The 15 best beaches in the world

Free culture, huge parks and a pub on (almost) every corner

Bistros, romance and culture everywhere you turn: it can only be Paris

Modernista architecture meets Mediterranean beaches: result!

Delicious food, friendly people and 266 days of sun per year

Lose a weekend (and more) to raves and art in Europe’s hippest city

One city, two continents: never a dull moment

Bikes, bongs, beautiful buildings and all those canals

Top tapas and must-see museums. Oh, and it’s always sunny

From Christmas markets to Oktoberfest, Munich has tradition in spades

The Smiths, New Order, Oasis and the Haçienda: Manchester has music in its DNA

A sunny island city that’s a clean, green, modern machine

Traditional meets ultramodern (and it’s the world’s best city for food)

A colourful, frenetic city with a rich, East-meets-West heritage

Glittering temples meet huge skyscrapers and vibrant street life

A futuristic skyline looms over art deco beauty and quiet leafy streets

Imperial history, dumplings and counterculture in the Asian megacity

Australia’s ‘Emerald City’ glitters with lush foliage and a famous harbour

This buzzy cultural capital never stops (except for cocktails)

A sunny sub-tropical city on a snaking river

60,000 years of continuous Noongar culture in a modern boomtown

Country meets city chic in the home of Australia’s largest fringe fest

Gorgeous beaches, a thriving restaurant scene and… penguins? Count us in

From hammams to haggling at souks, Marrakech is chilled one minute, full-on the next

South Africa’s biggest, buzziest city feels like it’s being reborn. Get around with our guide

Imagine a place where you’re warm all year round. Got it? Well, that’s Durban

Had it with the Jo’burg crowds? Low-key Pretoria offers a more local (and eclectic) experience

The people, food, music, nightlife, wildlife... just five reasons we love Ghana’s capital 

This vast, football-mad metropolis is a melting pot of cultures, colours and cuisines

From Carnival to the ubiquitous street parties, no one throws a bash like Rio’s cariocas

Locals’ undying lust for life infatuates visitors to the humming Colombian capital

Head to Brazil’s biggest city for five-star food, killer clubs and sumptuous skylines