Porto was once the last stop of adventurers on their way across the Atlantic to the New World. The cliché that Lisbon shows off and Porto just works is a well-worn metaphor that fails to do justice to the city's innumerate charms fully. History dwells around every corner, and more than ever, Porto is a place determined to hold on to its own distinct identity.

Hectic, bustling, chaotic — Dhaka is an enormous city of endless possibilities with energy to spare. Though it can seem a bit overwhelming at first, visitors who take the time to explore will find the experience most rewarding. Delicious food, bustling markets, serene parks and gardens, lazy river cruises and death-defying rickshaw rides, fascinating museums, temples and mosques to ease the soul, and tantalising musical and dance performances; all this and more awaits the adventurous traveller who dares to venture into this unique city.

Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is one of Asia's best-kept secrets. As the capital of the only predominantly Catholic country in the Orient, it presents a unique blend that feels slightly out of place, yet vibrantly infused with Latin American and Caribbean influences. Music and dancing are ubiquitous, and the city's warmth and enthusiasm can easily rival that of Bangkok. Manila's rich history, shaped by centuries under Spanish religious influence and decades of American consumerism, has led to the saying that the city spent "400 years in a convent and 50 in Hollywood".

Amersfoort is a beautiful city located in the middle of the Netherlands in the province of Utrecht. Through numerous monuments, cosy little streets, canals and architectural details you can really feel the medieval core of the city, established here in the 13th century. The compact city is surrounded with lush swathes of nature. Amersfoort is the conveniently reachable, both by car and by train. It’s only 30 minutes to Schiphol Airport!

Just 250 kilometres north of the polar circle, the summer sun shines for almost two months without going down, while the polar nights offer the most intense Northern Lights that can be seen. In Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, you can go slalom skiing until midsummer or spend the night in a magnificent hotel built from ice. The phrase "kingdom of contrasts" is overused, but Kiruna truly embodies it.