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With more than 250 acres of grounds, the New York Botanical Garden manages to fit a number of different landscapes and experiences into its garden walls. The garden was established in 1891, the inspiration of Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife, Elizabeth, who returned from a trip to England determined that New York should have its own equivalent to London‘s Kew Gardens. They found backing among New York society and created one of the country’s leading research institutions that also happens to be an ideal place to commune with nature right in the city. The rose garden designed by Beatrix Farrand is a highlight, while an abundance of azaleas reaches their peak in May. In all there are some 20 different gardens, including one dedicated to native plants, a rock garden, and a wetlands trail. The conservatory, constructed in 1902, is the largest in the country and includes 11 different climatic zones. When the last of the fall foliage has fallen from the trees, the conservatory hosts the popular annual Holiday Train Show (from the end of November to mid-January).

Unlike many of the cookie-cutter Vietnamese restaurants in Hanoi, there’s a good reason why many tour groups are brought here for their lunch. There are a la carte menus on offer, but most guests prefer to opt for the “popular” meal, which involves pointing at steaming vats containing things like Chinese braised pork and fat juicy ribs.

A local friend recommended Cake Cafe in the Bywater, so a friend and I stopped for lunch after exploring all afternoon. The humble bakery has some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had, including my favorite, the crab sandwich, pictured here. It’s challah bread with crab meat, brie, bacon and spinach. It seems like a steep price for a sandwich, but worth every bite. Cake Cafe started as a bakery that sold all manners of sweets, but specialized in king cake, a Mardi Gras tradition. They became so popular that the store expanded to include other food items. Whatever you order, be sure to finish it off with dessert.

The main branch of the New York Public Library is one of the country’s grandest Beaux Arts buildings, a temple to learning on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd streets. At the end of the 19th century, John Bigelow, who oversaw the Tilden Trust, decided that as New York was becoming a global financial capital, it required a grand public library. When the Astor and Lenox libraries faced financial difficulties, he convinced them to merge and, with the Tilden Trust, underwrite the library that now stands next to Bryant Park. The firm of Carrère and Hastings was entrusted with the design, and construction began in 1902 on the building that would be the largest marble structure built up to that time in the United States. The elegant main reading room with its soaring carved-wood ceilings is the highlight of its interiors. The library hosts temporary exhibitions related to literary and cultural topics that draw on its extensive collection of books and other printed materials. The two beloved lions in Tennessee marble—Patience and Fortitude—have stood at the entrance to the library since it opened in 1911 and were created by sculptor Edward Clark Potter.

Six out of what was once at least 16 Native American burial mounds remain preserved atop the bluffs overlooking St. Paul and the Mississippi River. These sites, 1,500–2,000 years old, are thought to have been built by the Hopewellians and then added to by the Dakotas. Upon excavation, archaeologists discovered a variety of offerings, such as mussel shells, arrowheads, copper ornaments, and bear teeth, as well as an unprecedented clay death mask with the imprint of the original face fully intact in the mold.

This popular museum showcases a permanent exhibit of all things dinosaurs including rare finds and Jurassic era life-size replicas. It’s like walking back into time, a scene out of Jurassic Park -dating back a mere 200 million years ago. There’s also a naturalist center and a walk-through simulated volcano. The museum’s advanced planetarium, a full dome theatre, is where the live action happens. Don’t miss “Enchanted Skies,” a very cool look at constellations, planets and the far, deep sky.

The Newseum is an interactive, ever-evolving tribute to our First Amendment freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. Powerful exhibits such as eight sections of the Berlin Wall (the largest display outside Germany) provide historical context for the importance of free press, while timely exhibits about the civil rights movement provoke reflection on the progress of achieving equality. The daily-updated “Front Pages” gallery of local, national, and international publications is a comparative study on current events, while the archive of headlines highlighting momentous events from the 1400s through today is an engaging history lesson. Peruse Pulitzer Prize–winning photography, enjoy panoramic views down Pennsylvania Avenue, and test your journalistic skills with a recorded mock-broadcast—reading a teleprompter is not as easy as you may think!

The new Maharaja Lounge marks the airline’s first of its updated lounge concept outside of India, complete with live cooking stations, a swanky cocktail bar, and art crafted from upcycled airplane parts.

Like the Irish pubs of the motherland, the New Sydney Hotel is warm and welcoming to all. More than two dozen tap beers—one pumped by hand—and artisan ciders are complemented by mulled pinot noir (spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and house-made syrup) as well as hot cider (Willie Smith’s organic cider plus ginger syrup and dark rum) in winter. Sip one alongside wallaby tartare or pork knuckle slow-cooked for 72 hours. Like any Irish pub worth its Guinness, the New Sydney Hotel also hosts nightly music, the most popular being the traditional Irish jam that’s been running on Saturdays for 25 years. Snag a cozy seat by the log fire, and soak up the ambience.

Make it Right was founded by Brad Pitt in 2007 and they build ‘healthy homes, buildings and communities for people in need’, in beautiful fashion. They believe that ‘energy efficient, well-designed homes should be affordable and available for everyone.’ . See what all they are doing and have done in New Orleans and elsewhere and be inspired.

On weekends, Iqbal Ali leads tours that bring another side of the city to life.

New river cruises in India along the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Hooghly rivers focus on wildlife encounters, centuries-old history, and life along the banks.

The new Oberoi Vindhyavilas offers world-class luxury while giving you prime access to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.

Major added bonus: With more than 35 new routes from the USA to Europe launching this year, transatlantic airfares are finally expected to be more competitive.

Shakti Himalaya’s guided walking trips in India’s Kumaon Himalayas culminate at the new Prana Lodge, where days on the trail give way to fireside evenings and mountain views.