Five of the top places to visit are outlined below:

1.    Ben Thanh Market.
For a slice of Vietnam it is well worth going to Ben Thanh Market.  It is a great spot to purchase souvenirs, t-shirts, or a tailor made outfit.  Be sure to haggle to try and get a better deal.  If you are after a cheap, tasty, quick meal or some coffee or nuts to take home, you can get them easily here. 
2.    War Remnants Museum (Nha Trung Bay Toi Ac Chien Tranh), 28 Vo Van Tan Street District Three.
In a city with several museums, this one is very popular with visitors.  It presents a pictorial history of the American War (as it is called in Vietnam).  Sometimes the photographs will challenge the viewer and give them a better insight into this tough era.
3.    Central Post Office – at the top of Dong Khoi Street.
The Central Post Office is more than just a place to post a letter, as the centrally located French Colonial building has much appeal.  Look out for the ATMs in old phone boxes and for colourful stamps to send postcards home.
4.    Notre Dame Cathedral, at the top of Dong Khoi Street.
This is a picturesque Cathedral, opposite the Central Post Office, with a beautiful statue of Mary.
5.    Reunification Palace.
There is nothing pretty about this old building that was once a Presidential Palace, but it is now a museum with displays documenting the history of the War.  It is recommended to take a guided tour when visiting the interesting monument.

Rooms and Facilities

The hotel’s 120 spacious rooms are set in a turn-of-the century Portuguese mansion with 10 suites and 10 independent cottages. Suites and deluxe rooms have traditional Goan paintings and terracotta sculpture to complement the olive green and sandstone decor.  Set amid green spaces, the hotel has a heated indoor pool, traditional ayurvedic massage spa and casino.  The hotel offers wired and Wi-Fi internet services, satellite television, international direct dial, a minibar, tea and coffee maker.  The poolside restaurant has two live food counters featuring traditional Indian and European cuisine.  The indoor restaurant has a delightfully Goan lunch and dinner buffet.  A short stroll down to the beach also allows guests to enjoy parasailing and jet skiing in the waters of the Arabian Sea. The private beach also has active and vigilant lifeguards although the water is red-flagged just a few meters out.

The Majorda Beach resort offers the elegance of Goa’s warmth and hospitality to its discerning clientele, without the kitschy ambience of a run-of-the-mill resort.

The holiday highlight for most visitors to the Maldives is being able to see exotic fish and the coral reef life with your own eyes.  Many pelagic creatures such as sharks, oriental sweetlips, rays, and blue-lined snappers can be seen.  The clear waters of the Maldives offer enough light and visibility so that diving to see these creatures is pretty straightforward.

If diving is not for you then you can enjoy a tour of the creatures that reside in the coral reef of the Maldives through taking a passenger submarine.  This allows you to enjoy both the day and night creatures as tours operate at all hours of the day.  Passengers are treated to the sights of yellow boxfish, turtles, and yellow-blue stripped snappers and even tip reef sharks.

Visitors on Maldives holidays can see different kinds of marine life at different times of year.  The Maldives is ruled by two seasons, namely the north-east monsoon that dominates during the months of December to April, and the south-east monsoon, dominating the climate and seas during the months of May to November.

You can reach Rome by air from two airports, Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport and Ciampino International Airport.  Ciampino is served by UK budget airlines and is actually closer to Rome than the Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport.

A Roma Pass might be worth purchasing if you plan to stay for at least three days in the city.  This enables you to save on entrance fees to museums and attractions, also giving you free public transport.

If you want to shop in Rome, there is ample opportunity.  Fashion lovers are well provided for with numerous designer stores throughout the city.  There are also many independent boutiques giving you a new and refreshing shopping experience.  The Via Del Condotti is the main shopping thoroughfare for designer labels.

The Italians take their food very seriously and you will find a wide range of delicious Italian meals on the menu in the trattorias and bustling pavement cafés.  Whether it is a simple pizza or pasta dish, or the most exquisite dark chocolate ice cream, Rome will keep you coming back for more.

Combining cultures from East to West, Marseilles is home to a large population of North Africans, Spanish, Italian and other Mediterranean peoples. The third largest city in France, Marseilles was founded in 600BC, making it one of Europe’s oldest cities. It is, to this day, one of France’s most important port cities.

Terracotta roofed buildings, sunny walkways and a diverse selection of locals has led to a fascinating blend of cultures. The open air markets, which merge Provençal French markets with Moroccan souk-style bazaars, are the perfect place to see how this mix of people get along with one another and offer delicacies unique to Marseilles, such as their famous dish bouillabaisse and the beautifully perfumed soaps, which are milled in the city and scented with Provencal lavender and herbs.

Fans of the author, Alexandre Dumas, should not miss the opportunity to visit the Château d’If by taking a boat to the island prison, which held the Count of Monte Cristo in the novel of the same name.

For guests looking for luxury holiday dining, the most unique restaurant in the Maldives is the Ithaa Underwater restaurant on the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.  Serving contemporary fusion cuisine that mixes Asian and Western influences, this exquisite award-winning restaurant is situated 15 feet into the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a spectacular coral reef.  The coral reef offers a 270-degree panoramic view.  To reach Ithaa, guests walk across a wooden walkway from the oversea Sunset Grill Restaurant.  To ensure intimacy and privacy, only 14 lucky guests are admitted into the underground dining area.

The world’s first underwater restaurant itself is encased in clear acrylic, and this one of a kind restaurant is the only one where guests are surrounded by glass with fish swimming on the outside.  The flavours are proudly Maldivian, featuring traditional spices of Maldivian cooking in Western recipes.  Ithaa itself has become a top tourist attraction of the island.

The restaurant is open for cocktail hours, lunch and dinner, all served in elegant ocean themed dining ware.  Cocktail hour only includes drinks and canapés.

Firstly, any journey to and from this mountain city is an experience in and of itself.  Spectacular will not even begin to describe your assent and descent through this lush, green, undulating mountain range.  Dalat, famed for being the ‘city of eternal spring’, is significantly cooler than other places in Vietnam due to its high altitude, so be sure to pack a cardigan – not usual advice for those travelling through sub-tropical Southeast Asia.

The centre of this unique city is located on a lake where you can enjoy a coffee and watch the world go by, and even spot a Vietnamese cowboy and his horse posing for photographs if you’re lucky!  Also it is well worth taking a climb to, or even staying the night at, the ‘Crazy House’ if your budget allows, for a taste of the weird and wacky world of planning permission gone berserk in this hybrid of creative madness. 

However, the main must-do activity when visiting this city involves taking a trip to the mountains for a trek.  Be warned, it is not for the faint hearted, but if you can make it to the top of the 2,160 metre high Lang Bian Mountain, the views you are treated to will leave you breathless in more ways than one.

Borovets itself is in northwestern Bulgaria and has been attracting tourists for over a hundred years, although due to Bulgaria’s varied past it has only recently become of interest to Western Europeans.  The capital, Sofia, is around an hour’s drive away and the slopes are covered in snow from mid December until April, making it a relatively long season.

The highest pistes, or paths, are found at around 2600 metres but there are plenty of smaller slopes, wooded areas and Balkan restaurants and bars to keep you entertained.  The coldest month is January, where the temperature drops to around five degrees Celsius, but the bright sunshine ensures that your stay remains enjoyable.

The Bulgarian people are friendly and welcoming once the initial boundaries have been broken and they sure will make you feel welcomed and encourage you to try the local cuisine and the national firewater, rakia.  Ski instructors are available to teach people of all levels of skills at a low cost.  Due to the presence of children’s clubs, the little ones can stay entertained too.

If you fancy getting away from the slopes, the nearby Rila Monastery or simply strolling around the city of Sofia will open your eyes to a whole new colourful and captivating Bulgaria.

St Lucia is a perfect choice for visitors seeking that luxury holiday experience with a difference. St Lucia holidays can be as peaceful and relaxing you choose or provide challenges to experience in a safe and supportive environment.

Romantic breaks couple with opportunities for adventure and children are made very welcome with plenty of activities and fun for all. Many resorts offer special activities for children allowing parents a few quiet hours together

A stunning natural landscape means that those looking to explore will find different experiences almost around every corner. Explore the white beaches in the north before moving down the island, encountering a hinterland of jungle valleys filled with coconut and banana plantations and always the soaring volcanic mountain peaks remain in view. In the south there are black volcanic sands and everywhere there are small coastal villages and turquoise bays.

The tropical weather provides opportunities to soak up the sun, basking on a beach or on the veranda of a luxury holiday resort while enjoying a local cocktail, preparing for a long, leisurely meal with local specialities and gourmet international cuisine. Golfers have an excellent choice of courses and divers will find a paradise of mountains and caves under the water.

Hannover is home to the Herrenhausen Gardens.  Commissioned by Sophia of Hannover and created by the French gardener Martin Charbonnier, the Herrenhousen Gardens contain 50 hectares of lawn, walkways, statues and hedges all arranged in strict geometrical patterns.  Every summer it plays host to a series of arts festivals and musical performances.

Maschsee Lake is one Hannover’s most popular attractions.  Spread over almost a kilometre and boasting 6km of pathway, it is a favoured spot for local joggers, cyclists and inline skaters.  It’s also home to the annual Maschsee lake festival, where visitors are treated to gastronomic delights, performances, music and fireworks.

If you like to wander around a city and discover things for yourself, Hannover’s Red Thread is for you.  It’s literally a red line that’s been painted on the pavements along 4,200 metres and joins up many of the inner city attractions.  Pick up a brochure at the tourist office and gain an insight into the beautiful buildings and monuments that make up Hannover’s old town.

The city centre is the main shopping area, with many streets named after the Hannoverian kings of England.  Georgestrasse is home to many familiar names as well as the more exclusive boutiques. If you like markets, head to the banks of the River Leine for one of Europe’s oldest flea markets.

The tiergarten, or “animal garden”, is a special attraction because it is home to more than a hundred red deer, wild horses, rare bats and hundreds of species of birds.

The Marktkirche, or literally “church on the market square”, is the most southern example of neo-gothic German architecture.  First erected in the 14th century, it was destroyed during the war and then rebuilt in 1952.

Most business visitors to Hannover will be familiar with the Hannover Congress Centre.  It was once the city’s oldest city hall, but is now used for conferences and trade fares.  Behind it is the Stadtpark, a beautifully sculpted space containing Japanese tea houses and numerous pathways that lead to the city’s forest.