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Cook Islands

“Kia Orana!” May you live long. How often do you step off a plane in a fatigued daze only to be blessed by the warm welcome of the smiling locals? Not often enough, we say.

And if that doesn’t brighten you up right away, the sparkling clear water gently lapping on the pure white beaches ought to sort your spirits out. The Cook Islands consists of 15 separate landmasses dotting the middle of the Polynesian triangle in the South Pacific. Visit the local brewery in Rarotonga and make some friends over a Matutu Draught. Head to the island Atiu and snorkel the coral limestone reef, or to Aitutaki, which boasts the largest lagoon in the southern hemisphere.

The people of the Cook Islands are friendly giants, proud of their rich culture, and display their strong heritage through song and dance. Food is sourced from the natural bounty of the island, with plenty of fresh seafood, tropical fruits and vegetables. Although chances are you’ll have enough dinner invitations from the locals to last you your stay.

Colombia

If you’ve paid more than a passing glance at those lists telling you where to visit before anyone else gets there, you may have noticed Colombia turning up with alarming regularity. It’s easy to see why. After decades of being off limits due to violence and corruption, there’s been a massive turnaround, with the country now deemed safe for travellers. Which is perfect, because there’s plenty to discover, whether you’re the type who delves into urban landscapes or takes off, pack on back, ready to hike to adventure.

Pristine Caribbean coastline one day; the Andes the next. This is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and its landscapes range from desert to savanna, Amazon jungle to snowcapped mountain peaks.

Its capital, Bogotá, is super stylish, but not a city driven by the needs of tourists. Instead, the traveller enjoys what the locals do. And, each Sunday, the main roads are closed to motor vehicles to make way for the residents who walk, bike and skate to their hearts’ content.

Medellín, famous for its most infamous former resident Pablo Escobar, is now the fashion capital of South America. It also has an incredible elevated Metro system that includes two Metrocable lines climbing high into the hills surrounding the city. An all-day ticket to scale the heights costs less than a dollar.

The country’s third-largest metropolis is also the world’s salsa capital. Cali, one of the oldest cities in the Americas, also has a specific forward–backward style of the sultry dance called salsa caleria.

Once you danced, shopped, eaten and partied (did we mention Colombia hosts one of the biggest Carnival celebrations?), head to the little-visited northern pocket of the country, La Guajira, where you’ll find flamingos, sand dunes, swamps and Wayuu villages. Or perhaps lost cities are more your cup of finely blended Colombian coffee. A three-day walk through the jungles and rivers of Sierra Nevada will take you to Ciudad Perdida, built by the Tayrona people hundreds of years before Machu Picchu was a glint in the Incas’ eyes.

 

China

China is a country of contradictions and contrasts. Where else can you find communist soldiers sipping Coca-Cola? But it’s also a country of surprises. Cities like Shanghai may be the poster children for shopping and new-world decadence, but the other extreme – sedate, rice terrace-laden countryside and lush jungle-like hinterland – can still be found.

Living history – Tiananmen Square, the Terracotta Warriors and much more beyond – can be witnessed around every corner. After all, this is China, a country that has been continuously settled for around 4000 years. In a country this size, the regional cultural differences are as supremely varied as is its cuisine, so traversing the vast land is an adventure in itself. From the stark beauty of the Gobi Desert to the white beaches and coconut palms that dot the coast of the South China Sea, there’s more to China than a little red book and a bloody big wall.

Chile

From north to south it stretches more than 4300 kilometres, yet take a look across it from east to west and Chile, at its widest point, only just makes it to 350 kilometres. If you intend to explore its length you’re going to need a few months’ leave from work. Were you to catch a bus (the main method of overland transportation in the country) from Arica in the north to Punta Arenas in the south, you’d need about 70 hours – and a butt of steel.

Hemmed in by the Pacific on the west and the Andes on the east, this amazing country boasts a landscape that straddles desert, volcanic peaks and dense temperate forest. In fact, the Atacama Desert, with its white salt pans and lava formations, is one of the most popular destinations for travellers to Chile. It’s also the driest non-polar desert in the world.

The central regions are home to ski resorts – Valle Nevada, Portillo and Termas de Chillán – with powder as good as any you’ll encounter in Europe (the average snowfall is six to seven metres), but without the huge crowds. An added bonus is the top-quality Latin après options.

In the southern reaches of the country it’s all about Patagonia and the Torres del Paine National Park, with its landscape of glaciers, lakes, rivers and mountains, including the three enormous granite peaks known as the Paine Massif. Popular with hikers, who may stray across guanacos (a relation of llamas), pumas and the tall, flightless Darwin’s rhea, the fresh powder of the highest peaks is also accessible to skiers who have the means to employ the help of a helicopter pilot.

Santiago, one of the most popular points of entry to South America, is a vital city, with excellent architecture, shopping and nightlife. No trip to Chile, however, would be complete without a visit to the cool, seaside city of Valparaíso. This port town thrived in the 1800s, but fell on hard times when the Panama Canal opened in 1914. As the number of docking ships diminished, members of the city’s elite packed up and abandoned their mansions. These days Valpo, as it’s affectionately known, is in the throes of a cultural revival and, in 2003, was honoured with UNESCO World Heritage status. Artists have splashed cobblestone alleys with swathes of colour and new restaurants dish up some of Chile’s finest cuisine.

Canada

Close your eyes and drop your finger on the map. You can’t really go wrong in Canada, a vast land where the many different regions cater to all travellers’ tastes. There’s snowy tundra and stunning wilderness to the north, and the grassy prairies of Regina and Winnipeg to the south. Hear tales of the briny blue over a pint in the fishing towns on the east coast, or tackle another earthly element on the mountainous ski slopes to the west.

The major cities are just as diverse. The bustling capital, Ottawa, showcases enough galleries, theatres and nightspots to keep you busy every day of the year, while Quebec and Montreal proudly exhibit the ties to France that make up an important part of Canada’s history. With their European architecture and widely spoken French, it’s as if you’ve crossed the North Atlantic without even realising. Don’t forget your phrase book.

Cambodia

With its low-key beach resorts, dense rainforest and mystical ancient temples, Cambodia is fast replacing Thailand and Vietnam as the South-East Asian destination du jour.

Sure, there are plenty of sobering reminders of the country’s dark past under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, and much of the country is steeped in poverty, but that’s all the more reason to visit – to lift the veil on this unique corner of the world, discover the beauty of its wilderness and people, and explore far beyond famous Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields.

Pleasures include the seaside town of Sihanoukville and the deserted beaches which lie beyond it. Access lesser-known ancient temples at Kampong Thom. Hang about in the chilled river town of Kratie, where you can take in the vista of the Mekong and its endangered river dolphins. Cambodia is a country that may well tempt you to stay longer than you thought you would.

Brazil

Beautiful beaches, bootylicious bods and brown skin all spring to mind when we think of this South American playground. But drag yourself out of the surf and away from the main cities and you’ll discover wilderness areas with more natural good looks than the people (hard to believe, we know).

Brazil is the biggest country, in size and population, of South America, and upholds its reputation for grandeur in many ways. Dive in the deep end of this wonderful country. You won’t regret it.

Bolivia

South America’s poorest nation happens to be one its richest in terms of attractions, natural resources and travel experiences. There’s culture aplenty with South America’s biggest indigenous population and an indigenous, socialist president. The locals can be a bit guarded towards westerners, which is not surprising given the history of foreign invasion and repression. Don’t expect capitalist standards of customer service – the Bolivians staunchly resist consumerism and have been extremely protective of the exploitation of their natural resources. But it’s also one of the cheapest places to visit in South America making it damn good value if you can stomach perilous bus rides and dodgy hygiene practices.

Horse ride in the wild west country where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid met their demise, wander in wonder at the witch market in La Paz, mountain bike the so-called World’s Most Dangerous Ride, get ravaged by mozzies in the jungle, or visit the world’s biggest salt plain with its impressive Dali-esque landscapes. Plus, Spanish lessons here cost less than a coffee at home.

To summarise: GO!

Bhutan

It’s easy for once uncharted corners of the world to suddenly become overrun by tourists searching out the next big thing. That’s not going to happen in this tiny Buddhist kingdom tucked into the Himalayan mountains. There’s a limited number of hotels and tours within the country, and while you can organise a trip independently, there’s a minimum spend of US$250 a day (the price includes accommodation, food, guides and transport). Most would say it is worth every cent.

The landscape is jaw-dropping: rugged mountains topped with snow have spectacular, gravity-defying monasteries clinging to them. Deep, lush valleys carved by rivers provide pastureland for cows and other livestock. And when you travel here, you do it slowly, following mountain passes through forests to towns like Paro, where there’s a impressive dzong (a fortress that serves as an administrative and social centre) and the National Museum, and Punakha, the former capital that sits where the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu – or Mother and Father Rivers – meet. Along the way, there are friendly faces aplenty – Bhutan does, after all, value its Gross National Happiness – vibrant markets and festivals, and some fairly crazy species of wildlife to spot. The national animal is the takin, a kind of goat–antelope hybrid that lives in bamboo forests.

Belize

If you’re looking for jungle and reef this small Central American nation, which was granted independence in 1981, delivers reams of both. About 60 per cent of its land mass is covered in forest, and areas like the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in south-central Belize have a spectacular diversity of flora and fauna, including jaguars, tapirs, howler monkeys, iguanas and toucans.

The Belize Barrier Reef is the second longest in the world – no prizes for guessing which one comes in at first – and has a huge number of brilliantly coloured corals and fish for those keen to jump into the warm, clear waters. Plenty of the action is accessible to snorkellers, but for divers this is paradise, particularly when you take into account the extraordinary Blue Hole.

This region was also once the centre of Mayan civilisation, and archeological sites, such as the temples of Xunantunich in the Cayo district, are dotted across the country. The Mayan population flourished in this part of the world between 1500BC and 900AD, and it’s thought that later in this era as many as a million people may have lived here. Caracol was one of the most important cities in the Mayan world. It was rediscovered by a logger in 1937 and today visitors can travel here to inspect Caana (the sky palace), which remains one of the largest man-made structures in Belize.