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Row after row of booths are sprawled across this small part of Shanghai, just south of People’s Square. Here, you can find pretty much anything you want, from tiny Mao statues, to old leather suitcases stacked 10 feet tall. Each vendor will be on you as soon as you approach their booth. They are quite polite, however, and will have a calculator or phone handy to show you the price for their items. The catch is that the majority of these “antiques” are actually factory-made items, and most booths have similar items. The good part is that you have a really good chance of a low price if you bounce back & forth between booths that have the same items. Shopping aside, this is also a great spot to see daily Shanghai life. Laundry hangs over your head, food trucks cruise up and down the rows, and the vendors socialize with each other when they are not selling items. This is a must for any visitor to Shanghai.

The best time to hit the mineral-fed pools at Indian Springs is just before closing, right around 9:30 p.m. Grab a float noodle, place it behind your neck, float on your back in the 102-degree water, and look up at the stars. No matter how cold the air might be, you will immediately relax. The Calistoga resort has been offering guests a similar experience for more than 150 years, though recent renovations have modernized the offerings and brought a new level of luxury and sophistication. The main attractions are the pools: one for all ages and another only for adults. Elsewhere on the property, an expansive spa offers massages and mud treatments; a restaurant—dubbed Sam’s Social Club—serves healthy California cuisine along with house-brewed beer. Accommodations vary widely, ranging from two-room cabins and expansive one-bedroom suites to multi-room bungalows and full-scale houses. Once you’ve had your fill of shuffleboard and bocce, walk into downtown Calistoga to shop at the local boutiques, or take the short trail to the top of the hill for a stellar view of the north end of the Napa Valley. Don’t miss: Perhaps the most spiritual part of the Indian Springs experience is the Wishing Tree in front of the spa. Write your wish on a card and tie it to the tree with the hundreds of others already there.

Did you know that only 25% of French people buy their cheese from a fromagerie? And of that 25, only 3-4% go to an affineur (cheese refiner). Both are the sad realities of a dying tradition in France of sourcing provisions from neighborhood artisans. Young affineur Baptiste Yapar doesn’t let the disheartening takeover of corporate food business dull his passion. The firebrand cheese master focuses his energy on running his shops Au Coeur du Marché (at the Marché d’Aligre) and educating the public. At La Cuisine Paris cooking school, he takes a small group through a complete background of cheese (it didn’t begin in France!), methods of production and the various designations and families of cheeses available. A copious tasting of 7-10 different cheeses (with wine) follows the contextual debut and is, as my friend and I agreed by the end, the closest thing approximating cheese heaven on earth. It is a fascinating two-hour experience that will not only inform how you consider the nuances of cheese in the future but will have you excited to seek out your nearest independent cheese shop for more.

One of the first stops outside of Cusco was on the Anta plain at 12,375 ft. The 16th century ruin of Chinchero is rumored to be the birthplace of the rainbow. I would be hard pressed to argue those refractions of light could have a more beautiful beginning. A wonderful outdoor market overlooks the ruins and there are many weaving cooperatives to explore in the village. Locals work hard to preserve cultural customs speaking Quechua and wearing colorful traditional dress. By supporting the talented women and buying local you assist in making their lives more self sufficient through their craft. If you’re looking for colorful blankets, I thought this market had one of the best selections.

The 1950s facade of The Laurel Inn reveals that this property—now a Joie de Vivre Hotel—has been part of San Francisco‘s Pacific Heights neighborhood for many decades. But a multimillion dollar renovation in 2017 refreshed the boutique hotel’s 49 guest rooms, while keeping the retro charm intact with midcentury modern furniture and rich velvet and wool textiles. Located within a few blocks of the Presidio and mere steps from the shops and restaurants of Sacramento Street, many of the spacious rooms have been designed with kitchenettes to add to the residential feel of the hotel. Ask for a room with a city view—watching the fog roll in over Pacific Heights and the downtown skyscrapers beyond that each morning from bed is an experience not to be missed.

It’s hard to believe that this iconic property once consisted of just two 17th-century “caves” that had been used to store wine when it launched in 1985. Today, the family-owned hotel has 17 rooms spread out over five floors, all of them with terraces or balconies and jaw-dropping views of the caldera and brilliant blue Aegean. The rooms were completely refurbished in 2015—followed by the public areas and infinity pool in 2017—favoring clean, contemporary lines, white-washed walls, and luxury that envelops you without distracting from the stunning scenery; several rooms feature heated plunge pools, while one has a free-form “river pool” that runs through it. A poolside bar serves lunch and snacks, but you shouldn’t miss dinner at sister property Canavas Oia Suites, just a short walk away. For a truly unforgettable experience, you can even charter the hotel’s yacht for a sunset tour.

Nestled within the paddies of a fully operational rice farm, the Four Seasons delivers an immersive experience that’s steeped in tradition. When not exploring Chiang Mai’s ancient temples, guests can learn how to make regional curries at the resort’s cooking school, help farmers plant rice sprouts, or bike through leafy grounds overlooking Doi Suthep mountain and the Mae Rim valley. The 99 elegantly appointed guest rooms, each with teak flooring and Siamese artwork, offer a plush landing spot come evening—that is, if a lemongrass-infused massage at the spa doesn’t do the trick. The resort also has something no other hotel does: two resident water buffaloes.

Eating fresh seafood in an inland city like Denver is certainly a unique experience, but don’t let the distance from the ocean be a concern. Jax’s mission is to bring the coasts to the coastless, and it does so with aplomb. For the eco-minded, the restaurant is deeply mindful about acquiring ingredients from sustainable sources; it’s the first eatery in Colorado to be certified by the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch program. Jax encourages customers to be smart about their own fish purchases and recommends that patrons use the Seafood Watch app. You’d better believe, after taking that kind of care to bring the ocean to the mountains, Jax prepares everything to perfection. There are two locations in Denver to choose from—as well as two other Colorado outposts, one each in Boulder and Fort Collins.

In 2012, one of the world’s richest men—Oracle founder Larry Ellison—bought 97 percent of the island of Lanai. The single sweeping deal (reputed to cost $300 million) included the exquisite Four Seasons Resort, overlooking a marine reserve. The resort’s dining experience par excellence is Nobu, where celebrity chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa presides over the perfect marriage of Japanese dishes and Peruvian ingredients. Kick things off with crispy Brussels sprouts or scallops with jalapeño salsa, then move on to sushi, hand rolls, or Wagyu beef. Save room for the Bento Box dessert with green tea ice cream and chocolate flourless cake. Or go old-school, if it’s on the menu, and order the mochi pound cake backed by yuzu-cherry jelly and peanut butter ice cream.

With just 57 rooms, the smallest Four Seasons in the world offers outsize luxury on arrival. Guests approaching by rail at nearby Tokyo Station—the terminal for Shinkansen, Narita Express, and all major bullet trains—can expect a memorable welcome: staff greet visitors on the platform and personally escort them to the property, on seven floors of the 31-story Pacific Century Place Marunouchi Tower. Rooms are outfitted in the modern, minimalist decor the brand is known for and mix wood, stone, and contemporary features like 3-D televisions and floor-to-ceiling windows. Head to MOTIF for French-Japanese fusion cuisine overlooking the city’s neon skyscrapers. If you prefer one-of-a-kind experiences, soak in the spa’s traditional onsen bath, hop on a chef-led tour of the Tsukiji Fish Market at dawn, or make your own piece of Japanese lacquer art in nearby Ginza.

The Hyatt Centric Levent is a slick city pad that eschews Ottoman finery and instead submerges guests in a zen-inspired interior. The huge rooms are splashed with a palette of soft grays and warm rosewood. They feature Frette linens, custom-programmed iPods, daily fresh flowers, and Bang & Olufsen electronics. Free from flounces and frills, the quiet elegance of the rooms offers a thoroughly urban-luxe experience.

Home to two of the city’s most exclusive nightlife spots, the Hyatt is a destination in and of itself. The warm tones and quirky 20-foot-long tropical fish aquarium lining the bar of the Gold Bar provide a relaxing respite for quiet nightcaps. Business travelers can take care of corporate needs using the 24-hour multilingual secretarial service, the intimate screening room for private films and presentations, plus a series of contemporary-styled meeting rooms.

Occupying an elegant mid-20th-century building on a chic Barcelona avenue, with a double Michelin-starred restaurant and one of the best spas in the city, the Mandarin Oriental Barcelona aims to impress. The hotel’s striking façade, created by designer Manuel Ignacio Galindez, sets the bar high for guest’s expectations, and justly so. The plush public areas carry an air of Asian opulence and grandeur, thanks to the hardwood floors and delicate ivory decor, while the 120 guestrooms and suites—many looking out onto the upscale boutiques of the Passeig de Gràcia—feature strong, crisp lines and sophisticated color schemes. From the plump armchairs and cloudlike beds to the iPod docks and toiletries by Acqua di Parma, the experience here is 100 percent deluxe.

The 1926 brick building that houses Hotel Ändra has an interesting history: Originally built as efficiency apartments, it served as a transfer station for the Women’s Army Corp from 1945 to 1947. Although this downtown site has operated as a small hotel since the 1970s, it was fully redesigned in 2004 to become the Hotel Ändra, now a showcase of design using Pacific Northwest materials like wood and stone, combined with Scandinavian style—a nod to the city’s Nordic roots. Even though it’s at the nexus of the city, the hotel feels cozy. The fireplace in the living room–style lobby and the casual, inviting atmosphere make it a refuge from the buzz of the streets outside. The restaurant, Lola, is a partnership with one of Seattle’s best-loved celebrity chefs, Tom Douglas, making Hotel Ändra an excellent home base for those in town to experience Seattle’s abundant local restaurants.

Wong Kei is a place all Londoners know. It’s the go-to restaurant in Chinatown when you want a big plate of noodles or sweet-and-sour pork, and you don’t want to pay a lot for it. The service was legendarily rude. In the old days you would arrive at the door and be barked at: “Upstairs!” The multi-level restaurant is always busy, so you’re sent to whichever level currently has space. Then you sit at a table with others, and you order your food, which will be brought to you when the waiters can be bothered. Disappointingly, the service is now thoroughly civil; I can only hope it’s a temporary blip. Either way, this is a must-have London experience, and you’ll easily come away with leftovers.

The Huntington is a beautiful, cultural destination. The library exhibits are wonderful, and include famous titles like Audubon’s Birds of America. The art collection features well-known paintings, architectural pieces, and a sculpture garden. The Botanical Gardens boast extensive aloe and cacti collections, an assortment of fruit trees, a lovely rose garden, a bonsai collection, and cultural beauties such as the Japanese Garden and Chinese Garden. The Huntington also has a conservatory and a sweet children’s garden with ivy-covered pathways, miniature furniture, and fountains galore for playful kids. If you’re hungry, the High Tea by the rose garden is everything high tea should be; there is also a cafe, coffee shop, and a food pavilion on the property, as well as a gift shop. Don’t miss out on beautiful, historical, and cultural experiences at The Huntington!