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A weekend getaway guide to Quebec City filled with local-approved recommendations for first-timers. What are the main sights? Where should you eat? What are Quebec City’s best kept secrets? Use this easy-to-follow guide to Montreal’s stunning little sister to plan your trip.

Enjoy a drink by the fire in après-ski bliss or dine on a spacious deck overlooking the green slopes on a long summer night—Whistler serves up plenty of tasty options for eating, drinking, and living the good life in this British Columbia mountain village.

A visit to the Galapagos is all about getting up close with nature and the best hotels make guests feel like Charles Darwin, providing incredible access to wildlife. Guests feel like true explorers at Galapagos Safari Camp where accommodations include “glamping” tents. For the best of land and sea, book a stay at Finch Bay Eco Hotel or Pikaia Lodge. Both sustainably-minded properties have their own yachts staffed with naturalists and stocked with snorkeling gear.

Get active at one of Miami’s best parks. The downtown area has upgraded, adding more green space with views of the bay. If running isn’t your favorite activity, maybe join a free yoga class on the lawn or climb the stairs at an iconic light house. Afterwards, there are many places to stroll and watch the eclectic sites and people that Miami is known for. Watch the sun set on a park bench and take it all in!

San Sebastián may be a small town at heart, but it is rich with must-do experiences for all types of traveler. From pintxos to art museums to the Bay of La Concha, San Sebastián has plenty to keep visitors busy. Experience the local culture through stellar surf, unique drinks, killer views, and Michelin star cuisine in this Basque town.

Graceful palms and lush gardens greet guests at Grotto Bay Beach Resort. Situated on 21 acres, this peaceful colony of cottage-style rooms overlooks the beautiful blue water of Bailey’s Bay in the Parish of Hamilton. Tangerine salt body scrubs, sweet milk and lavender facials, and hot stone massage will melt away all of the exertion of snorkeling excursions, golfing, exploring the resort’s on-site cave, or bicycling around the island. On the other hand, why not take it easy and lounge by the pool, which features a swim-up bar, or on one of the resorts private beaches. Dine among the island ambience of palms, rattan furnishings, and ceiling fans in the Hibiscus Room or Palm Court Dining Room. Afterwards, you can enjoy drinks and tropical breezes on the terrace before retreating to guest rooms outfitted in bright prints and tropical tones.

• Neighborhood: Marina Bay
• Why we love it: Classic and glamorous accommodations with views of Marina Bay
• Loyalty program: I Prefer (Preferred Hotels & Resorts)
• From $545

What was once Clifford Pier, a landing point for immigrants arriving in Singapore, is now a snazzy hotel welcoming well-heeled travelers. Located right on the water and clad in glass and metal, the 100-room Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore feels glamorous with a heady scent of gardenias and lilies wafting through its dramatically arched hallways. The plush rooms designed by Andre Fu boast views of the Marina Bay Sands, Customs House, or Clifford Pier; the Premier Bay View rooms offer a private deck and Jacuzzi overlooking Marina Bay.





Come sunset, wind down with a cocktail at the rooftop bar Lantern—named in honor of the pier’s past moniker “Red Lantern Pier”. Order the tequila-spiked Red Lantern or Lime Garden Gin Fullerton Sling and sit back to enjoy the sparkling lights of the waterfront.

Ocho Rios and Jamaica’s north coast offer lagoons, bays, rivers, and waterfalls—and even a drive through a lush fern gorge. Thanks to its resorts and nearby water parks, the Ocho Rios region is popular with families; this part of Jamaica has plenty of outdoor adventures, too. Honeymooners also find their bliss here among luxurious boutique escapes such as GoldenEye and Jamaica Inn.

If all you know about Toronto is hockey and the CN Tower, you are in for an eye-opening visit. Groundbreaking film festivals, fantastic architecture, a design community so strong that the city’s become a destination for innovators and buyers, art and cultural museums, unique neighborhoods and industrial districts that have been transformed—you won’t be able to leave without planning a second visit.

These beloved baths are not just the site of a favorite swimming beach on Lake Geneva; they are a local institution. The baths are busiest in summer when the lake teems with swimmers and boats, but also stay active and open in winter months when local Polar Bear Club members plunge into the icy Alps-fed lake. After the bracing jump, it feels divine to warm up in the bath’s two mixed-sex saunas, and two hammams (one for women only). The facility is fully equipped with lockers, hot showers, and hair-dryers, as well as nooks in front of the large glass windows for soaking up the sun. Les Bains are also home to one of the city’s best fondue spots, La Buvette des Bains. Every September, after the summer season, some locker rooms are converted to a cozy dining room with wood stoves where diners dip bread into steamy melted cheese concoctions, and even take in a cultural performance or lecture on certain nights.

Going to the hamman, or public bath-house is an essential part of the Marrakesh experience. After being scrubbed down in the steam room, you’ll never have felt as clean as you like. Upscale hammans now offer the best treatments to entice the spa tourist crowd, with many riads have their own in-house hammam for guests. Choose from a menu of different options, with Moroccan ghassoul (mineral clays mixed with herbs and petals), gommage (scrubs), body wraps and most types of massage on offer. Noted hammams with the full spa experience include Le Bain Bleu and Sultana Spa – but check with your accommodation as to what they offer before booking.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines are home to a wide variety of restaurants, from fine-dining spots in luxury resorts to authentic local joints on St. Vincent and Union Island. Don’t miss the great beach bars on Bequia and, if you’re lucky enough to be visiting Mustique, the famous Basil’s Beach Bar on Britannia Bay.

In its newest incarnation, opened in 2012 and soaring 55 stories at the corner of Bay and Yorkville, the Four Seasons Toronto embodies founder Isadore Sharp’s vision to focus on the guest, which has positioned the brand as a leader in the luxury hotel market. This is the flagship property, arguably Toronto’s most elegant hotel and a blueprint for the brand’s subsequent hotels globally. It’s the first hotel in Canada ever to be awarded both the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star ratings. The contemporary design aesthetic from Yabu Pushelberg brings sophisticated neutral tones throughout the spacious rooms. The sunlit, ninth-floor spa is a favorite among both visitors and locals.

Set on Cox Bay, one of the best surf spots in Canada, the Pacific Sands resort offers one- bedroom suites and two-story beach houses with fireplaces and bay-view patios. If you forgot your raincoat or rubber boots (two must-haves in Tofino, which receives 100 inches of rain per year), don’t worry. The resort stocks them in every room. From $144. (250) 725-3322. This appeared in the August/September 2013 issue.

A miniature volcanic archipelago made up of seven idyllic islands, only two of which are inhabited, Îles des Saintes (commonly known as Les Saintes) is one of Guadeloupe’s crown jewels. This reef-hugged set of isles offers French sophistication mixed with a funky, laid-back Caribbean lifestyle. Take a day-trip via daily ferry to Terre-de-Haut, the archipelago’s main island, and enjoy the white-sand beaches, sailing, and snorkeling in the bay or head up to Fort Napoleon on foot or by rental scooter for panoramic views. Make sure to dine at one of the French and Creole bistros along the water, and to try a local tourment d’amour—a crusty-edged, soft-centered tart flavored with guava, pineapple, or coconut.