Often overshadowed by Montego Bay, Falmouth is a promising destination on the verdant north shore of Jamaica. The city is rich in architectural heritage reflecting centuries of intriguing history, and is surrounded by natural wonders that show just how much life in Jamaica is intertwined with water — from gushing springs and waterfalls to the calm Caribbean embracing the coast.

Yanbu has long been known as little more than an industrial centre with a busy port, but with some of the country's best diving spots and ever more luxury resorts in the area, it is quickly transforming into a coveted vacation destination. The desert beaches are beautiful, captivating, and solitary enough to make your visit a unique experience. There has never been a better time to visit, as the crowds have not yet caught on to this emerging city, and travellers can still have huge expanses of pristine beaches all to themselves.

A gateway between the two nations of the Iberian peninsula, Badajoz lies as close to Lisbon as it does to Madrid or Seville, and the city draws on influences from both sides of the border, as well as from centuries of tumultuous history, to form its distinctive character. Winding medieval alleys and a skyline dotted with palace towers make the historic town a sight to behold, while the remnants of the majestic Alcazaba watch over the city as they have for centuries, once an impenetrable fortress that protected the area from countless invasions.

Kerala’s first city, with its knotty official name of Thiruvananthapuram (often substituted by the shorter, more manageable Trivandrum), is an exhaustive introduction to southern India's urban and cultural life. Trivandrum tends to be unjustly overlooked en route to the state's beachside settlements, but easily warrants a few days of its own.