Things to Do in Kelowna & Okanagan Valley

La Mariscal is the epicenter of Quito’s tourist scene, so much so the neighborhood has become known as ‘Gringolandia.’

What Mariscal lacks in tourist attractions it makes up for in bars, restaurants, and clubs. Many visitors opt to stay in Mariscal for its wide range of accommodations and shopping and its reputation as the place to be when the sun goes down.

You’ll find a whole range of useful amenities in Mariscal, including internet cafes, banks and tour operators.

Margit-sziget (Margaret Island) is a magical little piece of heaven poised between Buda and Pest. Being there always gives you the sense of taking some time off from the real world. It's small - only 2.5 km (1.4 mi) long - but you'd be surprised how much the island manages to pack in and still feel like an oasis. 

Margaret Island was once three islands; they were put together to stem the flow of the Danube in the 19th century. In the middle ages, Margaret Island was called the Island of Rabbits. It was named Margaret after a saint who lived in one of the many nunneries.

The Ottoman rulers kicked out the monks and nuns and took over the island for their harems. There's still plenty of lolling about and pleasure seeking to be done on the island today. It has a pool and lido, a thermal spa, concerts and a Japanese garden to help you relax. 

There's also a small zoo and a musical fountain, but just about the nicest thing to do on Margaret Island is what so many of the city's inhabitants do - bring a picnic and lie back in the flowery grass.

Whether peeking into the engine rooms and crew’s quarters of a North Sea freighter, learning how to navigate a submarine or sipping coffee on the deck of a 1960’s passenger ferry, there are few better ways to discover Sweden’s rich maritime history than with a visit to Gothenburg’s Maritiman. Much more than just a museum, the Maritiman ranks as the world's largest floating maritime museum, comprising around 20 vessels, which are moored along the Gota River waterfront and linked together by a series of walkways.

Lisbon has a long and proud maritime history. This museum focuses on that long naval history with model ships, nautical instruments and uniforms. Among the armadas of model boats, this museum has gems such as Vasco da Gama's portable wooden altar and the rich, polished private quarters of the 1900 UK-built royal yacht Amélia. There are also ornate royal barges, the biggest a 1780 neo-Viking number.

On weekends a children's museum offers brightly colored creative activities.

As the sole female ruler of the Habsburg Empire and one of the most revered of Austria’s royals, it seems only fitting that Empress Maria Theresa should have a public square named in her honor.  Located along the famous Ringstrasse, at the heart of historic Vienna, Maria Theresa Square (Maria Theresien Platz) is surrounded by many of the capital’s most prominent landmarks, with the Museum Quarter to the south and the magnificent Hofburg Palace to the north.

Laid out in the 19th century, the square centers around an enormous statue of Maria Theresa by Kaspar Zumbusch, encircled by a series of formal gardens, dotted with monumental fountains and sculptures. Maria Theresa Square is also home to two of the city’s most notable museums – the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts) and the Naturhistorisches Museum (Museum of Natural History), whose grand neo-Renaissance facades were created as part of the grand imperial Kaiserforum, the masterwork of German architect Gottfried Semper.

St. Petersburg’s preeminent opera and ballet venue, and home to the world-renowned Kirov Ballet, Mariinsky Theatre has long been at the center of the city’s rich arts scene. Built in 1859 by architect Albert Cavos and named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna, the theatre saw a host of prestigious performers grace its stage during its pre-Revolution heyday, including dancers like Vatslav Nizhinsky, Matilda Kshesinskaya and Anna Pavlova, and opera singer Fiodor Shaliapin.

Could Marigot Bay be “the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean” as novelist James A. Michener described it? It’s certainly among the most photographed and filmed, its white sands, swaying palms, turquoise waters and verdant green hillsides ticking every box in the “tropical paradise” questionnaire.

Minimal development has ensured that this remains a dreamlike location, with the most obvious signs of life being the luxury yachts lolling in the bay or moored at the marina. The luxury Marigot Bay Hotel draws discerning guests but there is no charge to come to the beach for the day and enjoy this island idyll.