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There’s no cost attached to one of Istanbul’s most distinctive photo ops, and the only lines are from fishing poles. Cross the historic Golden Horn via the Galata Bridge, where fishermen from every walk of life jostle for space, and tourist restaurants line the lower level (stop in for a drink if you’d like, but the food tends to be overpriced and mediocre). Galata Bridge isn’t beloved for its architecture (fun fact: It is supposedly the bridge for which the card game is named), but rather its views: Topkapı Palace and several domes and minarets in the Old City on one side, and the Galata Tower on the other.

While some claim that the first Jews arrived in Kerala as early as the reign of King Solomon, historical evidence that is more solid dates their presence here back to the 12th century. The area of Fort Cochin known as Jew Town has seven synagogues, but only the Paradesi Synagogue is still actively used. (Following the independence of India in 1947, many members of the Jewish community chose to immigrate to Israel or other Commonwealth nations.) Constructed in 1567, the synagogue has hand-painted porcelain tiles and an 18th-century clock tower that are both of special interest.

While Cochin’s St. Francis Church managed to survive through the different conquests of the city, its Roman Catholic cathedral was not as fortunate. Construction of the earliest church on the site began in 1505 and it was elevated to a cathedral in 1555. The Dutch spared it (along with St. Francis Church), but when the British assumed control of Cochin, they demolished the building. The current basilica, built in a Gothic style, was consecrated in 1905. It stands as a remarkable reminder of the persistence of Christianity (if not individual buildings dedicated to it) in Kerala, where, unusually for India, nearly one-fifth of the population is Christian.

Tucked away in the heart of downtown Seoul is the quaint Insadong district, where a Korea of yore comes to life in the form of traditional artists and musicians, shops selling Korean crafts and souvenirs, and street performers dressed in native costumes. This is the place to go if you’re set on buying the wooden masks, paper lanterns, and tea sets that the country is famous for. Two other stores also stand out from the crowd in Insadong: Gounjae Handcraft can be smelled before you even enter the door. This handmade soap shop, in the small brick courtyard of Ssamji Gil Center, offers sumptuously scented soaps, lotions, and bath products in scents like avocado, ginger, and almond. I love the tiny, traditional mask-shaped soaps that make inexpensive and lightweight souvenirs. The Ee Gee boutique is a veritable treasure chest bursting with glimmering necklaces, bracelets, and other one-of-a-kind baubles–it’s located on Insadong’s main drag.

Historic Santo Domingo offers a unique look at how the New World was settled in the years following Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Caribbean on his first voyage in 1492, as well as subsequent expeditions. The Colonial Zone sits along the Ozama River, where the settlement’s original layout, walls, forts and other buildings remain much as they were 500 years ago. With its wealth of colonial architecture, the area has not surprisingly been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Among the historic buildings is the first cathedral built in the Americas, the Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor (also known as the Catedral Primada de América, recognizing its historic significance). The ornate church once housed the remains of Christopher Columbus until they were moved to the Columbus Lighthouse, in the eastern part of the city.

There’s a different way to see the African wildlife in their natural habitat than a safari and it’s called Boulder Beach. We ventured to the Eastern side of the Peninsula (Indian Ocean) to meet and spend time with the locals, Cape Town‘s penguin colony. Following the wooden boardwalks, you gain access to Foxy Beach, a sheltered cove with soft white sand, crystal clear water, massive granite boulders, and birds in butler-style tailcoats. Its nothing short of an Instagram-worthy photo op but I recommend climbing atop a boulder and spending time to take it all in. It’s impossible to capture how majestic this destination truly is.

Hand-printed textiles are one of Rajasthan’s signature artisan crafts, and the Anokhi shops—found all over India—are some of the best places to stock-up on rolls of printed fabric and clothing, home furnishings, stationery, bedding, and more made from the beautiful textiles. But as with many traditional crafts, hand-printing is in danger of disappearing, replaced by modern technology, so Anokhi created this center in Jaipur both to showcase the art form and provide education and opportunities to those wanting to learn the trade. Now among Jaipur’s more popular tourist attractions, the museum (which is located a short walk from Amber Fort, in a historic haveli, or mansion), houses a permanent collection of antique, vintage, and contemporary block-printed textiles, as well as traditional outfits, wooden tools used in hand-printing, and more. Rotating exhibits focus on specific materials or types of printing, while the education center offers demonstrations and classes, including workshops for tourists. Naturally, there’s also a shop where you can stock up on goodies, including limited-edition items.

On a rocky plateau overlooking the Dead Sea lies the 2,000-year-old cliff-top fortress of Masada. Next to Jerusalem, it is the most popular destination for tourists visiting Israel. In addition to its sheer natural beauty, Masada is also the setting of one of the most powerful and tragic stories in Jewish history. During the First Roman-Jewish War in 73 or 74 C.E., 960 Jewish zealots—men, women, and children—committed suicide on top of the mountain rather than submit to capture by the Romans. Among the ruins are the Northern Palace, an ancient synagogue, and a Roman-style bathhouse with mosaic floors. The ascent to Masada can be done by cable car or by walking up the Snake Path, a moderate climb which should take around an hour.

The past two decades have seen the dozens of islands scattered across Boston Harbor transformed from barely noticed dots on the horizon to one of the city’s most popular attractions. The Boston Harbor Island National Recreation Area, established in 1996, has propelled them into prominence, with ferries carrying day-trippers and overnight campers from downtown Boston, Hingham, and Hull to eight of the islands (19 more are accessible by private boat or charter excursions). Most visitors head to Georges Island, home of the Civil War–era Fort Warren, or the beaches and hiking trails of Spectacle Island, the one closest to downtown Boston. (Don’t skip the concession stands here: The food is from James Beard Award–winning Boston chef Barbara Lynch.) You can also camp on Peddocks, Grape, and Bumpkin islands, or take a tour to Little Brewster Island to witness the 300-year-old Boston Light, the nation’s oldest lighthouse.

Conch is as ubiquitous on Turks and Caicos restaurant menus as palm trees on the beaches, and at Da Conch Shack, you’ll find it prepared any way you can imagine. Of course, there are the classic dishes of conch fritters, conch chowder, and conch salad, but you’ll also find entrées such as curried conch and conch creole. The breezy beachfront restaurant on Provo also serves fresh catch, local lobster, and non-seafood items like steaks and burgers.

Open for dinner under the stars from Thursday through Sunday nights, flavors, live music, and dance harmoniously come together for an incredible evening out at Blue Dragon Restaurant and Musiquarium. The menu focuses on the freshness factor and celebrates items made with ingredients from their own organic farm and more than forty Hawaii ranchers, farmers, and fisherman who provide the freshest foods to the table. The ambiance at Blue Dragon can be electric with live music every night that spans genres and encourages guests to get up and dance in the open air restaurant underneath the stars.

A permit and a guide are required to hike in the Edmund Forest Reserve, in the interior of the island. A permit can easily be obtained through your guesthouse or hotel, and a forest guide can be hired at the reserve. The 18,000-acre park offers various hiking trails: The Edmund Rainforest Trail is a four-hour, seven-mile strenuous hike concluding with a view of Mount Gimie. A less intense hike is the Des Cartier Rainforest Trail, on relatively flat terrain, with plenty of flora along the way. Bird-watchers will love the Millet Bird Sanctuary Trail, a two-mile loop through the habitat of over 30 species, including the St. Lucian parrot and hummingbirds.

Since Barbuda is so isolated, and transport can be tricky, one great way to explore the island is with the Barbuda Express Day Tour. The trip, which costs around $160, takes in all the island’s major sites. These include a boat ride through the frigate bird sanctuary, exploring the east-coast caves that’s walls are covered in ancient Arawak drawings, and a fresh lobster lunch on one of Barbuda’s famed and secluded pink sand beaches. This same company also runs a once-daily catamaran ferry between Antigua and Barbuda. The trip takes 90-minutes. Boat trips depart from the ferry landing in the harbor in Codrington, the only village on the island. Also in the vicinity of the ferry landing is the 56ft-high Martello Tower, which is a former fortified looking out station that resembles an old sugar mill from a distance, and makes for a classic Barbuda photograph.

The Cellar, an upscale restaurant located at the Oryx Rotana Hotel, offers a new brunch concept in town, “TapBrunch” a mixture between tapas and brunch. Seafood, cured meats, bruschettas. olive-based pickles, fried anchovies, calamari and paella are their forte. Available every Friday for 175 QAR or $48 (food only) per person or 275 QAR, or $74 with unlimited sangria.

The system of canals and chinampas (cultivated artificial islands fashioned from the area’s swampy soils) that has survived in the far-south neighborhood known as Xochilmilco once stretched all the way to the Centro. To this day, the community is known for its plant nurseries and vegetable gardens. These ancient landscapes now contribute to what has become one of the most singular pleasure gardens in the world, where visitors hire “gondoliers” to propel boats known as trajineras as they sail these channels in the company of floating mariachis and food vendors, partying teens, and extended families out for a picnic lunch. Since a tour is usually a four-hour-plus investment (it flies by), ask your oarsman to take you to Xochimilco’s more-rural precincts, where you’ll enjoy marvelous quiet, far from the madding crowd, in the company of cranes, curs, and picturesque cornfields.