Things to Do in Kelowna & Okanagan Valley

Mount Faber Park, one of the oldest green spaces in Singapore, is also one of the best places to go for views over the city and Singapore Harbour. More of a large hill than a mountain, the slopes of Mount Faber are covered in lush rainforest, and if you want to get to the top, you have two options.

Budget travelers looking for something free to do can hike to the peak. The path is paved the entire way up and shaded for most of the way, but bring plenty of water, as Singapore can get hot and humid. If you’d rather save your energy, you can ride the Singapore Cable Car to the top.

No matter how you get to the summit, set aside some time to wander the gardens and take in the views from several lookout points. Mount Faber is also home to the Jewel Box, a shopping, dining and entertainment venue and one of the most romantic spots in the city for dinner.

Rum is more than a social lubricant here on the island of Barbados. It’s the history, culture, and essence of the island poured over ice. Barbados is considered the birthplace of rum, and Mount Gay Distillery—founded in 1703—is believed to be the oldest rum found anywhere in the world. For three centuries sailors and seamen have sipped its amber silk, and during a visit to the Mount Gay Visitor Centre, travelers can literally taste the history that has shaped Barbados’ past. 

Mount Nebo is 817 meters (2,680 feet) above sea level, and thus more than 1km (0.6 mi) above the neighboring Dead Sea. It is a site holy to both Christians and Jews: Moses is said to have died on or near the mountain some time after God had showed him the Holy Land from its summit. 

You can still enjoy the prophet’s view today – gaze out over the sea lying under a saline haze, the ancient city of Jericho and, if you’re lucky, all the way to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. On Siyagha (one of the mountain’s twin peaks), you can see the remains of mosaics from a Byzantine monastery.

Founded in 1864, the Moscow Zoo sits in the center of Moscow, a natural escape from the bustling city streets. When it opened, the zoo covered 10 acres and held fewer than 300 animals. Continuously expanded over the past century and a half, the zoo today is the largest in Russia, covering over 50 acres and featuring more than 6,000 animals. The entrance, shaped like a large rock castle, is conspicuous among the modern architecture on the surrounding streets.

In the old area of the zoo, visitors can find animals such as bears, large cats and elephants, as well as the popular dolphin aquarium and penguin pool. A footbridge crosses Bolshaya Gruzinskaya street and leads to the new area, which is home to the primate house, the children’s zoo and several cafes. Renovations to the zoo in the 1990s added features like waterfalls and streams to give it a more natural feeling.
With an emphasis on the children’s education and entertainment, the zoo is an ideal destination for families visiting Moscow.

Rising to heights of over 1,000 meters and surrounded by forested foothills, Mount Medvednica (‘Bear Mountain’), looms over the city of Zagreb and makes an easy escape from the capital. Sljeme is the highest point at 1,033 meters and while hiking the scenic route to the summit is a popular choice, the peak is also reachable by road and cable car, making it the focal point for most day-trippers. The wooded slopes around the summit make up the protected area of Medvednica Nature Park, crisscrossed with hiking and mountain biking trails, as well as restaurants, traditional mountain lodges and a winter ski area.

Another key attraction of Medvednica is the medieval fortress of Medvedgrad, originally built in 1242 and now home to the Altar of the Homeland memorial, a poignant dedication to the local soldiers who fought and died in the Croatian war of independence. Alternatively, pay a visit to the Veternica Cave, one of the largest in Croatia, or tour the historic silver mining area of Zrinski Mine.

Mount Medvednica also serves as the backdrop for a number of annual events, including medieval reenactments and knights’ tournaments held in the grounds of the historic castle and the winter Snow Queen festival, held in honor of legendary Croatian skier Janica Kostelic, who first learned to ski on the slopes.

Malta is famous for the lavish scale of its many scores of churches (there are 25 in Valletta alone) but Mosta’s Neo-classical parish church of St Mary stands out even among all this grandeur. Its eponymous, self-supporting dome measures 121 ft (37 m) in diameter and is 220 ft (67 m) high – bigger than St Paul’s in London – with every inch of the interior covered in gilt, frescoes and marble flooring. The church was designed by Maltese architect Giorgio Grognet de Vassé in the style of the Pantheon in Rome but built by solely by local parishioners and volunteers between 1833 and 1860.

The interior houses Malta’s biggest, most flamboyant organ, with 2,000 pipes, but the church is better known for a miraculous escape the congregation had in 1942 during WW2. On Sunday, April 9 the church was packed with 300 worshippers when three Luftwaffe bombs hit the dome. Two bounced off but one crashed through into the nave; amazingly it failed to explode, saving scores of lives. The legend of the miracle of Mosta Dome was thus born and a replica of the unexploded bomb can be found in the sacristy.

UNESCO World Heritage-listed Morne Trois Pitons National Park surrounds Dominica’s second highest mountain, Morne Trois Pitons. The lush 6,857-hectare (16,936-acre) park protects six vegetation zones, from low-lying woodlands to mature rainforest.

This is the lair of the giant guinea pig known as the agouti, along with bats, frogs, parrots and hummingbirds.

Trails wind through the park to lofty lookouts from the mountain town of Laudat, on the park’s western border. A particularly scenic path winds around the perimeter of Freshwater Lake in the park, around a 30-minute stroll.

Easier access is provided by the 45-minute aerial rainforest tram, departing from Laudat. Hold your breath as you walk over the swaying suspension bridge over the treetops.