Things to Do in Kelowna & Okanagan Valley

Maracas Bay lies at the end of a scenic mountain drive from Port of Spain. As you descend to the coast you get glimpses of a perfect natural bay fringed with dazzling white sands and swaying palms, all of which readily indicate why this is Trinidad's most popular beach. 

The hypnotic roll tumbling of blue-green waves make this a great place for paddling, but if you insist on more strenuous activity there is surfing, diving and walking trails in the surrounding rainforest.

The area is known particularly as the home of 'Bake and Shark' (battered shark in fried bread). "Richard’s" is the original and most famous of the vendors, but numerous huts along the beach sell this unique local delicacy.

Nestled in the Sacred Valley of the Incas is the remote town of Maras, known throughout Peru for its thousands of worked salt pans.

Salt has been collected here since before the time of the Inca, rising to the surface from a subterranean stream and evaporating in the Andean sunshine.

You can gather your own handful of salt or buy some packaged to take home from Maras’ gift store.

The terraced saltwork pools dotting the Andean hillsides look quite stunning, glittering like bright white snow in the sunshine, so bring your camera.

The town of Maras was quite important in colonial times, and you’ll see some out-of-place ornate Spanish homes and the mud-brick colonial church.

A major destination among travelers in Bangkok, The Marble Palace is aptly named for its design, which is entirely made from Italian marble. Completed in 1911, the temple is the home of the golden Buddhist statue called Phra Buddhajinaraja and is still a live shrine, often filled with patrons who make offerings or light candles inside.

Buried beneath the statue is said to be the ashes of King Chulalongkorn and outside the main shrine in the gallery are more than 50 statues of Buddha depicted by several different cultures and variations of Buddhism in the region.

Located near to the Dusit Palace, the spacious complex on Si Ayudhya Road is built on the site of an older temple and was once used as the headquarters of Thai troops fighting against the Laotian army.

St. John might have the lion’s share of the Virgin Islands’ natural attractions, but the extraordinary concentration of flora and fauna in St. Thomas’ Mangrove Lagoon makes it a top eco-tourism destination.

Small kayak groups thread through the lagoon’s tiny red mangrove islands, with guides pointing out the huge diversity of birds they attract, including herons, egrets and ducks.

The route takes you to deserted Cas Cay island, where hermit crabs dart about among mangrove roots. On your gently-paced travels you’ll see young fish darting around this natural breeding ground. Low-impact snorkeling will get you even closer, and you’ll spot rays, eels and jelly fish as well as a host of colorful tropical fish.

Originally constructed between 1905 and 1912, the Mapocho Station was once the heart of Chile's massive, efficient railway system. The beautiful building was all but abandoned after the Valparaiso train shuddered to a stop in 1987, but was restored to its former elegance, complete with a copper roof, in the 1990s. 

Today the Mapocho Station is the country's most important cultural center, its spacious interior hosting all sorts of art exhibits, performances, and other cultural activities throughout the year. From highbrow (symphonies, operas) to low (animatronic dinosaurs), there's something for everyone at this iconic Santiago institution. 

The skinny, uniform trunks of red and white mahogany seem to erupt from nowhere along the road between Loboc and Bilar towns, a route frequented by traffic heading from eastern tourist towns to the Chocolate Hills. Their quiet and leafy canopy tunnels over the road forming a shady respite for visitors that extends for more than a mile. The trees were planted by volunteers in the middle of the last century in an effort to restore the destruction caused by kaingin, a form of slash and burn agriculture that decimated the original forest and was used by residents who sheltered in the region during WWII. Though beautiful—with tendril-like tree roots consuming above-ground boulders—the Manmade Mahogany Forest has drawn criticism for the decision to feature mahogany; the hardwood tree is native to South and Central America and foreign to many native species of plants and animals that remain absent from the scenic area. Fortunately, the mahogany stand is bookended by more naturally evolving forests containing native trees and ferns.

Located on the limits of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department on the edge of the Luberon, Manosque is an old walled town filled with ancient doorways, fountains, meandering streets and charming squares like Place du Terreau, Place Marcel Pagnol and Place du Contrôle. Furthermore, Manosque has numerous historical buildings like Hôtel d’Herbès, the Town Hall, Hôtel de Gassaud, the Gothic-Romanesque Saint-Sauveur Church and, of course, the Notre-Dame-de-Romigier Church, which was built in the 10th century.