Kawachi Fuji Garden, Japan

The Japanese have always been leaders in the art of landscaping, their culture steeped into the aesthetics of the many styles and designs that are so recognizable as their own. The Wisteria Tunnel located in Kitakyushu is no exception, its intricate beauty and delicate precision immediately reveals its origins to those familiar with traditional Japanese gardening.

A member of the pea family, wisteria is an ornamental vine with around 10 different species, wildly popular in both Eastern and Western gardens for its graceful hanging flowers and its ornate, winding branches. Easily trained, the woody vines reach maturity within a few years for some species, or up to 20 for others. Once maturity is reached, the reward is cascades of long, lavender raceme blooms of varying pastel shades creating a natural chandelier of color and beauty.

The Wisteria Tunnel, which is part of a breathtaking display of botanical delights that include zen gardens and a cherry blossom festival, is located at the Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu. Different types and colors of wisteria have been woven through a cylindrical lattice that during the blooming months of April through May, become a fantastical flower-draped tunnel during the yearly "fuji matsuri", or "Wisteria Festival".

Iceland

Iceland is a country of extreme contrasts. A place where fire and ice co-exist. Where dark winters are offset by the summer’s midnight sun. A country where insular existence has spurred a rich and vibrant culture. Where the vast, unspoiled nature lies at the doorsteps of a highly modern urban community. A place where a peaceful and progressive population lives in harmony with the often-violent forces of nature. The place where Europe meets America, in a quite literal, geological sense. Here you can learn about our unique little island in the North-Atlantic

Iceland has plenty to offer the adventurous. Whether you want to enjoy the great outdoors, or just experience daily life in the city, there are activities and opportunities to meet your needs.

Do you want to spend a day atop a glacier? That can be arranged. Would you prefer to walk, use a snowmobile, or travel in a super-jeep? It is your choice. Would you rather go whale watching? Or bird watching? Ride a bicycle? Or experience subliminal waterfalls? See what a spurting geyser really looks like? This is all within reach.

Or possibly, you are the adventurous type? The kind who needs an adrenaline rush to feel alive? Then perhaps you want to go river rafting in a challenging glacial river? Or diving in some of the unique locations around the country? Ice climbing on a vertical glacial wall? Or surf the open waves of the North Atlantic? Or perhaps you would like to go fishing? What is your preferred catch? Would you prefer lakes, streams or the open ocean? Possibly ice fishing is your thing?

Or just maybe you would rather enjoy the culture and the opportunities of the city? Visit a museum or enjoy the fresh local cuisine? Or both? Or play a little golf and then wind down the day in a relaxing geothermal pool?

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Shimmering from the desert haze of Nevada like a latter-day El Dorado, Las Vegas is the most dynamic, spectacular city on earth. At the start of the twentieth century, it didn't even exist; now it's home to two million people, and boasts nineteen of the world's twenty-five largest hotels, whose flamboyant, no-expense-spared casinos lure in thirty-seven million tourists each year.

Las Vegas has been stockpiling superlatives since the 1950s, but never rests on its laurels for a moment. Many first-time visitors expect the city to be kitsch, but the casino owners are far too canny to be sentimental. Yes, there are a few Elvis impersonators around, but what characterizes the city far more is its endless quest for novelty. Long before they lose their sparkle, yesterday's showpieces are blasted into rubble, to make way for ever more extravagant replacements. A few years ago, when the fashion was for fantasy, Arthurian castles and Egyptian pyramids mushroomed along the legendary Strip; next came a craze for constructing entire replica cities, like New York, Paris, Monte Carlo, and Venice; and the current trend is for high-end properties that attempt to straddle the line between screaming ostentation and "elegant" sophistication.

While the city has cleaned up its act since the early days of Mob domination, it certainly hasn't become a family destination. Neither is Vegas as cheap as it used to be. It's still possible to find good, inexpensive rooms, and the all-you-care-to-eat buffets offer great value, but the casino owners have finally discovered that high-rollers happy to lose hundreds of dollars per night don't mind paying premium prices to eat at top-quality restaurants, while the latest developments are charging room rates of more like $300 than $30 per night.

Although Las Vegas is an unmissable destination, it's one that palls for most visitors after a couple of (hectic) days. If you've come solely to gamble, there's not much to say beyond the fact that all the casinos are free, and open 24 hours per day, with acres of floor space packed with ways to lose money: million-dollar slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette wheels, and much, much more.

The Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Phi Phi island is Thailand's island-superstar. It's been in the movies. It's the topic of conversation for travelers all over Thailand. For some, it's the only reason to touchdown in Phuket. Even with all the hype, it doesn't disappoint.

Phi Phi's beauty is a large chunk of the allure. The islands, when approached by boat, rise from the sea like a fortress. Sheer cliffs tower overhead, then give way to beach-fronted jungle. It's love at first sight.

The second part of the why-we-love-this-place story is attitude: few places on the planet are this laid-back. Of the two islands, one is completely free of human inhabitants (Phi Phi Leh), and the other is without roads (Phi Phi Don). There's no schedule, no hustle-and-bustle, no reason to be in a hurry.

As an added bonus, Phi Phi is affordable. Destinations this beautiful are often reserved for those that can pay dearly. That's not the case here; Phi Phi has something for every budget. You might be surprised – that perfect beachfront room costs less than you expect.

Rajasthan, India

Rajasthan, India

From the cackle of its colour-charged cities to the luminous splendour of its sun-kissed desert, Rajasthan is romantic India wrapped in gaudy royal robes. Here the fearsome Rajput warrior clans ruled with gilt-edged swords, plundered wealth and blood-thick chivalrous codes.

A vast and wonder-laced state with treasures more sublime than those of fable, the Land of the Kings paints a bold image. Compiling a must-see list in Rajasthan can cripple the fussy traveller: Meherangarh looming over bright blue Jodhpur, the giant gold sandcastle at Jaisalmer, the palaces and pageantry of Udaipur, Pushkar’s reverent yet carnival charm, the storybook whimsy of Bundi and the havelis (traditional, ornately decorated residences) sprinkled through Shekhawati – see them all, and you’ll see a month fly by faster than the express bound for Pakistan. Like a microcosm of Mother India, there’s also abundant wildlife and warm people, glitz and camels, soulful music, glittering saris, tottering turbans and a surprisingly rich cuisine.

Yet Rajasthan’s largely rural population has grown tired of its own backward-looking image. Jaipur, the dusty pink capital, has rapidly become a fast-paced, modern Indian city, and literacy has made a rapid rise in the region. While the land is invariably harsh and droughts are a constant menace, imaginations are now fixed firmly on the future.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolívia

The beautiful Salar de Uyuni is with its 10.582 square km (4.085 square miles) the world's largest salt flat. It is located in the Department of Potosi in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, at 3.650 meters above sea level.

Some 40.000 years ago, the area was part of Lake Minchin, a giant prehistoric lake. When the lake dried, it left behind two modern lakes, Poopó and Uru Uru, and two major salt deserts, Salar de Coipasa and the larger Salar de Uyuni. Salar de Uyuni is roughly 25 times the size of Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States and is estimated to contain 10 billion tons of salt of which less than 25.000 tons is extracted annually.

Every November, Salar de Uyuni is also the breeding grounds for three species of South American flamingos - Chilean, James's and Andean. La Isla del Pescado (Fish Island) located on the salt flat and full of giant cactuses is named this way as the ´island´ has the shape of a fish. It is the only sign of life for miles.

Laguna Verde, Laguna Colorada and the hot springs can also be visited during the Uyuni salt lake tour when entering the National Reserve Eduardo Avaroa. Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon) is a beautiful green colored salt lake close to the Chilean border at the foot of the Licancabur volcano. Its color is caused by sediments, containing copper minerals. It is located approx. 4.300 meters (14.000 ft) above sea level. Laguna Colorada is a red colored salt lake, also because of the presence of minerals. In these lagoons live flamingo's creating a very unique scene of spectacular beauty.

Bali, Indonesia

Bali may be small in size – you can drive around the entire coast in one long day – but its prominence as a destination is huge, and rightfully so. Ask travellers what Bali means to them and you’ll get as many answers as there are flowers on a frangipani tree. Virescent rice terraces, pulse-pounding surf, enchanting temple ceremonies, mesmerising dance performances and ribbons of beaches are just some of the images people cherish.

Small obviously doesn’t mean limited. The manic whirl of Kuta segues into the luxury of Seminyak. The artistic swirl of Ubud is a counterpoint to misty treks amid the volcanoes. Mellow beach towns like Amed, Lovina and Pemuteran can be found right round the coast and just offshore is the laid-back idyll of Nusa Lembongan.

As you stumble upon the exquisite little offerings left all over the island that materialise as if by magic, you’ll see that the tiny tapestry of colours and textures is a metaphor for Bali itself.

And those are just some of the more obvious qualities. A visit to Bali means that you are in the most visitor-friendly island of Indonesia. There are pleasures of the body, whether a massage on the beach or a hedonistic interlude in a sybaritic spa. Shopping that will put ‘extra bag’ at the top of your list. Food and drink ranging from the freshest local cuisine bursting with the flavours of the markets to food from around the globe, often prepared by chefs and served in restaurants that are world class. From a cold Bintang at sunset to an epic night clubbing in Kuta, your social whirl is limited only by your own fortitude.