Along Albania’s Ionian coast, Himarë makes a compelling case for staying put. A lived-in seaside town rather than a glossy resort, it pairs a generous public beach with an unhurried, end-of-day promenade rhythm. Above it all, the atmospheric ruins of Old Himarë a cliff-top village with cobbled lanes and wildflowers, offer a quiet counterpoint to beach life below, with views that stretch endlessly across the Ionian. Days are easily divided between boat trips to hidden coves and road trips along the Riviera, hopping from one startlingly clear bay to the next. It’s slightly scruffy, real, and all the better for it, a place travellers tend to whisper about, not broadcast.

At the heart of Namibia lies Namib-Naukluft National Park, with a landscape like no place in the world. Vast and dramatic, it unfolds in burnished dunes, salt pans and endless horizons that feel almost lunar in scale. This is not a park for ticking sights off a list, but for slowing down - driving long, empty roads, watching oryx move across the sand, and staying in lodges that seem to dissolve into the desert. It’s elemental, humbling, and deeply cinematic, the kind of place that resets your sense of scale and time.

On the eastern edge of Indonesia, Sumba feels like a deliberate counterpoint to busy Bali. An island of savannah hills, ritual-filled villages and wild, wave-lashed beaches, it moves to a slower, more elemental rhythm. Days unfold between empty shorelines, waterfall swims and long drives through landscapes that feel almost African in scale. Alamayah is the place to stay - a quietly elegant retreat that leans into Sumba’s raw beauty rather than competing with it, offering space, stillness and a deep sense of connection to the land. This is Indonesia pared back to its essence, where luxury is measured in silence, nature and time.

A contrast to the polished capitals of Europe, Tbilisi is layered, soulful and refreshingly unfiltered. The Georgian capital unfolds in courtyards and backstreets, where crumbling balconies sit beside bold contemporary galleries, and centuries-old churches share space with Brutalist landmarks. Days are best spent drifting between sulphur baths, wine bars and flea markets, fuelled by khachapuri and glasses of amber wine. Affordable, creatively charged and quietly charismatic.

A world away from Ireland’s busier routes, Donegal feels raw, remote and deeply atmospheric. This is the country at its most elemental - towering cliffs, empty beaches and roads that wind through bogland and sea spray. Days are shaped by the weather: coastal walks along the Wild Atlantic Way, and long pub lunches. There’s a quiet creativity here too, from craft studios to thoughtful places to stay that embrace the landscape rather than tame it. Unpolished and profoundly beautiful, Donegal is Ireland at its most raw.