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Frederiksholms Canal is a small canal that is connected to Copenhagen Harbor and which surrounds and creates the small island of Slotsholmen. Slotsholmen is significant because it serves as home to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament, as well as museums, and the Royal Danish Library. More than just a glorified moat, the canal has a number of historical boats moored along its banks and serves as a lovely spot to enjoy the Danish weather. For a quirky surprise look into the canal’s depths just off of Højbro bridge for an other-worldly piece of submerged art.

If you’ve made the trip to Thames Town or the Shanghai Film Studios, then you’re already a bit familiar with the suburb of Songjiang. But beyond fabricated villages and recreated sets, Songjiang holds a fair amount of cultural charm as well.



For a historic tour, start your trip with a visit to the Songjiang Mosque, which dates back to the 14th century. You’ll also notice a cemetery here with headstones in Arabic and Chinese, a tribute to the number of Muslims residing in China.


From here, head over to the Fangta Pagoda (in the southeastern corner of town) or Xilin Pagoda and Buddhist Temple (in the western part of the city).


A trip to the Zhubai Pond (64 Songjiang Renmin Nan Lu) will round out your historical exploits and give you that last bit of peace and quiet.


Fuel up at the Red Bar on the 3rd floor of Kaiyuan Med shopping mall before heading back into the city.


How to get here: Take line 9 to Songjiang Xincheng Station and then hop on a taxi from there.

One of Bill White’s collection of restaurants, Sushi Blue serves an eclectic mix of items, from a full sushi bar to “Rad Thai” and Korean street tacos, and a great burger. It’s a great place to go if you have a mix of sushi lovers and “not so much” in your dining party. The Green Papaya Salad with cherry tomatoes, cilantro, crushed peanuts and citrus dressing is refreshing. For signature sushi rolls, try the Holy Shishito, with albacore, grilled shishito pepper and cucumber topped with red snapper, avocado, and spicy roasted onion ponzu. The easy access to this restaurant in the Redstone shopping area makes it a popular choice.

Wahso, part of the Bill White Enterprises family of restaurants in town, is the perfect example of White’s propensity to lavishly decorate his popular eateries. With Asian artifacts that White collected from around the world, and elegant touches like the velvet curtains encasing each booth, it doesn’t get more romantic than this. The food is excellent, and the prices reflect that. Try the green curry mussels, the watermelon and goat cheese salad with arugula, fennel, cherry tomatoes and lemon basil dressing, or the Miso Black Cod with aromatic rice, shiitake, bok choy and mushroom-ginger broth. By the way, “Wahso” is a phonetic play on the French word for bird, “oiseau.”

Halifax’s identity is tied to the sea, and its rich maritime history is the central theme of this eclectic museum. Popular exhibits include one dedicated to the role of Halifax after the sinking of the Titanic (the city’s ships helped with the recovery) and the devastating Halifax Explosion, a 1917 ship collision that killed 2,000. Don’t miss touring the CSS Acadia, a naval vessel once used for hydrographic missions.

Don’t be deceived by its West London locale. Notting Hill may be one of the city’s poshest neighborhoods but all that is forgotten when it comes to its outdoor flea market. Portobello Market is mainly known for its impressive collection of antiques but you can also shop for fresh food and score some unbeatable deals on clothing. I walked away with £5 dresses on more than one occasion. To get here, take the Tube to Notting Hill Gate, which is on the District, Circle, and Central lines.

The Forbidden City is not so forbidden any longer...based on the thousands and thousands of people there visiting it! I love the huge city, however it’s a hard sight to visit because of all of the people, the massive space to cover (178 Acres), and the lack of trees! I was absolutely exhausted after our 3 hours there. It consists of 90 palaces and courtyards, 980 buildings and 8,704 rooms. And I had to work really hard to find a few hidden spots to take pictures with very few people in them. And of course it was those quiet areas that were my favorite.

My advice for avoiding the crowds is to head to the Palace Museum. You can see ancient treasures of the dynasty - or you can simply enjoy the quiet gardens and less people!

On sunny days, Parisians head for the Luxembourg Garden, built by Marie de’ Medici in 1611 and modeled after the Boboli Gardens in her native Florence. In addition to the magnificent Medici Fountain, there are more than 100 statues arranged around the garden’s 20 hectares (50 acres), which encompass both formal French and English gardens. Here you’ll find chess players, puppeteers, children sailing tiny boats on the octagonal pool and sometimes a free concert in the gazebo.

• 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.

Near the wharf along upper Bay Street, a distinctive, street-level arcade connects several historic stone buildings, which once functioned as arrowroot warehouses. For centuries, these rows of Georgian stone arches and second-floor overhangs have sheltered Kingstown’s workers, walkers, and vendors from the hot sun and occasional shower—hence Kingstown’s nickname, the “City of Arches.”

A whole lot of history converges at the Fairmont San Francisco—as do all of the city’s cable car lines, which offer easy transportation to the Financial District, Union Square, and Fisherman’s Wharf. The hotel was built in 1906 but damaged in the Great Earthquake and subsequent fires before it even opened, so celebrated architect Julia Morgan was brought in to repair the building. Once it debuted, the hotel quickly became a city favorite, hosting more than its share of historic events, including the series of meetings in 1945 that resulted in the formation of the United Nations. The hotel’s storied bar, The Venetian Room, also featured big names, from Ella Fitzgerald and Nat ‘King’ Cole to Tony Bennett, who first performed I Left My Heart in San Francisco here in 1961 (Bennett still frequents the hotel).

Today, the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar is a draw for tourists and locals seeking a kitschy, iconic San Francisco experience, with live music, Polynesian food, and Mai Tais severed against a backdrop of occasional staged thunderstorms. Other dining options include Laurel Court for all-day coastal California fare and the famous Afternoon Tea, a local tradition since 1907. The opulent design of the hotel extends from its lobby—with marble floors and sumptuous fabrics—to the 606 luxurious rooms, each outfitted with comfortable furnishings and modern technologies. Of the 62 suites, 10 also include balconies with city and bay views.

Could there be a more glorious setting for a cheese’s origin? These pastures surrounding a hilltop village (Gruyères) crowned with a castle (the Château de Gruyères), happy Swiss cows grazing with views of the Alps all around, producing the milk which, in time, arrives on grocery shelves as cheese around the world, stamped ‘GRUYÈRE’...and there’s a geometric garden in the castle’s courtyard, too.

Lanikai Beach is no secret to the locals, or to tourists, as it is consistently ranked among the best beaches in the world, and it’s arguably the best beach on the island of Oahu. Chances are that if you’re visiting Hawaii then you’re probably on vacation which should make it easier to visit Lanikai during the week. This will increase your chances of finding a secluded spot to lounge in privacy. In fact this amazing beach is usually empty during the week (I would recommend avoiding this beach during peak tourist season or on the weekends). There is no parking, no public bathrooms, and no vendors of any kind within proximity to the beach so come prepared. Pack your sunblock, snacks, and drinks and lounge on this secluded, white-sand beach for the day. Enjoy doing nothing at all or read a book. Or you can fall in love like we did!

The site of the premier Academy Awards after-party in 1929, this historic Beaux Arts hotel on the edge of downtown was recently updated for the first time since the 1980s. Today, The Mayfair’s grand, monochromatic lobby features original stone columns, light marble accents, plenty of skylights amid lofty ceilings, and impressive arches and alcoves with gray-velvet seating scattered throughout. The chic M Bar at the back glows under a lit-up, seashell-like sculpture. Rooms and suites have panoramic views of the city skyline and feature patterned wallpaper, black-and-white photographs of the city, and striped canopies draped over the beds.

Running for more than eight miles through the southwest part of the island of Montréal, the Lachine Canal is a window onto the city’s industrial history, reborn in recent decades as a place where nature and the city meet. Originally opened in 1825, the canal, with its five locks, allowed ships traveling between the upper St. Lawrence River and the sea to avoid the treacherous Lachine Falls. (Before the canal opened, ships would typically off-load their cargo at the village of Lachine, which would then be loaded onto another ship on the other side of the falls.) The canal’s banks would soon be filled with small factories, but by 1950 the area had started to decline, in part due to the success of the railway. In 1970, it was closed to shipping completely. Recent efforts to clean up the canal have been successful, and now bikers and walkers take advantage of the paths that line it, while many of the former factories and warehouses have been converted into luxury lofts and condos. In 2002, the canal was opened to boats again—pleasure crafts, not barges—that travel its length. If you decide to explore the canal, the Atwater Market was one of the early projects to redevelop the area, and it remains a great place to buy all the items needed for a picnic.