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This Hawkesbury river boathouse looks like it’s come straight from a shoot with Vogue. Elegant and casual, fun and cheery, it’s worth taking a day trip to Palm Beach for. Red-and-white awnings hang over charcoal-painted tables where the white umbrellas don’t reach. Tin pots of orchids and tulips sit on stools. It’s lazy, albeit very busy (be prepared to queue), and linen, jeans and flip-flop clad diners order from a large blackboard. The signature beer battered flathead and chips are light and crispy, served in a little wooden box. The pot of herby Boston Bay mussels are small and sweet. For breakfast, the fluffy French toast, piled up with mixed berries and drizzled with maple syrup and mascarpone, and the Boathouse baked beans are hard to beat.

The Alma G is a freighter that blew ashore during Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Rent a boat in Treasure Cay and head to Guana Cay for a day of snorkeling on the Atlantic side of the island. On your way from Treasure Cay, the Alma G will be visible off the starboard side. If you wish to explore the ship up close you can anchor in a protected cove about 100 meters slightly astern of her starboard side then quite easily walk the remaining distance. While some of the ship’s iron has been salvaged there is still plenty of the interior to see via the gaping hole on her starboard side. Lots of sharp edges and rusting metal so keep little ones close if they’re with you.

Work days in the ‘concrete jungle’ are hectic. Long hours are spent indoors, sitting at desks. It’s easy to forget that we live on an island. The East River Walk, beginning at 34th street and the FDR, is where I go to get away from the hustle and bustle. Looking out on the East River, I forget I’m in a city at all. Take a deep breath. Run/walk/bike/skip down to the Brooklyn Bridge and back. If you’re brave, continue around to the West Side.

Nestled between pristine beaches and lush forest, the peaceful town of Watamu is ground zero for water sports in Kenya. One of Kenya’s most renowned kite-surfing schools, Tribe Watersports, is based here and offers three–day courses to get you skimming the warm waves of the Indian Ocean in no time. If you’re happier underwater, Watamu will also appeal. A maze of rich coral reefs skirts the shoreline, so giant turtles and exotic fish can be seen year-round, and at certain times of the year majestic whale sharks pass through this region, making it a snorkeling and diving haven. For accommodation, check out the eccentric and charming Watamu Treehouse.

Most people have heard of the Kuekenhof tulip gardens of the Netherlands, but few know about the even larger Arcen Gardens in the south of the country, near Venlo. This massive, 42 hectare, garden complex is on the grounds of the 17th century Arcen Castle. The gardens begin in a traditional formal style, with roses, hedges and statuary. But it doesn’t end there. As you wander through, you encounter gardens designed to resemble Japan, Italy, Thailand and more. There are woodland gardens and tropical gardens (inside an enormous greenhouse). There is a small on-site zoo featuring ring-tailed lemurs, plenty of children’s activities, mini-golf and a large cafeteria. In fact, you could easily spend an entire day and still not see everything. Arcen opens for the 2013 season on April 26th.

From a members-only beach club in the 1960s, The Dunmore has evolved into a 16-room boutique stay whose spirit and decor evoke that era. Local interior designer Amanda Lindroth oversaw a major renovation when the hotel’s current owners bought the property in 2010. Wicker and rattan furniture, patterned prints, and spaces that are as much outdoors as indoors create a look that is somewhere between late British colonial and timeless Bahamian. Although the landmark sits on Harbour Island’s Pink Sands Beach, a pool with an airy pavilion adds to The Dunmore’s reputation as a place of amiable gathering. After a day of sunfilled fun, head to the on-site restaurant, where chef Cindy Hutson, one of the region’s rising culinary stars, prepares modern twists on island delicacies—think grouper curry with lychee and grilled pineapple and banana fritters with rum caramel.

The recently renovated and reopened Philadelphia History Museum showcases an impressive collection of art, objects, and artifacts spanning 330 years of the city’s history. Dating back to 1826, the building itself plays into the journey through the past. The biggest draw for me, however, is the rotating Made in Philadelphia exhibit which looks at the city’s contributions in craftsmanship and manufacturing throughout history (particular nod to the ‘Craft Brewing’ feature which focuses on brewing from the days of William Pen right up through the revival of microbreweries in the 20th century). And if you’re keen on vintage Philly, I highly recommend the much-lauded Facebook page Old Images of Philadelphia. It isn’t associated with the museum but offers a heartwarming virtual walk through the city’s storied past.

The lush green forest, soaring trees and various lakes are reason enough to spend the day meandering along Stanley Park’s well kept, well posted trails. Turns out the city has given you another reason: the Stanley Park Environmental Art Project. Six artists have installed ecologically sensitive art projects throughout the park, and we were lucky enough to stumble upon this massive sphere of ancient wood sitting peacefully between two ends of its former self. “We wanted to construct something that works within the missing section to accentuate the mass, the length and the essence of the entire ancient tree.” Keep your eyes open though, as some of these installations are set back and off the trail. This particular piece was discovered on the Lovers Walk trail somewhere near the intersection of the Tatlow Walk trail.

Tis the season to be jolly! If you’re feeling festive around the holidays or perhaps you want to keep Christmas going all year long, then a visit to the Coach House should be on your holiday wish list. When the holiday season approaches, Scottsdale locals make a trip to their favorite local watering hole to experience a festive spirit unlike anywhere else. Staffers shut down the joint for a few days in order to deck the bar from head to toe with wrapping paper, tinsel, ornaments and twinkle lights that overtake you with Christmas cheer. The bartenders and staff are laid back, friendly and really love what they do. Note: This place can get packed during the holiday season on a late Friday or Saturday night. And, the lights stay up all year!

We had been to Gollem for a drink and a snack (note: the meat platter is hearty) the evening before, but when we found ourselves on Overtoom after visiting Vondelpark, with Gollem just opening for lunch, we went for it again. After all, it was our last day in Amsterdam and there was beer to be drunk. The servers are very knowledgeable and helpful, and will guide you to specific styles or rhapsodize over undiscovered breweries. Fries, fried in beef tallow, were wonderful. Sweetbread croquettes tasted mostly like any other croquette, with perhaps a whiff of sweetbreadiness. The ham and Chimay cheese sandwich was good. It was all fresh, and all went very well with the wide selection of Belgian beers they offer. And for dessert? Gueuze.

Shopping passages were built in the 19th century to give Parisians protection from muddy streets and horse-drawn vehicles. Galerie Vivienne is a beautiful restored 19th-century passage with entrances at the Rue des Petits-Champs, Rue de la Banque, and Rue Vivienne. Built in 1823 in a neoclassical Pompeian style that includes a gorgeous canopy and is decorated inside with mosaics, paintings, and sculptures, Galerie Vivienne’s most famous resident is the Jean-Paul Gaultier shop. Some passage entrances are easy to miss, so be on the lookout! A stroll through these fascinating galeries is a fun and free activity on a rainy day.

I recently went to Durban to attend a wedding. While I personally don’t consider Durban at the top of list of places to go on holiday in SA, I will say that Durban is great for the sun and the surf. In terms of tourist attractions, Ushaka Marine World is a great place to take the family. You can spend the day having fun at the water park, catch the dolphin show or get in some knowledge and check out the aquarium. The aquarium is themed to resemble a sunken ship with certain rooms even displaying some of the decor and furniture upside down! Those who are brave enough can even venture into the shark tank where you’ll be able to swim with some of the scary predators of the deep blue sea!

Housed in a mansion built in 1911, Casa Lamm is a cultural center, art school, and gallery. The permanent collection includes works by such notable Mexican artists as landscape painter Abelardo López and sculptor Jorge Marín. Sign up for a same-day lecture or enroll in one of the semester-long classes, which run the gamut from pre-Hispanic art theory to salsa dancing. —Joy Hepp Avenida Álvaro Obregón 99, 52/55-5511-0899, casalamm.com.mx. This appeared in the May/June 2011 issue.

Built in 1928 by Asia’s oldest hotel brand, the Peninsula Hong Kong is one of the most historic properties on the Kowloon Peninsula, just across Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong Island. Designed originally as an upscale accommodation for passengers riding the adjacent Kowloon-Canton railway, the Peninsula has been a fixture of Hong Kong society throughout the region’s history. It was a magnet for Hollywood stars and dignitaries, the site of Hong Kong’s surrender to Japanese forces at the start of World War II, and temporary housing for residents following the war.

In 1994, a 30-story tower was added to house 135 additional rooms and suites as well as shops, a spa, a fitness center, twin rooftop helipads, and Felix—the hotel’s 28th-floor fine-dining restaurant, designed by Philippe Starck. The entire property was renovated in 2013 to update rooms with creamy colors, polished wood, and stitched leather and introduce high-tech extras that include a bedside control panel allowing guests to adjust the room’s light, sound, and temperature without getting out from under the covers. Today, the hotel is sleek and modern, but historic relics evoke the glory days that established the Peninsula as the “Grande Dame of the Far East.”

Healthy, organic food can be difficult to come by in Gatlinburg, making this natural food store and café a staple for locals and travelers seeking a nourishing or vegetarian-friendly option. Burgers come in the form of ground salmon or lentils (in a sprouted grain bun), washed down with the fresh-pressed juice of the day or a “wellness shot” of wheatgrass, ginger, or turmeric. Built in a rustic stone-and-wood cabin, the café is small but cozy, and during summer, the exterior is cheered by blooming daisies and echinacea. There’s also a well-stocked herb and vitamin section, plus plenty of seasonal, organic produce and groceries to pack a picnic or stock the pantry.