This Red Sea resort town on the tip of the Sinai peninsula offers world-class diving with spectacular reefs, magnificent drop-offs and shipwrecks waiting to be explored.

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.

Luxury resorts rub elbows with backpacker accommodations on the Thai island of Ko Samui, a 15-mile-long palm-covered tropical oasis located off the country's east coast.

The Mayan Riviera, Mexico's Caribbean coastline, is more than just the resort town of Playa del Carmen. Stretching from the fishing village of Puerto Morales to the biosphere reserve of Sian Ka'an, the area offers visitors a plethora of both eco-tourism and luxury destinations.