Puerto Morelos, a peaceful village on the Mayan Riviera, offers visitors a glimpse of the real Yucatan. Closer to Cancun airport than Cancun is, Puerto Morelos makes an excellent base for those seeking someplace quieter than glitzy nearby hotspots, Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

Historic and modern, European and Asian — that's Istanbul. The city at the junction of two continents is home to ancient structures like the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in the Old City, as well as modern businesses, hotels, restaurants and nightlife in the New City.

Forested hills, white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters greet visitors to tropical Palau Langkawi, the largest of the 99 islands in Langkawi archipelago.

Glamorous Santorini, in the southern Aegean's Cyclades islands, curves round a giant lagoon, a caldera left by a volcanic eruption.