Egypt has earned a reputation for being a boring, lifeless desert. During the olden days, it was considered a gloomy and an uninteresting place.

Hong Kong welcomes visitors from all over the world with a grin. The urban embodiment of the balancing act between Chinese and European cultures, Hong Kong has long been one of the most vibrant business centres on earth.

South India has a multitude of beautiful things to buy. The region produces fabulous textiles including the famous Kanchipuram silk. It's also known for woodcarving, especially sandalwood, and various forms of metalwork.

The main Canary Islands of Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria have enjoyed many years of buoyant tourist numbers, boosted by a number of factors that placed the islands in an almost unique sweet spot as far a the ideal travel destination is concerned.

The northern stretch of Malta is a much lesser-known area than other parts of the island, with the exception of the St. Paul's Bay area, one of three large resorts on the island. St. Paul's Bay is the ideal vacation spot if you like to incorporate a bit of this and a bit of that into your holiday.

This year has started well for the Malta holidays and hotel industry, with an increase in visitors for the first few months compared to 2006 - a good indication that if the off peak season is doing well the rest of the year could also see good gains in holiday tourists to the Mediterranean island.

We all love to take time to get away from the stresses of life to enjoy a vacation. Many people think that if they have a baby or very young children, they can no longer take a vacation.

Although the language is predominantly Spanish, Lanzarote, the fourth largest of the Canary Islands, is less than 100 miles off the coast of Africa to which it owes the benefits of its fine climate.

The writing is on the wall for low cost airlines operating out of the UK and other European countries as the Conservative Party - once a campaigner and implementer of lower taxes - has called for purchase tax to be introduced to domestic flights.

Eating dinner or lunch in ethnic neighborhoods is another way to sample the local cuisine and culture while saving lots of money. Sampling the food in the local Chinatown, Korea town, Little Italy, Little Saigon or similar neighborhood is a great way to meet local people and enjoy some great food.