Bangkok is a city to overload the senses. Streets are crowded by tuk-tuks (motorized tri-shaws) and the occasional elephant weaving through congested traffic.

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

It's the East Coast's answer to Las Vegas. Atlantic City's casinos draw tourists by the car- and bus-load, but even if your main objective is to play some blackjack, you'll want to save time for sightseeing.

Paphos, the capital of western Cyprus, has some serious historical clout. Site of the vast fourth-century BC Tombs of the Kings, set high on a cliff above the sparkling sea, as well as a dramatic Byzantine castle and fine mosaics, it's also known as the birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite.