Things to Do in Kelowna & Okanagan Valley

The former residence of the imperial family Tsarskoye Selo (Ца́рское Село) or Tsar’s Village, is now one of Russia’s most significant cultural heritage sites. Comprising of the Alexander and Catherine Palaces and Parks, the site shares a historical value of over 300 years, and is widely considered one of the most beautiful sites in the region.

Catherine Palace (Большой Екатерининский дворец) has a fabulous façade built in Russian baroque and from the west is adjoined by the glamorous view from the front yard and the iron wrought iron fence.

Also in the area is the Hermitage Hall (Павильон Эрмитаж), which is now open after 70 years. It is studded in stucco décor, with azure walls, and beautiful white columns. You can also check out the Admiralty (Адмиралтейство) and Hall Groat (Павильон Грот).

The other major features of the converted village are the all important Alexander Palace and park. The park covers an area of over 120 hectacres, while the palace sprawls and elongate two-stories with double wings on either side, all while sporting a Corinthian colonnade through the center.

A fascinating exercise in building a city from scratch, Putrajaya is the administrative capital of Malaysia and located just south of Kuala Lumpur.

Planned as an "intelligent" and "garden" city the Putrajaya has wide boulevards and many lovely parks where the city’s population, mainly government workers, unwind and get back in touch with nature. The park offering the best views of the city is Taman Putra Perdana next to Perdana Putra. 

The city is home to many showcase buildings including the Putra Mosque which is a vision in pink with the highest dome in South East Asia, it can fit 15,000 worshipers. Perdana Putra is the Prime Minister’s office and the jewel in the crown of Putrajaya. The educational Millennium Monument gives an insight into the history of Malaysia.

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is the largest European art museum in Moscow, with over 560,000 works of art. Opened in 1912, it actually has no connection to Alexander Pushkin, the famous Russian poet – it was simply renamed in his honor in 1937 to mark the centenary of his death.

The museum includes an impressive collection of Dutch and Flemish masterpieces from the 17th century, including several works by Rembrandt, as well as Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works by painters such as Van Gogh, Matisse, Gauguin and Picasso. The latter are now housed in a new Gallery of European & American Art of the 19th and 20th centuries next door to the main museum building. Many of the museum’s paintings were obtained in the 1920s and 1930s when private estates were nationalized; other works were taken from the History Museum, the Kremlin Museum, the Hermitage and other museums in St Petersburg.

The Pushkin Museum is also home to an Ancient Civilizations exhibit featuring ancient Egyptian artifacts and a Treasures of Troy collection that includes pieces dating back to 2500 BC.

Because Punta del Este is known as the “Monaco of South America,” it would only make sense to visit the city’s famous Punta del Este Yacht Club. While a bit pricey, the restaurant here will really make you feel like you’re living the high life. Mix the classy ambiance and delicious food with a glass of pinot, a bit of jazz music and a multi-colored sunset, and you’ll truly be experiencing the best Punta del Este has to offer. The balcony offers great ocean views, and you can watch the many yachts and sailboats as they dock and set sail. The staff at the yacht club are very welcoming to visiting sailors, and several regattas, including the Rolex Cup, are hosted here throughout the year.

The eastern part of Willemstad’s downtown historic district is called Punda, which comes from the Dutch word for “point” because this part of the city sits at the end of a promontory at the mouth of St. Anna Bay. First settled in 1634, the area is a picturesque port area packed with pastel-colored colonial architectural. One of the main attractions here is Fort Amsterdam, built in 1635 as a garrison to protect the city, which is used today as the governor’s palace. Another historic site is the Mikve Israel-Emanuel synagogue, which was built in 1732, making it the oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere. Throughout Punda, you’ll find great shopping, art galleries and restaurants, and you can also take a walk across the Queen Emma Bridge, a floating pontoon bridge called the “Swinging Old Lady,” to explore the Otrabanda side of the historic downtown area.

Only two craters in the world are inhabited—and Pululahua is one of them. Essentially a fog-filled, fertile bowl set 9,000 feet in the sky, Pululahua is the only crater in the world that’s also actively farmed. Though the area rarely ever receives rain, the rolling fog provides ample moisture for raising fields full of crops. Most people who visit, however, only make it as far as the overlooks, which are dotted along the crater rim and offer sweeping views of the basin. Those with a little more time, however, and a healthy dose of adventure, can hike, bike, or horseback ride the trails to the crater floor. Once here, walk amongst a rural setting that feels like it’s frozen in time. Gone are the urban trappings of Quito and the incessant hum of cars, which are replaced by the sounds of smiling farmers who still work the ground by hand. Aside from the trails, farmers, and fog, Pululahua is famously known for its ecological wealth. The crater is a geobotanical reserve with over 2,000 species of plants, and was the first place in South America preserved as a National Park. It’s even possible to sleep in the crater in simple, traditional hostels, and even if you can only spend 30 minutes admiring the view from the rim, this spot the Inca dubbed “cloud of water” is a site you’ll never forget.

With a history dating back thousands of years, the city of Delhi has been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times by numerous leaders. Purana Qila serves as a reminder of the capital’s turbulent past as one of the oldest structures in Delhi and its oldest surviving fort.

Purana Qila was built during the rule of Afghan ruler Sher Shah between 1538 and 1545 in the midst of a power struggle between him and Humayun, the son of Babur, the first Mughal emperor. Humayun had built his own fort in the same spot in the 1530s but was forced out by Sher Shah, who proceeded to destroy what Humayun had built and establish his own capital.