It is easy to overlook this small island nation, having, as it does, such powerful and flashy neighbours as Qatar and the Emirates, but to ignore Bahrain would be a huge mistake. It is an emerging power in the region, with all the luxury and worldliness of a cosmopolitan destination and all the charm and personality of a small island. Add to this the growing arts scene and burgeoning international cuisine in the country, and you have the newest prime travel destination in the region, and the most socially liberal one, to boot.

Karlstad is a wonderfully compact Swedish city, built on a grid pattern with wide, tree-lined streets, avenues, promenades, and squares. Karlstad has a "big city" feel, with many quality hotels and other accommodation options, with the advantage that the city’s many attractions are just a short walk away: shopping streets, malls and arcades, culture, historical sites, urban nature activities, parks, transport, and amenities. Don’t forget that this is child-friendly Sweden and children are welcome everywhere in Karlstad.

Lübeck, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987, was one of the great mercantile cities in the Middle Ages. The Old Town island, surrounded by the river Trave and the canal, today still communicates the charm of a port. Travemünde is one of the most beautiful sea resorts of Europe which already in 1802 transformed the former fishing- and sailor village into a top address for bathers from near and far. The fascinating sailing Old-timer “Passat”, chugging deep-sea fishing boats and gigantic ferryboats can be admired on the Baltic Sea.

From a fusion of Chinese-Cuban cultures at Barrio Chino to visual arts of Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes to an awe-inspiring view at The Melia Cohiba high-rise and incredibly romantic cruise docking Sierra Maestra Terminal, Havana is topping charts just like its musical namesake (oh na-na). As you enjoy a paladar meal or two and rest against some cool, artsy wall, perhaps blue or yellow or pink, you’ll be sure to have left your heart in Havana by the time you head back to East Atlanta (na-na-na).