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An AFAR editor keeps his ears open on a kayak trip in Harriman Fjord.

An arctic voyage is a sensory experience unlike any other. At the southernmost tip of the world, everything feels ephemeral—but that’s the magic of it.

From summer through winter, Switzerland serves up a host of adrenaline-pumping extreme sports. When the sun is shining, the Swiss mountains are ascended and descended by climbers and bikers, while snowy conditions are heaps of fun for alpine skiers and snowboarders. Other thrilling sports in Switzerland include paragliding in Zermatt, hurtling down Europe’s longest toboggan run in Grindelwald, and ice-climbing up frozen waterfalls and glaciers in various spots in the Swiss Alps.

Who says sledding is just for kids? In Europe, rodeling (their term for sledding) is almost more fun when you’re an adult. No matter how good the powder, a highlight of my annual European ski trip is always our dinner rodel adventures. One of the best we’ve experienced is in St. Anton at Rodel-Alm. A snowcat or gondola ride takes diners up to the Rodel-Alm restaurant where you’ll dine on hearty dishes of spaetzle and the signature schweinshaxe (a Flinstone-sized pork knuckle). Meals end with shots of Williams and Heisse Witwe to give diners liquid courage for their journey home. Old-school toboggans are handed out, along with headlamps (if you’re lucky) and you toboggan under the starry night sky down a windy, icy trail. The journey ends at the Rodel-Hütte, where a crowd awaits to cheer you on and tempts daredevils to gain speed and launch off of snowy jumps. The reward: another shot.

Austrian culture is deeply rooted in skiing and Skicircus is its crowning achievement. Spread over Saalbach-Hinterglemm and Leogang, the winter sports area features nearly 170 miles of piste terrain and is extremely popular with both skiers and snowboarders. Guests can look forward to 70 cableways and lifts, more than 60 cozy ski huts, numerous snow parks, floodlit slopes, and toboggan runs. For those not staying at the resort, the Salzburg Snow Shuttle provides transportation from the city to the slopes.

Hawaiians once lived in harmony with the land: farming, fishing, and harvesting fruit. Today, the state imports 80 to 90 percent of its food. Visit Kaloko-Honokōhau to catch a glimpse of the Big Island’s ancient agricultural traditions, which residents are working hard to revitalize. The park’s landscape of rugged rock contains more than 200 archaeological sites, ranging from fishponds and elevated planters to petroglyphs, lava-tube shelters, and hōlua (toboggan-like slides). Watch for native species like the fragrant pua pilo flower and the endangered Hawaiian stilt, a subspecies of the black-necked stilt. A sugar-white beach stretches north from Honokōhau’s boat harbor and often attracts sea turtles.

Mount Royal Park starts at the edge of the city just beyond the McGill campus and runs alongside neighborhoods like Plateau before rising to the top of 764-foot-tall Mount Royal (Mont Réal), the hill that gives the city its name. The twisting roads and paths of this crown jewel of Montréal’s park system were initially laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York’s Central Park. While Olmsted’s plan was not followed in all its details, the final result was true to his vision of a woody park that takes advantage of the site’s hilly topography. There are two belvederes with views of the city skyline and the St. Lawrence River, and one of Montréal’s iconic landmarks, a 103-foot-high cross, sits at its northern end. The park is most popular in summer, but residents flock here in every season, to enjoy the colorful foliage in the fall and the cross-country ski trails and toboggan runs in the winter.

The Great Wall of China runs more than 21,000 kilometers (over 13,000 miles), not as one continuous wall but rather as fortified wall sections. Some of the sections date back more than 2,500 years, though only 8.2 percent of the existing wall is original. The Mutianyu Great Wall is one of the more accessible portions. Hike (because that is what you’ll be doing, even on the wall itself) up the Great Wall, then slide down the side of the mountain on a toboggan. Alternatively, explore the Simatai Great Wall, which retains a more authentic feel—save, of course, for the fake water town at the bottom. Even more remote is the Jiankou section, which is largely unrestored, so book with an experienced group like Beijing Hikers or Wild Great Wall.

Admit it; you’re curious. A ski hill in the middle of the desert, on the Persian Gulf, no less, is as wild an idea as humankind has ever concocted—but isn’t dreaming big what Dubai is all about? The slopes at Ski Dubai are no substitute for Jackson Hole or Vail, of course, but then again, they’re not supposed to be. You go simply for the experience of leaving a housewares shop, sauntering down the hall, and hitting the slopes. All the gear required can be rented at Ski Dubai: They even have long overcoats for women in abayas. You can ski or sled, roll down the hill in inflatable plastic balls, frolic with penguins, or even just ride the chairlifts back and forth. When you’re finished skiing, you can head back into the mall for a meal or a movie. You know, just another day in Dubai.

In a country full of swanky resort towns, St. Moritz takes the crown with its wide array of five-star hotels, designer stores, and award-winning restaurants. The town is also home to such exciting activities as skijoring and ice cricket, which help to keep all the celebrity visitors entertained.

A cable car system connects the Old Town to the parish of Monte, 560 meters above Funchal. During the 15-minute ascent, you can enjoy the change in scenery from a busy city center to peaceful lush greenery. The most exciting part is the ride back: Opt to travel via wicker toboggan. Introduced in the 19th century, these iconic sledges are guided by two men dressed in white clothing and straw hats who negotiate the narrow and winding roads of Funchal’s back hills.

Overlooking the St. Lawrence River, the Terrasse Dufferin (Dufferin Terrace) runs along the top of a cliff, some 200 feet above the Lower Town, and is presided over by the grande dame hotel Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. The terrace was constructed in 1879 and is named after Lord Dufferin, governor-general of Canada from 1872 to 1878, who is credited with saving the old city walls after zealous city planners began to tear them down. The terrace is some 1,400 feet long and makes for a pleasant place to stroll, or sit, if you are visiting Quebec City on a sunny day. The funicular that descends to the Lower Town is found at the northern end of the terrace, near a statue of Samuel de Champlain.

Located in Sainte-Anne, Karukera Land is a recreational park that makes for a fun and self-contained outing for families. Learn about the island’s flora with a walk through the tropical gardens, and visit a range of Caribbean fauna, from goats to peacocks. Active kids will love the acrobatic course, trampolines, and swimming pools with multiple toboggan slides. There’s plenty to entertain grown-ups as well, including billiard and ping-pong tables, a mini-golf course, and spa relaxation area with massage hut.