Saint Martin Carnival is one of the island's cultural highlights, where locals and tourists get together in the streets to sing, dance, make music, throw confetti and have a good time watching the lively parade. Both Marigot and Philipsburg are decorated in colourful feathers and glitter for the whole carnival month. On the French side, the carnival takes place in February and until early March. On the Dutch side, the carnival is celebrated from mid-April until early May.

La Fenice is a world-renowned opera house and a symbol of the Italian theatre tradition. Its name means "the phoenix", which suits the theatre very well, as it happened more than once that it burned down and had to be reconstructed. La Fenice was originally built in 1755 and witnessed several world-class performances, like the premiere of Verdi's La Traviata. Nowadays, you can either visit the theatre to see its magnificent interiors and learn about its rich history or enjoy a show there during the opera season.

The yellow-eyed penguins of the Otago Peninsula are only found in New Zealand and are the rarest ones in the world, with just 4,000-5,000 penguins currently in existence. You can get up close and personal with these delightful creatures along with the thriving New Zealand fur seals and sea lions on an eco-tour that combines all three.