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"We recorded our new album in Adams Morgan in Washington, D.C. At the end of the day, we'd often wind up at the Rumba Café (2443 18th St. NW, 202/588-5501). It's a bar with Brazilian bands and tango groups. The mojitos ($7) are great, and I also love the Patacón Rumba ($10), which is flank steak betweeen two mashed-up plantains with cilantro sauce." --Rob Garza of downtempo DJ duo Thievery Corporation, whose latest album is The Cosmic Game

In Penang, Malaysia, I stayed at the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, an extraordinary 19th-century palace with splendid mosaics (rooms from $65). In the wet season, rain pours down the center of the house while you sit under cover and drink your gin and tonic. I'd love any excuse to go back. --Peter Carey, whose latest book is "Wrong About Japan: A Father's Journey With His Son"

"Genuine Tuscan cooking is hard to find. An exception is Osteria le Panzanelle, in Lucarelli, off the highway between Florence and Siena. The place is run by Nada Michelassi, a James Joyce scholar. Her food is true to the zona, which is why I love it. Take her panzanella, a tomatoey, herby dish made with stale Tuscan bread. It's normally awful--but it Michelassi's hands, it tastes magically of this place and no other." --Bill Buford, whose book "Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as a Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany" is out this June. Osteria le Panzanelle, 011-39/0577-733-511, panzanella, $6.

Just because you love the outdoors doesn't mean you want to sleep on the ground. There's a solution for people who are interested in great hiking, but don't want to totally rough it. It's called hut-hiking. You stay in lodges and huts right off the trails in places with beautiful scenery, such as New Zealand, New Hampshire's White Mountains, and the Alps. Inside each hut are bunks similar to what you'd find in hostels, but occasionally there are private rooms. Guests generally have access to hot showers and a communal kitchen, and sometimes there are even restaurants that serve four-course meals with local wines. And after a long day on the trail, you certainly deserve a reward. Networks of backcountry lodges make it possible to hike a new trail each day and wind up in a different hut each night. In the alps, the distance between huts is usually about five miles, which is doable for beginners as long as you're in decent shape. Remember: most huts come with beds and food, so you won't have to carry all that much gear. Prices are around $70 to $80 per night for lodges that provide cozy comforters and include breakfast and dinner. To find backcountry huts, consult guidebooks or local tourism offices. You're guaranteed to meet cool, friendly people, and the huts are sure to come with more comfort--and fewer headaches--than camping.