Andrew Larder

“Maui is The Best”—that’s the slogan (but in Hawaiian)—and it lives up to it. We have stayed at the Maui Banyan four or five times, not just because it is the most inexpensive family-styled accommodations on a crazily expensive island, but because it has ALL that we want, and more. It overdelivers on paradise! Kamaole Beach #2 is directly across the street, one of the best spots in Kihei—you can walk the town of Kihei from their location for coffee and papaya boats in the morning, souvenirs, beer, convenience store, huge gourmet sandwiches to eat on the beach, and a bit further down, the bar/restaurant district is easily walkable.

Three miles of white sand, Ka’anapali Beach has been voted by Tripadvisor as the best beach in the world—certainly one of the top! More than just a great beach, there are some great open-air oceanfront dining options. This resort has been named “Best Resort For Cultural Immersion” in Hawai’i.

Outrigger Kona is a fully renovated resort, with the sort of setting that required it to be built in the 70s, perched on an outcropping, on a lava bed, with gorgeous views in every direction. Some will come to swim with Manta Rays. Some will love the circular water slide into the pool—suitable for kids and 60 year-old kids!

If you are on the Big Island Of Hawai'i, you are going to want to go to Hilo to see the largest and most active volcano. If you are in Hilo, it is a roughly 30-mile drive to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. And if you want to be in Hilo, you want to stay at the old grand dame of the waterfront, The Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.

If you were in downtown Vancouver, at the very center of it all, and looked up, you would be at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia—100 years old, but renovated right back to brand new from one end to the other! There is a rooftop deck restaurant/bar at this hotel, but the one you have probably seen in pictures is part of the two-level suite where the likes of Taylor Swift and The Stones stay. There are some fierce competitors, but this is the best hotel in Vancouver!

First, this hotel is absolutely gorgeous, brand new, and charmingly elegant. Second, it is right in the middle of downtown Vancouver and walking distance to anything you would want to see, from the business district to the waterfront to the entertainment district to the best restaurants. Lastly, it has one of the few rooftop deck restaurants in the city—an opportunity to see Vancouver as you never have before, from amongst the high rises.

Vancouver is the perfect 4-seasons playground, famous for people being able to swim in the ocean in the morning to afternoon, and up in the mountains skiing in the later afternoon to night. There are roughly 3 million residents of metro Vancouver, but only 600,000 in the actual city of Vancouver. Unlike almost every major American city, Vancouver has made the downtown core the most desirable area to live, work, shop, dine and see performances/do activities. Also unique, the actual island of the core of Downtown Vancouver is completely walkable, from side to side, on seaside walkways around the ocean-side perimeter, and there is skytrain transportation to whisk you away to other parts, should you wish to leave the downtown core!

Abbotsford? Really? Yep, I was told about Housewives of New York and now Instagram influencer Bethany Frankel, saying "best hot dog ever" — and she's from New York! It is a Nathan's Hot Dog on a pretzel bun, with Montreal Smoked Meat as one of the add-ons they offer. Sound gourmet, fancy dancy? LOL. What if I told you that it is in the Canadian Tire Parking Lot???? In Abbotsford too, which is NOT a tourist hot spot, more of a farming, bedroom community.

This is a tourist paradise, perched on the ocean, as far south as you can get on Canada's west coast. Victoria is full of great experiences, great restaurants, great hotels and great memories! It's where the parliament buildings and capital of all of British Columbia reside, PLUS a huge tourist mecca. From Washington state, across Canada and the world. The downtown is perfectly walkable, which makes for chance discoveries of all sorts of delights, from shops, to toffee, to oysters and tea service.

Toronto is the Canadian "brother" to bustling New York, and visitors will find many similar "big league" attractions, from the CN Tower, to Major League baseball, basketball, hockey and the very best of food, wine, activities, theatre shows and more! You will wish you had more time, and each activity listed could take you a day, so plan on a week!

Belize is a small country, but it has a really varied experience awaiting you. Not just beaches, but islands off the coast — not just old places, but ruins, not just nature, but jungle camps, not just wildlife, but jaguars, not just a foreign country, they speak English! Madonna made "La Isla Bonita" famous — Ambergris Caye in Belize. The islands are called cayes here, pronounced "keys". It takes a few days to completely unpack your bags, your thoughts, your worries, your go go go nervous energy — and completely relax. When your biggest decision revolves around beach volleyball or diving for conch shells — it is a whole different world!

Whistler-Blackcomb has been rated the Number One Ski Resort in North America, with 5280 feet of vertical, second only to Jackson Hole. Due to its proximity to Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, LA — it has an enormous amount of amenities, besides just the best ski hill! It also has 50,000 hotel beds, from budget hostels to the large luxury chains: Fairmont, Westin, Hilton, le Chamois — even whole house rentals are available and not your tiny university buddies ski crash pad either! Some of the most luxurious homes that you will ever see are scattered throughout the valley of Whistler.

Jasper is a bit off the beaten path for the Canadian Rockies. This has huge benefits after braving the tourist hordes in Banff, for example. To see elk blocking traffic on the main street of Jasper and open seats out on the patio at the edge of the lake — these will be welcome experiences! On top of the obvious beauty of the town itself, the #1 most photographed spot in the Canadian Rockies is Spirit island at Maligne Lake. Be sure to stop on the Icefields Parkway about halfway from Banff and Lake Louise, headed up towards Jasper.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but actually seeing the beauty of the Canadian Rockies, is a memory to last a lifetime! There are some of Canada's best ski hills between Lake Louise, Banff and Jasper — all within a few hours' drive. The scenery goes from amazing to jawdropping in the summer, when the snow melts away, the lakes glisten in beautiful hues and you can hike in to previously just seen from a distance vistas.

If everyone's favorite destination is Paris, Montreal must come a close second, plus being much closer and easier to get to! The allure of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team in winter, and outdoor terraces, with a very walkable city with the second highest bicycle usage in north America leads to a memorable stay. The music, the French/English culture, the food and the wine will stay with you long after you have left!

Calgary is a fascinating combination of rough cowboy charm and cosmopolitan splendour, a city all grown up. Famous for The Calgary Stampede in the summer months, Calgary also boasts over 1 million residents, The Calgary Flames NHL hockey team, and easy access to the very nearby Rocky mountains for skiing and mountain activities.

Do you want to feel some of the old-time allure, history and charm of New Orleans? Do you want to be within walking distance or a short cab/bus ride from all of the action in downtown New Orleans? The Mercantile Hotel, New Orleans is located on the former site of The Henderson Sugar Refinery, a New Orleans landmark and major sugar manufacturer that once produced up to 800 barrels a day. This hotel offers a boutique experience with an excellent bar in the heart of the historic Warehouse/Arts District in New Orleans.

Mazatlan is amazing. We stayed at the Riu Hotel in Mazatlan but took the extra step to venture outside the hotel grounds repeatedly. There is an amazing 13-mile-long Malecon, or walkway along the sea — one of the longest seafront walkways in the world. From the Riu property, you CAN flag a taxi, but the busses come by very regularly, and head straight down the Malecon and back — simply jump off, explore, jump back on and come back home!

Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands, off the coast of Honduras, and the most touristy - Utilla has more of a backpacker vibe, while Guanaja is more of an untouched island paradise. Roatan has the right mix of services, things to do and drinks at the bar, lazing on the beach, snorkeling or scuba diving in the water right offshore.