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The name makes it sound like the driest place in Christendom, but the SAT, as it’s known by locals, is at the forefront of coolth. This giant building on Boulevard Saint-Laurent near Rue Sainte-Catherine is dedicated to electronic culture and entertainment, which means it hosts some of the best art events, dance parties and music performances in town. The top level of its four storeys includes the famous Satosphere, a dome structure that allows for mind-blowing, immersive 360-degree visual projections. Events include presentations and master classes in addition to dance nights by the likes of Borgore, Brodinski and MYD. Don’t forget to stop by the in-house restaurant, the FoodLab, which is constantly pushing the gastronomical envelope. Photo: Sébastien Roy

In true Berlin fashion, flea markets are not hard to find. One of the newer fleas takes place every Sunday at Mauerpark. I arrived on the early side, around 10am, and the space was already buzzing with locals on the hunt for vintage items, second-hand bikes, and inexpensive clothes. I wandered aimlessly through the park for about an hour, just taking in the sights and sounds of the city. At 3 p.m., a live karaoke party breaks out. It’s the perfect place to release your inner diva. Both the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn stop at Schönhauser Allee, as does the M1 tram.

Founder’s Note: Learning AFAR

New Zealand’s native bush is the kitchen for Maori master chef Charles Royal. The exclusive culinary tours he leads around Rotorua and Taupo are perfect for adventurous foodies. There’s no mystery as to where your food comes from—it’s all sourced and prepared according to Maori tradition, by you, your classmates and your instructor.

A contemporary take on traditional lodge-style accommodations, Scribner’s Catskill Lodge is a cozy, 38-room inn, housed in a circa-1966 building that was revamped in 2016. While rooms tend to have their own look and feel, most share more than a few common elements, including patterned carpets, dark maple floors, and modern furniture. The majority are geared toward couples but there’s also a suite with bunk beds, which is perfect for families or groups of friends who don’t mind shacking up together. Amenities here are geared toward weekenders seeking a break from the Big City and include regular yoga classes along with afternoon DJ performances, meditation sessions, and even healing sound baths. There’s also a restaurant, Prospect, with ever-changing dishes like roasted chicken, burgers, and duck carnitas.

Listing Montreal’s best restaurants is nothing short of a feat; indeed, Montreal has the second largest number of restaurants per capita in all of North America, with a new establishment setting up shop every week or so. From Italian trattorias to izakayas, from hole-in-the-wall bagel shops to classic eateries and French brasseries, to trendy Nordic-inspired and hipster-run taco shops, there is no such thing as leaving Montreal hungry.

Some attribute Hoi An’s plethora of tailor shops to its history as a center for the silk trade, even though the bespoke clothing boom is a recent one. Others maintain that the phenomenon comes from a Vietnamese propensity for copycat businesses. Either way, the ancient town has established itself as the place to get clothes made economically in Southeast Asia. If getting some new threads is on your Vietnam wish list, there are several reputable tailors and boutiques in town.

There’s loads to do if you have 48 hours in Nairobi. With boutique shops, atmospheric restaurants, and plenty of live music, it’s not hard to see why Nairobi is developing a reputation as one of the coolest cities in the world. There are new skyscrapers, bars, and apartments sprouting up constantly, and no, it’s not the prettiest city ever. But Nairobi’s residents are friendly, motivated, and enthusiastic about their home town, and there’s far more to Nairobi than first impressions might reveal.

My Irish friend, Aedín, and I were driving from Galway to Westport when suddenly she veered off the main road. “There’s a great beach down this way, I think,” she said to me. I was up for anything, seeing her country for the first time. We came upon one beach, “This isn’t the one,” she said. I thought it was beautiful, but she knew what she was looking for. Then we arrived at this beach, which I nicknamed “Aedín’s Beach”. We were the only ones on that beach. As my friend walked down the beach, I watched her as she got lost in the beauty of the landscape: the feel of the warm sun on our skin, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the smell of the salty air, the taste of salt and sand on our lips and the sight of a desolate beach against the green pasture land dotted with white sheep. I took this one shot of her. It is one of my favorites from this trip.

Turkey isn’t known for its beer, with most menus dominated by the serviceable yet flavorless Efes. The craft beer movement has been gratefully welcomed (especially by expats), and a few breweries have popped up in Istanbul in recent years. The Populist brewery is part of Bomontiada, a massive complex of art and performance spaces, shops, restaurants, and nightlife on the site of the former Bomonti Beer Factory, which closed in the 1950s and was abandoned for several decades. Populist’s food menu is standard pub fare, with a few surprises like a lamb burger with Carolina mustard sauce and a flatbread pizza with kokoreç (better-than-it-sounds grilled lamb intestines). The rotating selection of 12 beers on tap might include a Belgian Turkish wheat with anise and a hoppy IPA. To reach Bomontiada, take the metro to Osmanbey, and from there it’s a 10- to 15-minute walk through a historically diverse and rapidly changing neighborhood.

The first luxury lodge to come to Chile’s second biggest island, Tierra Chiloé opened in 2012 and became a member of the Tierra hotel group in 2014. Designed by Chilean architect Patricio Browne, the hotel looks like a boat on stilts and was inspired by the homes of local fishermen, which take the same form and are known as palafitos. The exterior is made from picturesque larch wood shingles—a building technique that’s very typical on Chiloé and is seen on the famous UNESCO World Heritage churches that dot the islands.

Inside, guests find more wood. The hotel’s wood walls and ceilings are made from indigenous species . The decorations are locally inspired with plenty of handicrafts such as wicker baskets, handwoven rugs, and wooden carvings. The focal point is the meadow and Reloncaví Sound below, where the hotel’s boat is harbored. Large windows line the building on both floors and provide excellent views. Guests can relax in a small spa, a winetasting room, or a book-filled upstairs studio upstairs. The living room with fireplace makes a perfect spot for an end-of-day pisco sour.

In 1870, Ocean Grove held its first illumination night during its Lake Carnival at Wesley Lake. Each year, there were larger crowds and houses, hotels, tents, and businesses were lit with colorful lanterns. By 1875 the little town was lit up and everyone enjoyed this carnival. By the mid-twentieth century the custom was discontinued. There is a little store in Auditorium Square called The Hub and this year (2014) the manager, Deb Cuddhy has decided to bring back Illumination Night with its “First Illunimation Night”. Thursday, August 7th will be the date at 7:30pm. There will be local music & light refreshments for sale. Residents are asked to light up their tents and houses.The Hub is selling lanterns. This sounds like a really fun event. Let’s check it out! For more info: www.oceangrove.org/pages/Hub2014

Seeing the Big Island by air will have you sitting on the edge your seat anticipating what will turn up around the next mountain or valley. Waipio Valley, one of the most beautiful areas on the Island, is best seen from the air to really get a perspective of the area’s vast beauty. If staying on the ground is more your style, hit the trail and do some hiking through the Waipio area or make your way to the ocean and enjoy the sound of the surf.

In 1994 a nullah (the Indian equivalent of a wadi) of stagnant water was reclaimed, regenerated, and converted into one of the most beautiful Japanese Zen gardens in Pune. The five-hectare Osho Teerth Park, within the Osho commune grounds, gives the busy Koregaon Park area some much needed breathing space. You’ll find perfectly manicured lawns and areas of lush foliage spread out around a small lake. Wooden bridges connect the different parts of the park, leading over small water cascades and past bamboo clusters. Birds, colorful flowers, and the gentle sound of flowing water give the park an air of tranquillity, making it an oasis of calm in the middle of a chaotic city. Drop by for a stroll and some fresh air, find a corner to practice yoga or meditate, or simply curl up on a bench with a book.

I’ll be the first to admit, a museum of printing didn’t sound terribly exciting to me, at first. Antwerp Belgium’s Plantin-Moretus Museum certainly changed my mind. This is the only museum on the UNESCO World Heritage list and the recognition is well deserved. The museum is housed in the 16th century home of Antwerp’s first printing company. The house itself is stunning, and the ancient printing presses (some are the oldest still in working order) are fascinating. The star of the museum’s collection, however, is the family’s personal collection of books and archives. The library includes an early Gutenberg Bible, the first Dutch dictionary, one of the world’s first atlases, and many other treasures. If you are a book lover, interested in social history, art, design or architecture, don’t pass up the Plantin-Moretus museum. More Info: http://cheeseweb.eu/2011/05/plantinmoretus-printing-museum-antwerp/