AUCKLAND

• Sited on a splendid and hilly isthmus, this is New Zealand's largest and most vibrant city. The newly redeveloped pierside offers intimate bars and splendid restaurants, while the harbour is a constantly shifting panorama of yachts that has earned the city its nick-name, the City of Sails. Travel south to experience the mighty geysers and plopping mud pools of Rotorua, or go underground in Waitomo and walk through grottoes illuminated by a million glow-worms.

BALI

• Welcome to the 'Morning of the World'. Bali isn't just incredibly beautiful: it's also profoundly moving. Religion is part of the fabric of daily life. Every house is also a temple and several times a day elaborate offerings of food are presented to the gods. Listen to the haunting strains of gamelan music, dine on spicy Indonesian delicacies or an extensive rijstaffel, or shop for hand printed batik.

BARRIER REEF

• The largest living thing on earth, the 1,232 mile long Great Barrier Reef is entirely composed of tiny corals - over 300 types have been counted here. The reef is populated with technicolour fish and rare bird species. Its ethereal combinations of white surf, azure and lapis lazuli waters and cloudless skies add up to a day of wondrous beauty which you will remember forever.

BOMBAY

• Authorities deny there is poverty. Suffice to say that those on the 90-minute coach ride from the airport to the marbled Oberoi Towers Hotel saw enough to vow never to complain again. We all agreed, however, that India was an intoxicating country worthy of greater exploration.

BRISBANE

• The capital of Queensland, Brisbane is Australia's third city. Notable buildings include the Observatory (built by convicts), Parliament House and the extensive stadia and pavilions built for the 1982 Commonwealth Games. Naturally, you can count on sampling fine wines here - but one delicacy you'll never have heard of is delicious Moreton Bay Bugs, halfway between a crayfish and a lobster.

COCHIN

• Don't miss the day excursion to the backwaters of Alleppey - Venice of India - where the quality of life amid the rice fields is a sight to behold. The children, so eager to learn, do beg - but for pens and pencils instead of rupees. And the lunch will give you a taste of real India - with no ill effects.

DARWIN

• A rollicking town with a frontier spirit, and named after its most famous visitor, Darwin is the capital of Australia's Northern Territory. Surrounded by rain forests and acres of sugar cane, Darwin itself is surprisingly modern, largely due to the fact that the city has been rebuilt following typhoon damage. For spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife, head out of town to the wide open spaces of Kakadu National Park.

FREMANTLE/PERTH

• 'Freo' as the locals call it is a charming city with a profusion of Victorian pubs, hotels and shops to divert you. Six miles inland is Perth, the wealthiest city in the Antipodes and home to many millionaires. Its also the most remote major city on earth. Tour its leafy suburbs with their fabulous homes, consider the exhibits in the Western Australia Museum, or shop in the city centre in a half-timbered mall.

HOBART

• Tasmania's remoteness from the continent of Australia means that is has retained superb and substantial echoes of its stately colonial past in the form of elegant mansions, picturesque villages and towns rich in Georgian architecture. Here you'll also find wombats and the elusive Tasmanian Devil haunting a nearby wildlife park.

HONG KONG

• Now that they have run out of things to redevelop they are reclaiming the harbour to build things even taller. Two great rides not to be missed - the Peak Tram for a sensational hillside view and the Star Ferry for an unforgettable harbour crossing. Make sure to lunch at the Peninsula Hotel and if you disembark here, stay at least one night at the Mandarin, regarded by many as the finest hotel in the world.

HONOLULU

• Aloha, and welcome to Hawaii. Garlanded with a flowery lei, here's your chance to watch hula dancing, try surfing on famed Waikiki Beach or invest in a really loud shirt. Iolani Palace is unique - the only royal residence on US soil. At Waimea National Park, with its undisturbed forests and spectacular waterfalls, you'll get some idea of how the whole archipelago looked when Captain James Cook arrived in 1778. Pearl Harbour provides a sobering reminder of the attack that drew America into World War Two.

KOTA KINABALU

• Magnificently sited in the shadow of Mount Kinabalu, this Malaysian port was known as Jesselton throughout the long British occupation of Malaysia. See the world's largest flower, the huge Rafflesia (named after Sir Stamford Raffles) - though as a single bloom can weigh 20lbs, you probably wouldn't want to carry a bunch home with you. At Mangkabone you'll see another amazing sight: an entire village built on stilts over the water.

LAHAINA

• The vast majority of tourists to Hawaii visit the island of Oahu: which is something of a pity as Maui is devastatingly lovely. Take a helicopter ride over the soaring sea cliffs and the coast of neighbouring Molokai and you'll be overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. Kaanapali Beach has great resorts and superb snorkelling. Lahaina itself is a town of considerable charm, with many reminders of its bygone whaling days.

MELBOURNE

• The second largest Australian city after Sydney, there's no way that Melbourne is a runner up. Instead, its a vibrant and gracious metropolis, boasting sweeping parks, revered universities and splendid theatres. Sports lovers will be more than familiar with the famous cricket ground and the race track. Melburnians are convinced that, unlike Sydney, the reason for their city's dignity is that it was founded by free men - not convicts.

PAPEETE

• Today the strains of 'Bali Hai' may drift into your head. For truly, few places on earth epitomise your idea of a tropical paradise more than glorious Tahitian islands. This is where de Bougainville discovered bougainvillea (one wonders what it was called before he found it) and where Gauguin discovered his final home and ultimate inspiration, Two captains figure prominently in the island's history, Captain Cook - who has a memorial here - and Captain Bligh - who doesn¹t. Papeete itself has plenty to occupy you, from its colourful market and many museums to a host of excellent shops and restaurants. However, for the complete paradise island experience discover Tahiti's exquisite interior with its waterfalls, botanical gardens and the superb underwater observatory known as the Lagoonarium.

PENANG

• Five-star hotels and five-star beaches. The batiq factory is a must, the Snake Temple should be renamed Hunt-the-Snake Temple, but the Ku Klan Temple, not to be confused with the Ku Klux Klan, is worth a visit.

SINGAPORE

• Orchard Road is a shopper's paradise, but make sure your credit card can take a battering. Clinical efficiency and appearance, with the renowned Raffles Hotel the tourist honey pot. Make sure to have a Singapore Sling. Prices are mind-boggling. You may have to search for evidence of the city's oriental origins or colonial past. In Chinatown there are splendidly restored temples and intriguing street restaurants.

SUVA

• There are more than 300 Fijian islands: you'll see many of them as you approach the capital Suva. Here the people are an attractive mix of Polynesian and Indian. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal, the welcome to visitors warm and genuine. The national sport is firewalking, the national drink fiery kava: neither are recommended for westerners. On the other hand, a visit to Orchid Island, where orchids grow and vanilla and coffee flourish, is a great idea.

SYDNEY

• This is a city with a breezy and invigorating attitude that will prove infectious. In the historic 'Rocks', you'll see where it all started when the first convicts founded the city. You'll have seen both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge as you docked, but you can tour the former and cross the latter. Dining ashore is tempting, with literally hundreds of restaurants to choose from. Shopping, too, is rewarding. How about a Drizabone raincoat or necklace of sparkling local opals?

YASAWA -I-RARA

• Yasawa-i-Rara, in the Fijian islands, is one of the places that even the most experienced of travellers is unlikely to have heard of. And that is precisely its charm. You can't get much further off the beaten track than this. There's nothing to do but sample a sublime barbecue on the beach, doze in a hammock or paddle in translucent waters.