Quito, Ecuador Mansión del Angel Chocolate Therapy This former embassy located in the land from which cacao originates is now one of the most exclusive hotels in a city whose vibrancy seems to increase with each passing year. As if the atmospheric rooms and superb staff are not enticement enough to stay, Mansión del Angel’s spa offers a Chocolate Therapy treatment which uses pure cacao for facials and full-body wraps. mansiondelangel.com.ec

It is quite possible for chocolate connoisseurs to spend an entire day in rapt fascination inside the Pacari Chocolate retail outlet on Venezuela St, just off the southeast corner of Quito’s historical Independence Square. As Ecuador’s leading bean-to-bar chocolate company, Pacari offers something far more insightful than shopping, exciting though that may be when visitors discover the variety of local flavour infusions rarely seen elsewhere in the world (guayusa, anyone?). An early-morning hotel pick-up begins a daytrip to Ecuador’s Amazon region for the ultimate cacao experience that explains the Pacari process of making chocolate from tree to glee. Participants can even make their own chocolate bar after a tasty lunch that features chocolate in a variety of ways. pacarichocolate.com

How can any article about chocolate experiences omit the chocolate capital of the world? Sorry, Brussels—Paris regales its visitors with high-quality chocolate shops seemingly on every corner. The deep appreciation of chocolate allows chocolatiers in the French capital to be creative in their offerings. Whether enjoying the exquisite creations at the Japanese-inspired Les Trois Chocolats in the Marais or those from the small-scale manufacture of Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse on rue de la Roquette north of the Bastille, Paris can satisfy even the most demanding chocolate lover with a simple walk down the supermarket aisle. In France, you see, high-quality chocolate is not considered an indulgence; it is considered a necessity. les-trois-chocolats-paris.com lechocolat-alainducasse.com/en

Excellent French chocolate can also be enjoyed in liquid form comes at the somewhat touristy but completely seductive Angelina Tearoom on rue de Rivoli, where the smooth creaminess of the Cacao Africain hot chocolate flows thickly from the traditional, single-handled chocolatières. angelina-paris.fr

In the Pigalle district, the Choco-Story Museum Of Chocolate gives an insightful presentation of the evolution of chocolate in Europe as well as interaction with chocolate on several levels, including tastings. museeduchocolat.fr

The Czech Chocolate Museum explains the origins of chocolate as many other museums do, but it takes chocolate a step further by showcasing the paintings of artist Vladomir , who used chocolate as his paints in creating the works of art adorning the walls of the Chocolate Paintings Gallery. cokoladovydum.cz

Iceland may be an unusual place to find excellent chocolate, but Omnom Chocolate is an unusual enterprise. To be considered a serious chocolatemaker these days, merely using a block supplied by another company, no matter how high the quality, is not enough; you have to be a bean-to-bar manufacturer that grinds its own beans. Omnom does this—in Iceland, of all places. The small production facility in Reykjavík’s hip Grandi district offers daily tours with ample sampling of the goods while explaining how chocolate from a tiny country with no cacao trees is making a name for itself among those in the know. omnomchocolate.com

In a country that celebrates a National Chocolate Day (13 February), chocolate is an integral part of life. Tetteh Quarshie Cacao Plantation was the first place on the African continent where cacao was planted, forever changing the economy of Ghana and other countries in the region. A visit (by appointment) to the plantation is one of the most spiritual experiences a chocolate lover can have. Like Ecuador, Ghana is one of the very few cacao-exporting countries that also produces high-quality chocolate products at home. The exceptional, full-bodied flavours of Golden Tree’s various bars are as memorable as their colourful wrappers. goldentreeghana.com

Though mass-market American chocolate is rightfully dismissed as brown wax in a wrapper, Seattle’s Theo Chocolate is no ordinary chocolate maker. The company prides itself on the quality of its bars, which often showcase special flavours in limited editions. Theo holds chocolate classes at regular intervals; a well-timed visit to the Pacific Northwest could see a happy chocolate lover mixing with the locals both literally and figuratively. As do all the chocolate companies included in this article, Theo is strongly dedicated to fair-trade, sustainable business practices. theochocolate.com

Some people like their chocolate on the end of a fork or spoon. For chocolate in these other forms, the Cake Shop at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Kuala Lumpur offers extraordinarily delicious cakes, desserts, and yes, chocolates that defy superlatives. Though it is true that many a five-star hotel has its own Chocolate Department in this age of chocappreciation, the chocolate tasting experiences here are certainly among the best in Asia. mandarinoriental.com/kuala-lumpur

Purity comes at a cost, and with prices starting at US $280.00 for a 50g bar, the incredibly deep flavour of To’ak Chocolate is not for shallow pockets. This small company elevates chocolate to a high art, so it comes as no surprise that To’ak collaborates with the Guayasamín Foundation in Quito to create a Chocolate & Art Experience in the former home of celebrated Ecuadorean artist Oswaldo Guayasamín, now an extraordinary museum celebrating the life and work of this visionary painter and sculptor. To’ak uses only the purest of Ecuador’s indigenous heirloom arriba nacional beans harvested in the microclimate of the Piedra de Plata region, where some of the world’s last cacao trees grow uncontaminated by hybridisation. Beans at To’ak are hand-sorted for size and quality before the chocolate is aged in casks that infuse it with the fragrance of their former contents such as whisky and cognac. If a trip to Ecuador is not on the cards in the near future, a credit card can bring Ecuador to you. To’ak is one experience that can be enjoyed at home; the company delivers its products all over the world. toakchocolate.com