New Orleans is unlike any other city in the United States. Founded in 1718, it carries layers of French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean influence that can be felt in everything from its architecture to its street music. The French Quarter, the oldest neighborhood in the city, is full of iron-laced balconies, gas lamps, and narrow streets that echo with the sounds of live jazz.

Plettenberg Bay is the jewel of The Garden Route. It's more than a village, less than a town. Plettenberg Bay is tranquil and charming, hospitable and rather special. Originally christened "Bahia Formosa" (beautiful bay) by early Portuguese explorers, Plettenberg Bay can now be accessed by first class national roads, by sea or by scheduled air flights.

Gosier, the largest tourist area, has the works - casino, resort hotels, scalloped sandy coves and an original village center which has managed to retain its local character.

The region of Lapland, Finland, is a dream come true for travelers in search of a real winter wonderland. The area has long been associated with Father Christmas, reindeer and a dense, snow-covered wilderness.

Collioure, just before the Spanish border, aims its charms at its own people. It's the ideal small town-without-the-glitz antidote to condo city Riviera. Like an ice cream shop, Collioure offers 31 flavors of pastel houses and six petite scooped-out beach-sprinkled lightly with beachgoers.