Seoul’s colourful food scene is one of the world’s best, with the South Korean city offering everything from street food to ancient tea-houses to Michelin-star restaurants.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2000 movie, The Beach, was disastrous for the ecosystem of Maya Bay, where it was partly filmed. After a pause in tourism the bay is on the road to recovery.

The author of Around the World in Eighty Days moved to Amiens when he started writing full-time. A walking tour of the tiny city visits his house, full of memorabilia, and the buildings that inspired him.

India’s Bandhavgarh National Park has one of the world’s healthiest populations of the endangered Bengal tiger. A lodge run by the family of a pioneer of tiger conservation is one of the best places to stay there.

Thai chocolate, made with cacao beans grown in the country, is relatively new, but is catching on among Bangkok diners and drinkers.

From a ride through nature and history on the route of a former railway line, to 500km of tracks spanning the island nation that are on course to more than double, Singapore has a lot to offer the casual cyclist.

There are a fistful of reasons for fans of The Lone Ranger and Billy the Kid, history buffs, and stargazers to visit the western desert state. Venture beyond its national parks to escape the crowds.

From botanical gardens to the country’s only preserved Viking ship and a fairground ride the pumps electricity into the national grid, Sweden’s second city has taken giant steps in sustainable living.

Priced from less than US$1 to US$100, Vietnam’s most extravagant banh mi sandwiches come with all kinds of fillings and flavours, each as tempting as the next.

It is the quintessential Christmas carol and this year, the Austrian city of Salzburg and nearby village of Oberndorf – the song’s birthplace – celebrate the 200th anniversary of its first performance.