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In Maui, visitors are spoiled for choice when it comes to hotels. The island is home to everything from plantation-style B&Bs to sprawling beach resorts with floating restaurants, offering something for every type of traveler, whether they care most about spacious rooms, outdoor pools, or ocean views. Find family-friendly elegance at the Fairmont Kea Lani; an artsy, boho-chic vibe at Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort; or utter luxury at Four Seasons Hotel Lanai, a sanctuary on a nearby island that was once home to the world’s largest pineapple plantation.

Poland’s Baltic coastline spans nearly 480 miles, with Gdańsk at its center. The area, along with the adjacent Pomerania region, holds many treasures, including the imposing Malbork Castle, the lovely town of Toruń (famous for its gingerbread and Gothic architecture), and, on the far western edge, the new, beautifully sculpted Philharmonic Hall Szczecin. If you only have time to visit Gdańsk, be sure to see Długi Targ (the Long Market), the European Solidarity Center, and Oliwa Cathedral with its famous pipe organ.

Celebrated worldwide for its culinary chops, Vancouver tops the list of British Columbia’s best stops for food-loving travelers. The city blends the freshest ingredients (oh, the sushi) with daring, modern techniques. Favorite dining stops include Blue Water Cafe, Cafe Medina, Kissa Tanto, and Vikram Vij’s well-named Vij’s. But those restaurants are just the start. A leader of the sustainable seafood movement in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, the city plays with a big palette, looking west to Asia for flavor inspiration.

Maui’s culinary scene is having a moment, as a renewed interest in local ingredients—especially heritage ones—powers the island’s restaurants to new heights. Visitors may come for the sun and surf, but they’re lingering for the innovative food, made from ahi, coffee, coconut, kalo (taro), ulu (breadfruit), Spam, and beef raised by paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys). Forget pineapple on pizza, however delicious. Today’s best chefs are focused on Hawaii Regional Cuisine, a movement that started in 1991 to showcase the archipelago’s diversity. Expect to savor Japanese, Filipino, and Native Hawaiian flavors, often in the same dish.

Seattle overflows with brilliant chefs and inspired fare from around the world, from umami-bomb Red Sea noodle soup to rhubarb-pistachio cheesecake. With influences from Europe, Hawaii, and further east, Seattle’s kitchens focus on the just-caught bounty of the Pacific, produce from nearby farms, and cuisines brought from far and wide by its diverse population.

With just one week, Vienna and Eastern Austria will give travelers a glimpse into the best of the country’s non-Alpine side, including Vienna’s Habsburg palaces and the castles and abbeys of the picturesque Wachau valley. Peer into Eastern Austria’s Gothic, Romanesque, and Baroque cathedrals. Sample your way through Vienna’s open-air Naschmarkt for Austrian-made treats. To round out your week, roam through the lovely Vienna Woods.

The Swiss Riviera stretches from Lausanne to Montreux and encompasses the beautiful Lavaux vineyards perched on steep hills with a dramatic view of the lake and the Alps on the other side. Then you reach Vevey and its old town, passing La-Tour-de-Peilz before ending in Montreux, its casino and of course Chillon castle.

While tourist destinations are plentiful in Ireland, make sure to also get off the beaten track. Ireland is full of wonderful sights to see, from ruins of Desmond Castle, to deserted beaches, and of course the Irish whiskey trail, there’s plenty to do off-the-beaten-path in Ireland. If you wander far enough, you will soon have the place to yourself—or maybe just have to share with some wandering Irish sheep.

It is a fairly recent place, opened in February 2013, located close to Ribeira, in Largo São Domingos. This restaurant aims to bring to Porto a little bit of each region of Portugal. Focusing on small scale producers and in working directly with them, Joana and Sofia (the owners) managed to have a wide selection of traditional food items from all over the country. There are three things here that makes you have to go there: wine, muxama and cheese. “Muxama” is smoked tuna fish, coming from Algarve, and it’s quite hard to find it in Porto. Have it with scrambled eggs and tomato jam. Their selection of cheeses covers the entire country, including the Azores and its São Jorge spicy cheese. One of the most incredible chesses for me is “Caganita”. A buttery and flavorful cheese from Alcains, that here is served hot with olive oil and herbs…

A highlight of Bavaria—and Germany in general—Franconia is beloved for its picturesque landscapes, medieval towns, and rich beer and food traditions. Formerly a separate duchy of the Holy Roman Empire, the region is dotted with dense woodlands, national parks, and grapevine-covered hillsides, as well as castles, palaces, and UNESCO World Heritage sites like the old town of Bamberg and the Würzburg Residence.

There are an incredible 80+ museums in Munich, showcasing the importance of culture and history to the residents, and it can be hard to choose which to visit. If you only visit one, make it the Deutsches Museum, which is the most famous museum in Munich, and also the world’s largest museum of science and technology. But there are numerous must-visit art galleries and castle museums, too. Some Munich museums offer €1 admission on Sundays, so be sure to check the websites!

The Pestana Hotel Group has a knack for turning historical properties into luxe hotels; the Pousada de Lisboa is no exception. Situated on Lisbon’s grandest square, the Praça do Comércio, the 90-room property inhabits the elegant former home of the Ministry of Internal Administration. Furnishings combine clean, modern lines with ornate wall moulding and a neutral color scheme dominated by pale greens and whites. Choose one of the mezzanine rooms for views of São Jorge Castle; the high-ceilinged Suite Praça do Comércio offers sweeping vistas of the square and River Tagus from two large windows. The hotel’s RIB Beef & Wine restaurant caters to the expense account crowd, specializing in premium cuts of meat aged for 14, 28, or 60 days and served with a regional touch: Lodosa piquillo peppers. There’s also an indoor pool lined with loungers, and a spa offering a full range of treatments, including a body scrub inspired by the scents of Madeira and the Algarve.

The Swiss know service. Whether you’re on business at Le Kempinski Lake Geneva or at play and staying at Cervo Mountain Boutique Resort in Zermatt, you’ll find outstanding food, pampering spas and super friendly staff. Nira Alpina hotel is renowned for its fantastic chef while Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken is a haven for sybarites in search of serious spa time. The Dolder Grand in Zurich looks like a fairy tale castle and boasts a museum-worthy art collection.

Step back in time to Prague’s Bohemian past—the Old Town Square, St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle, the romantic Charles Bridge—before visiting the somber memorial to its Communist rule. Today Prague basks in modern optimism, evidenced by such landmarks as Frank Gehry’s Dancing House Hotel and DOX Centre for Contemporary Art.

Jordan is an ancient land with enough historic sites to spend a lifetime exploring. If you don’t have that long, head straight for the sublime ruins of Petra, the rose-pink city tucked into a series of canyons—and one of the crown jewels of world heritage. Then, travel north of Amman to the ancient city of Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman archaeological sites in the world. You’ll also want to see the mosaics of Madaba and nearby Mount Nebo, where Moses first saw the Promised Land, as well as the site where Jesus was baptized and its surrounding Crusader castles and desert palaces.