Kazuhiro Yokozeki for The New York Times

Clockwise from top left: elevated view of Shinjuku; Golden Gai, a hodgepodge of alleyways; beef at Shabuzen, and inside the restaurant.

The author, who once lived in Tokyo, shares some of her favorite spots, as well as her struggles with alienation in the city.

Bonnie Tsui

A dried edibles market in Sugamo.

Budget-conscious travelers can shop, snack and sip in the old-school Sugamo neighborhood for a song.

Cayce Clifford for The New York Times

Clockwise from left: Pouring a siphon-brewed coffee at caffe d’bolla; pour-over coffee from Charming Beard; the exterior of Publik Coffee Roasters.

Small-batch roasters, siphon-brewed coffees and nitro-poured cups in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains.

Pan-fried sweet-potato fritters, with dipping sauce, at BackYard Bia Hoi.

Opened in March, this spot offers an elegant spin on the “bia hoi,” a roadside restaurant where locals drink beer and eat snacks on plastic stools.

Amoy

The hotel's lobby.

This year-old boutique property offers a charming — and calming — experience in the center of the financial district.

Sasha Maslov for The New York Times

Left: View from Galley Bay Resort & Spa, a place to explore the glamorous side of Antigua. Top right: a windmill at Betty’s Hope, a former sugar plantation. Bottom right: English Harbour, a base for the British Navy in the 18th century.

Thousands of visitors are drawn to this island for its beaches and resorts, but a more complicated story awaits those willing to dig a little deeper.

Sasha Maslov for The New York Times

Trafalgar Falls on the Caribbean island of Dominica.

On Dominica, an island marbled with waterfalls, rivers and hiking paths, taking a more vigorous Caribbean vacation.

Christopher Gregory for The New York Times

Tamarindo, one of the beaches on Culebra, a 12-square-mile island.

On a visit to this low-key island near Puerto Rico, you could find yourself sharing a spectacular beach with a few people, or with no one at all.

Ricardo Rojas/Reuters

Fumigating against mosquitoes in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

Chikungunya, which causes fever and muscle pain, has spread across the region this year. Here are tips for travelers.

Queen's Gardens Resort

Queen’s Gardens Resort, on the Dutch island of Saba.

A survey of new and improved lodging options from Mexico to Puerto Rico, Saba to St. Kitts.

Jessica Fortner

How much was this “infracción” between Tulum and Cancún going to cost us?

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