Bali

A monsoon deluge broke as we approached the emerald rainforests of Ubud, sending a family of chattering monkeys, some holding each other's tails, scampering for the sanctuary of the sandalwoods trees.  It was that bewitching hour in the tropics when day turns rapidly into bible-black night, as if a curtain has dropped, and driving through plantations of coconut, mangrove and banana we plunged ever deeper into the verdant, virgin valley where far below the vodka-clear Ayung river gurgled over rocks.

SEE WHALES BREACH ON THE GARDEN ROUTE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Strictly speaking the Garden Route is just a four-hour coastal drive along the southern edge of Africa, one end an afternoon’s drive from Cape Town, the other two hours from Port Elizabeth. But no other highway is this appealing. It boasts the world’s second mildest climate, losing out only to Hawaii. The year-round rain means that its ten national parks are bursting with flora and fauna: more than 300 species of birds, coral reefs, elephants, dolphins and several types of whale.