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Encircling the entire island of Bonaire—and the neighboring islet of Klein Bonaire—Bonaire National Marine Park is home to some of the best snorkeling and diving you’ll ever do. Thanks to long-standing protective measures (dive-site moorings that preclude damage from anchors being dropped nearby, for example), the coral and fish here are some of the healthiest in the region, so expect a profusion of marine life, whether in the form of tiny sea horses, massive morays, or a zillion creatures in between.

A favorite among Hollywood royalty, the Big Island’s Four Seasons is more secluded than its sister property on Maui. It sits on 863 acres of palm-fringed coastline, with little else for miles in any direction, other than two exclusive golf courses and some of the most expensive vacation homes in the state. Yet, conveniently, the hotel is only a 15-minute drive from Kona International Airport, and it isn’t uncommon for guests to fly in, park themselves at the resort, and never leave. Why would they? It’s an immaculate, ingenious playground, shamelessly verdant against the area’s prodigious black lava. There are seven pools to choose from, including one rock-walled rectangle in the ocean, and another man-made lagoon stocked with thousands of reef fish for guaranteed snorkeling success. Kids can camp overnight in a rock amphitheater. Lovebirds can have candlelit dinners on the beach. Even the accommodations are a Polynesian fantasy, with tropical woods and large headboards. All that, along with a tiki torch–lit beachfront, a French head chef, a swank sushi bar, a staff that treats every guest like Hollywood royalty, and honest-to-goodness cultural cred (the on-site museum and cultural center are well worth visiting), and it’s easy to understand why one would happily pay a king’s ransom to spend a few days here.

Without a doubt Versailles is the most luxurious palace in Europe, built to astound visitors and impress the king’s subjects into awed submission with crystal chandeliers, gilt, and fine art. This opulent monument is also attractive to those with simpler tastes: Visitors with green thumbs will love the king’s kitchen gardens while others may want to rent bicycles to pedal the lavish grounds, and animal lovers will enjoy the sheep, goats, and chickens receiving the royal treatment at the queen’s quaint hamlet. La Petite Venise, an excellent restaurant on the grounds, offers garden seating on sunny days.

Reserve an outside table at this popular enoteca, located on a quiet piazza around the corner from the crowded Ponte Vecchio. You can order a predinner snack or, better still, cobble together a full meal from the selection of crostini with delicious toppings like truffle sausage and melted cheese or spicy ‘nduja sausage. Other menu highlights include the antipasti platters of cheese and mixed cured meats. The staff can help you choose from the wine list, which focuses on small producers. (If you want to expand your wine expertise, guided tastings are also available here.)

Gennaro Castiello is passionate about Cetara and about the anchovies that provide income to the town. His stylish and simple restaurant is decorated with Vietri ceramics and wood, creating a chill, beachy vibe. A plate of fried anchovies accompanied by a cold flute of naturally processed prosecco makes for the perfect summer lunch. For something more substantial, order pasta dishes such as paccheri with zucchini and shavings of tuna bottarga, or a reimagined pasta alla genovese with tuna in place of beef, which transforms a hearty dish into something light and fresh. Castiello’s colatura di alici, a fermented anchovy sauce that has ancient Roman origins, just might be the very best in town. Make sure you bring home a bottle.

It’s said that the human eye can see more shades of green than any other color. Put the theory to the test at the Koke-dera, or Moss Temple, a veritable spectrum of jades, mints, artichokes, emeralds, and olives. The UNESCO World Heritage site, formally known as Saihoji, is home to around 120 types of moss, which carpet the temple ground’s forested floor in ways Akira Kurosawa couldn’t have dreamed up. Reservations to the temple must be made by snail mail months in advance in Japanese. After arrival, visitors are also asked to participate in Koke-Dera’s religious activities by observing kito and shakyo (respectively, the chanting and copying of Buddhist scriptures, called sutra).

The enormous, elegant Empress Place Building is a landmark colonial government-office structure that overlooks the Singapore River in the central business district. Since the early 2000s, it’s been home to the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), considered one of the finest institutions in Asia. Its collection of Buddhist statues, textiles, porcelain, and other treasures represents more than 5,000 years of history in China, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Islamic world.

About 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Trapani, and just north of Marsala, acres of salt flats stretch in shallow lagoons, punctuated by crumbling windmills. This region has been producing bright white salt with intense flavor since Phoenician times, and a Museum of Salt lays out the process in a restored windmill, with everything from diagrams of the Archimedes screws used to pump water between flats to the wide, straight shovels used for skimming the salt into towering white mounds. Bags of the stuff can be bought at the gift shop, so you can take home a taste of Sicily.

At the northern end of the Malecón sits Cerro Santa Ana, the site where early settlers first established the city of Guayaquil. This area is today home to the neighborhood Barrio Las Peñas, known for its vividly colored houses that rise up the hill, bisected by a double-wide staircase lined with restaurants, bars and galleries. The summit has panoramic views across the city and up and down the river. To ascend even higher, climb to the top of the 18.5-meter (60-foot) blue-and-white lighthouse, built in 2001.

By 1773 the Mozart family had outgrown their residence on bustling Getreidegasse and moved across the river to the more spacious Tanzmeisterhaus, the former home of the court dancing instructor. Mozart lived here until 1781, when he moved to Vienna. His father Leopold remained until his death in 1787. More than half the building was bombed during World War II, but it was restored and opened as a museum in 1996. Inside the house are documents, portraits, and instruments that detail what life was like for the Mozart family during their time here. The Wohnhaus and Mozart’s Birthplace are both worth checking out, particularly if you’ve purchased a Salzburg Card that provides entrance to both; this one, however, is usually less crowded.

The ever-colorful Jaffa Flea Market, in operation for more than 100 years, inhabits a portside neighborhood of alleyways, covered walkways, and outdoor verandas. Wander the endless market streets to find restored antiques and handicrafts, Judaica and Persian tiles, as well as designer boutiques and art galleries. Even if you don’t buy a thing, it is the perfect spot to sample local fare. Once the sun sets, and the vendors head home, a food scene springs to life—a wonderland of twinkling lights with dozens of trendy restaurants, bars, and chic cafés. (The flea market is called Shuk Hapishpishim in Hebrew.)

Berlin is surrounded by lakes, and the star of the show is undoubtedly the Wannsee. Its waters lap at the Grunewald Forest and are dotted with yachting clubs and interesting cultural sights such as the House of the Wannsee Conference (where the Nazis planned the Final Solution) and the former villa of impressionist painter Max Liebermann, which exhibits his work and has a lovely garden café overlooking the lake. Nearby is the Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island), a former royal playground that’s now a pleasant park accessible by ferry. The most popular destination in summer, though, is the Strandbad Wannsee, a half-mile-long sandy beach jam-packed with locals and visitors.

In 1927, the mayor of Guadalajara, Gustavo R. Cristo, commissioned burgeoning architect Luis Barragán to build him a home. The result was Casa Cristo, which now functions as the headquarters for the College of Architects of the State of Jalisco. Complete with high arches, stained-glass windows, and a tiled roof, the building reflects Barragán’s early fascination with Moorish design. However, glimpses of the style that came to define his later, better-known work are also visible, from the local artisan elements (adobe walls, cedar wood, stained glass made in Tonala) to the bright colors and flow of natural light that suggests a place both modern and steeped in history. Although certain changes have been made to the original house (the removal of the garden, the replacement of original tiles), the building remains relatively well-preserved and merits a visit.

Walk the long shop-lined Via Capodimonte (or, if you are feeling particularly industrious, climb the 921 Phoenician Steps to the very top) to reach the former home of the Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe. This 20th-century mansion, now a museum with magnificent gardens, sits almost 1000 feet above the sea and offers unbelievable views over Capri and toward Naples and Mount Vesuvius. During your visit, follow tradition and make a wish with your left hand touching the ancient Egyptian sphinx statue. There is a café at the top of the gardens and occasional live music on summer evenings.

One of Mexico City’s most historic neighborhoods—a once-independent city-state politically joined to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan—Tlatelolco is a fascinating side trip few tourists make. At its center lies the district’s so-called Square of the Three Cultures, where a colossal public housing development (of revitalized interest to architecture buffs) surrounds a 17th-century Spanish church (notably embellished with stained-glass windows by 20th-century artist and architect Mathias Goeritz) as well as the ruins of pre-Hispanic Tlatelolco pyramids and other structures. In addition to being the exact spot on which the Aztec empire fell, the square was also the site where Mexican armed forces perpetrated a bloody 1968 massacre of university students and political activists. Tragedy aside, the area is still home to thousands of hardworking average Joes, and the community garden, known as the huerto, is pure down-home bucolic charm; it’s well worth a pop-in.