People have been flocking to Cairns in search of treasure since the first gold rush. However, the prospectors of today come to mine the abundance of natural and environmental treasures that surround the city. With the tropical rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef in close proximity, Cairns attracts a young and intrepid crowd that adds to the vibrancy of this lively and welcoming city.

Nestled in the corner of rural south-west France stands Pau, the capital of the Béarn province, a bastion of history and culture. The town occupies a unique geographical position in the foothills of the Pyrenées. With its awe-inspiring views of the mountain range, Pau is only a few hundred kilometres from the major towns of Bordeaux and Toulouse and even closer to Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. A springboard to sunny beaches or snow-capped mountains, Pau’s pretty streets, and excellent gastronomy are enough to ensure leaving will be difficult.

Long isolated from the outside world, Bhutan is a relic of a more traditional Asia, preserved in time and with little in the way of tourist infrastructure. In an increasingly connected world, this small, beautiful, and utterly enchanting Himalayan country is one of the last truly off-the-beaten-path destinations on the planet. It is a challenging country to visit, but to those who choose to venture there, it soon reveals itself to be an especially rewarding one, as well.

The Blue Mountains get their name from the natural blue haze created by vast eucalypt forests in this World Heritage area. Tiny droplets of oil released from the trees mix with water vapour and sunlight to produce the distinctive colour. Enjoy crisp mountain air, beautiful panoramas, charming villages, one of the world’s oldest cave systems, and exhilarating adventures in the Blue Mountains, near Sydney. You can even see dinosaur trees in the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah. This is a great Australian escape and a natural wonder of the world.

From a fusion of Chinese-Cuban cultures at Barrio Chino to visual arts of Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes to an awe-inspiring view at The Melia Cohiba high-rise and incredibly romantic cruise docking Sierra Maestra Terminal, Havana is topping charts just like its musical namesake (oh na-na). As you enjoy a paladar meal or two and rest against some cool, artsy wall, perhaps blue or yellow or pink, you’ll be sure to have left your heart in Havana by the time you head back to East Atlanta (na-na-na).