SOME HEARTFELT CHOICES

1 Northern Lights in Manitoba

There is never a guarantee that you will see the Northern Lights, of course. But Churchill, Manitoba (population 900) is one of the best places on the planet to maximize your chances, where the auroral display appears at its most active and most vivid. On the shores of the frozen Hudson Bay, Churchill in mid-winter promises long nights and dark skies — and frigid temperatures. Natural Habitat (www.nathab. com) takes you out into the vast tundra in the cosy comfort of their one-of-a-kind Aurora Pod® — custom-designed to provide 360-degree views thanks to a glass roof and sides (you can also luxuriate in their heated Plexiglas-covered Aurora Domes). The dancing lights are the top attraction, but by day there are exhilarating dog sled excursions and visits to small but interesting museums that fill out your Arctic adventure.

2 Key West, Florida U.S.A.

Pick up a rental car at Miami International Airport and put the top down and the music up. Set your GPS for the 113-mile (182 km) Overseas Highway that links Miami on the mainland with the Florida Keys chain of islands: your destination is Key West, the southernmost point of the continental United States — closer to Cuba (145 km) than it is to Miami. Sure the sandy beaches are nice, followed by famous sunset-watching Happy Hours at Mallory Square pier (dinner sunset cruises provide a better vantage and more alone time). But this quirky and welcoming town also offers a wide array of impressive dining options, intimate music venues and lots of history (oh, if the homes of Ernest Hemingway and President Harry S. Truman could only talk!). Rent a bike for a tool down the shady streets of the key’s historic district where thousands of colourful wooden-framed homes — both grand and modest — date back to the 19th century. Today, many of them house cafes and restaurants, one-of-a-kind shops, galleries and palm-shaded inns and AirBnBs.

3 Zermatt, Switzerland

Snowy postcard-perfect scenery unfolds during the 3.5 hour train from Zurich or Geneva to Zermatt (train lovers should consider the legendary Glacier Express from St Moritz to Zermatt). Situated at the foot of the highest mountains in the entire Alpine mountain range (and that’s saying something!), Zermatt, population 5,800, is dramatically framed by the snaggletooth-form of the Matterhorn that looms behind it. High elevation guarantees near-perfect snow conditions, but non-skiers can spend idyllic days hiking, shopping, or signing up for a helicopter ride for an up-close view of the Matterhorn and 40 other Alpine peaks over 4,000 metres. The Gornergrat railway, the second highest in Europe after the Jungfrau, offers more breathtaking vistas and the chance to check into the just refurbished Rifflealp Resort, Europe’s highest luxury hotel. From this lofty location, lucky guests have been drinking in million-dollar views since 1884, as lovely when covered in white as when blanketed by spring flowers.

4 Buenos Aires, Argentina

The sultry capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires is a cosmopolitan mix of Italian, French, Spanish and other subtle influences. Vibrant and elegant, it is unquestionably part of Latin America, but the architecture and culture will have you thinking Europe. In fact for many years (and to this day, for some) it was called the Paris of South America. Join the well-heeled locals for a performance at the Teatro Colon Opera House, a contender to Europe’s finest when it opened in 1908. Argentina has long been world famous for the quality of its beef: enjoy an hours-long dinner at any of its handsome wood-panelled steak houses where dinner pairs perfectly with a bottle of Malbec from nearby Mendoza. Cap off your evening with a late night tango performance at any of the city’s atmospheric venues — from dark traditional halls to classy nightclubs. You’re even likely to spot a tango-dancing couple at the open-air San Telmo antiques market on your way to Recoleta Cemetery and the much-visited grave of Maria Eva Duarte de Peron — a.k.a. Evita.

5 Kyoto, Japan

Tokyo is the vibrant political and commercial capital of Japan, but Kyoto is its heart and soul, an easy 3.5-hour Bullet Train ride away. With a history reaches back well over 1,000 years, Kyoto offers vestiges of Old Japan, with a visit to any of its elegant Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines (they say there are some 2,000 of them) or when strolling through the timeless gardens that surround them. The streets of the Gion District are lined with old wooden buildings and traditional tea houses where you might spot a richly kimono’ed geisha slipping down a narrow lane. Some of Japan’s most delicious cuisine, kaiseki, can be found in Kyoto, perhaps offered by a traditional ryokan inn where guests spend the night on futons on tatami mats — it’s a lot more comfortable than you think. But Kyoto is not merely stuck in the past — you’ll find much more than just noodle shops, generations-old artisan workshops and kabuki theatre. It is not — thankfully — as high-octane as Tokyo.

Patricia Schultz is the author of the NYT #1 bestsellers 1000 Places To See Before You Die and 1000 Places To See in the U.S. and Canada Before You Die ( Workman Pub.). She is the Trafalgar Global Brand Ambassador and is based in NYC.