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At a working cattle ranch in Northern Patagonia, visitors can ride horseback, eat traditional Argentine asado, and yes, stay the night.

Discover what makes Zanzibar’s capital a destination worth visiting.

Overview

Made in Chile. Artisanal products from noble materials are hot than ever in Santiago, Chile’s capital. Young designers are creating everything from unique furniture to natural-dye baby alpaca shawls, and from boutique wines to lapiz lazuli jewelry. Check out these artisans in Santiago making exquisitely crafted products.

Once a grand harem, this luxurious riad in the medina’s Andalusian Quarter is as enigmatic as its past. Interiors are peppered with worldly artifacts and contemporary furnishings, but all blend harmoniously with traditional handwoven rugs, bejmat tiles, and ornate lanterns. Seven lavishly chic suites are equally full of character: vintage Moroccan wedding shawls and antique Berber wardrobes offset modern amenities like high-end organic toiletries, walk-in rain showers and sunken stone tubs, and terraces wreathed in rose bushes and lush greenery. No less romantic is the hammam, complete with vaulted ceilings and graceful columns. There are also plenty of charming corners to settle into with a mint tea and homemade pastries, be it in the serene library courtyard, the umbrella-dotted rooftop lounge, or the hotel’s elegant crystal-chandeliered restaurant.

Polish your bargaining skills for the Mapusa Market in North Goa. Though operational every day of the week, the market is particularly lively on Fridays. Shoppers can peruse textiles, antiques, clothing, spices, handicrafts, pottery, carpets, jewelry, fruits, vegetables, and regional delicacies. Luckily, most stalls are grouped by category. During peak season, merchants from other Indian states, particularly Gujarat and Rajasthan, also descend on Mapusa to sell handmade bags and shawls. The food stalls are always a favorite among both locals and tourists. Try the dried fish, seedless tamarind, and Goan chouriço, a spicy marinated pork sausage brought over by Portuguese settlers.

Housewares designer Maggie Galton works with Mexican artisans to create clay bowls, woven rebozos (shawls), and hand-etched lacquer trays (pictured). Find these items at Galton’s showroom, along with pillows inspired by huipiles, tunic-like garments worn throughout the country. By appointment only. Hegel 346, Polanco, 52/(01) 55-5255-2230. This appeared in the October 2013 issue.

If you are looking for truly unique and beautiful gifts from Andalusia, Spain, look no farther than the Zoco Artisan Market in Cordoba. This shop is filled with jewelry, hand painted tiles, shawls, pottery and other local crafts. There are workshops and studios on site so you may even have a chance to see some artists at work. Even if you’re not in the market to shop, the beautiful inner courtyard is worth a peek for its hanging flowers and burbling water-feature.

Los Baúles de Juana Cata is a must-stop for anyone interested in high quality textiles. The boutique is run by Remigio Mestas Revilla, who is devoted to reviving and preserving lost or disappearing textile techniques. He works directly with artisans in various communities who produce very fine pieces. The boutique offers blouses, dresses, embroidered huipiles, and rebozos (shawls) and other traditional garments. Many of the pieces are exquisite, and they are priced accordingly. The shop is located in the same building as Oro de Monte Alban jewelry store and Los Danzantes restaurant.

Artesanías de Chile is a joint effort between the Chilean government and over 2,000 artisans from north to south to support their craft with three stores in Santiago now: Bellavista, Moneda Government Palace, and SCL Airport. The pieces are unique and made with first class quality ranging from hand-thrown clay pots (greda), ornaments made with “crin de caballo” (horse tail), Mapuche earrings and weavings, alpaca shawls, and wooden bowls among others. Every sale directly supports the artisans along with government initiatives to train them in their craft. Bellavista 357, Bellavista Phone: 56 (2) 2235 2014

If you happen to be on the hunt for Mexican designer jewelry and you’re already at the Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo (University Museum of Contemporary Art), then be sure to stop by the museum’s large store, where the work of more than 200 designers is on display. The pieces tend more toward contemporary than traditional, though there’s a style and piece for practically every taste. And if you need a scarf, shawl, or purse to complement your newly acquired ring, bracelet, or necklace, the store sells those, too.

What is more romantic than an intricate and well-used Spanish fan? Fans are a highly personal item, and like perfume, one should only use the best they can find (or so my mother always said). For the royal minded there is only one choice, Casa de Diego. Founded in 1858, this a business steeped in international approval, and the generations have been privileged to create masterpiece shawls, umbrellas, and of course fans for royal families all over the world. Proudly facing the Puerta del Sol is the window display of fans, giving only a glimmer into the magic on the other side of the doors. Right outside is the hustle and bustle of city center, but inside the shop you are transported to a haven of beauty. Take home a piece of Spanish tradition with you, and smile every time you fan yourself, remembering Madrid.

Intricate textiles woven on looms handed down through generations. An array of laurel, olive, and lavender bath products and the hammered bowls to hold them. Silk shawls with which to drape the color of the Aegean in a graceful arc below bare shoulders. All organic and produced locally, with the specific intent of preserving a dying art. Jennifer’s Hamam works with traditional Turkish weavers to produce luxuriously looped Turkish towels, flat-woven pestamels (the towels and wraps used in hamams, similar to a sarong), and fine silks woven from hand-spun thread. Looms are passed from one generation to the next. New designs evolve over time. Part entrepreneur and part preservationist, Jennifer and her staff are generous with their knowledge and delight in sharing their affordable luxuries. Wander, shop, and emerge enlightened. Accessibility: A wheeled walker can easily maneuver the main path of the Arasta Bazaar.

Guangzhou is home to numerous streets where all the vendors focus on a particular type of good or industry, and locals know Jiangnan Avenue North as the “wedding street.” The area is full of shops and malls that sell wedding gowns, accessories and all types of wedding-related products. You’ll be amazed by the huge number of various kinds of wedding dresses here. Besides the more Western-style wedding garments, there are tons of traditional Chinese wedding outfits, especially Cantonese ones. Qungua is the traditional Cantonese wedding gown. The Qun is the long skirt, while the Gua refers to the Chinese-style top coat. The customary Chinese bridal Qun Gua symbolizes an abundance of children. They are typically an auspicious bright red color (considered a color of happiness and good luck) and elaborately embroidered with a rejoicing dragon and phoenix pattern that dates back to the Qing Dynasty. One shop that stands out is Long Feng Qungua. (Long means dragon, and feng means phoenix in Chinese.) What makes this shop special is its exquisite embroidery. Traditional Chinese embroidery is a skill that is passed down in the family, and the shop’s current owner is the third generation make and sell qungua; over a century ago, her grandmother was one of the best embroiderers in town. Even if you’re not looking for a wedding gown, the dresses, shoes, shawls and other finely embroidered items are beautiful examples of traditional Chinese craftsmanship.

As easy as it would be to spend an entire trip to Zanzibar lazing around on soft-sand beaches, it’s well worth skipping an hour or two of sunbathing to see Stone Town, the ancient district of Zanzibar. With its narrow cobblestoned streets, intricately carved front doors, and an array of alley cats slinking past your ankles, Stone Town has a charm that you’ll find in few places on earth. Historically, Stone Town was a flourishing capital for the spice and slave trades, which attracted businessmen from across the globe. They introduced different architectural styles as they built their homes and businesses, creating a unique blend of Arabic, Persian, Indian, European, and African buildings in the city. Explore the market where locals still shop and haggle for goods, and then settle at a table at one of the many rooftop bars to enjoy the sunset.