Dar Lasram, a grand 19th-century mansion that once belonged to the important Lasram family, now houses the offices of the Association for the Protection of the Medina of Tunis. It was among the first historic buildings restored by the association. Inside, you’ll find stately courtyards and rooms adorned with intricate tilework, alongside a small exhibition on the association’s efforts to preserve the Medina’s heritage.

The island of Murano in Venice is famous worldwide for its long tradition of glassmaking. And if you're looking for a fun and unique way to spend an hour and a half on Murano and then leave with a glass treasure you made yourself, consider taking a personalised glassmaking lesson. In this 90-minute glassmaking workshop with a local artisan, you'll learn how to craft your own glass artwork while discovering the secrets of Murano glassmaking techniques. The best part is that you get to take your glass creation home.

Avenue Habib Bourguiba, the grand central boulevard of Tunis, channels Parisian elegance with its tree-lined median, sidewalk cafés and historic facades. The thoroughfare, named after Tunisia’s first president, serves as a busy commercial hub and an open-air museum of 20th-century history, flanked by landmarks like the French Embassy and the neo-Byzantine Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul. Dominating the eastern end, the Tunis Clock Tower rises 38 metres above Place du 7 Novembre. Its gilded, lattice-patterned design blends modernist and traditional motifs, glowing amber after dark. Though functionally modest (locals joke about its reliability), the tower’s height and central roundabout position make it an unavoidable landmark. By day, the avenue thrums with shoppers and coffee drinkers; by evening, it becomes a stage for leisurely promenades. For visitors, it’s less about individual sights than the collective energy: the hum of conversation, the scent of orange blossoms, and the weight of history beneath your feet.

Just east of Ha Long Bay is Bai Tu Long Bay. Both of these places share many of the same geological characteristics, the exception being that Bai Tu Long is a bit of a hidden gem and has a lot fewer tourists. This is what makes Bai Tu Long such an interesting alternative to northeastern Vietnam's most popular destination. With limestone karst islands just as impressive as those in Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long doesn't have as many grottos but is equally beautiful.