At a staggering height of 135 metres (443 ft), The London Eye offers a superb view of the capital's most famous attractions. A full rotation around the observational wheel in one of the glass capsules lasts some 30 minutes and it is so popular that each year it receives more visitors than the Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramids of Giza. And once you've taken a 360-degree ride on the wheel you'll understand why.

Founded in the 16th century by the Spanish, Rincón is the oldest settlement not only of Bonaire but the entire Dutch Caribbean. Its location, in the valley, once provided shelter from pirates. Today, it offers great hiking options with breathtaking views. As a cultural centre, it is home to attractions such as the rock formations of Gruta Lourdes, a pilgrimage site, and the Kas Krioyo, an authentic Bonairean building that currently houses a museum. The island's only distillery, Cadushy, is also located here, and it is worth timing your visit so you can celebrate with the locals on Rincón Day on 30 April.

The National Portrait Gallery in Central London harbours more than 195,000 portraits of famous men and women who have shaped British history from the 16th century to the present day. Painted by acclaimed artists such as Holbein, David Hockney, Cecil Beaton and Lucian Freud, sitters include kings, queens, film stars, politicians, musicians and many more. The gallery's rolling calendar of exhibitions is worth investigating as well.

Situated at the foot of Morne Bruce, Roseau's favourite lookout spot, this 40-acre botanical garden is a convenient option to explore Dominica's indigenous species. Doubling as an event venue today, it nonetheless offers an educational and no less spectacular walk among palm trees, orchids, medicinal plants and the parrot sanctuary — keep an eye out for the Sisserou parrot, Dominica's national bird. As a curious testimony to the park's hurricane-stricken past, you can even find the remains of a bus at the foot of a baobab tree.