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Shanghai tailors are the best in the world, says fashion designer Christy Holzer, whose label, Dowry Designs, was inspired by the city. She suggests visiting the South Bund fabric market to order custom garments. DRESS: STALL 308 “A fun style to wear is the qipao [a centuries-old Chinese dress that got its form-fitting shape in the 1920s]. Traditional silk patterns make the garment look old, so request a solid-color silk.” SUIT: STALL 309 “If you want truly exceptional fabric, ask for 100 percent wool. Most of the wool fabrics they have are blends. Specify that they line your suit with 100 percent silk or cotton.” COTTON SHIRT: STALL 310 “Look at the buttons the tailors are planning to use, as they often choose cheap ones. If you don’t like the buttons, stop by a button stall at the market; it will be worth the extra investment.” Illustration by Michael Hoeweler.

Wonderful catamarans that you can rent right off the beach.

Known for being a bit boisterous and rowdy, Little India has a distinct personality from the rest of Singapore. It can start to feel a few degrees hotter than the rest of the city as you dodge shoppers, temple goers, and trinket sellers on Serangoon Road. The crowds and pungent smell of flowers, curries, and frying prata excite and assault the senses. The sidewalks are taken up by racks of DVDs, cases filled with phone cards, carts selling garlands of fresh flowers, and men working at sewing machines. It’s a uniquely South Asian crush of color and hum of activity. If you head there on a Sunday—the day most Indian and Bangladeshi construction workers have off—the streets might be even more crowded than usual.

In 1971, squatters moved into the barracks on an abandoned military base and established Freetown Christiania, an autonomous district in the middle of the city. Later, many dwellers built their own homes on the 86-acre property. Although the Danish Supreme Court ruled this year that the state owns the land, the area’s nearly 1,000 residents have yet to be evicted. Today, visitors can bike along tree-lined paths and check out the handmade structures before they disappear. christiania.org. This appeared in the July/August 2011 issue.

Looking to take home a piece of Portland? Your new best fronds are here to help. Solabee Flowers & Botanicals is your source for succulents, staghorn ferns, stately palms, and just about anything else you can imagine from the world of houseplants, ceramics and pottery, crystals, and palo santo, the popular South American incense sticks. All those plants make for a sunny bi-level shop that’s an olfactory heaven. The helpful staff of plant experts are happy to consult with you and troubleshoot any issues you may have with your cacti. This very Portland store even boasts a corgi mascot that’s often featured on Solabee’s Instagram feed.

Nothing is a more powerful symbol of the City of Light than the Eiffel Tower. Designed by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Paris Exposition, it’s one of the world’s most-visited monuments, with nearly 7 million people ascending the 1,062-foot wrought-iron structure each year. Glass elevators spirit you to the top—hardy souls can take the stairs part of way—where in addition to unparalleled panoramic views of Paris, you can toast your arrival with a glass of bubbly at the Champagne bar. Evenings there’s a grand light show: every hour on the hour, the tower sparkles for five minutes with 20,000 bulbs.

The historic Flemings Mayfair Hotel, Suites and Apartments is a boutique property that provides a home-away-from-home feel within one of London’s exclusive neighborhoods. Opened in 1851, it was converted from 13 Georgian townhouses dating back to 1731 and is today one of London’s oldest established hotels. Set on a quiet street in walking distance to Green Park, Buckingham Palace, and Bond Street, Flemings Mayfair has been privately owned by the same family for more than 40 years.

Enhancing the historic property with contemporary touches, Fleming Mayfair completed a £14 million renovation in 2016 which included a new dining experience with Executive Chef, Michelin-starred Shaun Rankin.

A décor featuring shades of bronze and soft greys mixing with teal, indigo, and mustard, creates a sleek but soothing retreat reminiscent of the 1930s within the Flemings Mayfair’s 129 guest rooms, suites and apartments. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as a seven-bedroom Townhouse private residence, are individually decorated and boast fully-equipped kitchens and separate living and dining rooms.

Félix Meana and Katie Button, veterans of elBulli in Spain, converted Asheville’s former downtown bus depot into a stylish tapas bar. Cúrate means to cure oneself, which diners can do with traditional Spanish dishes such as Catalan sausage bocadillos, codfish salad, and honey-drizzled fried eggplant. This appeared in the July/August 2012 issue. Read Emma John’s feature on the North Carolina bluegrass scene.

Though a relatively new option for tourists, the Crystal Caves of Grand Cayman’s Old Man Bay have been hosting other sorts of visitors since time immemorial: Everyone from bats (who still hang out near the entrance) to farmers (in search of the attendant guano) to pirates (where better to dodge both hurricanes and the law?). Shrouded within a healthy radius of rain forest, these stalactite-and-stalagmite-studded caverns are well worth your visit, too; whether or not you locate the treasure that some of the previous occupants are rumored to have left behind, you’ll find a wealth of natural beauty—especially the reflection of all those formations in the gin-clear rainwater lake.

The choice of whether to build a church following a Gothic Revival or neoclassical design involved more than just aesthetics in 19th-century Québec. The former tended to be associated with Protestantism, and so the construction of the Catholic Basilica of Notre-Dame in that style raised eyebrows. When the St-Jacques Cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1852, the architects who designed a new church for the site, the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, opted for the neoclassical style that was more typical of Catholic buildings. Constructed from 1874 to 1895, it is a quarter-scale version of St. Peter’s in Rome, complete with coffered vaults and twisting columns in imitation of those of Lorenzo Bernini’s baldachin in the Eternal City. The building’s green copper dome makes a statement, too, looming as it does over the largely Protestant neighborhood. The stucco crucifix by sculptor Philippe Hébert is one of most important works of art in the church.

The brand new Marriott Port-au-Prince is located 6.5 miles from Port-au-Prince International Airport, in the city’s emerging commercial district, called Haute Tourgeau. On a recent visit, it provided me with a much appreciated retreat from the wild hustle and bustle that defines so much of Haiti. It’s a cool hotel, and it goes beyond the call of duty to be socially responsible. To begin with, a tremendous effort is made to employ locals, and to support Haitian businesses that provide the hotel with products and services. Much to the chagrin of some of the locals, you won’t find a Starbucks in this Marriott’s lobby. Instead, you can sample one of the best, and most likely strongest coffees, you’ll ever had–Haitian Rebo! The public spaces are filled with a well-curated collection of–you guessed it–local art. Philippe Dodard, a renowned Haitian artisan, selected the works. Some of his own pieces made it onto the walls as well, one of the most prominent ones can be seen in the lobby area. The food is great and there are plans to tap more into the Haitian cuisine in the future. Produce is sourced from local farmers, mostly from the Kenscoff area. ___________________ A big thank you to JetBlue (http://www.jetblue.com) for flights to and from Haiti, and of course the Marriott Port-au-Prince (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/papmc-marriott-port-au-prince-hotel/) for accommodations.

One of Lisbon’s most unique and interesting shops, this high-design destination features colorful items (backpacks, handbags, blankets, shoes, homewares) made from burel, a Portuguese wool that, until recently, was used for little more than the heavy cloaks worn by shepherds in the Serra da Estrela mountains. For Loja da Burel, the storeowners resurrected the fabric as well as its artisanal weaving process, breathing new life into a Portuguese mountain tradition. While not everything here is entirely practical, it’s all very well-made and quite beautiful, making the store worth a visit even if you’re not in the market for a wool baseball cap.

From the outside, the Royal Ontario Museum appears to have been struck by a mineral formation from outer space. When the original building was overhauled by starchitect Daniel Libeskind, many locals were dismayed by the new addition, called the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, but most have come around to its angular charms. Visitors to this museum of world cultures and natural history can work their way through galleries showcasing Chinese sculptures, Canada’s First Nations artifacts and crafts, dinosaur skeletons, and Byzantine artwork. Special exhibits have included everything from the intricate textiles of Mexico to an in-depth look at the culture of tattoos.

Old San Juan may look, at first glance, like a few other charming cities built during the height of Spanish colonialism—Havana or Santo Domingo, for example—but what sets it apart is the extent to which its architectural infrastructure from that era remains visible. It’s the only city that has its original colonial wall almost entirely intact, and both of its principal forts are in excellent condition, remain accessible to the public, and offer panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean (so bring your camera). Both El Morro and Fuerte San Cristobal are run by the National Park Service; guided tours will leave you with greater knowledge about the era, as well as the forts’ construction and their role in Puerto Rican history. (There are other, smaller forts in and around the capital, next to the Caribe Hilton, and in Luís Muñoz Rivera Park, plus Fort San Juan de la Crúz in the nearby town of Cataño.)

Set on 4,200 secluded acres of hillocks, ponds, and gardens at the foot of the Tennessee Smoky Mountains, this award-winning resort, a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux brand, is awash in genteel luxury, from its splendid spa to its exquisitely appointed rooms, suites, and cottages. But make no mistake, the family-owned property takes the “farm” in its name to heart: Its James Beard Award–winning restaurant, The Barn, as well as the more informal Dogwood restaurant, were early leaders in the farm-to-table movement, welcoming guests who come to pay homage to the inn’s self-described foothills cuisine.

In addition to several gardeners, the farm employs its own butcher, cheese maker, and beekeeper, along with a preservationist who makes pickles, jams, and jellies. The staff raise their own sheep, pigs, and chickens, and forage the land for mushrooms, berries, ramps, wild crab apples, and muscadines—which you’ll share at the table with other guests (all meals are included in your stay). Thankfully, a roster of on-site activities—including cycling, wakeboarding, archery, paddleboarding, hiking, fly-fishing, swimming, tennis, and golf—allow you to indulge without feeling guilty.