When you travel to a Greek island, the first thing you sometimes want to know is the location of the ‘hottest’ beach. However, those that really touch your soul are often hidden somehow. The author hasn’t yet visited all of Corfu’s sandy strands, but she always keeps the following in her memory.

That my 18th birthday, graduation and the start of the new millennium were happening in the same year seemed more than random coincidence! My girlfriends and I had therefore decided we would spend our holiday on Corfu, the Greek island I had always hated when I was younger, when visits every summer meant time away from my friends. However, the summer break of the year 2000 changed my life.

THIS ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE. Created by thousands of years of the Colca River slicing through the highlands of Peru, the seemingly bottomless Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the Americas. It is now an adventure traveller’s haven of roaring rapids and ambitious treks, as well as home to the distinctive cultures and lifestyles of traditional communities.

Ushguli, pictured below, is the name of a collection of ancient villages located in the mountainous Svaneti region of northwest Georgia (the country in Europe). Ushguli is recognised as the highest settlement in Europe, set at altitudes between 2,086 and 2,200 metres above sea level. Symbolically, this highest settlement is guarded by Mt. Shkhara, the highest point in Georgia.

THIS ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND INDONESIAN. As the gateway to eastern Java, Surabaya has been a active metropolis and business hub for centuries. Monuments to its historical significance can be found standing among the modern structures, gigantic shopping malls and many hotels that make up the contemporary skyline. Thankfully, though, Surabaya has retained the title of cleanest city in Indonesia.