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Tepotzlán is the perfect day trip from Mexico City. A strange and wonderful mixture of colonial heritage and architecture, new age spirituality, and peaceful mountain vistas, this town certainly deserves its UNESCO designation as one of Mexico’s “pueblos mágicos.” According to legend, this town sits on the birthplace of the Aztec serpent god Quetzacóatl, and its impressive pyramid (“Pirámide de Tepozteco,” built in honor of Tepoztécatl, the Aztec god of the harvest) is now a gathering place not only for pre-Colombian enthusiasts, but seekers of all kinds who believe it to be a generator of groovy vibes. The pyramid is located at the top of of a cliff above the town and the 2km hike is recommended only for the physically fit. If you do go, start out early before it gets too hot and bring plenty of water. Tepotzlán also offers plenty of more down-to-earth attractions, like a beautifully preserved historic center, a selection of nice restaurants and hotels, a bustling crafts market, an interesting monastery and museum, and a world renowned cooking school (lavillabonita.com). For breathtaking views of the valley and cliffs, have a meal at La Sibarita, which is perched on a hill high above town.

A short drive south of Da Nang, Hoi An is a spellbinding UNESCO World Heritage site, with intact 16th-century architecture that celebrates its origins as a trading port that long welcomed merchant ships from China, Japan, and Europe. The Old Town on the Thu Bon River has a number of sights that visitors must check off their lists. These include the covered bridge, also known as the Japanese Bridge; gorgeous riverside French-colonial buildings; traditional merchant shop-houses; historic pagodas and temples; ornate assembly halls where Chinese immigrants would congregate; and the town’s tailors, for custom garments. But the greatest joy of Hoi An comes from wandering round its quiet streets—the town center is car-free and a blissfully pleasant place to walk, especially at night, when it’s lit by red lanterns strung on the exteriors of buildings.

Christchurch excels at reinvention, whether in creative solutions such as the Cardboard Cathedral, or in the use of shipping containers to house shops and restaurants. So it’s no surprise to find a thriving vintage-and-antiques-shopping scene as well. Among Ferry Road’s secondhand shops, Vintage Wonderland lives up to its name, featuring carefully chosen and displayed retro design and home items and collectibles. Find your treasure here, perhaps an Art Deco travel clock or a New Zealand–made teacup—or someone else’s souvenir postcard from Victorian-era Christchurch.

A café, a restaurant and a cabaret all in one, the Ritz Madeira exemplifies Funchal’s pulse and exuberance. Established in 1905 by textile merchant Christian Ritz as a charming café for businessmen and other members of high society, it’s still a popular spot for high tea and soirées. Stop by for lunch, a homemade gelato or late afternoon cocktails.

Before America had the Outback Steakhouse, Australia had The Overlanders in Alice Springs, a Northern Territory institution housed in the building that served as Alice Springs’ first town hall. Opened by Daphne Campbell (now Calder) and named after the Australian drama The Overlanders in which she co-starred, the place is part restaurant, part museum where antique leather saddles and framed playbills showcase the ranching and film history of the town. Celebrity fans should look for familiar autographs on the “windmill of fame.” Besides the decor and heritage, locals and tourists flock here for the quintessential cuisine, exemplified in The Drovers Blowout menu: a four-course meal that includes a platter of crocodile vol-au-vent, kangaroo fillets, buffalo medallions and wild camel served with plum sauce.

This unusual contemporary art museum is located in a series of dimly lit caverns and tunnels built into the side of a cliff in Berriedale, a Hobart suburb. Inside, mind-bending installations include a stinky model of the human digestive system that poops daily at 2 p.m. Founder David Walsh, a professional gambler turned art maverick, displays more than 400 edgy works from his private collection. The new Pharos wing that debuted in late 2017 is heavy on light spaces by James Turrell. MONA also stages two standout annual festivals: Mona Foma (which stands for Festival of Music and Art, sometimes further shortened to Mofo) in January, curated by Brian Ritchie of the rock band Violent Femmes, and Dark Mofo, the disturbing winter version held in June.

Nextdoor to the WTC Souk, stands a modern mall with department stores, restaurants, boutique shops, bookstores, and amenities. The more traditional souk architecture makes it a visually interesting place to visit. Historically a center for trade in Abu Dhabi, the mall is set on the site of a souk. Now, a busy metropolis, the mall is in the center of Abu Dhabi’s towers and businesses.

Tornado Tower is neither the newest nor the tallest in Doha, but it’s undoubtedly one of the most iconic buildings in the country. It soars over the West Bay district in a statuesque hour-glass shape, gently slims down toward its mid-section, then opens up again toward its summit. The shape of the building is supposed to evoke the movement of a tornado. The shape is enhanced by a complex lighting system capable of producing over 35,000 patterns, creating a stunning visual effect at night. Tourists can take advantage of the stunning view from the French Restaurant La Varenne, located on the 28th floor.

It’s back to the bistro at the Bachaumont hotel restaurant with a menu of updated French classic dishes like steak tartare and quasi de veau imagined by chef Gregory Marchand of Frenchie. The dining room is equal parts glam and sophisticated thanks to a sharp design job by Dorothée Meilichzon; chairs and banquettes in patchwork patterns and fabrics, Backgammon-inspired wood tables, mosaic marble flooring, diamond-shaped light fixtures and touches of brass. The entire dining program is managed by the Experimental Group (of Experimental Cocktail Club fame), which means you can also expect their singular brand of cool at their moody cocktail bar called Night flight, where skilled barmen churn out superior craft cocktails into the wee hours.

Petra flourished more than 2,000 years ago, trading with Rome as an equal before being abandoned after a series of earthquakes in the 4th and 6th centuries C.E. It wasn’t until the 19th century, when European explorers “rediscovered” it, that the ancient city returned to the public consciousness. Now, visitors can walk down the narrow canyon of the siq to the city entrance—as dramatic an approach as any to a tourist attraction on the planet. The canyon opens up onto the carved facade of the Treasury, Petra’s most iconic site. From there, you can explore the cliffside tombs with their colorful bands of sandstone, the Street of Facades, and the amphitheater hewn from living rock. The ancient center lies some distance off, along with the splendid old Monastery, which sits at the top of a steep but rewarding climb. Consider buying a three-day ticket and visiting at different times of day to enjoy the changing light—early in the morning is best for the Treasury, while late afternoon is better for the Royal Tombs.

Manhattan can, famously, feel like endless rows of apartment blocks and office towers for most of its length. At least above 14th Street, a regular grid of streets and avenues, bisected only by Broadway, has transformed the city into a dream for real estate developers. The green spaces interrupting the pattern—Union Square, Gramercy Park, Madison Square Park—are few and far between, with one enormous exception: Central Park. Running from 59th Street to 110th Street, and between Central Park West (Eighth Avenue) and Fifth Avenue, it is one of the world’s largest urban parks, measuring some 843 acres. It is the masterpiece of the 19th-century landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted working in collaboration with Calvert Vaux. Inside its borders are stately allées and naturalistic scenes, ice-skating rinks (in the winter), an enormous reservoir, and a faux castle. The park is hugely popular, and so to call it an escape from the bustle of the city is often not accurate, especially on mild summer days and the first warm ones in the spring when thousands of residents head to its playing fields, bike and run along the road that loops the park, and enjoy picnics on the Sheep Meadow or one of its other lawns.

Cacao beans’ scientific name is theobrama cacao, which translates into “drink of the gods.” Casa Cortés in Old San Juan will truly please any god with its Cortés chocolate concoctions. This welcoming café fuses modern style of its seats and dishes with the antique charm of walls covered in Cortés chocolate molds and a short history of chocolate on a collage of artwork that exudes nostalgia. The menu features mouth-watering items such as a baguette filled with Brie, chocolate, and a hazelnut spread; a blood orange and passion fruit cheesecake topped with a chocolate mousse; and an Argentinian ice wine. I opted for the mallorca (a sweet bread dusted with powdered sugar) stuffed with Ibérico ham, Manchego, chocolate, and a guava spread, accompanied by a European hot chocolate that was to die for. My meal was perfect, but I’m sure everything I didn’t get to taste was just as amazing. That’s what you get when your chocolate comes straight from a nearby farm. While I waited for my food, I watched a video on chocolate production. There’s also a museum (unfortunately, I was unable to see it, but you can bet I’ll be back there next time I come home to my beautiful island) and some products for sale. Make sure to take a little piece of Casa Cortés with you for future indulgences—they advertise one chocolate tablet as being enough for two beverages.

The newest hotel in Jackson Hole sets the standard for comfortable luxury in downtown Jackson. The Hotel Jackson boasts a central location (just one block from Jackson Hole Square and the infamous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar) and beautifully appointed guest rooms that seem to bring elements of the outdoors in, but most impressive is the hotel’s ability to create a a welcoming and distinctive sense of place to both visitors and Jackson locals alike. During the warmer months The Back Deck bar and restaurant comes to life with live music in the evenings and offers a modern yet casual outside vibe. The Back Deck had only been open for four weeks when I visited, yet it felt a bit like “Cheers” - everyone seemed to know and love the jovial owner of the hotel and his son, Jim and Sedek Darwiche. The hotel’s more formal restaurant, FIGS, serves surprisingly delicious Mediterranean cuisine inspired by the owner - who is originally from Lebanon, but has been a beloved figure in Jackson Hole since he opened his first business here in the 1970s (a tiny jewelry boutique that you can still visit within the same square block). Even if you choose not to stay at Hotel Jackson during your time in WY, I highly recommend stopping by the property for a drink or snack. You’ll be treated like a local, and that, in my opinion, is key to any great hotel experience.

Witness the destruction wrought by Mt. Vesuvius nearly 2,000 year ago at the archaeological site of Pompeii. The ancient village was frozen in time beneath a blanket of hot ash during an eruption in 79 C.E. Among the ruins that have been uncovered are buildings that shed light on aspects of ancient life both grand and mundane, from the temples, the coliseum and homes with fine frescoes, to public baths, chariot-rutted streets and grain stores which now hold plaster casts of the people who perished that fateful day.

In 1986, self-described Connecticut Yankee Will Jackson bought an 850-acre cattle ranch with beachfront property and a tiny inn, a few miles north of Fort Bragg. In September 2015, after six years of securing permits and four years of construction, he and his heirs opened The Inn at Newport Ranch, still a working ranch (cattle, quarry, timber) but now surrounded by over 2,000 acres of coastal headlands and rolling hills. The Inn comprises four rooms and four suites (plus the owner’s four-bedroom vacation home), each uniquely configured and appointed. The use of woods, stone, concrete, steel, glass, and plaster, and the attention to detail (it will take more than a weekend stay to discover all the architectural and design treasures) are as spectacular as the panoramic views of the north coast bluffs, beaches, and Pacific Ocean sunsets. We stayed in the Grove Suite, so named because many of the building’s two-dozen 25-foot-tall redwoods (bark still on) come up through the floor as soaring columns in the living/dining areas. The main inn has a water-tower rooftop hot tub, and each suite has its own. Innkeepers Creighton and Cindi Smith have impeccable and down-home hospitality chops. There’s a breakfast spread every morning, wine and appetizers in the evening, and dinner upon request. With a modest footprint, the Inn is Mendocino County’s new great leap forward in accommodations.