Manhattan: Travel the world on one island

The thrill of New York City isn’t just that you can ogle the Statue of Liberty, do a Broadway show and stand among the glittering lights of Times Square. Rather it’s that Manhattan itself is a giant melting pot where you can experience every culture on earth on a single island. Thus, if you’ve ever wanted to circumnavigate the globe but lack the time and resources to do so, take our 24-hour trip around the world without ever leaving the island of Manhattan.

Here’s how you can travel the world on one island:

9am: Ess-A-Bagel
Begin your morning in the good old U.S. of A. with a classic New York bagel at this decades-old Big Apple institution where a buck and a quarter gets you a taste of doughy, chewy goodness made in a variety of classic flavors including plain, sesame and others. Add to it some lox and smear on the cream cheese and you’re pretty much in heaven.

11am: The Cloisters
Time to “pop the pond” and head to Europe—Medieval Europe that is. Tucked away in Upper Manhattan are the Cloisters, a museum constructed of five European abbeys that were dragged across the Atlantic during the Great Depression and meticulously restitched together. Today, they are part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and showcase art and artifacts from Medieval Europe. The gorgeous setting overlooking the Hudson adds to the allure.

1pm: Massawa, Lenox Saphire or Braii
Onward to Africa! There are so many culinary styles represented on this vast and diverse continent. For the flavors of Ethiopia and Eritrea, hit up Massawa in Morningside Heights where classic dishes can be soaked up with spongy injera bread. For swanky Senegalese, try Harlem’s Lenox Saphire which also has a large patisserie, and for South African barbecue and seafood check out Braai in Hell’s Kitchen. We dig itsthatched roof.

Related: Visit these 7 original, old school tiki bars before they disappear.

3pm: Russian Turkish Baths
Ready to chill out? Mother Russia will spank your booty hard at this bathhouse built in 1892. Be sure to ask for a platza, a spa treatment in which a trained technician beats you with a broom made of fresh oak leaves while you lie naked—we swear you’ll enjoy it. If that’s too much, come to soak in the sauna, steam room or cold plunge pool.

5pm: Hello Sari
Let’s swing on down to the Indian sub-continent and pay a visit to blink-and-you’ll-miss-it retailer Hello Sari, a friendly boutique where you can nose around for tunics, shawls and saris in a riot of colors as well as jewelry and other accessories handpicked from Pakistan and India by owner Kris Jensen.

7pm: Noreetuh
Break out the grass skirt, baby, it’s onward to the Pacific Rim! For a taste of upscale Hawaiian with traces of Korean, Japanese and Filipino thrown in, head to the East Village and settle in at brand-new Noreetuh, where you can taste the flavors of Polynesia and Asia via dishes like spam agnolotti, pineapple braised pork belly and octopus poke.

Related: Only click this if you can handle serious Singapore street food cravings.

9pm: Mission Chinese
It’s time for a post-prandial cocktail and we’re in love with the creative concoctions at Mission Chinese, a stylish Sichuan restaurant and lounge where boozy and inventive libationslike the Phil Kahllins, a spicy and refreshing mix of gin, coconut milk, kaffir lime and red chile served in a soup bowl totally rule.

11pm: Yotel
We can only imagine the jet lag you’re feeling so now is the time to make your way to Hell’s Kitchen and bed down for the night at Yotel, a high-tech, self-check-in hotel featuring a robotic luggage concierge, heated towel racks, space-saving convertible beds, a gargantuan outdoor terrace and a minimalist vibe inspired by Japanese capsule hotels.

9am: La Bonbonniere and Empire Diner
Rise and shine! Our journey is almost complete, but not without a hearty breakfast at a classic American diner first. La Bonbonniere—despite its French name—puts the grease in greasy spoon with its reliance on traditional breakfast and lunch items served in a cash only, no frills retro dining room in the West Village, while Empire Diner charms with its art deco facade although the food at this recently refurbished gem is now more upscale.

Tagged: Europe, Hawaii, New York