Experienced surfers looking for a pristine break are heading to a remote archipelago somewhere between Hawaii and the Philippines. The Marshall Islands are hard to find and even harder to get to – and of course, that’s part of their appeal. Most of the 29 coral atolls that make up the Islands are unknown to western travellers, only one – Bikini Atoll – stirs a look of recognition.

Madrid is a city of constants and contrasts: the optimistic blue sky that greets you almost every morning of the year, the municipal workers crowding elbow to elbow with besuited lawyers at the counter of the corner coffee bar. Yet its charms are sometime

If you're still working on your travel plans for the year, read on for our pick of the top TV and Film locations to visit in 2020. Take inspiration from The Secret Garden and embark on a road trip to visit some of the most beautiful ornamental gardens in the UK

Francis Ford Coppola – the name needs no introduction. As a director in the 1970s he changed the face of filmmaking with The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, and in the decades since his children have made their own waves in Hollywood. His daughter Sofia directed the cult movie Lost in Translation, and his son Roman wrote Moonrise Kingdom and The Darjeeling Limited with Wes Anderson.

For Maria Ferida Fava, opening the doors to the first guests at her crimson-walled villa in the chic Amalfi Coast town of Praiano was not just about the satisfaction that comes with the completion of a long building project. Nor was it pride in the savvy business decision of creating a luxury villa in a highly sought-after tourist spot.

A family love for this Caribbean Island led Dr Malur Balaji to build a fabulously detailed, Mughal-style getaway for his family and yours to enjoy. The Balaji family’s affection for the Dominican Republic’s lush, tropical north coast started over 30 years ago on a family vacation to escape a cold and snowy Northeast winter.

In a city packed to the rafters with historic sites, planning a trip to Athens can be overwhelming. Especially when it comes to knowing the best things to do in Athens – and what to skip. There are several ancient sites in Athens well worth the effort (including the Acropolis of course). However, a lot of the city's charm lies in cafe-hopping in the sunshine, or browsing the huge variety of goods for sale at the Bazaar.

Surrounded by deep blue water, peering through the gloom to see the monumental outline of a sunken warship resting peacefully against the ocean floor – there’s few thrills more captivating than wreck diving. The United Nations estimates that there are more than 3 million shipwrecks scattered throughout the world’s oceans, some dating back a thousand years or more, and many hidden too deep for humans to reach with simple scuba equipment.

Dreaming of Caribbean escape with miles of unspoiled beaches, crystal waters and world-class cuisine? You’ve come to the right place. Turks and Caicos, a British protectorate with Jamaican influences and the American dollar, boasts the third largest barrier reef in the world, making for calm, clear ocean and excellent snorkeling and diving.

Over a quarter of Costa Rica’s landmass is National Park, which means you’re more than likely to come across at least one on your visit. Covering rainforests, beaches, volcanoes, cloud forest and more, for many people, exploring the biodiversity of this small but beautifully formed country is a major reason to visit in the first place. Costa Rica might be fairly small, but its road system is still rustic in places, meaning getting from place to place can be a challenge, especially in rainy season. It makes more sense to explore one region to the full than try to hare-brain it around the country ticking off everything. With that in mind, here are some of the most beautiful parks in Costa Rica, and why you should visit each of them.

On a bucolic Umbrian hilltop, some 30 minutes outside Orvieto, lies Decugnano, a former medieval village now transformed into the Barbi winemaking estate. Home to winemaker Enzo Barbi, the outcrop is surrounded by vineyards on all sides, forming a picture-perfect vision of rural Italy.

Italian beaches sometimes get a bad rap. Known for their rows of sun loungers, each section owned and patrolled by a different beach club or hotel, you would be forgiven for thinking that finding an unspoiled stretch of sand is nigh-on impossible. While many beaches in Italy are private, if you know where to look you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the wild and beautiful beaches you’ll find – especially in the less touristy region of Puglia, and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.

The French Riviera has been the backdrop to countless movies and movie-worthy romances since the fashionable British and American set – from Gertrude Stein to F. Scott Fitzgerald – started spending summers there in the 1920s. And ever since Brigitte Bardot stepped onto the scene in Et Dieu Créa La Femme, tourists have been flocking to the sun-soaked region to get a taste of European glamour the likes of which you just can’t find anywhere else.

Lisbon has been getting a whole lot of press recently, and visitors numbers are higher than ever. And while you really should visit Lisbon if you haven’t been before, there’s a whole lot more to Portugal than its capital city. For people looking a little further afield, we’ve rounded up some of best places to visit in Portugal, places that will give you a whole new perspective on this small yet mighty country.

Misha Gillingham of Wildluxe was born and raised in Malibu, but her taste for adventure sees her exploring a new corner of the world every few weeks. She recently touched down in the beautiful coastal town of Canggu on Bali’s south coast, to stay at Villa Mana for a few days of rest and relaxation.

With five percent of the world’s total biodiversity, Costa Rica is a fascinating destination. It's packed with abundant natural charms, from ethereal cloud forest to the pounding waves of the Pacific Ocean.