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Sitting pretty on the banks of the Kamogawa River, the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto is a luxurious alternative to the traditional ryokans that dominate the area. Guestrooms are minimalist yet plush, with giant windows, in-mirror TVs, soaking tubs, the requisite high-tech Toto toilets, and locally made bath products. Wellness facilities range from a spacious spa to a 20-meter pool, while dining options include a Japanese restaurant serving kaiseki dinners, an Italian spot with a cheese-and-charcuterie cellar, and a Pierre Hermé patisserie. Although cocooned in a quiet setting, the hotel is conveniently located with walking distance of the downtown area, making it a favorite of affluent tourists.

This craft beer joint set on the high street Laugavegur might be small in terms of size, but it’s big in personality. Having grown from the local Kaldi brewery—famous for creating a tasty line of less chemically laden Czech-style beers, including a very popular unfiltered brew—in 2011, it serves a range of great international artisan beers as well as its own brews. On top of the friendly service, there’s light pub food on offer, comfy couches to relax on, and even a piano to play should you feel the urge (or drink enough). Generally popular with a young, arty crowd.

Yes, there might be a line. Yes, you need to go anyway. The Breakfast Klub is a Houston institution for good reason—you’ll find simple food, done right. Choose from classic breakfast dishes like French toast, omelettes, and biscuits and gravy, or order a more imaginative combination, like the Wings & Waffle (six chicken wing pieces and a Belgian waffle topped with a fresh strawberry and powdered sugar) or the Katfish & Grits (catfish fillet with grits, potatoes or eggs, and a choice of toast or biscuit). Despite the restaurant’s name, breakfast isn’t served all day here—catch it from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

My wife and two friends were tired of “museums” so they mistakenly decided to go shopping while I went to the Rodin Museum alone. It was breathtaking, the flowers were all in full bloom, the art on display inside was rare and beautiful, but the sculptures outside were displayed the way art should be seen. Here in three planes is the original design by Eiffel for the Tower, Rodin’s Thinker, and mid ground with the Eiffel Tower in the background. The gardens were just perfect, and I was sorry for my friends who’d decided to go into a department store to shop instead.

Opened in 1916, this Upcountry Maui icon draws hordes of locals and savvy tourists with its racks of sweets, including legendary cream puffs and amazing stick doughnuts. The menu here also features pies, rolls, bread, cookies, cupcakes, turnovers, and irresistible guava malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts), but the bakery is best known for its Long Johns—yeast-risen pastry bars coated with glaze or icing. Go early, as the crowds pick the trays bare by 10 a.m., and be sure to check out the memorabilia of bygone eras tucked among the postcards, pantry staples, and fishing gear for sale.

An oasis so idyllic, you might first think it’s a mirage, Hotel Fellah is an eight-acre retreat that fuses Moroccan culture with a hipster design aesthetic and a farm-to-table ethos. Locals, artists in residence, and guests mingle in the art center and library, and at the educational farm, kids groom donkeys, milk goats or collect eggs that are sold in neighboring villages. The small café opposite the swimming pool is run by Touco, a resident of nearby Tassoultante village. Don’t miss his tagine, or—even better—pick ingredients from the garden and ask him to show you how to make it.

A new 16-bungalow beach retreat lures travelers to Mexico’s Pacific coast surf town of Puerto Escondido. When the sun goes down, locals and guests hit the underground dance club. From $213. This appeared in the January/February 2014 issue.

Darwin’s proximity to Indonesia is evident at the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, a gorgeous place to be on a balmy tropical evening in this Northern Territory city. Held every Thursday in the dry season months between May and October, this fabulous market is a bit of a Darwin institution. Locals start arriving at dusk (out of the heat of the day), armed with tables, chairs, rugs and kids. They settle on the beach or the grass to watch the sun sink into the ocean (that’s one thing the east coast of Australia doesn’t offer). Like Darwin, these markets are melting pot of cuisines and cultures. People from more than 50 nationalities live in Darwin and more than 30 exotic national flavours – including Aboriginal, Islander, Thai, Indonesian, Chinese and European – are showcased in the tasty food stalls at Mindil Beach. There’s arts and crafts to pick up here too, so bring a carry bag for new treasures.

It was raining when we arrived in Donostia-San Sebastian, but the skies cleared on our second day, and we rode the funicular railway up Mount Igueldo to take in the view back on the city, La Concha Bay, and the empty beach. The “low” travel season had just begun, and the strange little children’s amusement park on the mountaintop had shuttered up for the fall and winter, adding just the right disorienting touch of weird desolation to the Basque country panorama.

In 2008, chef Olivier Roellinger stunned the culinary world by shuttering his famous three-Michelin-starred restaurant to focus on more relaxing endeavors. This was good news, however, for guests of Château Richeux, his picturesque hotel in St-Méloir-des-Ondes. Set on a cliff overlooking the sea, the 1920s villa offers views of Mont St-Michel across the bay, and a serene space where guests can completely unplug.

Without TV or Wi-Fi, you must find entertainment in Château Richeux’s elegant, antique-strewn interiors and beautiful grounds, complete with terraced gardens and a blind for birders. Relax in one of 11 sophisticated rooms with ocean vistas, cozy up in an armchair with a hot toddy, or linger in the living room over a book about the region. Come dinnertime, book a table at the hotel’s singular Restaurant La Coquillage, where Chef Roellinger’s mastery is on full display in dishes of local seafood, produce, and spices. A breakfast of homemade pastries on the ocean terrace is another rare treat.

Just beyond the western edge of Tucson, you’ll find these Hohokam petroglyphs in Saguaro National Park. No one knows precisely when they were carved into the rocks, but Hohokam settlements in the Sonoran desert date back almost two thousand years. We went on a short hike among the saguaro to end up on this hilltop with this pre-Columbian art—not your typical suburban stroll.

The resort town of Mondello, just a short drive from Palermo, is a popular escape for visitors and Sicilians alike. Cerulean waters lap a beach of soft white sand. Visitors staying in nearby villas spend much of their time relaxing on the beach, with occasional breaks for arancini and panelle bought from street vendors. For a serious meal, stroll down the pier to the Charleston, a landmark restaurant and bar in an Art Nouveau building over the water.

Enjoy all the thrills of skydiving with none of the drama—no parachute or airplane at all. After a brief orientation, participants pull special flight suits over their clothes and then enter a wind tunnel, where all the excitement takes place. A giant fan that creates wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour lifts the skydiver and holds him or her aloft for an exhilarating three minutes. Having doubts? Skilled coaches are on hand and the experience is far safer than jumping out of a plane. It’s also a great first step for those who’ve hesitated to try skydiving.

The de Young Museum, with its perforated copper facade and spiraling tower in the center of Golden Gate Park, is as dramatic outside as it is inside. Follow the widening crack in the sidewalk into the atrium. It’s an Andy Goldsworthy–created nod to the tectonic plates that carved out California, and emblematic of the museum, too: The previous building was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and rebuilt by Herzog & de Meuron, opening in 2005. Inside, Gerhard Richter’s wall-size mural, made from digitally manipulated photographs, greets visitors. The museum specializes in American art, international textile arts and costumes, and art of the ancient Americas, Oceania, and Africa. Visiting exhibitions often focus on modern works and draw massive crowds. Recent blockbusters include Georgia O’Keeffe, Richard Diebenkorn, and David Hockney. Make sure to visit the observation deck at the top of the tower. (It closes one hour before the museum.) It’s a unique view over the low-lying western end of the city.

There is no dearth of accommodation in the bustling city of Mumbai but if you are looking for a hotel that offers an experiential escape from the chaos of the metropolis, then JW Marriott Juhu is it! The hotel boasts of several spacious suites overlooking the famous Juhu Beach. Rooms are equipped with modern amenities and everything you might expect of a luxury hotel but it’s the view we love the most - just watch the sun set over the Arabian Sea as you sip on a sundowner or two in your private oasis. The hotel is also famous for something that’s characteristic of Mumbai as a city - film stars! JW Marriott is fondly called ‘The Bollywood Hotel’ by locals and it lives up to the claim. Several Bollywood stars and television starlets frequent the hotel and you will spot them walking in and out of restaurants at all times of the day. There are a variety of dining options here - Saffron offers delectable Indian fare, the Bombay Baking Company boasts of a selection of light bites and salads, while the Lotus Cafe offers expansive buffet style meals. Our favourite? Their Oriental restaurant Dashanzi - do not come back without sampling the sashimi platter or avocado tartare. Drop by Dashanzi for a meal even if you aren’t staying at the hotel - the nuanced taste of Oriental delicacies and meticulous presentation makes a meal at Dashanzi an experience to remember!