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Derick Avenue in Cyrildene on the Eastrand of Johannesburg, is home to a whole host of different Asian run stores and restaurants. It is the new home of the original Chinatown which started in Commissioner Street (Now Albertina Sisulu Street) in Newtown. You can get a good bargain on a whole lot of cheap “Made in China” goodies here and once you’re done shopping you can grab some bubble tea from the corner store at the bottom of Derrick Avenue or rest your weary feet and fill your empty tummy at one of the numerous restaurants along the road. If you get to Cyrildene early, get yourself into a restaurant and have some mid-morning brunch or ‘Yum Cha’ which literally translates to Drink Tea in Cantonese. Don’t be too scared to try out something out of the ordinary, it may be the best thing you’ve ever tasted! Derrick Avenue is also a great place to watch Chinese New Year Celebrations as the whole road is closed off to traffic and vendors come out onto the sidewalks to sell the food and wares.

One of only three trains in the world to have been recognized with UNESCO’s World Heritage status (the others are in Austria and India), this scenic passenger route was built in 1889 and stretches for 150 miles from Thusis, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy, via 84 tunnels and 383 vertiginous bridges and viaducts. The rails don’t just connect this primordial landscape of sparkling teal rivers, hyacinth-blue glaciers, and jagged pink-hued rocks; they also serve a number of cities and towns, including St. Moritz and several Romansh-speaking villages in the stunning Engadine Valley. Keep the camera on, because the train zips past Roman-era chapels, Celtic archaeological sites, modernist thermal baths, and numerous Hapsburg-era castles—some crumbling atop mountains, others perfectly built into the Alps like something from Tolkien’s Rivendell. Highlights include the C-shaped Landwasser Viaduct, a 213-foot-high, six-arch viaduct spanning the Landwasser River, and the nine-arch spiral viaduct in Brusio that will have rail enthusiasts in a tizzy. Though this is not a sightseeing train, highlights are announced (somewhat annoyingly, in five or six languages) on the overhead system as the train passes them. Most trains have panoramic cars with curved glass ceilings and seats costing an additional five to 10 Swiss francs.

If you are unable to make a trip to the residence of the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, India, pay a visit to the Tibet House in Delhi. Also titled the Cultural Center of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibet House was founded in 1965 to preserve Tibetan principles and create a safe space for Buddhist teachings. There is a museum, gallery, and library housing valuable art, artifacts, manuscripts, and books. The five-story building is a modest yet sacred facility consistently brimming with activity. Check out the calendar for upcoming festivals, exhibits, conferences, and special events.

If “exploring a new city” is the phrase you use to justify the search for candy you’ve never tasted before, we understand your particular hunger. Here are some of our favorite sweet shops from around the world to help you map your future journeys.

Explore NYC by taking advantage of its amazing outdoor public spaces. For people-watching, walking, and communing with nature and public art, these parks, paths, and viewpoints bring the beautiful city into a sharper focus.

From centuries-old restaurants and coffeehouses to trendy new bistros, Vienna’s culinary scene is like the city itself—managing to be both classic and cool at once. Whatever your personal style, you won’t want to leave without trying some of its famous desserts, including the legendary Sacher torte.

In the past, aspiring artists would head for Mexico City as soon as they could scrape together the cash. More recently, however, they’ve been drawn to Guadalajara, where a new crop of funky art galleries and creative spaces has turned neighborhoods like Colonia Lafayette and Colonia Americana into design destinations for Mexico’s cultural set.

Seattle offers specialty and independent stores to suit every interest. Belltown has high-end salons and galleries, Ballard has stylish vintage apparel, Fremont has everything hippie-ish and New Agey, and West Seattle has local art with flair. And every neighborhood boasts its local bookstore, usually with resident cats.

A farm-style experience about an hour from Christchurch, Okuti Garden caters to travelers who love to create and play. An art box encourages crafting; “tree circles” are great for yoga and meditation; and a small lake features a boat popular among readers and small children. Bohemian accommodations include yurts, a tepee, a caravan, and a cabin. Each is homespun and handmade, decorated with drawings, wind chimes, and dream catchers left by former guests.

The property is completely off grid, relying on composting toilets, a solar shower, and a gray-water system that recycles wastewater to irrigate the wetlands. One area of the wetlands grows willow rods, which are woven into arches, domes, and tunnels—turning waste into wonders.

“Ready!” I grip the bar tightly and lean forward. “Set!” I bend my knees and my heart starts racing. “HUP!” Before I have time for doubts, I take a deep breath, and jump off the platform. The next 40 seconds are a pure adrenaline rush as I soar through the air on a flying trapeze—a thrilling introduction to my first class at the satellite Trapeze School N.Y. in the Navy Yard district of Washington, D.C. I try to stay calm and oriented as my teacher yells instructions to swing my legs and lift my knees up to hang from the bar. This simple move is the foundation for many tricks that we six beginners in the class get to practice many times. By the end of the two-hour class, I’m already doing flips into the net and performing basic catches with one of the instructors. I start to wonder if my childhood dreams of joining the circus are possible after all. Class is over, I’m tired and my legs already ache from the climbs up the ridiculously long trapeze ladder (for me, the scariest part of the class). The school’s motto was right: “Forget about fear. Worry about addiction.” The school offers a variety of trapeze, aerial, trampoline, and acrobatics classes for adults and children.

Hong Kong’s tram system dates back to 1904 and still plies some of the same routes, stopping on average every 820 feet. Locals affectionately call the trams Ding Ding because of the bells rung when the trams approach a stop. The main line runs across the whole northern edge of Hong Kong Island, along what was once the waterfront, between Kennedy Bay and Shau Kei Wan Road, passing through the Central Business District and bustling Causeway Bay area. The six routes cover 19 miles and more than 100 stops. Most cars are double-decker and were rebuilt in the 1980s or later, but No. 120 dates back to the 1950s and still sports seats made of rattan and teakwood.

While everyone and their mother (and aunt and grandmother) are on the waiting list to have afternoon tea at Brown’s or Claridge’s some time next April, head to Soho for the no-longer-a-secret-but-still-unknown tea room inside the Coach & Horses pub. Once you arrive, you’ll be shown the way under the bar and up a flight of stairs where, just like Alice, you’ll find yourself in a quaint square room in which teas, biscuits, and the like—all made fresh daily—are served in mismatched vintage china. Sit back, relax, and be a part of the “secret” show. You should reserve ahead, but a day or two will do.

Open seasonally from June 1 through October 1, Moraine Lake Lodge is, as its name suggests, set right on the stunning turquoise waters of the glacier-fed Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. The lake is one of the most photographed locations in Canada, and the view once appeared on the back of Canadian $20 bills. The original lodge sprang from a teahouse that offered overnight camping at the turn of the 20th century, with the first lodge house dating back to the 1920s. A full redevelopment began in the late ‘80s, with new buildings designed by acclaimed Canadian architect Arthur Erickson. The cabins and rooms all feature custom-built log furniture, and many rooms have wood-burning river-rock fireplaces. The rooms’ design reflects the soaring Rocky Mountains outside, with warm earth tones alongside cozy blankets and deep soaker tubs. All rooms are free of TVs and telephones, allowing guests to unplug from modern-day distractions, although there is Wi-Fi. It’s likely that cell phones will not work here either.

In a world where coffee is ubiquitous, it’s refreshing to find an establishment that cares equally about tea. Behind the bar at the Rose Estb is a shelf of jars hosting three varieties of each kind of tea: black, green, white, herbal, rooibos, oolong, and a category for an assortment of others, maté among them. This does not, however, compromise an attention to good coffee (the Rose sources it from San Francisco’s Four Barrel Coffee), which is still what most people come for. Open for brunch and lunch, the simple café menu includes frittatas, soups, salads, and sandwiches. The Rose is located on the southwest edge of downtown in a brick building that was remodeled by the owner, Erica O’Brien, and her father, and is deliberately Wi-Fi free.

At this intimate Marylebone hotel, there’s a unique history that goes beyond its setting in a Regency townhouse, or its location overlooking one of London’s earliest cricket grounds. Of more interest to hotel junkies is the fact that, back in 1985, this was the first hotel opened by Tim and Kit Kemp, who went on to found the much-loved Firmdale Hotels group, which now has properties throughout London and New York City. Though the couple sold Dorset Square in 2002, they re-bought it in 2012, and gave it a thorough re-do to bring it back to their signature style standard.

The 38 rooms now feature modern English décor, complete with individually selected furnishings and eye-catching fabrics, as well as Wi-Fi, iPod docking stations, and granite bathrooms with walk-in showers or bathtubs. The top-tier Marylebone Room kicks it up a notch with grey wool walls and a separate sitting room. Some of the rooms run small, but luckily there are comfy public spaces in which to hang out, including a lovely ground floor library with fireplace, honor bar, and views of the square. The Potting Shed restaurant is both a guest and local favorite for its gourmet menu and all-day afternoon tea, as well as its Chef’s Table dinners and weekend Prosecco Brunch. The team here can also put together a custom picnic hamper, stocked with eats, drinks, and a blanket for enjoying in the square or nearby Regent’s Park.