Peru is a large country on the Pacific coast of South America, encompassing a desert coastline, tropical rainforest and soaring mountains, each with distinct environments. These offer an exceptional opportunity for travellers to experience a variety of landscapes, an abundance of wildlife, a rich history and archaeological heritage, and the vivacious character of durable native cultures, all within one nation.

Nauru is an unremarkable 16 square mile (21km) Micronesian island, just south of the equator, with a remarkable recent past. Until recently, phosphate mines gave the islanders one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. When the mines were exhausted the island was strip-mined for trace amounts to provide some export revenue. Left with an environmentally ravaged land and little source of income the nation was awarded recompense from Australia.

Manila, the somewhat daunting capital and pulsating hub of the Philippines, is situated on the east coast of Luzon, the most northerly island, also the largest and the most developed. The city was founded in 1571 on the site of a Muslim settlement. The city is made up of 16 areas which were once towns in their own right, and its major tourist attraction is the old Spanish walled city known as Intramuros, which contains some historic buildings and ruins.

A city of culture and cuisine, boutiques, bars and hidden treasures Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, exudes the confidence of an architecturally beautiful city that has 5,000 years of fascinating history tucked under its belt. The magnificent Baroque, Renaissance and art nouveau edifices of, in particular, its old town centre, and the many charming squares, exude the intimate atmosphere of a small town, while its lively cultural, scientific, educational and business communities leave no doubt that this is a modern city in tune with the times.

Budapest, known as the 'Queen of the Danube', is a magnificent city exuding a cultural sophistication that entices and enchants. Gracing both sides of the legendary river with grand historic buildings, regal bridges and graceful tree-lined boulevards, it is the city's elegant beauty and romantic atmosphere that has given Budapest Parisian status among the Eastern European countries.

Known to many under British rule as the Gilbert Islands, Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas) may be a tiny nation in the central tropical Pacific Ocean, but its 33 atolls, mostly surrounding turquoise lagoons and barely rising above the surrounding ocean, span a whopping 1.4 million square miles (3.5 million sq km) of the Pacific Ocean.

Portugal shares the Iberian Peninsula with Spain, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. Its long, varied coastline, sunny climate, and the relaxed lifestyle of the inhabitants of its charming towns and villages have made it a sought after holiday destination. The delight of Portugal is that, although it is undeniably part of modern Europe, it retains some rural enclaves where time has stood still and traditions flourish. In the southern province of the Algarve, modern high-rise resorts line the coast and buzz with all the trappings of a package tour destination; the capital city, Lisbon, on the west coast, is a bright, busy, crowded metropolis surrounded by bustling tourist resorts. Travel a few miles north or east, however, and discover a largely undeveloped picturesque countryside full of medieval villages and towns where life has changed little over several centuries.

Exuding an air of paradise with its exotic palm-fringed beaches, clear turquoise waters, majestic mountains, verdant jungles and beguiling Mayan ruins, the laid back way of life and relative obscurity to the tourist market makes Honduras an ideal holiday getaway for those who enjoy getting off the beaten track.

Landlocked and surrounded by turbulent eastern European countries, and containing the notorious United Nations administered hotspot of Kosovo, the newly independent Republic of Serbia (formerly part of Yugoslavia) has seemingly little to draw tourists. In fact, anyone planning to travel to Serbia will find it difficult to locate an up-to-date guide to the country or any information on what to expect beyond the confines of the capital city, Belgrade. The city itself, still scarred with the devastation of a long civil war, is lauded in travel literature mainly for its vibrant nightlife, although, being one of Europe's most ancient capitals, it has plenty of interest to offer sight-seers.

Downtown Buenos Aires is as sophisticated as any European city, with its wide avenues, fine colonial architecture and rows of pavement cafes. The city was built by French, Italian and Spanish immigrants and the Porteños (locals) still regard themselves as more European than South American. Travellers walking through the leafy parks and boulevards could be forgiven for thinking they were in Madrid, Paris or Milan.