“Rio is a beauty. But São Paulo, São Paulo is a city,” said Marlene Dietrich about Brazil's most cosmopolitan city. São Paulo is Brazil’s cultural as well as financial powerhouse, complete with a vibrant music scene, top-designer shopping, and delicious gastronomy, not to mention world-class museums and art galleries. All this is combined with the vibrant local life of Paulistanos, who will surely be easy to make friends with.

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.

Vibrant, ever-changing, multi-faceted Johannesburg flings contrast at you from every angle. Trees line streets where houses hide their manicured gardens and pristine blue swimming pools behind high white walls, miles of shacks tell of the effects of the apartheid years — still to be overcome. The air of Africa’s most dynamic city vibrates with music and buzzes with business while its stylish restaurants, elegant shops, art galleries, and theatres delight the international visitor.

Maastricht boasts one-of-a-kind, genuine energy and vitality that is unmatched in the Netherlands. The city's dynamic blend of cultures, languages, and flavours fuels its creative spirit, cutting-edge research and innovation, entrepreneurial flair, trendsetting spirit, and gastronomic delights. All of these factors combined make Maastricht a popular destination for a shopping excursion, a romantic weekend getaway, or an elegant European vacation.

Steeped in Greek mythology and kissed by Aphrodite's charm, Pafos offers more than just clear blue waters and mild temperatures. Here, history and natural beauty coalesce in a landscape uniquely Cypriot. Situated in the Greek South, Pafos is a living testament to the island's multi-faceted personality: from its array of ancient ruins to its proximity to the untouched Akamas Peninsula, where dramatic bays and gorges await. Embark on an adventure that beckons amidst a complex, yet entrancing, backdrop shaped by the island's Greek and Turkish influences.