This small but perfectly formed city in the picturesque county of Devon has preserved many of its historic features while enjoying all the amenities and vibrancy of a modern cosmopolitan hub. Exeter is the perfect base to explore the surrounding English countryside dotted with pretty villages, quaint old pubs and tea rooms serving the famous Devon cream tea. All of this comes with the added bonus of being only a short journey to the nearby coastal resorts, fishing ports, and sandy beaches of the English Riviera and the World Heritage Jurassic Coast.

Few Greek islands boast an immaculacy comparable to that of Astypalaia — a butterfly-shaped cloistral haven rising from the stunning blue of the Aegean Sea. Captured at certain angles, Astypalaia bears a striking semblance to its not-so-distant yet far more glamorised cousin of Santorini. With its pristine beaches, whitewashed houses, and uncharted walking paths, the island is an explorer's heaven, and a find for those looking to escape the madding crowds of summer vacationers.

If Saigon is the frenetic, commercial heartbeat of Vietnam, then verdant and historic Hanoi is the sedate, intellectual soul of the country. Its leafy boulevards, serene lakes, and sweeping white French colonial architecture set the scene as tourists and locals go about their business at a pleasingly civilised pace.

Unjustly overlooked by travellers en route to Tunisia's celebrated seaside resorts, the nation's capital certainly deserves more than just a quick glance through the shuttle bus window. The city lives and breathes history, from the crumbling columns of Carthage to Medina's labyrinthine alleys, where the scent of orange blossom mingles with freshly baked tabouna bread. This is where Roman mosaics, Ottoman arches and mid-century modernism collide with unshowy authenticity.