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Like a smaller scale Bondi Icebergs, there are a handful of whitewashed cement enclosures along the False Bay waterfront that are used as public swimming pools. Even in winter, locals plunge into the icy Atlantic water to start their day. The nicest pool is the pool at Dalebrook, located just before you enter Kalk Bay to your left. It tends to be quieter, has an outdoor shower, a little bit of a sandy beach area, and small bathroom/changing facility.

Chef Bill Granger started his first restaurant in Darlinghurst at age 24. Since then, his sunny Aussie eatery (most famous for its creamy scrambled eggs, ricotta hotcakes, and crunchy corn fritters) has spread to Surry Hills as well as Honolulu, Seoul, London, and four locations in Japan. The newest Australian outpost of Bills in Bondi Beach is bright and communal, spilling out on to one of the area’s most lively streets. Arrive early to avoid the long queue for weekend brunch, and sample everything from house-cured gravlax to the fried rice bowl with kimchi. Dinner (at the Bondi and Surry Hills locations only) is a more intimate, candle-lit affair, with interesting Aussie-Asian plates like tea-smoked trout salad, fish curry, spicy pork belly, and Japanese-style steak.

Overlooking iconic Bondi Beach, Icebergs is arguably Sydney’s most scenic restaurant. The food, from local shrimp to braised beef cheeks, lives up to the setting. 1 Notts Ave., Bondi Beach, 61/(0) 2-9365-9000. This appeared in the August/September 2013 issue.

A North Bondi Beach institution since 1993, Sean’s Panaroma is known for unpretentious yet delicious fare, served in a homey dining room alongside fresh-cut flowers and views of Australia’s most famous beach. The simple chalkboard menu of entrées, mains, and desserts changes weekly—sometimes daily—based on what’s growing locally and at owner Sean Moran’s farm in the Blue Mountains (which also hosts stays). The waitstaff is tried and true, with a deep knowledge of Sean’s organic ingredients and wines. On your next visit, you might be treated to burrata-stuffed squash blossoms, a comforting arrangement of steaming mussels and perfectly seared tuna, Sean’s signature free-range herb “chook” (chicken), and a biodynamic red wine from New Zealand.

The hike from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, is one of the best urban paths I have experienced. Although you’re never far from the city, the walk feels quite scenic at times, and the many beaches you come across along the way are all beautiful. Of course, you can always walk from Bondi to Coogee if you find yourself heading in the other direction. Either way, you’ll find yourself at one of Sydney’s top beach destinations. The hike is an easy walk that will include towering cliffs, sandy beaches, public pools, rock formations, parks, and epic vistas along the 6-kilometer trail. You could do the hike in a few hours, but it would be best to allocate at least three hours to fit in a stop at Bronte Beach for lunch or drinks. And if it is a hot day, you’ll want some time for a swim!

Gallery director Adrian Newstead sources bark paintings, sculptures, and ceremonial artifacts from Aboriginal artists throughout Australia and curates works for local and international shows.

The Harris Farms retail center that began openings in 2013 has a few additions for 2014, the first being the highly-anticipated Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta owned by Iceberg’s Maurice Terzini. Terzini hired a pizza chef from Naples, who cooks fluffy, stretchy, and perfectly charred pies in a wood-fired, brick oven. You can’t go wrong with the margherita-like Reginella, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, try the Prosciutto, the Diavoletta (topped with hot salami), or the vegetarian Caponatina (with zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper). Since porchetta is also in the restaurant’s name, you have to order some pig; your options are a pork platter served with lemon wedges or the Focaccia Con Porchetta sandwich. Desserts are Italian classics plus a cleansing dish of watermelon. Judging by the noise and the crowds, the pizza here will be tough to beat.

Owned by Nahji Chu, who with her family was one of the first Vietnamese/Laotian refugees in Australia, MissChu is a Vietnamese fast food chain with hawker-style “tuckshops” in Sydney, Melbourne, and now even London. Eat in, order take-away, or get food delivered to your home or office via electric bicycle. Menus resemble the school food ordering forms that Chu (also known as the “Queen of Rice Paper Rolls”) remembers as a kid and include a variety of steamed dumplings, vermicelli salads, and the famous rice paper rolls as well as pecking duck pancakes and deep fried spring rolls (pictured).

A quick bus ride from the city (or a refreshing end to the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk), Coogee Pavilion is one of the most happening beach bars in Sydney. The downstairs area is home to a wood-fired pizza oven, oyster bar, juice stall, and kids’ zone with giant Scrabble, pétanque, ping pong, and nautical books, while the breezy rooftop features four different bars, outfitted with love seats and wire-frame stools for taking in the breathtaking bay views. Aussie wines and beers plus fruity cocktails shaken with house-made juice pair with Mediterranean-themed tapas like chargrilled lamb chops and blistered Padrón peppers.

For many Sydneysiders, swimming in the ocean is a daily cleanse. There’s a seawater pool at just about every beach, so even ocean-fearing travelers can get a taste of the salty lifestyle without worries of waves or worse (sharks?). Bronte Baths, an inviting rock pool at the southern end of Bronte Beach, is a local favorite for swimming and sunbathing—and for standing on the ledge and getting washed away by waves during big swells. Bronte is about midway between Bondi and Coogee Beaches along the stunning coastal walk. Several nice restaurants are nearby (notably Three Blue Ducks) for a post-swim snack.

A scoop of Italy in Sydney, this gelato mecca has foodies and bloggers queuing up all week. Go for the salted-caramel-and-white-chocolate gelato, one of the store’s best sellers, or try the “Poached Figs in Marsala” flavor, which is beautifully sweet and infused with a real fig taste. Also not to be missed is the ice cream cake cabinet, which features a dazzling display of colorful, futuristic-looking creations. Gelato Messina’s original location is in Darlinghurst, but outposts can be found in Surry Hills, Pyrmont, and Bondi Beach, among many other neighborhoods.

Opened in 1880 as Canada‘s first natural history museum, the Redpath Museum has a charmingly old-school Victorian quality to it. The collection of artifacts assembled by intrepid explorers ranges from taxidermy and Egyptian mummies to geological samples and—one of its most prized possessions—a handwritten letter from Charles Darwin. The museum is located at the heart of McGill University, long one of Canada‘s most important institutions of higher learning. Most of the buildings on campus, all in a handsome gray stone on a lovely bit of green in downtown Montréal at the base of Mount Royal, date from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

“She’s an original yet timeless Québec fashion designer—a rare combination. Marie Saint Pierre is known for using unusual fabrics with soft colors as well as black and white. Her designs feel really classic. I stop in when I need something chic and comfortable,” says Nathalie Bondil, head curator at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

The only way to improve on a leisurely feast of several courses in Buenos Aires is to pair the food with wine. Sommeliers at many of the city’s finer restaurants offer wine pairing options, typically pairing the entrada (appetizer) with a sparkling wine, the second course with Torrontés—a fruity, aromatic white produced in the north—the third course with a Malbec from Mendoza, and ending with a dessert paired with a sweet or fortified wine. In addition to drawing out the flavors in the food, the wine pairing menu allows guests to sample wines from many of Argentina’s regions. One to try is I Latina, the Colombian closed-door restaurant in Villa Crespo, where each of seven courses can be paired with specially chosen wines.

The best view of Rio is still on top of the famous Sugar Loaf (Pao de Acucar), not only the city layout, but also the Corcovado where the Christ the Redeemer.