La Marsa offers a refined coastal escape just north of Carthage, where the creatives of Tunis mingles with sunseekers along a lively corniche. The main beach draws families for summer swims, while off-season sees fishermen casting lines from the sand. What distinguishes this stretch is its evolving cultural scene: skateboarders carve concrete slopes by day as musicians strum under the palms, creating an organic performance space above the shore. The neighborhood’s architectural legacy reveals its bourgeois roots. Whitewashed villas with intricate mashrabiya screens stand guard along avenues lined with jacaranda trees. Recent years have brought a creative influx, with designers and musicians transforming old seaside residences into studios. While the western edges fade into industrial zones, the heart of La Marsa retains its aspirational charm, particularly around Avenue Habib Bourguiba where pavement cafés serve mint tea with Mediterranean views.

On a hill just to the south of Thimphu, on the site of the ruins of the Kuensel Phodrang palace, stands the majestic Great Buddha Dordenma statue, one of the largest Buddha statues in the world (54 metres tall). Gape in awe at both the shine of the bronze statue gilded in gold and the magnificent views of the surrounding areas from the hilltop. The walk up and down the hill takes about 1.5 hours.

A well-preserved example of its kind, Greenwood Great House is a plantation house built by the wealthy Barrett family in the 18th century less than 8 miles away from Falmouth. Spared by the slave rebellion in 1831, the house’s rooms are still in intact condition and contain original furniture and artifacts — including unique collections of books and musical instruments — that are bound to transport you back in time.