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Watching the sun set on Jamaica‘s west coast is a bona fide activity. The island’s red skies are a sight to behold. I have yet to experience a better Caribbean sunset than in Jamaica. From Montego Bay all the way to Negril--famous for having the best--to Whitehouse, get your camera and Red Stripe ready for the last hours of daylight. You won’t lack for choice of seafront bars or scenic spots--from the trendy Pier One in Montego Bay to the wooden shack watering holes along Negril’s West End cliffs. Wherever you end up, there’s a very good chance you’ll get hooked on this daily sunset viewing routine.

The date-night dinner-and-a-movie standard has been taken to a new stylish height at this acclaimed restaurant in the Mission District. Grab a table on the patio under the strings of lights to dine on seasonal California cuisine while films flicker on the back wall. It’s romantic, and easily one of San Francisco’s most unique dining settings. But don’t think of Foreign Cinema as just a gimmick. The stellar cuisine is the real scene-stealer here, which is why Foreign Cinema is consistently ranked as one of the city’s best restaurants. Chef Gayle Pirie and her partner, chef John Clark, have transformed this into a destination restaurant. Reservations are still tough to get, especially for Saturday night and Sunday brunch, but plan ahead and you’ll be glad. From fresh local oysters on the half shell to caramel pecan sticky buns to a popular sesame curry fried chicken, the food is always as stellar as the setting, making date night or brunch with friends an event you won’t soon forget. The adjacent wine bar, Laszlo, is perfect for predinner drinks or nightcaps.

Bird’s Isle, a staple on the Belize City local dining and socializing scene, is just five minutes south of the noisy downtown along a waterfront, with an open dining room that enjoys breezy views of the dock and the birds hovering nearby. The kitchen serves Belizean Creole dishes and seafood as well as burgers. A lively crowd of locals flocks here for the daily lunch specials—especially Tuesday’s beef soup—and in the evenings, you can expect a crowd for happy-hour deals and a fun atmosphere. Thursday is karaoke night.

Bloody Mary’s, entertaining tourists since it opened in 1979, is one of those Bora Bora experiences that simply must be done. The ambience is beach-bar hip, with sand floors, colored lights, and coconut stools in a dining room under a thatched roof and surrounded by tropical foliage. Even if you don’t eat here, at least come for a cocktail to experience the vibe and mingle with the crowd of local pension, or guesthouse, owners, visiting celebrities, and other travelers. The food’s quite good, too: Fresh fish, seafood, and meats are grilled, American-barbecue style, with tasty results.

One of the most famous restaurants in Venice, the Michelin-starred Da Fiore occupies an understated-yet-elegant space in what was once an old Venetian tavern. The food is a modern take on traditional Venetian, with lots of fish and seafood, but the menu changes constantly based on what is fresh and locally available. Everything is wonderfully prepared with a lovely fusion of flavors and textures and comes out perfectly plated. There’s also an excellent wine list. You can order à la carte or choose a six- or seven-course tasting menu at dinner.

The understated and modest villas at the Hoshinoya Taketomi Island resort are a far cry from the characterless concrete and stucco of many beach resorts, but then again, this is Japan, where tradition and elegant simplicity are standard. The island of Taketomi prohibits modern buildings and encourages the traditional practices of red-tiled roofs and gukku stone walls with embedded talismans. Accommodations are either Japanese-style with tatami mats and futons, or more western with wood floors and modern furniture; all have deep soaking tubs, private gardens, and floor-to-ceiling windows that can be fully opened to let in the outdoors. The restaurant serves nouvelle French cuisine featuring island seafood and local ingredients, and the lounge encourages guests to unwind with a beverage and a book. For more active stays, the swimming pool is heated and shaded by banyan trees, and guests may borrow a bicycle to explore the island’s white coral sand beaches and watch the sun rise and set from the observation deck. The resort is reached by ferry and a shuttle from Ishigaki port, and visitors get around the island by water buffalo cart rather than car.

The Heron’s Cove is a special little spot on a small inlet in Goleen on the coast in West Cork, with harbor views and an outdoor terrace for pre- or post-dinner drinks. The harborside location also gives it access to freshly caught seafood—though steaks, duck, and lamb also feature on the menu. The restaurant is open from May to August and by prebooking for April or September. The restaurant is also a B&B, making it the ideal peaceful base for exploring the area.

Start your night out in the trendy New Kingston neighborhood with dinner at Redbones. The warm wood interior is hung with photos of jazz and blues artists who have performed here. Several seating areas inside and out can suit a variety of moods. Tables are set on a breezy porch and out on a fairy-lit patio. The kitchen serves a Caribbean fusion menu of sandwiches, seafood, pasta, and steaks. In addition to a regular schedule of musical performers, both local and international, Redbones hosts poetry nights, film screenings, and art exhibitions.

The ultimate spot to wind down in after sunbathing or cliff jumping (it’s a thing) in Playa Forti, this restaurant has a vibrant blue exterior that matches its staggering views of the turquoise water below. Sip on a Curaçao Blue Sprizz—mixed with white wine, sparkling water, and the island’s ubiquitous blue curaçao liqueur—then snack on fresh seafood or even (yes) BBQ iguana. And if you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to live inside a postcard—or you just want to make your Instagram followers jealous—stop by the terrace during sunset happy hour. Blue View will serve as your go-to “happy place” for years to come.

Steak house fare meets Caribbean flavors at this outpost of the celebrated international restaurant. Located at the tony Ritz-Carlton, the eatery offers a fusion menu of choice cuts, just-caught seafood, and comfort food sides. Specials incorporate local ingredients such as tuna, snapper, and lobster, but standbys like popovers, Wagyu, and truffle mac and cheese still have top billing. An extensive raw bar, bespoke cocktails, and those famous Aruban trade winds enhance the entire experience.

Tsukishima is a neighborhood best known for one of Tokyo’s local dishes, monjayaki. This casual dish is similar to Osaka’s savory okonomiyaki pancake but with much more liquid, making it great fun to cook. Diners are seated around a hot iron grill and prepare their own monjayaki after the staff help you with your first one. An ice-cold beer hits the spot as the table heats up. There are a variety of flavors, like seafood, pork, or house styles. A popular combination is mochi, mentaiko (spicy roe), and cheese. At night the main street is open only to pedestrians and is an interesting area to wander and explore.

One of Japan‘s most talented chefs, Yoshihiro Narisawa presents Japanese ingredients in a style he calls “innovative Satoyama cuisine,” which highlights the country’s natural bounty. Narisawa works directly with purveyors to get the freshest seafood and produce. Bread is cooked on the table, there is soup made from soil (yes, literally dirt, along with burdock roots), and a forest-inspired dish that has a live audio feed from a forest in Japan. The exquisite meal is not gimmicky and involves a dizzying array of ingredients, and the wine-pairing option includes some very interesting, untraditional sakes, a great education in the spirit. Knowledgeable staff explain the provenance of each dish—it’s like an edible tour through Japan.

While cute souvenir shops and even haute couture boutiques exemplify the changing face of the retail scene in Siem Reap, the city’s famous Old Market remains a heady hub of traditional trade and commerce. Located right in the heart of town, Psar Chas is amply stocked with lots of things that you might want to buy—as well as plenty of things you probably do not. That said, perusing the labyrinthine aisles full of silverware, silks, handicrafts, spices, stone carvings, and other assorted ephemera is worth a couple hours of anyone’s time. Stay calm and haggle politely with a smile on your face, and you’re sure to find a bargain or two.

The family-owned Yandup Island Lodge is located on a private island across from the remote Playon Chico community on the Caribbean coastline of San Blas, Panama. The eco-lodge offers two tours a day: a visit to a beach on one of the archipelago’s deserted islands and a cultural tour that connects guests to the local Kuna Yala indian community.

Hidden Pond blends Maine cottage living with its own quirky, Instagram-worthy take on luxury. The enclave of 14 colorful one- and two-bedroom clapboard bungalows is spread over 60 acres of birch groves and balsam fir, just a 10-minute drive from downtown Kennebunkport. Each private house comes with a full kitchen that practically begs to be used, with first-rate cooking equipment and serving pieces and, for guests staying in the two-bedroom cottages, the option to send along a grocery list prior to arrival. However, dining at Hidden Pond’s farm-to-table Earth restaurant, with its awe-inspiring chandelier made from a preserved apple tree, shouldn’t be missed. For an even more memorable experience, guests can supper in one of two private garden sheds, which are outfitted with a sole table surrounded by hurricane lanterns, pitchforks, and potted plants, and situated steps from a chef’s garden that supplies ingredients for every meal. The Tree Spa is aptly named: Treatment rooms are nestled in the treetops eight feet above ground and are reached via wooden footbridges.