When I was working in travel, a lot of clients planning a visit to South America would ask if Santiago in Chile was worth spending a few days. As I discovered, the city is surprisingly cosmopolitan, friendly and artistic. If you like food and wine, architecture, great views and a bit of quirkiness, you’re going to love a Santiago stopover.

Fiji is one of the friendliest places in the world, mostly due to the Fijian locals. Grinning from ear to ear and always eager to share with you their traditions and culture, we had a complete local experience during our travels to this beautiful island.

The central European country of Poland is up there as one of my favourite places to travel. Central Europe draws me back again and again with its friendly people, beautiful and intriguing old towns and hearty food. Budapest, Prague and Krakow (to name just a few) are vibrant cities and will always hold a special place in my heart.

The idea of hiking on a glacier and seeing the Northern Lights dancing in the sky lured me to brave the cold of an Icelandic winter, it was worth it.

I was flying through a sea of clouds over a crystal clear lake, hedged by rugged snow capped mountains. Looking out the window, I whistled to myself. After all these years I had finally made it across the pond – hello Queenstown.

Australians have a long affinity with holidaying in Bali. A cheap and cheerful holiday destination, Bali is a close and convenient option for those seeking an island break. On a recent trip to Bali my sister and I took a few days to wander off the well-worn tourist trail and discover a few secret spots.

There’s a lot to see outside Iceland’s capital city Reykjavik and it can be difficult to choose which direction to head – there are amazing landscapes and fun activities all over the country.

My wife, Inga and I were fortunate to do a road trip from Austin, Texas to NYC back in June/July 2009. We capped off the trip with nine beautiful, sunny summer days in the Big Apple.

Cuba is hands-down the most fascinating place I’ve ever visited – photographically speaking, too. On my first day in Havana my camera might as well have been surgically attached to my hands; I just couldn’t stop snapping. Oh, look at that cool vintage car! Click. Ooh, an abandoned theatre! Click, click, click.

Arriving into Bariloche, Argentina, you could be mistaken for thinking that you’re flying into a European alpine destination. The region’s landscape is very similar to the EU, dense with cypress trees, mountains, lakes and quaint villages. I felt I had been transported from South America direct to Western Europe!