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Indonesia’s sprawling capital is one of the fastest-growing, most chaotic and most exciting places in South-East Asia. It is the gateway to a vast, vibrant and varied island nation that is home to dozens of fascinating cultures. Formerly the colonial capital of the Dutch East Indies--when it was known as Batavia--Jakarta has grown from its original seaport district into a huge modern conurbation of high-rise hotels and apartments, thronged shopping malls and wide, crowded avenues.

Amman was first mentioned as Rabbath Ammon in the Hebrew Bible around the 10th century BCE. Although the Jordanian capital has its fair share of ancient remnants, it is the way Amman experiences modernity that fascinates the most. Often listed among the most progressive cities in the Middle East, Amman is a flourishing capital growing by the hour, inhabited by a culturally diverse and rather liberal populace.

MoBay, the nickname Montego Bay goes by locally, rose to prominence once a certain Sir Herbert Barker deemed swimming in a particular spot along its coastline to have exceptional health benefits. And while the curative effects of Doctor’s Cave waters remain up for debate, its striking aesthetic and promise of frolic certainly do not – MoBay remains a potent crowd-pleaser, accepting incomers on the daily, by the shipload.

The Tricity area consists of three different urban bodies linked by their unique location on Gdańsk Bay (Zatoka Gdańska) and separated from the rest of the world by post-glacial moraines. Gdańsk is a thousand years old, and is the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship with high architectural and cultural values, joined with Sopot, the most famous health resort and spa, which is located next to Gdynia, a modernistic, cutting-edge city.

Although it is Malaysia’s smallest state, Penang Island (Pulau Pinang) is one of Asia’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan destinations, combining the influences of half a dozen cultures. Within sight of the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula – and linked to it by road bridges – the island is the birthplace of tourism in Malaysia: with great beaches, a mellow climate, a colourful collection of attractions, and several of them claim to be the largest, tallest, longest or oldest of their kind.

Few destinations on earth cause as much amazement as Riviera Maya. What makes this destination special is the privileged location on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, where the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea embrace the powdery white sand of the beaches that cover the coastline. The 120 km of Caribbean coast that stretches the length of Riviera Maya exudes the multifaceted spirit of the destination. Sun and Sand, Mayan Culture, zip lining, cenotes, diving and snorkeling, shopping and nightlife are just a few of the many exiting options.

Golden domes and shimmering spires peek out from the wooded hills rising above the wide Dnipro River. Leafy-green Kyiv, with its traffic-packed boulevards, shopping malls, countless churches, brilliant music and lively nightlife, has embraced capitalism, yet held firmly to its heritage. The Caves Monastery is the spiritual heart of Ukraine, and nearby, a gigantic Brezhnev-era Motherland statue bearing sword and shield casts her all-encompassing eye over the city, the river, and its island beaches.

Sofia could be likened to a Sleeping Beauty rousing from her slumbers, reawakening to share her charm with the rest of the world. With relics from Roman times to the Soviet era, a vibrant cultural and entertainment scene, and breathtaking views of the Vitosha mountain massif, Sofia is ready to reclaim her rightful place as one of the leading lights on the European sky.