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Start by seeking out the country’s beer-brewing monks.

Slovenia is magical in the summer and makes a fantastic road trip full of detours to waterfalls, lakes and fabulous restaurants with vineyard views. Start in the capital, Ljubljana, and then head toward fairytale-esque Lake Bled with stops in the Vipava Valley and Bojin.

Named after the reef it overlooks, the Alexandra Resort, located about halfway down Provo’s famed beauty, Grace Bay Beach, is a great spot for families or couples. Rooms are in groups of four-story buildings circling a lagoon-style swimming pool. There is also 600 feet of pink-sand beach in front of the hotel leading directly into the emerald waters of the South Atlantic. Beyond its mid-range accommodations and excellent location, the Alexandra recently debuted a new restaurant, Asu, which has a fantastic location right on the beach and does a barefoot al fresco dinner -- book for sunset and then after the sky blackens lantern baskets provide a romantic glow.

Every January, Tempe, Arizona, serves as the finish line for the thousands upon thousands of runners participating in the Arizona Rock’n’Roll marathon and half-marathon. And so, the question: “Where to eat after the race?” Mill Avenue is the main drag in this college-student-oriented downtown. (ASU’s campus is just a few blocks away.) Drinking-centric chain restaurants dominate, but if you want to find locally-sourced ingredients in a posh interior, check out La Bocca Urban Pizzeria and Wine Bar. Known throughout the Phoenix area for their sangria, they serve a mean plank of bruschetta—a great way to nosh while waiting for wood-fired pizzas to arrive. Perhaps not the clinically “perfect” runners’ recovery meal, but it worked for us! (The particular bruschetta in this photo: roasted baby beets with goat cheese and honey; smoked prosciutto with mascarpone, fig, and truffle oil...) And thank you thank you to fellow AFAR-posters who answered my query that led my friends and me to crash and refuel at this place yesterday afternoon! We DID shower beforehand; the interior is comfy-chic, with a lovely reproduction of a Renaissance portrait gazing out from behind the bar.

Renowned Costa Rican architect Ronald Zürcher looked to his country’s colonial past when designing this hacienda-style property—witness its central courtyard, arched doorways, and terra-cotta roofs. Set amid a 30-acre coffee plantation just outside the capital city of San Jose, the hotel’s 308 traditional accommodations follow suit with dark wood furnishings, but a modern aesthetic pervades renovated guest rooms with streamlined furniture, intricately patterned bathroom tiles, and expansive views that extend from green lawns to forested mountains and urban skyline; some include small balconies that overlook the hotel’s two pools. On-site dining options include gourmet takes on Costa Rican fare at Hacienda Kitchen, Peruvian specialties at La Isabela, and fresh-made sushi at La Castilla, as well as a sports bar and café. The open-air great room invites reading and quiet conversations, but if you’re up for something a little more energetic, there are tennis courts, a driving range, a fitness center, and invigorating coffee scrubs at the spa.

For those looking for solace from the Sunday Funday backpacker bar crawl in San Juan Del Sur, Playa Maderas is a close (but bumpy) 4-wheel-drive ride north. The rolling beach-break waves are great for beginner surf lessons, and further out, for those who are more advanced. Flanking either side of the beachfront Tres Hermanos hostel/bar/restaurant is more tranquil beach space for enjoying the scenery, especially the sunset.

Ayers Rock – known as Uluru to the Anangu Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory – is perhaps the most well-known symbol of Central Australia, though there are no photos, no stories, no tales of wonder that can prepare you for seeing the Rock beset by the sun in the early morning hours. A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the Anangu’s most sacred places, Uluru (Ayers Rock) has a certain aura about it that’s difficult to quantify. Uluru (Ayers Rock) rises from the red sand of the Outback like a stoic sentinel, and at more than 863 meters tall, lords over the whole of the desert. The island mountain first saw human beings more than 10,000 years ago, and is now visited by more than 400,000 people each year; balancing public interest and cultural beliefs is an issue that the traditional stewards of the region and the Australian government have been facing together for more than a quarter of a century, since October 26, 1985, when the government returned care of Ayers Rock to the Pitjantjatjara people. Flash Parker traveled to Australia’s Northern Territory courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory and Goway Travel. His highlights are part of AFAR’s partnership with the United States Tour Operator Association (USTOA), whose members provide travelers with unparalleled access, insider knowledge, peace-of-mind, value and freedom to enjoy destinations across the entire globe. See more about Flash’s trip at the USTOA blog - http://ustoa.com/blog/category/afar/

An exploration of Tlaxcala can begin and end in the Plaza de la Constitución, the zocalo in the old town center. Within walking distance are the Plaza Xicohtencatl, often full of crafts and food stalls, the Ex-Convento Franciscano de la Asuncion (built in the 1530s and one of Mexico‘s earliest monasteries and cathedrals, boasting a visually spectacular interior within its stone walls), several intriguing museums, and the municipal market. Around the zocalo itself you’ll find a colonial-style arcade of restaurants, cafes, and shops, the government building with an interior courtyard painted with historic murals, the Hotel Posada San Francisco an appealingly intimate bar, and plenty of places to park yourself and kick back in the shade. Ninety-five percent of the tourists you’ll encounter will be Mexican.

If you’re in Istanbul and interested in Turkish music and dance, then you should shimmy along to a Turkish Night. Favorite venues are Sultanas (www.sultanas-nights.com) and Karavansaray (www.kervansarayistanbul.com) in Taksim or Gar Gazino (www.garmuzikhol.com) in Yenikapi (near Sultanahmet). Most programs boast a bevy of talented belly dancers, folkloric dancers, and performers who re-enact cultural celebrations such as regional and Ottoman-style weddings. On occasion, you may see a comical performance by a flirty duo, Aşuk and Maşuk, who frolic with one another and the crowd in a dance of playful love. The show generally culminates in a program of party anthems from around the world sung by a pitch-perfect multilingual singer. Tickets include transfers to/from your hotel, three-course meals, and drinks (local alcohol only). The top belly dancers at these venues do teach and perform worldwide, so the standard of performance is high. Hodjapasa (www.hodjapasha.com) is also a favorite for its ambience and performances set in a 550 year old hamam in historic Sirceki. However, tickets do not include dinner, only soft drinks, tea, and coffee. Shows generally start around 9pm and finish by 11pm. Always confirm the program upon booking, and if you’re interested in busting some moves, don’t be shy—most audience members from the Balkan and Middle Eastern countries perform their own national dances once the curtain comes down on the show.

The Cathedral of Leon should be a must see when you are in Nicaragua. As an architect I loved this site and really appreciated the stories behind the historic architectural design. The Cathedral was constructed between 1747 and the early 19th century and most of it’s historical integrity is original. It’s the largest cathedral in Central America, and was designed to withstand the earthquakes. I could write more about the architecture, but would suggest the UNESCO site where they describe it accurately enough for an expert or hobbyist. Side note: the famous poet Rubén Darío has a tomb here, and he seems to be extremely (underlined) popular among all the Nicaraguans. He also has a home in Leon which has been turned into a museum, another great historical place to see in Leon.

Every time I visit the flea market in Jaffa, I must stop for a cup of coffee or a bite at Pua restaurant. The space looks like a retro apartment my grandparents used to have, filled with furnitures and decorations well collected from the vintage stores next door. Beside the eclectic atmosphere and design, Pua serves a great, earthy and tasty food. Israeli breakfast is served all day (a great plus for those who love a good well-balanced mediterranean breakfast) and the menu changes according to the owner’s desire. Rest asure that every day will be a good one. I highly recommend to make reservations (if possible) or be patient as this place is very busy.

Catedral Santa María de la Asunción de Ceuta (or St. Mary of the Assumption), the city’s main cathedral, was built on the site of a mosque converted to a place of Christian worship in the 15th century, after the Portuguese conquest. That initial cathedral was declared a ruin in the 17th century, and was rebuilt and much altered over the years, with a final restoration in the 1720s. Architecturally it resembles the Cathedral of Cádiz on mainland Spain. The adjacent museum has a collection rich in Baroque-period art and sculpture.

Margarita’s capital, La Asunción, is the colonial-era heart of the island, with streets lined in typical one-story, brightly painted houses from the period. The town, which has a population of roughly 10,000, was founded in the 1560s to protect the island’s residents from pirate raids along the coast. It wasn’t long, however, until the pirates made their way inland, which led to the construction of the stone Santa Rosa castle. At the center of town, on Plaza Bolívar, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption is the oldest existing church in the country, dating to the early 1600s.

You want locally sourced? The sourdough starter at this East Austin restaurant was made using wild grapes foraged from a nearby alley and a recipe from the Chez Panisse cookbook. That should tell you almost all you need to know about Dai Due. A butcher shop and restaurant (may as well throw bakery in there as well), Dai Due was started by Jesse Griffiths, a chef who had previously run a supper club and a stand at a farmers’ market. The restaurant offers quintessential Texas food. All the ingredients are local, or only from about as far away as the Gulf of Mexico, and Griffiths has the sense to do just enough to let the ingredients shine while staying out of their way. Beet-cured onions add zing and earthiness to a killer pastrami sandwich, honey shines up a pork chop, and pickled cabbage enlivens the huge beef rib.