As soon as Americans became able to travel directly to Cuba last summer, I knew I wanted to go check it out quickly. It didn’t take long for airlines, cruise lines and tour companies to start offering trips to the Caribbean’s largest, and arguably, most intriguing island, and something tells me it won’t be long before the hotel chains and cheesy restaurants that American tourists love move in.

I personally have no desire to eat at Senor Frogs when there is incredible food being cooked in paladares- privately-owned restaurants that are often in people’s homes, or in preserved areas of old buildings that are crumbling yet stunning. I wanted to see Havana for the archeological and historic World Heritage site that it is, with all of its pre-revolutionary structures, unadulterated local culture and colorful classic cars.

We decided to go to Cuba by ship, on the Norwegian Sky, which offers cruisers two days in the Cuban capital. Although two days is not nearly enough to experience everything this fairly large city has to offer, I look forward to going back and trying more. In the meantime, here are the restaurants and bars I loved most on my first Havana trip.

Where to Eat in Havana

Located on the third floor of an old dilapidated building with a lobby that’s filled with rubble and headless statues, La Guarida had the best food I tried in Cuba. I went with three other people for dinner, tasted about a quarter of the menu, and it was so good we decided to go back the next day for lunch. Nothing we tried here was less than delicious, but I highly recommend the smoked marlin tacos ($9), octopus carpaccio ($9), suckling pig ($18), yuca with mojo (the best $2.50 you’ll ever spend) and do NOT skip the chocolate tres leches ($7.50) no matter how full you are.

For a tasty lunch with amazing views of the sea and city, check out Café Laurent near the Malecon. Located on the fifth floor of a 1950’s apartment building with a really scary elevator, this paladar is a hidden gem that serves up Spanish-Cuban fusion dishes and specializes in seafood. I tried the pan cooked lobster and shrimp, served over super smooth mashed sweet potatoes and I will have dreams about it for years to come. Expect to pay about $45 per couple.

Where to Drink and Party in Havana

A great place to start your day is at Café El Escorial in Plaza Vieja. They serve all types of coffee, from Cuban coffee, to lattes to coffee daiquiris. They also serve little pastries and delicious chocolate bonbons!

A pretty place to day drink is the back garden of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, which is probably the island’s most famous hotel. Built in the 1930’s, it reminds me of a smaller version of The Breakers in Palm Beach, with it’s palm tree lined entrance, massive double tower structure and water views.

Any time after 1 p.m., stop by El Floridita on Calle Obispo to discover why Ernest Hemmingway loved it so much. The bar staff is efficient and smart, the bright red décor is classic, and the daquiris that they’re famous for are strong, tasty and inexpensive ($6). On the random Tuesday night that we visited, there was a live band performing classic Cuban tunes.

After El Floridita we took a cocotaxi to La Bodeguito del Medio, another Cuban institution Hemmingway favorited. Don’t expect a drinks menu- the only thing you need is a mojito made with Havana Club rum. This tiny bar is about the size of a master bedroom, and it gets really packed. Luckily we showed up toward the end of the night so it had cleared up a bit, but the band was still going.

We recently jetted over to Bermuda for a long weekend for a friend’s wedding. A four-day event, it was nothing short of incredible.

Bermuda is famous for its pink sand beaches, clear turquoise water, tropical vegetation, touches of British style, and ridiculously friendly people. It’s upscale, yet casual, and while it’s not exactly notorious for being a culinary destination, we thoroughly enjoyed everything we ate and sipped.

Almost immediately after arriving, we were greeted with a tray of Rum Swizzles: a sweet, tangy punch typically made with light and dark rum, orange juice, pineapple juice and a splash of grenadine.

It only got better from there. Here are my top picks of what/where to eat, and where to stay:

What & Where to Eat in Bermuda

A majority of our stay was at Elbow Beach, and we didn’t have to leave the hotel property for great food. The first night, as part of the wedding celebration, we attended a welcome dinner at Lido.

Situated above the beautiful pink sand beach, we fell in love with Lido’s ocean view, attentive service and great food. The dinner menu consisted of Mediterranean-influenced dishes with an emphasis on fresh, local seafood, and the breakfast menu had a great variety of egg dishes and freshly baked pastries. They have these chocolate chip muffins that come out warm from the oven, and are still gooey on the inside. They are absolutely heavenly. The warm chocolate croissants are also worth gaining a few pounds for.

While enjoying a day on the Elbow Beach, you can also walk 100 feet and have lunch at Mickeys, which is right on the pink sand and has arguably the best view on the island.

On our last day we ventured to Front Street, Hamilton’s main shopping strip, and ended up at Flanagans for lunch. A Best of Bermuda award-winner, Flangan’s had the best food I’ve ever had at an Irish pub. Recommendations from our meal: the fresh, local Wahoo Bites, Madras Curry, and the Steak & Guinness Pie.

Hotels: Elbow Beach & Coral Beach Club

We ended up staying in two hotels, Elbow Beach and Coral Beach Club, which are next door to one another in the Paget Parish. The location of these hotels is great, as they’re centrally located and only about a 15 minute drive to the shops and restaurants of Hamilton.

The grounds of both hotels are absolutely stunning, and they both overlook pink sand beaches. Coral Beach Club does have a slightly better view from the rooms and terraces in my opinion though, as it’s situated up on a small cliff. But honestly, the beaches of Bermuda are so gorgeous from any elevation and angle that it’s like comparing two Victoria’s Secret Angels.

The guest rooms are where the two hotels are like night and day. Elbow Beach is updated and modern, while Coral Beach Club is more of a charming “Old Bermuda” style that’s a bit outdated. To make comparisons to South Florida, the rooms at Elbow Beach reminded me of the W, while Coral Beach Club reminded me of the Breakers. Check them out:

If I were to go back to Bermuda, I would choose to stay at Elbow Beach. In addition to the rooms being cleaner and more modern, they were also more luxurious. The bath products were of better quality, and there was more attention to detail in the service. There’s also just something about those warm chocolate chip muffins and creamy eggs from Lido that I can’t stop thinking about. I’d go back just for those alone.

I just returned home to sunny south Florida after 13 days of touring Peru, and I’m already missing the food. On this trip I set out to explore as many different meals as possible, including high-end dining, fusion influences, traditional Peruvian experiences, and even a little home cooking. Here are some of the best meals I ate in 4 cities throughout Peru:

Lima

Lima is known as one of the top food cities in the world, and I completely understand why. We stayed in the Miraflores district, known for its flower-filled parks, great shopping, and top-notch restaurants. Among my favorites, in order, were Maido, Central and La Mar Cebicheria.

At both Maido and Central we opted for the 16-course tasting experience. I was impressed with both in different ways. Central’s tasting menu, named “Mater Elevations,” is a unique take on local cuisine from all around Peru- organized by the altitudes in which they originate. To give you an idea, the menu included ingredients like cushuro, an edible cyanobacteria harvested in Andean wetlands; frozen potato, an ancient conservation method that brings out unexpected flavor from the distinguished Peruvian crop; and countless fruits that are only found in the Amazon.

The presentation of every dish at Central was exquisite. However, I felt that several dishes lacked in the flavor department- they just didn’t taste as incredible as they looked. Due to this, Maido comes in as my #1 spot in Lima. We tried about 70% of Maido’s menu between the 16-course Nikkei tasting and a second reservation where we ordered from the ala carte menu. I couldn’t find a single bad dish there. The octopus nigiri was the freshest and best I’ve every had in my life. Everything was cut, cooked, and/or prepared to perfection. I was blown away by Maido both times.

After Miraflores, be sure to check out San Isidro, Lima’s financial district, which is home to Malabar, a low-key but excellent Amazon fusion spot. The menu features a variety of weird roots, unfamiliar molluscs and spiky fruits that are sourced from the Peruvian Amazon and expertly prepared by Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino and his team. In 2014 Malabar was ranked #95 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Also worth mentioning in Lima is El Tio Mario’s in Barranco. What started as a food cart run by a couple in the Sacred Valley has become a spot that locals love for large portions of anticuchos (Beef heart marinated, skewered, and seared over the grill) and picarones (light and crispy doughnut-like fried treats).

Iquitos

Some of the best fish I ate in Peru was not along the coast, but in Iquitos, a city in the heart of the Amazon. Fitzcarraldo Restaurant serves one heck of a medallion of perfectly broiled paiche, a local river fish that’s been called “the new black cod.” The restaurant is also one of the city’s few to have air conditioning, which feels fantastic in the afternoon jungle heat.

Another good restaurant in Iquitos is Dawn on the Amazon, also located on the riverside strip just a block and a half from Fitzcarraldo. Featuring a large menu of international cuisine that includes both vegetarian-friendly and ayahuasca-friendly options, Dawn on the Amazon had excellent service, views and food. I especially enjoyed their vegetarian burritos served with refried beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and sprouts.

Cusco

For the 24 hours that we were in Cusco before heading to Machu Picchu, it was not easy to breathe due to the high altitude (about 11,150 feet above sea level). We were looking for something comfortable and close to the center of town, and Cafe Morena did not disappoint. Inexpensive and simple, this little gem had very friendly service, a great selection of juices and teas, and good Peruvian cuisine. I recommend the veggie soup (very comforting on a chilly afternoon in the Andes), the spaghetti with pesto and the quinoa salad with chicken and an omelet on top.

Paracas

In Paracas, a small town where the desert sand meets the Pacific Ocean, we landed at El Piloto Restaurante. From what I’ve read it is a chain, with several other locations throughout the country.

El Piloto offered large portions of classic Peruvian fare for reasonable prices, and the food was fresh and tasty. I enjoyed our Ceviche Mixto starter, followed by the Sudado de Mariscos- a mixture of local seafood in a tomato and onion broth-like sauce.

What are your favorite places to eat in Peru? Let us know in a comment!