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Deshaies Botanical Garden is one of the largest in the Caribbean and a simple stroll through its 12 acres is a treat. Expect to see flamingos, hummingbirds, parrots, and goats, as well as over 200 species of tropical flora, including hibiscus, orchids, various palm trees, and bougainvillea. There’s a fishpond, cascade, and plenty of shaded areas. The on-site restaurant is a great spot to relax with a cocktail and panoramic views over the gardens and Caribbean Sea.

The Tiergarten might be Berlin’s most famous park, but the sprawling, 7,400-acre Grunewald wins the prize for the city’s most impressive forest. Fringed by the Havel River to the west, it contains a multitude of pleasant hiking and cycling paths, lakes and sand dunes, and a surprising number of cultural, historical, and architectural sights as well. Besides the Teufelsberg man-made hill and adjacent Teufelssee Lake, there are great forest views from the Grunewaldturm, which also has a beer garden. Jagdschloss Grunewald, a 16th-century hunting lodge, has a café and a collection of old masters paintings. Close to the S-Bahn you can see a touching memorial to the deportation of the city’s Jews, who were sent from this station to death camps during World War II.

Cacao beans’ scientific name is theobrama cacao, which translates into “drink of the gods.” Casa Cortés in Old San Juan will truly please any god with its Cortés chocolate concoctions. This welcoming café fuses modern style of its seats and dishes with the antique charm of walls covered in Cortés chocolate molds and a short history of chocolate on a collage of artwork that exudes nostalgia. The menu features mouth-watering items such as a baguette filled with Brie, chocolate, and a hazelnut spread; a blood orange and passion fruit cheesecake topped with a chocolate mousse; and an Argentinian ice wine. I opted for the mallorca (a sweet bread dusted with powdered sugar) stuffed with Ibérico ham, Manchego, chocolate, and a guava spread, accompanied by a European hot chocolate that was to die for. My meal was perfect, but I’m sure everything I didn’t get to taste was just as amazing. That’s what you get when your chocolate comes straight from a nearby farm. While I waited for my food, I watched a video on chocolate production. There’s also a museum (unfortunately, I was unable to see it, but you can bet I’ll be back there next time I come home to my beautiful island) and some products for sale. Make sure to take a little piece of Casa Cortés with you for future indulgences—they advertise one chocolate tablet as being enough for two beverages.

Pack your bikini and a bottle of cold Ticinese rosé and head to the campanile-spiked hills above Locarno. In Switzerland’s sunny and steep-sloped Italian-speaking Canton Ticino, locals and visitors alike love a bracing dip in the cool mountain water—and there’s no better place to witness this than at the historic Ponte dei Salti (Jumping Bridge), a double-arched bridge across the Verzasca River where bronzed young Ticinese plunge into the river’s lustrous emerald depths. From the city of Locarno, the intense hike to the ancient Roman relic hugs the Verzasca River and passes through chestnut groves, vineyards, fragrant pine forests, and the iconic Contra (or Verzasca) Dam where scenes from the James Bond thriller GoldenEye were shot. If your time is limited, take the 45-minute PostBus to the bridge (included with a Swiss Travel Pass) and walk down. Or take the bus all the way to the end of the road in the Alpine village of Sonogno, where a jade-colored waterfall pool, the river’s source, awaits.

In the early 1800s, a small fortress was built at the strategic beachhead on the Kowloon Peninsula. When the British began to occupy Hong Kong in 1841, the fortress became vital to China’s maritime defenses and so was greatly expanded. Soon a thick stone wall and watchtowers were added, and inside, a number of military buildings and soldiers quarters enlarged the fortified city even more. Though most of the complex has been destroyed or demolished over the decades, a few sections have survived, including the foundation of a former wall, remnants of the South and East Gates, and a flagstone path. A handful of relics have been recovered—from cannons to stone lintels—and are displayed in a Qing Dynasty Jiangnan-style garden park created on the site.

Who knew grocery shopping could be so photogenic? In summer, you’ll be tempted to photograph the piles of tomatoes; in winter, the tangles of greens. Wander around to get a sense of what is in season and what you will find on local menus at lunch and dinner. Rows of stalls sell meat, salami, fresh fish, pasta, cheese, and bread. If all that food makes you hungry, look for the Trattoria del Rocco inside the market, a diner that serves lunch created from produce sold on-site. The early bird gets the worm here: Everything is swept up and closed down by early afternoon.

Famous for bringing the world the likes of Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone Brewing is nothing if not cheeky. This is, after all, the first American craft brewer bold enough to open an outpost in Germany, a country steeped in beer-making tradition. But Stone’s audacity is hardly unfounded, as you’ll discover when you visit the company’s headquarters in Escondido—ideally, for a private tour and tasting. If you’re not already a fan of San Diego’s particularly hoppy style of IPAs, there will be at least one beer on tap that makes you a convert. But first, you’ll walk through the brew house—past mash kettles and whirlpools and fermenters—to learn all kinds of fun facts, whether it’s the surprise source of the chocolaty notes in Stone’s porters and stouts (mega-roasted malted barley) or what the upcycling options are for spent grains (cow feed and dog bones). Pro tip: After your tour, bypass the lovely indoor restaurant for the even lovelier outdoor gardens—all bamboo and koi ponds and hummingbirds. Sit back in an Adirondack chair with a beer (try one of the extra-innovative brews on offer only here) and warm pretzels with Stone Ripper Pale Ale beer cheese sauce.

Lincoln Center is an iconic landmark featured in TV shows, movies, and countless city tours. It is an artist’s mecca comprised of many buildings, including Avery Fisher Hall, the Julliard School, and The Metropolitan Opera. All of the buildings were designed by different architects. The focal point and largest building in the complex is The Metropolitan Opera which houses a pair of large paintings by Marc Chagall in its interior. While Lincoln Center is beautiful in day light, it’s true beauty is witnessed at night when the lights from inside the buildings highlight the columns and arches made of travertine.

With its rich soil and tropical climate, Goa is an ideal setting for growing spices. Several plantations in the area offer guided tours, elephant rides, and lunches served on banana leaves but Sai Organic Farm and Herbarium goes beyond traditional spice tourism. Managed by an Ayurvedic doctor, the plantation also includes herbal gardens with aromatic and medicinal flora. Should you be suffering from a common cold, rash, asthma, or even kidney stones, the staff is quick to recommend Ayurvedic remedies. After walking the grounds, visitors can enjoy a Goan lunch prepared with freshly cultivated herbs and spices. Here, organic-farming methods reign supreme to assure the purity and quality of the plants (and also to preserve the site’s ecotourism designation). Sai Herbarium is welcoming and educational, and leaves a smaller footprint on the important spice zones of Goa.

Home to warehouses and bustling trolley stops in the 1920s and ’30s (with the warehouses becoming artists’ studios and storage facilities in the ’70s), these few blocks in South Dallas’s Oak Cliff neighborhood were designated a National Historic Landmark in 199O—right around the time the area was experiencing a decline. In the new millennium, however, there’s been a revival: Today the area’s brick buildings and charming former homes hold over 60 independent shops, restaurants, bars, cafés, and galleries. Grab a coffee or glass of wine and browse the tomes at the Wild Detectives bookstore, shop for furniture and local artwork at Neighborhood, and find unique gifts and design items at Bishop Street Market and We Are 1976. Foodies also flock to top spots like Hattie’s for Southern low-country–inspired fare; the much-acclaimed (and often hard to reserve) Lucia for Italian fine dining; Eno’s Pizza Tavern for thin-crust pies; Tillman’s Roadhouse for Texas- and Southwest-flavored favorites; and the legendary Lockhart Smokehouse for pit BBQ. Save room for artisan sweets from Dude, Sweet Chocolate (which has garnered national acclaim) and a slice of fresh-from-the-oven pie from Emporium, where the menu changes seasonally. With the area now firmly enjoying “features on travel TV shows” status, and private residences still lining the side streets, parking here can be tricky—especially on the weekends, or during a festival or one of the regular wine, art, or jazz nights.

Walk down this narrow alley connecting Valencia and Mission Streets and you’ll be surrounded by dozens of colorful murals by local artists depicting environmental and social justice, artistic freedom, and community collaboration. Funded by the nonprofit Intersection for the Arts, more than 700 murals have been painted in this vibrant display of public art since CAMP began in 1992. In a city known for its rising rents and gentrification—and especially in the Mission neighborhood at its epicenter—Clarion Alley is a sight worth visiting.

Reaching out like a long finger from Walvis Bay, Pelican Point is rich in wildlife, especially seabirds and friendly ocean mammals. A scenic four-wheel-drive ride along the peninsula will take in oyster farms and one of the world’s largest salt mines. Many small fish and shrimp can be found along the peninsula, which attract a multitude of flamingos, gannets, petrels and pelicans. At Pelican Point, the birds jostle for attention with thousands of seals and bottlenose and Heaviside’s dolphins. Enjoy some locally harvested oysters while taking in the sights and sounds of the harbor and the historic striped lighthouse that sits on the sand spit.

Located atop The McKittrick Hotel—site of the immersive theater experience “Sleep No More"—Gallow Green is a beguiling outdoor space overgrown with flowers and vines that offers up views of the Hudson River and the High Line. It’s as popular for late-night drinks as it is for weekend brunch; art lovers can fuel up here and then hop around the Chelsea neighborhood afterward. During warmer months, the rooftop hosts “Potions and Plantings,” a monthly tea party for kids (ages 5-10) and their adults. The event outshines all other kids’ tea times in the city (and there are many) and will make the grown-ups want to return for their own happy hour.

Located next to Torres del Paine National Park and Lake Sarmiento, Awasi Patagonia is the perfect setting to take in some of the most striking views in the Chilean Patagonia region. Awasi Patagonia comprises 12 private villas and a main lodge with a restaurant and comfortable lounges to admire the scenery. All buildings are made of local procured wood, which allows the structures to easily blend with the surrounding natural landscape.

Awasi promotes a tailor-made experience at its two properties, Awasi Atacama and Awasi Patagonia, and the team pays close attention to ensure each guest’s visit is personalized to their needs and tastes. Ahead of a stay, guests complete a questionnaire outlining special interests, physical conditions, and meal requirements, and their preferences are seamlessly blended in to their stay. A stay at Awasi is also all-inclusive, and comes with excursions led by Awasi guides who are educated on the region’s history, wildlife, and first aid, and can lead you through the park’s stunning trails on foot, horseback, or 4x4 vehicle on full- or half-day outings. Guests can also follow trails from the property to explore the area at their own pace.

And while the breathtaking landscape is not to be missed, there is much to do at Awasi Patagonia itself. Awasi Patagonia is a member of Relais & Châteaux, and is home to a restaurant showcasing Patagonian cuisine and led by Executive Chef Federico Ziegler. Villas are also equipped with fireplaces in the living rooms and outdoor hot tubs, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the remarkable destination.

Forty miles from Zurich in the heart of central Switzerland, the Axenstrasse is a historic motorway that’s so achingly scenic it might even cure your vertigo. It winds for seven miles around the base of the Uri Alps hugging the verdant ridge of turquoise Lake Uri (a branch of the four-fingered Vierwaldstätter See—Four Forested Cantons Lake—more familiar to most tourists as Lake Lucerne). It occasionally careens through century-old mountain tunnels and past painted bell towers and Roman-era viaducts scattered around the region’s Alpine villages, where the legendary folk hero William Tell is supposed to have come from. There are numerous picnic areas along the older sections of the Axenstrasse, and the entire stretch of lake is swimmable in the summer. Hikers can find a variety of trails along the road that can take them to higher altitudes, where they can spot ibex, chamois, alpine orchids, purple gentian, and acrobatic alpine choughs, riding the thermals of the warm foehn winds, said by locals to cause madness.