Olbia is the gateway to the pearly white beaches of Sardinia's northeast coast and the sparkling Costa Smeralda. This is where jet-setters, film stars and the ‘glitterati’ arrive to indulge in 'la dolce vita' Sardinian-style. With a Greek name meaning ‘happy’, Olbia used to be a little fishing village but has now grown to become Sardinia’s busiest ferry port, complete with an international airport and tourist amenities. The countryside is cloaked in aromatic wild herbs, the macchia, and the surrounding sea glows in every hue of electric blue, in a little known and exclusive place waiting to be discovered.

Irvine — Orange County’s meticulously planned center — has held the title of "America’s Safest Big City" since 2005. Beyond safety, it delivers quintessential Southern California experiences: upscale shopping, diverse dining, outdoor recreation, and family-friendly attractions. While neighboring Los Angeles pulses with urban energy, Irvine embodies OC’s suburban charm — think wide boulevards, outdoor malls, and easy beach access. Minutes from legendary surf spots and major attractions, it offers a polished alternative to LA’s bustle.

Crete, the largest of Greek islands, is a place where myth meets history, where the age-old Cretan culture teems in modern villas, where the sea meets the mountains, and unspoiled nature coexists with modern tourist infrastructure. Crete has a thousand faces: one for each and every sort of traveller: the nature-lover, the explorer, the cosmopolitan, the lover of history, and the classic vulture.

Capital of one the world's fastest-growing economies, Addis Ababa (also spelled Addis Abeba) is a city in motion, catching up to Ethiopia's zooming commercial development in stride. At times gauche and somewhat rough around the edges, it is nonetheless worth more than a single night in transit, if only for the country's finest dining, shopping and of-the-moment urban developments.