The capital city of New Zealand rests between rolling hills and a rugged coastline on the southern tip of the North Island. As well as offering some of the best urban views in the country, the city is popular for its arts and culture. Wellington is home to the National Museum (Te Papa), the national opera and ballet companies, and is the heart of the nation’s film and fashion scenes. With more restaurants and cafés per head than New York, Wellington also offers a unique gastronomic experience.

There are few destinations that offer as much diversity, both scenically and culturally, as the archipelago of 83 islands that form Vanuatu. You will be struck by its tropical playgrounds featuring deserted beaches, lush dense forests, pristine waterfalls, rumbling volcanoes, and traditional villages. Vanuatu is the only place on earth where you can officially post your mail from an underwater post office and from the ash plain on the summit of a volcano.

Bergerac, in the heart of the Périgord Dordogne region, is an ancient and compact city, characterised by its elegant medieval and Renaissance buildings. Gourmet restaurants, street entertainment, and the fact that the whole city can be explored on foot are all part of its charm. Bergerac is also renowned for its wine, and a short trip to the outskirts of the city reveals a landscape of vineyards that produce some of the world’s finest vintages.

Capital of one the world's fastest-growing economies, Addis Ababa (also spelled Addis Abeba) is a city in motion, catching up to Ethiopia's zooming commercial development in stride. At times gauche and somewhat rough around the edges, it is nonetheless worth more than a single night in transit, if only for the country's finest dining, shopping and of-the-moment urban developments.

In 1831, Charles Darwin sailed to South America aboard the H.M.S. Beagle. On the return voyage across the Pacific, the vessel stopped on a small group of islands far off the Ecuadorian coast, changing the course of human scientific endeavour and self-understanding forever. Fascinated by the unique wildlife on the islands, Darwin collected biological specimens and studied them over the next 30 years. His findings led to the formulation of the scientific theory of evolution by natural selection. This small group of islands and their one-of-a-kind wildlife are to thank for one of humanity's most remarkable discoveries. And today, almost 200 years later, they remain a source of endless fascination and a favourite travel destination for scientists, nature and wildlife enthusiasts, scuba divers, and anyone interested in the wonders of the natural world.