Enlarge Photo

Sometimes you know where you want to go; other times you know why you want to go. Which is why we developed our Passion Points, the categories that inspire particular kinds of trips. Here’s a sampling of recent posts:

Active/Adventure Postcards from friends’ trips to Greenland, Antarctica, Tanzania, Rwanda, Vietnam and Cambodia as well as the best outfitter to design a wildlife trek in Yellowstone.

Arts/Culture We asked Maria Bonta de la Pezuela, who oversees seven Latin American offices for Sotheby’s, including those in Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, to share her advice on up-and-coming art fairs and art scenes as well as how a cultural traveler can get a feel for a particular art scene in a city he or she doesn’t know well.

Escape Tree house living is a new luxury hotel trend. We’ve heard about members trying them in Scotland and California, and we’ve found a collection of glamorous ones in Provence.

Family Sun or snow? That’s the question for many families still debating their winter holiday plans. Share your favorite spots for multigenerational getaways by posting a comment on the Discussion Boards or sending us a postcard. We’ll add new reports on the Riviera Maya and Vail shortly. Plus: We’ve got a new three-bedroom listing at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek for Christmas on the Classifieds.

Food/Wine Want to intern at a Michelin-starred restaurant in France? We’ve profiled the lady who can arrange it along with lots of other culinary coups de grace. Plus: insights on where to eat in India from the author of the acclaimed book Eating India.

Giving Back Call her a luxury goods designer with a conscience. The Colombian born founder of Surevolution, Marcella Echavarra has developed gorgeous global products with an innovative approach to supporting artisans in countries like Bolivia, Peru, India and Colombia. She shares some of her favorite products and their origin.

Green An eco resort on the Great Barrier Reef provides “one of the best vacations ever!” for a family from Hong Kong and another in Baja, Mexico is ideal for high-tension types who fantasize about instant relaxation.

Learning Discover the secret password that can get private access around the world, from touring the private Maison de Verre in Paris to visiting the closed-to-the-public chambers in Beijing’s Forbidden City.

Spa A woman who worked at Goldman Sachs was in desperate need of what she called an overhaul vacation: one that focuses on de-stressing, exercise and nutritious food in a beautiful, exotic setting. She couldn’t find what she envisioned, so she came up with a moveable spa retreat otherwise known as In:Spa.

Style Some of the most interesting shopping in Berlin cannot be found in boutiques but in private galleries and apartments. German fashion designer Anuschka Hoevener shares her favorite neighborhood spots, including the best place for vintage finds.