Wild deserts, prehistoric landscapes and lush valleys, Africa is the home of great wildernesses. The unknown for the Victorian explorers, the continent has been on the radar for discerning travellers for decades

With a sophisticated, well-preserved culture and rolling velvet hills, meandering up to the distant snowy peaks of the Himalayas, the Kingdom of Bhutan has a draw like few others.

India is not merely a country, it’s a continent. Travelling there is an assault on your senses: spices, colours, palaces, temples, bustle and a magic hard to articulate.

The Maldives is the ultimate picture-perfect destination. The sand really is that white and the sea really is that azure. But you still want to know the right place to go.

Home to the highest peak in the world, Nepal has so many stunning, jagged attractions that you might be forgiven for thinking that the country is only about trekking.

​Japan occupies a unique position in showcasing slick cities and sleepy verdant countryside; it’s a fully developed yet definitely ‘alien’ country. There is an allure to this fascinating and highly complex culture, but planning a holiday can seem daunting to a new visitor.

Vowel-challenged Kyrgyzstan, tucked between the giants of China and Kazakhstan, is carpeted in rolling velveteen hills, studded with rocky outcrops, gorges and glaciers and adorned by immaculate mirrored lakes.

Spanning an eighth of the circumference of the planet, Indonesia is one of the world’s most diverse countries. From the stunning sunrise over Borobudur, a UNESCO world heritage site, to the extraordinary sea life off the coast of the islands to the east of Bali, the archipelago has an amazing richness on offer.

Australia is a remarkable continent and a land of huge contrasts – untouched deserts, ancient rainforests, mystical Uluru, productive wine country, the mighty outback, the vast unknown interior, idyllic Barrier Reef Islands and sophisticated cities.