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.

Pampas grass lines the dunes that border the small town of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. The tufts of their leaves, fluffy and swaying with the breezes sweeping from the Atlantic Ocean, seem to mimic the fluffy clouds that sweep overhead in the blue skies. Since the 1920s, vacationers have penciled in Atlantic Beach for weekend getaways and summer trips. Perhaps, this is because of the town’s pristine sands and seaside activities, or maybe it’s because nothing beats dinner and an ocean-view sunset. Either way, the beach is calling.

Indonesia’s sprawling capital is one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing, most chaotic, and exciting places. It is the gateway to a vast, vibrant, and varied island nation home to dozens of fascinating cultures. Formerly the colonial capital of the Dutch East Indies, when it was known as Batavia, Jakarta has grown from its original seaport district into a huge modern conurbation of high-rise hotels and apartments, thronged shopping malls, and wide, crowded avenues.

Beirut is the perfect destination for seasoned travellers: here, East and West intertwine in intricate ways, creating a city so magnetic that few are able to resist its powerful draw. Much has changed over the latter half of the twentieth century, with Beirut rising to become glitterati central in the 60s, but falling from grace during the bloody Civil War. However, the city is alive and kicking, enticing travellers with superb gastronomy, the Middle East's most vibrant nightlife and close proximity to the ancient towns of Byblos and Baalbek.