On the banks of the Mekong River, Ho Chi Minh City emerges as a dazzling metropolis, where past and present collide in vibrant harmony. With over 9 million people bustling about, it’s a sprawling urban jungle where modern skyscrapers kiss the sky while well-preserved colonial buildings whisper tales of yesteryears. Amidst the chaos of motorbike symphonies, intrepid explorers uncover remnants of its turbulent history, savour its mouth-watering cuisine, sip on a cup of robust Vietnamese coffee, and discover its lively nightlife.

If you fancy a hand of cards, Altenburg is the place for you: playing cards has been practised here for over 500 years, and the national card game ’skat’ was first played here. The town has a history of 1000 years, and boasts an impressive castle set on a rocky outcrop. Buy collapsible top hats on Rossplan Square, and baptise your cards at the Skat fountain: it brings good luck!

Cape Verde's unique geographic location, tumultuous history of slavery and invasion, and fascinating mix of transatlantic cultures have given rise to a place unlike any other on the globe. A place as joyful as it is full of longing, a fact perhaps best reflected in Cape Verdean music and the hauntingly beautiful 'morna'. The sometimes harsh, drought-prone conditions of this mid-Atlantic scattering of islands have seen the flourishing of a fascinating Creole culture and the most stable democracy in Africa.

Fluffy white clouds roll across skies that always seem to gleam in a spectrum of blue in the Poconos. The majesty continues with a palette of rustic orange in the fall, the pristine white of snowfall in the winter, and the verdant emerald of forests and hillsides in the summer. Reigning for decades as a popular vacation area for citizens of New York and New Jersey, the Pocono Mountains must be seen in person to be believed. Lakes and rivers to explore, land to hunt, and various ski resorts provide an unforgettable outdoors experience.