Western Cape

The Erawan Shrine is the most important religious symbol in Bangkok – despite it actually being a Hindu rather than Buddhist shrine. Each day, there’s a constant stream of locals offering flowers or carved wooden elephants in the hope of having wishes (mostly financial) granted.

Rio’s prettiest, chicest ocean beach, is watched over by the impressive Dois Irmaos mountain that sits behind. The water is cleaner, and the crowd more exclusive the further south you go, where Ipanema Beach merges into the more upscale Leblon Beach.

A boutique hacienda near the airport that produces excellent home-grown Arabica coffee – served throughout the day, at breakfast and after meals – alongside farm-to-table organic food. They organise their own tours around the coffee farm. Stay overnight for the full immersive experience.

A mind-bogglingly opulent complex of museums, home to one of the greatest hoards of treasure, antiquities and art anywhere.

A stunning 17th-century Palazzo Villa, designed by Bernini and Maderno, packed with old masterpieces – a wealth of art by Filippo Lippi, Raphael, Tintoretto, Titian, Caravaggio and Holbein.

The spectacular ‘house of the nation’, completed in 1904, is the largest building in Hungary. It’s rumoured to include 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones and 40kg of gold.

Japan’s biggest science museum showcases astronomy, biology, geology, and technology, allowing visitors to delve into the mysteries and advancements of the natural and scientific realms. Over 25,000 exhibits cover everything from dinosaurs to outer space; highlights include a state-of-the-art planetarium and a dinosaur gallery.

An iconic, old-school amusement park and a two-mile stretch of golden beach offer the perfect day at the beach. Great surfing & cycling too.

A UNESCO Heritage site, the Old Town (Xopoli) lies between the Old and the New Fortress and grew horizontally inside the fortified walls along twisted, narrow cobbled alleys (kantounia). Great for a lazy wander.

This charming, unassuming fishing village, with its quiet Blue Flag beach, has become famous because of the Durrell family who used to live there.  Their family mansion, The White House, is now a popular museum. Book a boat tour along the eastern coast; it includes a stopover at a small private beach.