The Spanish island of Mallorca feeds your wanderlust with vivid visions of the past as well as sparkling sea moments in the here and now.

True, southern Mallorca can be over crowded and over touristic, especially in August. But take the main highway north to parts less frequented and you will find a peaceful paradise of tradition and slow living. Spending a day or two in Palma de Mallorca is not a bad idea, if only to take in the magnificent Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, locally known as La Seu. Begun in 1229, its nave is the highest of all Gothic cathedrals, higher even than Notre Dame de Paris. Mallorca’s strategic location along the ideological rift between Christianity and Islam, Carthaginians and Romans, North and South means that it has a tumultuous history of siege and warfare. The construction of the cathedral is a testament to this upheaval and was not completed until 1601.

They say that Jordan is the land of Milk and Honey. I would say that this is really selling the place short. Why settle for milk and honey when vast Roman cities, the Dead Sea and (hello!) Petra are on offer?

If you are looking for a truly spectacular cultural experience, Jordan is your next destination. All its wonders are packed into a relatively small country so two weeks is enough time to slowly savor it’s many delights. Sure, you can do an abbreviated version in a week, but then you’ll not have the chance to accept that generous invitation to tea from a random stranger. This will happen by the way. Soft spoken and kind-hearted Jordanians are crazy hospitable. Possibly the friendliest nation I’ve ever visited.

Venice is a city of floating visions and faded splendor, a place where romance lurks around every corner.  

When arriving by taxi boat from the airport, one’s first glimpse of Venice is of renaissance spires and domed churches rising from the sea. Taking in the mirage of towers and palazzos where there should be none is an indescribable thrill, one unique to this watery world of reflections.

Venice is situated on a collection of small islands cast across a vast lagoon in the northern reaches of the Adriatic Sea. The jade green water of the lagoon is protected from the sea by the stretch of sand called the Lido where Lord Byron raced on horseback with Percy Shelley. Waterways and canals crisscross the town and transport is limited to boats and foot traffic. Be prepared to arrive by boat to your hotel and walk a thousand miles a day.

Exploring the lavender region of France is like dipping your entire life into an aromatherapy bath...

...drinking in the heady scent of lavender and rosewater with every breath heightens senses and deepens relaxation. Thriving on a high plateau between mountain and sea, this specialized region produces most of France’s lavender and is country blessed with sweet dreams and perfumed days.

Come with me to a sparkling Mediterranean island of blinding natural beauty and steeped in colorful history.  

Corsica is my favorite Mediterranean island for so many reasons it makes me wish I was a poet. This monument of granite rising from crystalline waters to heights of snowy splendour holds so many charms I needed six weeks to savour them all.  But it was the rugged northern region which stole my slow living heart. Considered the heartland of Corsica by the native sons and daughters of this fiercely independent island the area around Calvi, Ile Rousse and Bastia offers spectacular scenery, a vibrant narrative, a proudly traditional agricultural scene and heritage wineries. I think that Corsica is France's best kept secret, which make it the ideal Travellur destination. Strict environmental laws and development limitations, inhibit over development resulting in higher prices and fewer accommodation options, but is made up for in spades by the beauty that is protected. 

Morocco is a land of color and anomaly. It boasts an ancient history spanning millennia which saw Roman rule, Vandal settlement, a blanketing of Islamic culture and, in our era, French refinement.

I fell in love with this North African nation when my husband took me there on our third date. I had a magical adventure and knew I had to share its mysteries with the travelers in my life. The legendary square Jemaa el Fna in the medina of Marrakech is a trip back in time. Way back. I didn't really understand how far back until we were deep in the labyrinthine streets and an electrical surge caused a black out in the entire medina. As candles flickered alive, we were transported back a thousand years, to a time long before black outs, to an imperial city in its medieval glory.