Краткое описание: Portugal is an astonishingly beautiful country. The rivers, forests and lush valleys of the centre and north are a splendid contrast to its contorted southern coastline of beaches, cliffs and coves, and even the arid plains of the Alentejo region are tempered by vast groves of olive, oranges, cork and vines. Spring comes early everywhere, when dazzling flowers carpet hillsides across the country, and summer departs late, with sea-bathing possible deep into the autumn. It’s a country that demands unhurried exploration – indeed, Portuguese talk of their nation as a land of brandos costumes or gentle ways.

Краткое описание: In many ways, Poland is one of the success stories of the new Europe, transforming itself from communist-bloc one-party state to parliamentary democracy and European Union member in a remarkably short period of time. More than a decade and a half of non-communist governments have wrought profound changes on the country, unleashing entrepreneurial energies and widening cultural horizons in a way that pre-1989 generations would have scarcely thought possible.

Краткое описание: A fantastic land of gold, Peru was sixteenth-century Europe’s major source of treasure, and once the home of the largest empire in the world – the sun-worshipping Incas. Since then, the riches of the Incas have fired the European imagination: the country was home to the world’s first stone pyramids, whose genuine antiquity was only discovered in the last few years of the twentieth century. Meanwhile the desert coast is studded with monumental adobe temples and ruins from several pre-Inca civilizations.

Краткое описание: Long considered the paragon of style, Paris is the most glamorous city in Europe. It is at once deeply traditional – a village-like metropolis whose inhabitants continue to be notorious for their hauteur – and famously cosmopolitan. While such contradictions and contrasts may be the reality of any city, they are the makings of Paris: consider the tiny lanes and alleyways of the Quartier Latin or Montmartre against the monumental vistas from the Louvre to La Défense; the multiplicity of street markets and old-fashioned pedestrian arcades against the giant underground commercial complexes of Montparnasse and Les Halles; or the aristocratic wealth of the grand quarters against the vibrant chaos of the poorer districts.

Краткое описание: Kiwis – named after the unique flightless bird that is their national emblem – can’t believe their luck at being born in what they call “Godzone” (God’s own country). What makes it better is that travellers list their country – year in, year out – in the top ten of places they’d like to visit. Perhaps it is because New Zealand is unique, a land packed with magnificent and diverse scenery: craggy coastlines, sweeping beaches, primeval forests, snowcapped mountains, glacier-fed lakes, geysers and volcanoes.

Краткое описание: In Siberia, they call Moscow “the West”, with a note of scorn for its bureaucrats and politicians. To Westerners, the city looks European, but its unruly spirit seems closer to Central Asia. For Muscovites, Moscow is both a “Mother City” and a “big village”, a tumultuous community with an underlying collective instinct that shows itself in times of trouble. Nowhere else reflects the contradictions and ambiguities of the Russian people as Moscow does – nor the stresses of a country undergoing meltdown and renewal.

Краткое описание: For Westerners, Morocco holds an immediate and enduring fascination. Though just an hour’s ride on the ferry from Spain, it seems at once very far from Europe, with a culture – Islamic and deeply traditional – that is almost wholly unfamiliar. Throughout the country, despite the years of French and Spanish colonial rule and the presence of modern and cosmopolitan cities like Rabat and Casablanca, a more distant past constantly makes its presence felt.

Краткое описание: Montréal is by far Canada’s most cosmopolitan city. Toronto may have the country’s economic power and Vancouver its most majestic scenery, but the centuries-old marriage of Protestant English and Catholic French cultures that defines Montréal has given the city a dynamic allure that is unique in North America. Its captivating atmosphere combines the best of both traditions, tempered with the Scottish merchants and Irish workers who built much of the city and also the diverse mix of Italians, Greeks, Eastern Europeans, Jews, Chinese and Portuguese who have put down roots in various neighbourhoods over the last century. And yet Montréal’s free-spirited ambience – at once laid-back and highly style-conscious – is a product of the city itself rather than merely a sum of its multiethnic parts.

Краткое описание: Shimmering from the desert haze of Nevada like a latter-day El Dorado, Las Vegas is the most dynamic, spectacular city on earth. At the start of the twentieth century, it didn’t even exist; one decade into the 21st, it’s home to two million people. A showcase for all that’s most extravagant and exuberant about the modern United States, it attracts almost forty million visitors each year, anticipating their every appetite and indulging their every whim.

Краткое описание: Often overlooked in favour of its better-known neighbours, landlocked Laos remains one of Southeast Asia’s most beguiling destinations. Caught in the middle of the two Indochina wars and long isolated from the rest of the world, the country retains a slow, rather old-fashioned charm, and its people – incredibly laidback and friendly, even by Asian standards – are undoubtedly one of the highlights of any visit.