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Bota Bota began its life on the water as a ferryboat. Then called the Arthur Cardin, it sailed between the cities of Sorel and Berthier, just east of Montreal, back in the 1950s. Many years later, someone had the idea to transform this mothballed boat, docked in the old port of Montreal, into a floating spa. Mission accomplished. With its 25,000 square feet, 21 treatment rooms, 6 terraces, and 40 different types of services, the Bota Bota makes a pretty grand spa, if you ask me. What’s even greater about the spa is the location. Docked in the old port with stunning views of downtown and Old Montreal, the Bota Bota offers its passengers (not customers!) the healing benefits of a spa while they are lulled by the natural movements of the St Lawrence River.

The 34,400-square-foot Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre engages visitors on many levels. Socially, it is the first joint cultural project between two separate native nations in North America. The center is also a stunning architectural addition to the community. The design of the concrete, cedar, and fir structure melds the longhouse of the coastal Squamish people with the traditional Lil’wat pit house. Permanent displays of carvings, dugouts, and implements used by the coastal fishermen and hunters are supplemented by temporary exhibitions, including a presentation about Canada’s infamous residential schools. The SLCC also anchors one of Whistler’s most exciting new projects, the Cultural Connector—a path that links six local arts institutions—which is another indication of Whistler’s rising status as a fine arts destination.

A group of Chicago artists took over the Flatiron building in Wicker Park and turned the triangular building into an art gallery comprised of 2 floors worth of unique art studios. In this building artists can rent gallery space to work and display their art and they have artistic control over the room, the halls, the ceilings and even the floors. The entire building is now an artistic wonderland and even if you don’t buy any of the art pieces, it’s worth a walk through just to see the creativity on display here. The Flatiron building is open all day and there are always artists in their galleries working, selling and willing to talk to visitors. The first Friday of each month is the best time to visit because all the artists open their studios between 6-10pm and turn the neighborhood into a block party. Go support a local artist and have a glass of wine. It’s good for everybody.

Philippe Starck’s design firm, Yoo, transformed an 1872 dowager hotel into the 63-room Hotel Sans Souci Wien. Expect oversize Starck and Arne Jacobsen furnishings, four-poster beds, parquet floors, pillows made with Fornasetti fabrics, and pieces from the owner’s art collection (Picassos among them) that contrast with a soft color scheme. Downstairs in the spa, you’ll find a true Viennese rarity: a 65-foot indoor pool.

Between 15th and 16th streets on Ninth Avenue in Chelsea, the Chelsea Market is a food court with New York attitude. Its restaurants and shops sell Australian meat pies, banh mi, and lobster rolls. These are no fast-food chains—this is a place to find cheese from upstate or that spice you can’t find at your supermarket. There is now a Posman Books and an Anthropologie outpost, but most of the places here stay true to the market’s culinary roots with Sarabeth’s, Ronnybrook Dairy, and Berlin Currywurst as good places to pick up food to eat on the spot or to take home. If you are looking for a hard-to-find kitchen gadget, the Bowery Kitchens store is almost sure to have it. The market is also ideally located if you want to purchase picnic supplies before ascending to the High Line if the weather is good.

So spectacular is the 82-hectare (200-acre) Singapore Botanic Gardens that it is the rare horticultural spot to have earned UNESCO World Heritage site status. Established in 1859, it’s responsible for Singapore’s nickname as the Garden City and serves an important conservation and educational role. Wandering the pathways, visitors escape the frenetic urban area and learn about 1,200 species of orchids alone. There’s also a band shell for live concerts.

Place des Arts, the jewel of the Quartier des Spectacles in the center of town, is a cultural complex attached to the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal that unites five performance spaces, including the Maison Symphonique de Montréal. It has two main performance arts spaces: Théâtre Maisonneuve, a nearly 1,500-seat modern-day rendition of a classical Italian theatre where dance organizations including Grands Ballets Canadiens regularly perform; Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, which with just under 3,000 seats is better suited for big, boisterous Opéra de Montréal productions; and the smaller, 400-seat Cinquième Salle, home to series of shows by Danse Danse, among others. Photo: Susan Moss

Portland isn’t exactly the kind of city that’s known for being “fancy,” which was why it was so bold for the Starwood Luxury Collection to add a sleek 15th floor to the top of the iconic Meier & Frank department store building downtown—and turn the top nine floors into the swankiest hotel in town. Who would’ve thought that Louis XVI chairs, tufted white leather and teal velvet, crystal chandeliers, and ornate wallpaper would work so well in the city of plaid, beards, and twee bird patterns? In true Field of Dreams fashion, Starwood built it and the travelers came out of the woodwork, hungry for a luxury hotel that embodies the Rose City with everything from environmentally conscious practices and farm-to-table restaurants to an extensive art collection and rooftop honey bee colony. All that’s to say nothing of the private club-like Library, a collaboration with Portland icon Powell’s Books (the world’s largest bookstore) that allows hotel guests to borrow from a curated collection of 3,000 books during their stay. As it turns out, it’s not all that hard to dress Portland to the nines.

Marrakesh’s spice shops know how to attract custom – colourful pyramids of spices and herbs are proudly displayed outside to entice the shopper. If you want to take home a taste of Morocco, these are the places to come to. Ask for ras el hanout (‘top of the shop’, a special blend of up to several dozen spices) that gives Moroccan cuisine its distinctive twist. Every shop and kitchen has its own particular blend, but cumin, cinnamon, allspice and cloves are all essential ingredients. Moroccan saffron is also an excellent buy. Many spice shops double up as apothecaries. Herbs, bark, mineral and infusions are all offered to cure anything from headaches and skin complaints to impotency – a truly spicy offering.

I’m not sure exactly how Rainbow Beach got its name, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually had a lot to do with rain. The island’s most popular beach bar, especially on Sundays, is centrally located on St. Croix’s West Coast, some of the island’s tallest peaks and dense rainforest just a few miles behind it. Prevailing weather patterns, particularly during the summer months, make brief afternoon showers a fairly regular occurrence here. That doesn’t stop the party, though. Live bands play on and everyone keeps dancing. When you’re already wet from the sea and feeling the vibes, a little rain doesn’t hurt one bit.

Local is the operative word in the Portland, Maine food scene. Ask a waiter what Atlantic Day-Boat halibut is exactly, and he’ll spin a story about the local captain who pulls in with the day’s catch. At the height of summer, it seems that every ingredient is caught, raised, foraged, or grown in the vicinity. So it’s no surprise that Maine oysters take pride of place at Eventide Oyster Co. Sure, there are some bivalves from New York and the West Coast, but my advice is to quiz the waitress about the ones from West Bath, Casco Bay, and the Damariscotta River. A hit of frozen Tabasco came on the house, but these plump beauties are best with just a squeeze of lemon.

If nature is a religion then Vall de Núria is mecca. Situated in a small valley with a lake in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains, not far from the border of Spain and France in Catalunya - it is best known as a ski resort but delights visitors year round because of stunning vistas in every direction and an abundance of activities to choose from no matter what month one visits. The resort now sits where once only a church stood. In fact, it is built around the Church of Núria. Accessible only by train, perhaps so as never to disturb the stunning landscape it is truly an escape from the more bustling cities of Girona and Barcelona. Ride horseback into the rocky terrain above the tree line for the best views of the natural surroundings and look out for native deer than roam the crags. At night, return to one of the many restaurants for a meal that is worth the trip alone.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg in a burgher’s house at Getreidegasse 9 on January 27, 1756. He lived here in the heart of the city for several years before his family moved into a more spacious residence, now called the Mozart-Wohnhaus, across the river. Mozart’s birthplace (or Geburtshaus) features several floors showcasing historic furniture, letters, memorabilia, and many of the family portraits painted during his lifetime (although Mozart’s musical genius was not appreciated in the city during his life). It also displays his early instruments, including violins, his clavichord, and a harpsichord, as well as locks of the composer’s hair.

India boasts many traditional regional dance forms, but kathakali, with its elaborate, colorful costumes and masks is undoubtedly one of the most distinctive. With roots going back to ancient Hindu temple plays (some think as far back as the 2nd century), kathakali, now the state dance of Kerala, evolved into its current dance-drama format in the 17th century, under the direction of the Rajah of Kottarakkara, who took the performances out of the temples and palaces and directly to the villages. Founded in 1990, this noted center honors kathakali—as well as Indian classical music, and other traditional arts—with nightly performances, 365 days a year. The kathakali shows are usually about 90 minutes, and include a informative demonstration; come an hour early to watch the actors undergo the elaborate makeup and costuming process.

To visit Mwanza is to head off the traditional tourist trail of Tanzania. Here, on the coast of Lake Victoria, commercial ships fish for Nile perch and sardines that will be sold across Africa; every year Tanzanians flock to Mwanza for work opportunities. Explore this thriving and interesting city with a stop at the Mwaloni fish market (where you’ll also find produce brought in from villages around the lake) and take in the pretty views of Lake Victoria. Bismarck Rock, a tall boulder balancing atop a jumble of rocks out in the lake, can be visited en route to the ferry terminal. Ferries carry passengers across the lake to Bukoba and points along the shore. From Mwanza, it’s also possible to hop a train across the country to Dar es Salaam, but be warned—it’s regularly delayed for as many as 12 hours.