My favorite places in the world — the ones that moved me, challenged me, and keep calling me back

I’ve been traveling the globe for decades. It’s always been my passion — to see, taste, and experience everything this world has to offer — and I’ve worked it into my life wherever and whenever I can.

But despite my relentless optimism (and my ability to find the silver lining in nearly any situation), not every trip is banner-worthy. Some are just meh — nice enough, but not life-changing — and others downright challenging. (I’m looking at you, Cuba.) They’re still experiences I’m grateful for, but not spots I’d rush back to.

Then there are the other kinds of places. The ones I’d relive again and again if I could. The places with an intrinsic magic that never fades, waiting patiently for my return. The memories that still live under my skin in the best way possible.

New Orleans was like that — I lived there for sixteen years, reveling in the rhythm and flavor and joy of the place. But there are other destinations that pull on my heartstrings just as powerfully, calling me to come back and explore every nook and cranny until I fully connect with their spirit. Some I’ve spent real time in or visited multiple times; others were brief encounters that left me wanting more.

All of them — my favorite places in the world — touched me, moved me, and changed the way I see everything.

Way back in 2004 (nobody do that math!), I traveled more than 5,000 miles from home for a four-month study-abroad semester in Barcelona. It was my first time alone in a foreign city, and at first it was horrifically lonely and terrifying. But soon, I learned how to enjoy my own company — how to explore, and how to live a richer, more independent life than I’d ever imagined.

During La Mercè, the city transformed into a dazzling carnival of gegantes and fire-throwing correfoc parades, where castellers — human towers eight people high — rose above the crowds. I discovered how beautiful and surreal the world could look through Gaudí’s architecture and Dalí’s art. I learned to appreciate every element of food while shopping my way home from class — one shop for fish, another for produce, a third (or fifth) for everything else. And maybe most importantly, I learned how to communicate without words (though I did master the language in the end).

I’ve returned to Barcelona several times since that first, pivotal experience, and I fall in love with it every single time — with the city, and with the world itself, all over again. A world where this place exists is clearly top-tier.

If you love food, architecture, markets, nature, beaches, shopping, history, music, or just people in general — you have to visit Barcelona. There’s a connection between this city and me that will never grow stale.

If You Want the Best Meal of Your Life:
Visit Disfrutar. Yes, it’s now ranked the best restaurant in the world, but it’s the opposite of the stuffy fine-dining stereotype. The food is whimsical and enchanting, the atmosphere warm and welcoming, and the staff delightfully helpful — they’ll even guide you through how to eat the mind-bending creations placed before you. If you missed Ferran Adrià’s legendary El Bulli (one of my great regrets), this is the place to go — and you can read more about why it was the best meal of my life [here].

If You Want the Perfect Bite:
Seek out some jamón ibérico de bellota. When I visit, I try to eat it every single day. And I usually succeed. My favorite place to sample this otherworldly ham is La Boqueria Market — one of the best markets in the world, and one of my favorite places in the city.

If You’re Looking for the Perfect Day Trip:
Take the train north to Figueres to explore the Dalí Museum, wander the old town streets, and linger over coffee at a café. Then continue another 30 minutes to Roses, where you’ll find the hauntingly beautiful beaches of the Costa Brava — and the El Bulli museum on the site of the legendary restaurant.

If You Want a Neighborhood Stroll (and the Best Place to Stay):
Check out El Raval. Bordered by Las Ramblas and the pricier Barri Gòtic, it’s historic yet unpretentious — you get all the benefits of the Gothic Quarter’s prime location at a lower price point. It’s close to everything you’ll want to see, packed with fantastic restaurants, and blessedly lighter on tourists.

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Japan is a land of contradictions — wildly chaotic yet perfectly balanced. Crowds move like choreographed waves, two walls of people crossing a street in opposite directions without ever colliding. The ultra-modern neon skyline of Tokyo sparkles around centuries-old temples of quiet serenity. The people are polite and reserved, yet they party like me in my twenties — and once they open up, they’re some of the warmest and most welcoming you’ll ever meet.

The contrasts are everywhere: near silence in the subways, near-deafening noise in the entertainment districts. The largest city in the world, both by population and footprint, somehow feels like a million small towns mashed together — each with its own rhythm, quirks, and neighborhood charms — and still manages to be filled with natural beauty. And to top it all off — the best food on the planet.

I once saw Alton Brown speak, and when someone asked his favorite foodie destination, he said Japan. Because, as he put it, “The best French food in the world is in Japan. The best Italian food in the world is in Japan. The best Mexican food in the world… well, that’s in Mexico — and the Japanese do it horribly. But everything else? The best that there is.”

And that’s exactly why Japan is one of my favorite places in the world. It’s strange and surprising in all the best ways — yet so easy, clean, and safe that you can wander anywhere and feel completely at peace. I could spend a lifetime exploring all the nooks and crannies of this country and still find new, mind-blowing surprises.

To read more about my favorite corners of Tokyo in particular, check out my [Tokyo page here].

If You Want Amazing Views for Free:
Head to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. Not only can you ride the elevator to the observatory for free, but there’s also a nightly laser light show projected onto the building’s exterior. Grab some egg sandos and melon buns from a nearby conbini (convenience store), and you’ve got yourself a first-class evening for almost nothing.

If You Need the Best Seafood You’ve Ever Eaten:
Go to Tsukiji Market. Get there early to beat the crowds, and sample everything you can — from raw tuna, uni, and sweet shrimp to grilled scallops and eel. It’s all surprisingly affordable, so go ahead and try something new. (Just make sure to bring cash.)

If You Want the Weirdest Art Museum I’ve Ever Been To:
Visit the Art Aquarium in Ginza’s Mitsukoshi Department Store. It’s a glowing, otherworldly mix of seasonal flowers, goldfish, and light — crowded, yes, but absolutely worth it. Pro tip: you’ll need to take the elevator up to the 9th floor. Don’t waste time waiting for them in the lobby — take the escalator down one floor instead, then ride straight up. (Yes, they’ll pack people in like sardines when it revisits the ground floor, but you’ll already have your spot without waiting.) Afterward, don’t miss the depachika — the high-end food hall in the basement — for a bite to eat. It’s a quintessential Japanese experience, and every bit as fascinating as the art itself.

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Before visiting last fall, the only thing I really knew about Rwanda was that there had been a genocide there — and honestly, I couldn’t have told you the decade, let alone the year. But that was more than 30 years ago, and today, Rwanda is thriving.

What surprises most people is how modern and forward-thinking it is — one of the safest, cleanest, and most environmentally progressive countries in all of Africa. Plastic bags are banned, litter is almost nonexistent, and community cleanup days are a national tradition. The country’s leadership has made it a model of innovation and renewal — a true success story in Eastern Africa.

Known as The Land of a Thousand Hills, this tiny country overflows with lush rainforests, rolling highlands, and incredible biodiversity. The western regions stay cool and green thanks to their altitude, while the east opens into plains perfect for safaris. Everywhere you go, you’ll find cultural villages and museums where locals proudly share their traditions. If you’re lucky, you might even be carried around in a litter as part of a traditional marriage ceremony demonstration — yes, that actually happened to me!

And the people? I don’t think I’ve ever encountered such warmth and community spirit. Even the customs agents were laughing and joking with my mom and me as we entered the country. Kigali, the capital city, is vibrant and full of good food, colorful markets, and powerful history. Don’t miss the enormous Kimironko Market for a lively (and chaotic) look at local life, the Genocide Memorial Museum for a sobering but essential perspective, and a delicious, insightful food tour with Jollof Appétit.

I only spent five days in Rwanda, exploring just a fraction of what it has to offer — one national park, a sliver of Kigali, and glimpses of everything else. But it made such an impression on me that I know I’ll return. The food, the nature, the culture — but most of all, the people — make this small country unforgettable.

If You Want to Talk to Gorillas:
Head to Volcanoes National Park in the northwest — the last remaining natural habitat of the endangered mountain gorillas. I highly recommend Tiloreza Ecolodge for beautiful accommodations, delicious food, and an incredible staff.

If You Want to Have a Good Time and Make a Difference:
Check out the market-to-table cooking class at the Nyamirambo Women’s Center in Kigali. They also offer walking tours, craft workshops, hikes, and even motorbike adventures — all run by women, empowering local communities and promoting sustainable tourism.

If You Want to Commune with Nature:
Visit any of Rwanda’s four national parks — mountains, plains, rainforests, and savannahs — are all bursting with life. I only explored one, but the care and conservation I witnessed there make me eager to return for the rest someday.

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Picture this: you’re sitting on the deck of your villa, watching waves crash white and frothy against a rugged black peninsula. The air smells like salt and flowers. Beyond the coast, the sea stretches to infinity — calm, endless, shimmering in patches as it rolls beneath the sky and kisses the horizon.

You spent your day out on those waters, surrounded at one point by hundreds of dolphins, and later by a whale and her calf. You feasted on seafood pulled from the ocean just moments before. Behind you, a soft breeze moves through the trees that climb the sides of volcanoes, across rolling fields and low stone walls, past pristine caldera lakes of vivid blue and green, blooming hydrangeas, and little plumes of steam escaping thermal vents. Yesterday, you stood inside a volcano, staring up through its chimney. Tomorrow, you’ll soak in steaming hot spring pools surrounded by lush gardens. And after that? Who knows. These islands hold so many secrets.

There are cows everywhere, roadside cheese stands around every bend, and locals who will first scold you for driving the wrong way down a one-way road… and then help you turn around, give directions in broken English, and blow you kisses as you drive off laughing. There are tea plantations and pineapple plantations (and no one expects pineapples to grow the way they do, but you will never eat a better one than here), and even vineyards producing wine you can’t really get anywhere else in the world — not for me, but maybe for you.

Formed where the North American, African, and Eurasian tectonic plates collide beneath the Atlantic, the Azores are a place where the Earth itself feels alive. This chain of nine volcanic islands is wild, dramatic, and impossibly beautiful — yet also peaceful and welcoming, with tiny whitewashed towns tucked between lush green hills and black lava cliffs. It may be the most hauntingly beautiful, ruggedly wild, yet charmingly quaint corner on earth. And it’s a destination I could return to again and again — one of my favorite places in the world.

If You Want to Look Out Through the Chimney of a Volcano:
Go to Terceira Island and visit Algar do Carvão, one of the only intact volcanic chimneys in the world. You can literally stand inside the mountain, where lava once surged, and look up through the tunnel where it exploded into the sky. It is absolutely mind-blowing — pun intended.

If You Want to Be Hot & Cold at the Same Time:
Visit Termas da Ferraria on the western tip of São Miguel Island. Here, a volcanic hot spring feeds directly into the ocean. You’ll scramble over slippery rocks, climb down a rope ladder, and wade into the waves — hot water rushing out, cold water crashing in. It’s a take-your-life-in-your-hands kind of adventure, but if my mom and aunts in their seventies can do it, so can you. (But seriously — wear water shoes.)

If You Want to Eat Food Cooked in a Volcano:
Start your day at Terra Nostra Park, soaking in the rusty, mineral-rich hot springs surrounded by lush gardens (pro tip: don’t wear white!). Then head into town and make a beeline for Restaurante Miroma to try Cozido das Furnas — a hearty meat and vegetable stew slow-cooked by being buried in the volcanic soil. Anthony Bourdain once dined there, and it’s easy to see why: the food is soulful, the setting is humble, and the experience feels like you’re eating straight from the Earth’s core. After you’ve stuffed yourself silly, wander the village, admiring the steam vents and charming colonial architecture.

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One Christmas, as we sat around the table stuffing our faces, my aunts turned to me with a request: plan a girls’ trip for the eight women in our family.

Oof. Trying to coordinate eight schedules, preferences, and personalities into one seven-to-ten-day trip? A daunting assignment. I needed a destination where we could all stay in one (large) apartment, with enough variety to keep everyone happy. It needed great food, rich culture, easy day trips, and efficient public transportation. And after a few suggestions were politely (and not-so-politely) shot down, I realized it also had to be easily accessible — no ocean crossings or extreme jet lag.

Then it hit me like lightning: Montreal. It checked every box on my wish list — and it turned out to be absolutely perfect.

We spent ten days exploring a city that felt both distinctly European and delightfully North American — riding the spotless metro, wandering the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal, browsing its two major (and very different) markets, hiking through leafy parks both in and outside the city. We went to the opera, caught the spectacular fall foliage, and ate so, so well. (You can read about my favorite meal of the trip [here].)

While Montreal isn’t exactly a secret, I’m convinced it’s one of the brightest gems hiding in plain sight — elegant yet unpretentious, vibrant yet grounded, modern yet steeped in history. It’s the kind of city that lingers in your mind long after you leave, and one I already dream about returning to. Montreal has officially earned its spot among my favorite places in the world.

If You Want to Experience a Nordic Spa in Nature — Without Leaving the City:
Head to Strøm Spa Nordique on Nun’s Island for a truly restorative experience. Outdoor hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, cold plunges, and quiet relaxation spaces await — some so comfortable my aunt actually fell asleep in one.

If You Need the Best Dumplings Ever:
Go to Qing Hua Dumpling in Chinatown. It’s casual, cozy, and offers a dizzying variety of handmade dumplings. I still dream about them a year later and would happily fly back to Montreal just for another plate.

If You Want to See an Old-World Cathedral in a Whole New Way:
Visit Aura Basilica, the immersive multimedia show at the Basilique Notre-Dame. I was skeptical at first — worried it would be cheesy — but it was breathtaking. Light, sound, and architecture merge in a way that gave me chills. Absolutely worth it. Just go.

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I have a lot of undefined metrics for what makes a great destination versus just a good trip. Did I leave wanting more? Could I eat there for a month without getting bored? Was it culturally rich and different enough from my normal life to keep me enchanted from start to finish?

But for the best of the best — the places that make my heart ache a little when I leave — there’s always something deeper. These are the destinations that changed me, that still live rent-free in my daydreams, that I’d move to in a heartbeat if the chance arose. They’re the places that made me start learning new languages the moment I got home, and that remind me how big, strange, and beautiful the world really is.

When I think about these places, I realize I could happily spend years in each of them, and I’m already plotting my return to every single one — for they are truly my favorite places in the world.

So tell me — what destination lives at the top of your list? Where do you long to revisit again and again… and why?

And as always, stay curious, and don’t forget the snacks.