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The oldest winery in South Africa, Groot Constantia has a long history of producing some of the best wines in the world. Groot Constantia is also a rarity in its proximity to Cape Town itself. In the 19th century the European heads of state included wines from Groot Constantia in their cellars. Today the wine makers at this famous winery are still making their excellent wines and guests can visit for a full tasting. It’s also a great spot for a picnic, as long as you watch out for baboons. This is South Africa after all.

Coco frios are sold on every corner during the high season (fall and winter) in Puerto Rico. Cold, fresh coconut water is the lifeblood of island living. Literally, if you were ever stranded on an island, you could sustain yourself on what’s inside a coconut (just ask Les Stroud). There is a difference between coconut water and coconut milk. Coconut water is clear to translucent and not as sweet—you harvest this from a fresh green coconut that has just fallen, or is ready to fall from the tree. It might taste unusual at first if you have never tried it, but this is actually the best form of natural electrolytes to replenish yourself after a workout or surf session. Watch the roadsides for the carts and folks with machetes—because this is your hint that coco frios await you!

This is your view from the top of the Diamond Lake Hike, which starts about 12 kilometers outside of the town of Wanaka. The views are so beautiful from the summit that it’s nearly impossible to ever head back down the mountain. The track starts from the car park and follows an old road to Diamond Lake. The track then climbs to a viewing platform above the lake that is a great spot for a water/snack break and some photos. From here you’ll have two options: 1) A lower-level circuit that takes in the Lake Wanaka viewpoint, with great views of both the lake and its islands. 2) An upper-level circuit that winds its way to the top of 775-meter Rocky Mountain. At the top you’ll be rewarded with views that include the Southern Alps and Mount Aspiring. If you do the longer, second option, your round-trip mileage is just over eight kilometers and a good estimate for time would be three to four hours (with breaks). Note that many walkers do both routes from the Diamond Lake viewing platform.

I’m not sure exactly how Rainbow Beach got its name, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually had a lot to do with rain. The island’s most popular beach bar, especially on Sundays, is centrally located on St. Croix’s West Coast, some of the island’s tallest peaks and dense rainforest just a few miles behind it. Prevailing weather patterns, particularly during the summer months, make brief afternoon showers a fairly regular occurrence here. That doesn’t stop the party, though. Live bands play on and everyone keeps dancing. When you’re already wet from the sea and feeling the vibes, a little rain doesn’t hurt one bit.

Those who have never visited Dollywood may be surprised that Dolly Parton’s namesake attraction is anything but a dusty tourist trap up in the hills. In fact, it’s a world-class amusement park with top-notch thrill rides for all ages. With everything from the Tennessee Tornado roller coaster to the Drop Line tower to the Daredevil Falls log ride, Dollywood rivals the country’s best-known theme parks for variety and adrenaline-spiking coasters. There’s plenty to entertain little tykes as well, including a carousel, playgrounds, and kiddie-size versions of the adult rides. Dollywood’s adjacent Splash Country water park means you can make several days out of a visit, especially if you stay at the on-site resort and cabins. The park also hosts holiday events, including a Smoky Mountain Christmas light display and nightly concerts and shows. Just don’t get so distracted that you forget to explore the Smoky Mountains.

Ultraviolet is the kind of travel experience you talk about 10 years later. French chef Paul Pairet first dreamed of a multisensory dining adventure in 1996, but it took until May 2012 to open this transcendent restaurant. There’s room for only 10 diners to experience the 20-course meal at one time, and the dining room is a theater with HD screens for walls. With every course, the sounds, sights, and even smells change to complement and amplify the menu. The sublime sea bass Monte Carlo—sea bass with fresh mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes inside a baguette—is served to the sound of Debussy, and as you eat you’ll notice a vibrant aquarium has appeared right in front of you.

Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Degas, where art thou? That’s a question the staff has been asking at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum since 1990, when thieves made off with 13 of the museum’s most valuable pieces, worth an estimated half a billion dollars. Rather than sulk, however, museum officials left empty frames on display both to educate visitors and to serve as hopeful placeholders awaiting the artworks’ eventual return. Meanwhile, you can visit the museum’s lovely courtyard and vast collection of historic and contemporary art at Fenway Court, built to resemble a Venetian palazzo and packed with paintings, sculpture, furniture, and textiles gathered by Gardner, an avid art collector and philanthropist, during her lifetime. Pro tip: Wear a Red Sox hat or shirt to get a $2 discount on admission—as stipulated by Gardner after her beloved Sox won the 1912 World Series (also, you get in free if your name is Isabella).

It’s a sign of the Palm Springs boom that what started as a modest local museum is now a premier destination for art and design aficionados. Today, the establishment, first opened in 1938, celebrates performing arts, modern art, and architecture in three locations. The main building, a designated historic site designed by architect E. Stewart Williams, is the most trafficked, with works by Henry Moore, Ed Ruscha, Dale Chihuly, and other marquee names. The Palm Springs Art Museum in the Palm Desert location features a rotating selection of exhibits by contemporary artists, as well as a sculpture garden where you can have a contemplative afternoon picnic. The Architecture and Design Center, in a structure originally designed by Williams, hosts exhibitions on architecture and design that change twice a year, rounding out an extensive permanent collection that includes works by Julius Shulman, Alexander Calder, David Hockney, and Marc Chagall. Pro tip: The museum buzzes with energy, particularly on free Thursday evenings, but for a more tailored experience focused on a particular theme, take one of the tours led by passionate and knowledgeable docents.

If money is no object, staying near the Marina in Singapore is a great choice. On one side you have the bizarrely mesmerizing Marina Bay Sands development, which includes a hotel, casino (note that the Chinese take their gambling very seriously), shops, a theater, a rooftop pool, a rooftop restaurant/bar/club (Cé La Vi), myriad celebrity-chef restaurants (try Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro & Oyster Bar), and much more. Although MBS is fun to visit and certainly worth strolling through, you get more for your hotel money across the Marina at the Fullerton Bay Hotel.

Montevideo’s Ciudad Vieja, or Old Town, is located on a peninsula separating the Río de la Plata from the harbor. It has the orderly grid typical of many Spanish cities in the New World. Until 1829, the Ciudad Vieja was walled though today only one gate (the Puerta de la Ciudadela) remains of those defenses. This section of Montevideo is home to many of the city’s most famous historic buildings, including the cathedral and the Cabildo, which today houses the city’s archives.

Part of the revitalization of the city of Santa Marta is this new addition to its cultural offerings. The Tayrona Gold Museum (Museo del Oro Tairona), named after the Tayrona culture, which dates back to at least 100 C.E., has a fascinating collection of pre-Columbian gold jewelry and other artifacts, as well as displays about the region’s history. A centerpiece of Parque Simón Bolívar, the museum is located in the restored 16th-century former Customs House (Casa de la Aduana), one of the earliest buildings in Santa Marta and an important artifact in itself.

In Panama you really can buy cheap and cheerful, even when it comes to exclusive boutiques and high-end labels, because of low import duties. In truth it seems as if there were a new mall opening every day, like so many mushrooms after a rain. Albrook Mall is the widest-ranging, and out-of-towners love it. Multiplaza Pacific is swankier, with prices to match, though there are perennially great sales, too. Finally there’s Metromall, the saving grace of shopaholics who have only a few hours between planes (it’s near the airport, and there is a free shuttle service there and back).

Despite the fact that speakeasies of the prohibition age were illegal, their illicit nature created an allure that drew people in—never mind getting arrested. Nowadays, speakeasies are a sophisticated trend, and fortunately, visiting one doesn’t involve the possibility of jail time. Good thing, because it would be a pity to miss out on Charles H., the decadent, speakeasy themed cocktail bar on the lower level of the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. Named after American cocktail writer Charles H. Baker, the menu features concoctions found by the cocktail connoisseur on his world travels, and showcases interiors meant to resemble the subterranean New York of a bygone era. Like a true speakeasy, there are no signs leading the way to the hidden door, but chances are an accommodating hotel employee may be able to provide a hint. 97 Saemunan-ro,Jongno-gu, Seoul

The Taj Mahal is referred to as “the jewel of Muslim art in India,” by UNESCO in its listing on the World Heritage Site registry. The Mughal ruler Shah Jahan had the truly magnificent white marble mausoleum built in 1632–1648, in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. For its construction, artisans from all over the empire, Central Asia, Iran, were summoned and the final result of their stonework, calligraphy, carvings, gardening, woodwork, and soaring domes remains one of the universally admired masterpieces of world heritage. Allot ample time to tour the site—besides the mausoleum, there is a mosque, a guest house, cloisters, courtyards, gates, and vast gardens. In addition to being stunningly beautiful from afar, the iconic site is evocatively romantic and up-close, the intricate details in its architecture, ornamentation, and history, are revealed.

Located 100 miles south of Santiago, the Colchagua Valley has in the past decade become one of Chile‘s wine hotbeds for the production of robust red wines. Stretching from the Andean foothills in the east through the coastal mountains to west, always following the Tinguirrica River, the valley is renowned for its “big” reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Chile‘s flagship wine, Carmenere. The majority of the vineyards lie in the center of the valley around the small country town of Santa Cruz with its charming colonial plaza and several hotels. New vineyard plantations are also extending into the hillsides in prestigious sub appellations like Apalta nearby and to the west towards the sea. Besides red wine, Colchagua is also steeped heavily in Chile’s country traditions and cowboy culture as an agricultural valley, making it an ideal weekend getaway. For wine enthusiasts, every March during harvest the valley puts on its annual harvest festival during a whole weekend with tastings from valley wineries, regional food, music, dance, and local color.