Hundreds of the animals cavort in the river during the summer, their smooth, white bodies arching above the surface of the water. In mid August, there’s a baby whale in every pod, following its mother like a ghostly shadow.

The goal on arrival in the Dutch city was to fight temptation and avoid the brothels and sex shops; to write a sober account of the debauched circus encased within this small area. But it wasn’t meant to be.

This popular destination is well suited to sun and sea lovers: the beach haven’s diverse marine life, corals, and pristine reefs are the big draw for travellers, but land-mine-detecting rats make for a fantastic tourist attraction, too.

Ever since it was awarded the Games seven years ago, the Chinese capital has been like a stressed-out mother fussing over her children, making sure they are neat and tidy and that the house is swept clean before the big party. You can feel the nervous tension in the air.

A three-day journey from Toronto to Vancouver takes in scenery ranging from urban landscapes to tiny towns to jewel-blue lakes with summer cabins and ski boats, a perfect setting while enjoying delicious regional dishes such as Alberta bison rib roast.

In 1996, a peace accord ushered in a new era of calm. The guerrillas have laid down their arms and the bloodthirsty dictators are collecting pensions, making possible a backcountry biking adventure that would have been a fool’s game at the height of the civil war.

Call it mob mentality or peer pressure, but even if you aren’t a die-hard Oprah Winfrey fan, it’s oh so easy to get sucked into a cult of personality when in the presence of the richest woman in show biz. So there I was, next to my best friend, my youngest sister, and my mom, four rows from the stage at Harpo Studios in downtown Chicago. We were in the midst of a cheering and screaming crowd of 300, almost all women, many fulfilling lifelong dreams of paying homage to Oprah on syndicated television.

Paksong was blissfully quiet, yet mysterious. It is a beautifully peculiar place with a real air of adventure to it, but it was quite out of the way on our intended trip to the Cambodian border.

If you time it right on your trip, you can arrive on the plain to witness the first dramatic thunderstorms soak the land and change it from brown to green and also spot the arrival of the wildebeest and their arch nemesis, spotted hyenas.

New York isn't just the fantasy of Sex and the City. Its fantastic ethnic diversity is concentrated in its outer boroughs, and that’s why it's worth making the trip.

Once you've negotiated the Devil’s Gorge and hammered through the Jaws of Death, take the plunge and swim the Washing Machine rapid on one of the world's best rafting trips.

They say that a friend with mead is a friend indeed. I say strangers with mead and some sweet single-track mountain biking in their back yard are friends to be. So when I hear that Middle Mountain Mead, a maker of the honey-based fermented alcohol, is on Hornby Island—which is also home to a network of exceptional mountain biking trails—I decide to make the trip. Plus, there’s this toilet I want to check out…

For anyone who spent high school dreaming about sleeping in class, eating in the auditorium, and writing obscenities on the blackboard, an Oregon hotel called Kennedy School promises to make all that a reality.

Thanks to a sweet exchange rate, more Vancouverites are willing to brave long border lines and perilously high gas prices to take a road trip south. Those heading to the U.S. might be interested in stopping by Trader Joe’s, a popular grocery chain that has gained cult status in many U.S. cities thanks to remarkably cheap gourmet food that’s free of preservatives and artificial colours and flavours.

For Lower Mainland residents, one of the easiest summer getaways is Whistler. Located 123 kilometres north of Vancouver on the Sea to Sky Highway, the resort is more affordable in summer because hotel-room rates are lower. But here’s a warning: many people may not realize that Whistler has been hosting more visitors during the summer than during the winter for many years, which means the village is often just as crowded in July as it is in December.