Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Excalibur, York University's campus newspaper; Outpost travel magazine, The Molokai Dispatch, Canadian Immigrant magazine

You can do the "touristy" stuff, but only if you at least try and get off the beaten track.

The Kalaupapa peninsula on Molokai in Hawaii. It was founded as a leper colony way back when and can only be reached by registering with a travel group, which are usually run by former patients, or by being sponsored, for example through press accreditation. You also have to get there by traversing a very beautiful, but treacherous hike, or on a frightening mule ride among the highest sea cliffs in the world.

Waiting to see the Prophet Muhammad's grave in the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, I was herded into the area by some of the women who work there for a designated "women's visiting time" and the fervor and emotion of the women I was pressed elbow to elbow with was overwhelming.

Always ceck local bulletin boards, the newspaper, and ask around for things to see and do - there's more to learning about a place than your Lonely Planet travel guide.

Jordan's ancient pink city of Petra.

In Canada: Ottawa, Montreal, Windsor, St. Catherine's, Niagara Falls, Haliburton

In the U.S.: New York, Florida, Los Angeles, Hawaii

Elsewhere: Saudi Arabia, Dubai, France

Hopefully Oaxaca, Mexico.