A five-star vacation hideaway at the heart of the Riviera Maya, Mexico Warm sun year-round, crystal-clear turquoise waters and miles of powder – white sand that is cool to the touch whatever the weather would seem powerful attractions enough to lure visitors from a cold... 

Here’s just a sampling of some noteworthy – and sometimes offbeat – happenings across the globe over the next couple of months. NORTH AMERICA Toronto’s WinterCity Festival runs January 29 to February 11. The award-winning festival returns for its seventh year, offering... 

History, Luxury and Island Tranquility In 1922, The Red Book of the West Indies reported “The Crane hotel occupies a high cliff on the Southeast of the Island swept by fresh, invigorating breezes. From its windows is displayed the beautiful sea, fringing with exquisite colors... 

Two Caribbean Islands with a Touch of France Sun shines through Martinique’s rainforest canopy, lighting more shades of green than the eye can discern. Hiking paths wind among tall mahogany trees, lianas trail in rope-like ladders, giant tree ferns and fan-shaped traveler’s... 

Jefferson Ochoa lives with his family in a 3-room shack made of unfinished cement blocks in La Vega, the most dangerous barrio in Caracas, Venezuela. His parents, both illiterate, were barely fifteen years old (the same age Jefferson is now) when he was born. Without education...