Toulon is a genuine incarnation of Provence—no over-the-top souvenir shops, just markets full of lavender and thyme, a sea breeze that rolls in from the harbour, and a mix of energy and laid-back local life. It’s a working port with a bit of grit, but that’s part of the charm.

Kerala’s first city, with its knotty official name of Thiruvananthapuram (often substituted by the shorter, more manageable Trivandrum), is a rich 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.

Southampton is the cruise capital of Northern Europe. With a cosmopolitan atmosphere borne from centuries of international trade, Southampton is one of the UK’s leading ports and liveliest cities, combining medieval walls and buildings, modern shopping and entertainment complexes, marinas, culture and nightlife. Explore the city’s rich culture and long history and try the wide range of leisure activities in the surrounding countryside before relaxing to recount the day in one of Southampton’s many harbour-side restaurants, cafés and bars.

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.

Saarbrücken, Germany's small jewel lying on the French border, is Saarland's charming and amicable capital that has some truly intriguing stories to tell: a plethora of Roman and Baroque landmarks, all scattered along the Saar river, speak of the region's eventful past.