Краткое описание: Travel in Romania is as rewarding as it is challenging. The country’s fantastic mountain scenery and great diversity of wildlife, its cultures and people, and a way of life that at times seems little changed since the Middle Ages, leave few who visit unaffected. Rather than expecting an easy ride, try to accept whatever happens as an adventure – encounters with Gypsies, wild bears and tricky officials are likely to be far more interesting than anything purveyed by the tourist board.

Краткое описание: When most foreigners imagine India, they are probably thinking of somewhere in Rajasthan, Delhi or Agra. This is the Subcontinent at its most iconic, from the Taj Mahal and the great Mughal mosques and mausoleums of Delhi and Agra to the fairy-tale landscapes of Rajasthan, with its mighty hilltop forts, remote desert citadels and extravagant royal palaces. The region as a whole richly fulfils every romantic expectation one might have about Indian life and culture, with picturesque crowds of men in top-heavy turbans and women dressed in vibrantly coloured saris; crowded bazaars overflowing with sumptuous fabrics, embroidery and jewellery; or the vivid orange flash of a tiger or leopard seen padding quietly through the undergrowth of a national park.

Краткое описание: First things first: Prague is a very beautiful city. With some six hundred years of architecture virtually untouched by natural disaster or war, few other cities, anywhere in Europe, look as good. Straddling the winding River Vltava, with a steep wooded hill to one side, the city retains much of its medieval layout and the street facades remain smothered in a rich mantle of Baroque, Rococo and Art Nouveau, all of which successfully escaped the vanities and excesses of twentieth-century redevelopment. For forty years the city lay hidden behind the Iron Curtain, seldom visited by Westerners.

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.