Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is one of Asia's best-kept secrets. As the capital of the only predominantly Catholic country in the Orient, it presents a unique blend that feels slightly out of place, yet vibrantly infused with Latin American and Caribbean influences. Music and dancing are ubiquitous, and the city's warmth and enthusiasm can easily rival that of Bangkok. Manila's rich history, shaped by centuries under Spanish religious influence and decades of American consumerism, has led to the saying that the city spent "400 years in a convent and 50 in Hollywood".

In his first trip to the stupendous region, Christopher Columbus noted the silver-tipped appearance of the area’s prominent mountain. As “plata” is Spanish for “silver”, Columbus christened it “Monte de Plata”, and the city became known as Puerto de Plata. Luring vacationers much as it had Columbus, Puerto Plata is one of the Dominican Republic’s most renowned cities. Lending to a bright culture of friendly people and recreational activities, Puerto Plata will exceed even your wildest and greatest of expectations.

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 low-rise Gambian capital might not be as advanced of a visitor hub as one would, perhaps, expect from a city of such national significance, but it certainly boasts some raw appeal contained within its pulsating and often rather hectic streets. Beyond Banjul proper lies the sprawling Serekunda — Gambia's most populous area — and the vacationer-favoured coastal settlements of Kololi, Bakau, Koto and Fajara.