1 . If you were to rate the most walkable cities in the world, what would you look for? Would it be how shaded the sidewalks are? How many benches there are along the way to your destination? Or maybe how close you are to shops or local attractions?

Well, the researchers at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), located in New York. US, wanted to know which of the world’s cities were the best for pedestrians (行人). So, they did just that.

To determine which cities were the most walkable, they rated cities based on factors such as how close citizens were to car-free areas like public parks, how close citizens lived in relation to schools and hospitals, and how short their journeys were overall.

According to the study, they found that the most walkable cities in the world are London, Paris, Bogota and Hong Kong. Overall, London was at the top of the list, outranking (超过) nearly 1, 000 cities around the world on these key factors.

“In order to provide safety and inviting walking conditions for all city residents, it is essential to shift the balance of space in our cities away from cars, providing more travel options for people,” CEO of ITDP Heather Thompson told the magazine Cities Today. She continued, “We have so much to gain-from cleaner air to better health to stronger local economies and deeper bonds within communities, and we all need that now more than ever. ”

Unfortunately, it seems that very few cities make pedestrians a priority, though.

“Our city streets across the planet are already full of cars. If you really want to see the worst for walkability, it is the really sprawling (杂乱无序伸展的) cities of the US, ” commented Taylor Reich, a research associate at ITDP and the primary author of the guide to making cities more walkable.

So, what can cities do to make their streets friendlier for pedestrians?

“There’s no one secret sauce; there’s no one thing you can do to make a city walkable, ” Reich said. “It’s many decisions that are made at all levels from individual streets all the way up to the city design.”

2 . 4 of the World’s Most Amazing Train Journeys

Start: Beijing                  End: Lhasa

Distance: 2,330 miles       Duration（时长）: 40 hours

Connecting Beijing with Lhasa, the Z21 train transports its passengers from a modern city to a mysterious land. What’s unusual is that the train climbs nearly 16,400 it on its journey to the roof of the world: the Tibetan plateau, where it passes yaks, flying prayer flags and snow—covered mountains.

Start: Hanoi                    End: Ho Chi Minh City

Distance: 1,072 miles       Duration: two days

Some railways run through historic cities, others run beside beautiful coastline and a few are famous for the colorful characters on board. The Reunification Express meets all these conditions. It travels over a thousand miles from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. There’s no better way of exploring all the glories in between.

Start: Chicago                  End: San Francisco

Distance: 2,438 miles        Duration: 52 hrs 40 mins

As for appreciating the breathtaking scenery of the North American continent, nothing compares with Amtrak’s California Zephyr train. This journey travels nearly 2,500 miles across prairies, deserts, the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada on its way.

Start: London                       End: Fort William

Distance: 509 miles               Duration: 13 hrs 30 mins

Starting from crowded central London to the dry and cold air and beautiful views of the Scottish Highlands through one overnight train journey is a perfect example of experiencing the romance（浪漫）of rail travel. It’s just a pity that the whole experience—from delicious foods and drinks to being taken into la-la land—feels like it’s over very quickly.

3 . Four winter wonderlands for cold-weather getaways

◆ JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka

Beat any holiday stress with the new HydroSpa opening at Muskoka’s JW Marriott on Nov. 1. The outdoor water entertainment will be open year-round, offering multiple ways to relax including sea-salt floating pools and hot bathtubs.

Stays from $349 / night

◆ Old Stone Inn Boutique Hotel

This historic inn in Niagara Falls offers multiple ways to relax. There’s Winterfest, meals enjoyed in dining domes(穹顶)housed in the inn’s private square, and the Alpine Club offering roasted nuts and wine around a fire pit. The property will host its annual holiday market on Nov. 26.

Stays from $249 / night

◆ Dromoland Castle

If you’re going to go big—and further away—for New Year’s, you may as well go black tie. This grand estate in western Ireland is offering a three - night celebration package, beginning either Dec. 30 or 31. The event on New Year’s Eve includes a cocktail reception and six-course dinner. Guests will have access to various activities on the property’s 450 acres including hunting and farming.

Stays from $2,051 / night

◆ St. Regis Aspen

Along with access to many ski options, the hotel’s guests can expect family-friendly fun during the week leading up to Dec. 25. The workshop here is a craft room where attendees can make everything from toys to gifts by hand. Additional sessions cover winter cooking and house decorating.

Stays from US $899 / night

6 . Throughout the world, museums allow people to explore new cultures and topics through their collections and exhibitions. Check out this comprehensive list of the best museums and galleries throughout the world with one-of-a-kind displays that educate and inspire.

Musée D'Orsay in Paris

The Musée D'Orsay, once a railway station, houses an internationally famous collection of Impressionist art and other Western pieces from 1848 and 1914. Started in 1986, the white limestone walls are now home to some of the most notable artworks in France, like sculptures by Auguste Rodin and paintings by Paul Gauguin.

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town

With the help of design firm Heatherwick Studio, the once century-old grain silo (谷粮仓) in the heart of Cape Town transformed into a museum which hosts international events and exhibitions to provide an intercultural look into the world of African art. Works from revolutionary artists such as Kudzanai Chiurai of Zimbabwe and Wangechi Mutu of Kenya decorate the nine floors of the museum.

Bangkok National Museum

The first national museum in Thailand, whose structures can date back to 1782, when they served as the palace of Prince Wang Na. Nearly 100 years later, the grounds were transformed into a museum with three differently themed galleries: a Thai History Gallery, an Archaeological and Art History collection, and a Decorative Arts and Ethnological Collection.

The National Palace Museum in Taipei

The National Palace Museum included artwork from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The permanent collection features nearly 700,000 pieces of imperial artifacts and includes calligraphic works by Tang Yin.

Click here for more information about this list.

8 . It’s easy to assume that a vacation to Bali will cost a small fortune. There are plenty of accommodations, food and local transportation, and even the spas offer massages and treatments at value prices. However, you can easily spend a week or two in Bali for under $2,000, without having to sleep on the beach. Here are a few things to consider when planning Bali on a budget.

What is the best time to visit Bali on a budget?

If you’re on a budget, consider visiting Bali during the lower, wetter season, which runs from October through March. The crowds will be fewer, and both hotel rates and flights from abroad are often cheaper, except during the holiday period between mid-December and early January, when crowds swell. The only trade-off for the lower prices is the wet season. This time of year isn’t always ideal for sunbathing, and serious rainfall can make outdoor activities, such as whitewater rafting and visiting waterfalls and rice terraces, less than appealing. That said, even during rainy season, it doesn’t usually rain all day long. Expect bursts of sunshine between the storms.

What is the cheapest way to get around Bali?

The absolute cheapest way to get around Bali is by local bus, but it can take a long time. There are also tourist buses, including hop-on, hop-off options, that travel between different hubs across the island. Bali is well-served by taxis, both of the car and motorbike variety, and the prices tend to be affordable by international standards. Most drivers will offer you a fixed rate for full-day hires or to get from point A to point B, rather than using a meter.

Remember to bargain; doing so is particularly easy when a driver is on his own rather than at a taxi stand.

How much does food cost in Bali?

If you’re into fine dining, you can end up spending a large chunk of your budget on food. Eating at the average restaurant geared towards tourists is the best way to have a meal in Bali on a budget. A good meal should cost you around 100,000 rupiah (around $7), but if you’re willing to subsist mostly off of local specialties such as nasi goreng (fried rice) and eat at local restaurants, you can expect to pay around 30,000 rupiah ($2) to get fed. Best of all, most hotels and guesthouses in Bali come with free breakfast, and many offer heavier options of noodles and meat that may keep you full until lunch.