 1933, Coit Tower has been an integral part of San Francisco’s downtown skyline. Named after a 1920s patron to the city’s firefighters—but not designed to resemble a firehose, as the urban legend goes—Coit Tower’s observation deck will give you 360-degree views out over San Francisco, including the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Entrance fees range from free (children four and under) to $7 (adult non-residents); visit the website for all prices. Coit Tower is open from 10 am to 6 pm May through October and 10 am to 5 pm from November through April.