San Francisco's Embarcadero Center skating rink.
Travel round-up: four great reasons to go places
Ice skates and palm trees
San Francisco - Lace up your skates and get in the holiday spirit at San Francisco's Embarcadero Center. Until Jan. 17, Justin Herman Plaza transforms into the city's largest outdoor ice-skating rink. Tuques, mittens and woollen socks are likely not needed. With relatively mild Bay Area temperatures and palm trees in the backdrop, this isn't a typical winter wonderland. Make sure to stop in at the Ferry Building Marketplace (across the street) for some San Franciscan après-skate fare: a cup of micro-roasted Blue Bottle coffee, Cow Girl Creamery artisanal cheeses and a fresh loaf of Acme sourdough bread. www.embarcaderocenter.com
Walk, don't run this Boston marathon
Boston - Architecture buffs can explore the ins and outs of Beantown's roads, buildings and parks on the Big Dig tour. This highly specialized walking tour is more a lesson on urban planning than a touristy sightseeing jaunt. A bona fide architectural historian acts as guide, armed with archival maps and anecdotes that highlight the mechanics, controversy and corruption behind Boston's most expensive development project. Make sure to wear a pair of comfy walking shoes: The three-hour tour traverses the downtown core from historic Faneuil Hall to the greenway where the city's central artery, Interstate 93, once stood. The Big Dig is offered as a group walk (limited to six people) for $65 a person or privately (on request) for $300 per group. www.contexttravel.com/city/Boston/walking_tour_details/Big_Dig
Serenity now in Laos
Luang Prabang - Find a balance between Zen-like minimalism and contemporary urban chic design at Alila Luang Prabang. Situated in Laos's former royal capital, the 23-room luxury bolthole is built for travellers who want to explore the traditions of Buddhist culture without giving up aromatherapy massages, gourmet dinners and in-room Wi-Fi. The hotel's original French colonial building has been freshened up with sleek furnishings, modern bathrooms and a pristine landscaped flower garden. An on-site cooking school allows epicureans to learn the art of traditional Laotian cuisine. For a more serene cultural experience, wake early and venture outside the hotel walls to watch young Buddhist monks on their procession to collect daily alms. www.designhotels.com/alila_luang_prabang
Eco-friendly luxury
Bahia Beach - Puerto Rico is home to the first certified Gold Audubon Signature Sanctuary in the Caribbean. The recently opened St. Regis Bahia Beach, a 483-acre resort on a coconut plantation near the El Yunque rain forest, earned the designation because of its environmentally sound development practices. Among its many eco-friendly initiatives is a Natural Resource Management Plan and an on-site "green team" composed of an ecologist, two agronomists and a landscape architect. An expansive nursery has generated more than 80 per cent of the resort's planted species, while also supplying fresh produce to Fern, the resort restaurant developed by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. www.stregis.com
Special to The Globe and Mail