Spirit Island, Lake Maligne, Canada

No landmark so perfectly epitomizes the Canada Rockies like world-famous Spirit Island on Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park . The 90 minute scenic cruise to this diminutive jewel has been crowned as the "BEST BOAT TOUR IN CANADA" by 8 million Reader's Digest subscribers.

Located at the south end of the Maligne Lake Road, a gorgeous, wildlife-filled, 48 km drive from the town site of Jasper, Maligne Lake offers a myriad of activities to visitors. In addition to the Spirit Island scenic cruise, visitors may rent canoes and kayaks, fish for trout and hike. All adventures begin at the Maligne Lake Day Lodge where the full length windows capture the glacier clad mountains encircling the lake.

Fihalhohi Island, Maldives

Finalhohi is the last island of South Male and is located on the south western rim of Male Atoll, approximately 28 km away from the Male International Airport. Transfer time to the resort by speedboat takes just 60 minutes.

Lush green natural foliage and hundreds of shady cocnut palm trees fringed by white sandy beaches cover an area of around 80,000 sqm of land, where just enough has been done to make your holiday comfortable without disturbing the beauty and natural enchantment of the island.

Fihalhohi presents a carefully protected turquoise blue lagoon, bordered by a coral reef easily accessed by swimming where scuba diving or snorkelling is an experience to be had.

Vatican City, Rome, Italy

Vatican City or Vatican City State, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of just over 800.

Vatican City was established in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Gasparri, on behalf of the Holy See and by Prime Minister Benito Mussolini on behalf of the Kingdom of Italy.

Vatican City State is distinct from the Holy See, which dates back to early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.2 billion Latin and Eastern Catholic adherents around the globe.

Ordinances of Vatican City are published in Italian; official documents of the Holy See are issued mainly in Latin. The two entities even have distinct passports: the Holy See, not being a country, issues only diplomatic and service passports; Vatican City State issues normal passports. Very few passports are issued by either authority.

The Lateran Treaty in 1929, which brought the city-state into existence, spoke of it as a new creation (Preamble and Article III), not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States (756–1870) that had previously encompassed much of central Italy. Most of this territory was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, and the final portion, namely the city of Rome with Lazio, ten years later, in 1870.

Vatican City is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state, ruled by the Bishop of Rome—the Pope. The highest state functionaries are all Catholic clergymen of various national origins. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See (Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Pope's residence, referred to as the Apostolic Palace.

The Popes have generally resided in the area that in 1929 became Vatican City since the return from Avignon in 1377, but have also at times resided in the Quirinal Palace in Rome and elsewhere. Previously, they resided in the Lateran Palace on the Caelian Hill on the far side of Rome from the Vatican. Emperor Constantine gave this site to Pope Miltiades in 313. The signing of the agreements that established the new state took place in the latter building, giving rise to the name of Lateran Pacts, by which they are known.

Lake Bled Island, Slovakia

The lake is 2,120 m long and 1,380 m wide, with a maximum depth of 30.6 metres. The lake is situated in a picturesque environment, surrounded by mountains and forests.

A medieval castle stands above the lake on the north shore. The lake surrounds Bled Island, the only natural island in Slovenia.

The island has several buildings, the main one being the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, built in the 15th century, where weddings are held regularly.

The church has a 52-metre tower and there is a stairway with 99 steps leading up to the building.

The lake is also well known among rowers because it has very good conditions for the sport. It hosted the World Rowing Championships in 1966, 1979, and 1989. It will host the World Rowing Championship again in 2011.

The lake is 35 kilometers from the Ljubljana International Airport and 55 km from the capital city Ljubljana.

Sinaia, Transilvania, Romania

Sinaia; (population: 14,636) is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. The town was named after Sinaia Monastery, around which it was built; the monastery in turn is named after the Biblical Mount Sinai. King Carol I of Romania built his summer home, Peleş Castle, near the town.

Sinaia is about 60 km northwest of Ploieşti and 50 km south of Braşov, in a mountainous area on the Prahova River valley, just east of the Bucegi Mountains. The altitude varies between 767 m and 860 m.

The city is a popular destination for hiking and winter sports, especially downhill skiing. Among the tourist landmarks, the most important are Peleş Castle, Pelişor Castle, Sinaia Monastery, Sinaia Casino, Sinaia train station, and the Franz Joseph and Saint Anne Cliffs. Sinaia was also the summer residence of the Romanian composer George Enescu, who stayed at the Luminiş villa.

Aspen, Colorado, United States

The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States.

The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005.

Founded as a mining camp in the Colorado Silver Boom and named because of the abundance of aspen trees in the area, the city is now a ski resort and an upscale tourist centre.

In the late 20th century the city developed as a popular destination for celebrities, attracting people like Charlie Sheen, Hunter S. Thompson, and John Denver, the latter having written several songs about the town, including "Aspenglow" and "Starwood in Aspen."

Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain

La Rambla is a street in central Barcelona, popular with both tourists and locals alike. A 1.2km long tree-lined pedestrian mall between Barri Gòtic and El Raval, it connects Plaça Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus monument at Port Vell.

La Rambla can be considered a series of shorter streets, each differently named, hence the plural form Las Ramblas. From the Plaça de Catalunya toward the harbour, the street is successively the Rambla de Canaletes, the Rambla dels Estudis, the Rambla de Sant Josep, the Rambla dels Caputxins, and the Rambla de Santa Monica.

Construction of the Maremàgnum in the early 1990s resulted in a continuation of La Rambla on a wooden walkway into the harbour, the Rambla de Mar.

La Rambla can be crowded, especially during prime time tourist season. Most of the time, there are many more tourists than locals occupying the Rambla, which has changed the shopping selection, as well as the character of the street in general.

For this reason also, it has become a prime target for pick pocketing.

Spanish poet Federico García Lorca once said that La Rambla was 'the only street in the world which I wish would never end'.

The name rambla refers to an intermittent water flow in both Catalan and Spanish, and is derived from the Arabic 'ramla' which means 'sandy riverbed'. The name of the city of Ramla, now in Israel, shares the same origin.

Some cultural sights you may like to see are:

Gran Teatre del Liceu, or simply Liceu, is Barcelona's renowned opera house. Opened in 1847, it is among the world's finest.

Centre d'Art Santa Mònica is a public museum of contemporary art located on the Raval side of Rambla de Santa Mònica, with regular exhibitions of international artists.

Mercat de la Boqueria (also known as Mercat de Sant Josep or just La Boqueria) is the city's most iconic street market.

Font de Canaletes is the city's most famous fountain and its most popular meeting point.

Palau de la Virreina, a Baroque palace, hosts museum exhibitions and cultural events.