Four weekend getaways to get you going

ASIA”>ASIADazzling, dizzying Chiang Mai, ThailandIn Chiang Mai, the old northern capital of Thailand, a construction boom has given the city some of the most stylish hotels and restaurants in Southeast Asia. Galleries and design stores have opened, showcasing a trove of textiles, ceramics, furniture, antiques and architectural salvage.

MEXICO”>MEXICOLoreto, Baja California: Mexico’s relaxed fit
Thirty years ago, the Mexican government designated five areas for tourism development -- Cabo San Lucas, Cancún, Huatulco, Ixtapa and Loreto in Baja California Sur. The first four have flourished as tourist destinations. Development in Loreto is still in its infancy -- but hurry, because as we know, babies grow up fast.

EUROPE A portal to the new Berlin, Germany
For Westerners, the center of Berlin suddenly shifted east when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. The geographic heart of the metropolis still lies in the bohemian neighborhood of Kreuzberg, with its big, loft-like apartments and sometimes raucous night life. But reunification of East and West has meant that the city’s spiritual core has returned to Museumsinsel -- Museum Island -- a spot of land in the Spree River that is home to an array of seminal art museums stuffed with astounding collections.

GREAT BRITAIN”>GREAT BRITAINMalice in the palaces of Tudor London
Trace the history of the Tudors, one of England’s ruthless royal dynasties, in a tour of four sites intimately linked with the family. To visit these royal and religious residences is to step back into Britain’s past, to a time of murder and mayhem.