Huashan, or Mount Hua, is one of China’s five great mountains and holds a special place in Taoist tradition, with several sacred temples and ancient pavilions dotting its steep paths. The mountain is renowned for its dramatic, knife-edge trails that reward climbers with awe-inspiring views, though there’s also a cable car for a more leisurely ascent. From the top, the sight of clouds weaving between rugged peaks is truly breathtaking. Located about 120 kilometres from Xi’an, Huashan makes an unforgettable day trip for those looking to experience the grandeur of China’s mountainous landscapes.

Once the first free settlement in the Americas, founded by those who escaped slavery during the colonial period, the town of San Basilio de Palenque still stands today, and with it the unique culture of its inhabitants. A portion of the population still speaks palenquero, a creole tongue that emerged from a mix of several European and African languages, now used almost exclusively in San Basilio de Palenque. Music and dance occupy a place of paramount importance in residents' lives, with the Drums and Cultural Expressions Festival held annually in October. The palenque cuisine deserves a separate mention — a culinary tradition upheld by inhabitants of a small Colombian village has garnered international acclaim, with a cookbook written in the town receiving the highest prize at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2014. If your schedule happens to be too tight for a dedicated day trip (which earns our highest recommendation), try some of the tropical fruit sold by palenqueras in downtown Cartagena. The village was named Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.

The famous long-distance hiking trail offers spectacular vistas of the natural world. It's 467 km long and starts in Abisko, 93 km northwest of Kiruna. STF Singi mountain cabin lies directly west of Kiruna. For information on suggested routes and accommodation, visit Svenska Turistföreningen’s (the Swedish Tourist Organisation) website.

Enclosed within a protective wall reaching up to 20 metres in width, the Ciudad Amurallada (or Walled City) is Cartagena's old beating heart. Packed with well-preserved colonial buildings, it's a pleasure to stroll through; its streets of colourful low-rise merchant homes marked by iconic balconies are now mostly walked by either tourists or students who attend classes at the University of Cartagena during the day and linger for meals and nightlife after school is out. Cafes in Plaza Aduana and Plaza Santo Domingo teem with patrons, forging an incredibly jovial atmosphere; the districts of San Diego and El Centro are two not to be missed. There is plenty of food and shopping to be had, with a mixed bag of world-class restaurants and street food hawkers and the incredibly photogenic palenqueras — women dressed in vibrantly coloured clothing selling fruit in the streets — images of whom have become emblematic of Colombia as a travel destination.