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Isla Blanca is in fact a narrow peninsula some 30 minutes north of Cancún, with the lagoon to the west and the Caribbean to the east. Seemingly no one except the locals come to this untouched, isolated beach, dotted with tiny seafood restaurants, the occasional vacation cabin, intermittent lounge-chair rentals, and a growing camp of kite surfers. You’ll need to arrive by car via coastal highway that quickly turns to rough dirt path, but the experience transcends the rusticity once you hit the Caribbean’s pristine white sands and cool turquoise surf; the lagoon’s shallow, brackish waters, just steps from the ocean, provide ideal fly-fishing and kite-surfing conditions.

Founded in 1868 by French painters Eugène Boudin and Louis-Alexandre Dubourg, this small museum, housed in a 19th-century chapel, pays homage to the Normandy artists who spent time in Honfleur, like Monet, Courbet, Friesz, and Boudin himself. Here, you’ll find an impressive collection of pre-Impressionist works, as well as several Boudin paintings and drawings that he bequeathed to his hometown. Also on display are more than 1,000 objects, headdresses, and pieces of furniture, providing a fascinating picture of Norman culture.

Housed next to Tivoli Gardens, in a historic building that once served as the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music, Nobis Hotel is a showcase for Copenhagen’s iconic mix of Old World elegance and modern design. The 77-room boutique property maintains many of its original details, but with a contemporary twist—an intricate vertical lighting installation updates the marble-and-wood staircase, while midcentury furnishings by homegrown brands like Carl Hansen & Son offset classical wall and ceiling moldings. The aesthetic inspiration continues in the lounge (where low-slung leather sofas provide the perfect backdrop for Instagram-fueled envy) and not least in Restaurant Niels (where continental standbys are served in a serene space outfitted with blond wood and industrial lighting).

Your nose will alert you to the exotic possibilities at hand in this place before you even walk all the way in. This spice emporium has passed through three generations of the Hatzidakis family already, and continues to provide the city’s chefs as well as avid cooks from all walks of life. From cumin to saffron to sumac to oregano, it’s all here among the 600-some spices on hand, along with a knowledgeable staff ready to help with all your questions. They also have bulk goods (including candy) and an impressive array of homemade natural essences, of everything from coconut to orange.

The Huaxi Night Market ((華西街觀光夜市), also known as ‘Snake Alley’ is famous for selling various snake-based goods such as medicine, soup, and wine. It’s best known, however, for the shots of snake blood that one can take. Pictured, from left to right, are snake blood (mixed with liquor), snake bile, and snake venom ‘antidote’. Of course, there are plenty of other traditional Taiwanese dishes available for the less adventurous. If you’d like to see somebody actually drink the snake blood shot, you need not visit Taipei. Just check out the video that Kevin Wu (who provided the photo) posted on his blog.

Outerlands is an Outer Sunset institution. The small restaurant near Ocean Beach serves local, organic cuisine in a rustic-chic setting. Covered floor-to-ceiling in warm, rough-hewn wood, the interior invites lingering over an artisan cocktail or a ginger-lemon apple cider. Lunch and dinner feature such refined but hearty options as cast-iron grilled cheese brushed with garlic oil and slow-cooked lamb shank with nasturtium leaf pesto. The weekend brunch draws a crowd and is worth the often lengthy wait. Standouts include the Dutch pancakes and the house-roasted turkey. You can always make the most of waiting for a table and head to the beach for a quick jaunt before you indulge.

The Curacao Marriott is currently closed for renovations. It is slated to reopen in late 2018.

The Curacao Marriott Beach Resort may be one of the best located hotels I’ve ever been to. Situated on a private beach in Piscadera Bay, the resort feels like the height of secluded and elegant resorts. It’s also a short three-mile drive from the capital of Curacao, Willemstad; the free shuttle delivering guests to the heart of this colorful city. Whether or not you’re looking to just lounge by the pool or get out and explore the island, the Marriott makes it easy to do it all.

Located in the heart of Bridgehampton, Topping Rose House occupies a grand old Greek Revival mansion, built back in 1842 for a local judge. The luxurious property features 22 guestrooms, including a number of cottages, with elegant décor like four-poster beds and glass doors that open onto verdant grounds. Also on site is a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant, complete with a seasonal menu that incorporates ingredients from the property’s one-acre farm. Unusual for a small Hamptons hotel, Topping Rose offers a wide selection of amenities, including a lovely outdoor pool, a fitness center, yoga classes, and a spa with a range of massage and beauty treatments.

The Gant feels like your mountain home away from home. Tucked away on five acres at the base of Aspen Mountain, the Gant’s condos offer the comforts of staying in a home but with the service perks of a hotel. Guests can choose from one-, two-, three-, or four-bedroom condos, making this a great option for families and friends on ski getaways. Condos feature full kitchens so you don’t have to worry about booking reservations in town each night, and the staff can arrange for grocery and liquor delivery right to your door. Condos also have wood-burning fireplaces, large living rooms for lounging, and patios or balconies to soak in the fresh mountain air. A housekeeper comes to tidy up each day while you’re off hiking or skiing, and families have the option to book child care. The Gant is just steps from the Silver Queen Gondola and offers ski storage and overnight tuning. After a day outdoors, guests can relax weary muscles in one of the Gant’s three hot tubs.

You might hear Long Street before you see it—this bustling artery is the heart of Cape Town, home to some of the city’s most popular restaurants, bars, and boutiques, all within a few blocks’ radius of the Grand Daddy Hotel. Built in 1895, this landmark building has been transformed into one of the city’s quirkier havens, though it somehow manages to walk the fine line between campy and classy. It’s a spot that’s beloved by tourists and locals alike (don’t be surprised to stumble onto a local fashion shoot in the gilded Daddy Cool bar).

Behind the stately gray exterior lies a whimsical world: snuggle into crisp white sheets in one of the 26 colorful rooms or suites, or settle into a stylishly appointed Airstream in the rooftop trailer park. And speaking of the rooftop: there’s no better place to take in the view of Table Mountain presiding over the city.

Surprisingly enough, you can round the point at Point Dume and discover your own hidden nooks to spend the day. With cliffs at your back and a private beach with decent size waves in front of you, it’s not a bad place for a picnic.

New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago get a lot of the good press when it comes to the arts and art museums, but the Detroit Institute of Arts helps Detroit give these cities a run for their money. The diverse collection is spread out over 100 galleries and includes African, Asian, Islamic, and modern and contemporary art (and the list goes on). But don’t ignore the local contributions to the art world. Make sure you take proper time to stand before Diego Rivera’s enormous Detroit Industry fresco to give you some historical context before exploring the rest of the city.

Set on two extinct volcanic craters 450 feet above sea level in the highlands of Santa Cruz, the extremely high-end (but still carbon neutral) Pikaia Lodge, which opened in mid-2014, is unlike anything the Galapagos has ever seen. With strict building regulations on the highly fragile islands, Pikaia, owned by a live-aboard dive yacht impresario, was the first lodge to be granted a building permit in more than a decade, and the lodge is built entirely of recycled materials. The terrain, a mix of dry savanna and tropical highland forest, was regenerated with 12,000 endemic trees and grazing habitats for giant tortoises, for which Pikaia created its own private reserve. The entire all-inclusive property is powered with portable Eolic wind generators and soundproof electric generators using clean biodiesel. Despite the ecofriendly ethos of the property, there is no shortage of all-out luxury, from the infinity pool that’s softly illuminated at night, to the cushy spa or the lounge with a 3-D HDTV screen for lectures and videos. There’s also a contemporary restaurant and a wellness center on-site, plus two slick yachts used for excursions to neighboring islands and dive trips.

An hour’s drive from Tórshavn, in one of the Faroe’s northernmost settlements, sits the family-run Gjáargardur Guesthouse of Gjógv, bordered by steep slopes and a natural harbor. With its wooden exterior and traditional, turf-topped roof, it practically blends into the surrounding nature, putting the focus on its sweeping ocean views. Rooms here are modern and spacious, with large windows that look out across the valley, and service is friendly and accommodating. An on-site restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner during high season, while a gift shop stocks postcards, ice cream, and Faroese woolen jumpers that make for perfect souvenirs. There’s even a small playroom in the basement for children, though most guests are here to hike Slaettaratindur—the highest mountain in the Faroe Islands, which looms over the guesthouse and its namesake village.

Kaiseki, a traditional style of Japanese dining, presents a balanced and creative multi-course meal. This tradition has arrived in Dubai at Kohantei, the restaurant at the Dubai Opera House. The intimate culinary experience begins when you’re invited to take off your shoes to enter one of the three private dining rooms (each seats only up to four people). As the courses are served, you are encouraged to eat slowly and taste each bite mindfully. The task is not hard because the food is carefully prepared and the atmosphere is serene. Guests take their time, enjoy a calm conversation, and remain present in the moment. Not surprisingly, the experience is popular: Make sure to book well in advance.