Want to make your co-workers insanely jealous? Just casually drop "I’m holiday making in the Maldives this year" into conversation, preferably in the dead of winter. Or better yet, go there without mentioning it to anyone—then send them a "Wish you were here!" postcard.

Rawai is an off-the-beaten-path area of Phuket that attracts devotees of Muay Thai martial arts. Training centers here teach all levels, from absolute beginner to world champion. On the opposite end of the vacation spectrum, there’s the Phuket Seashell Museum, an immense collection of delicate specimens from around the world. A visit to the Sea Gypsy Village on the eastern end of Rawai Beach is a transformative experience.

Famed throughout Asia for its heady mix of eastern cultures, Penang Island is Malaysia’s prime melting pot. Roadside vendors serve some of the world’s best street food; its national parks offer white-sand beaches and wildlife; and UNESCO-listed George Town is full of colorful heritage houses.

Yangshuo offers breathtakingly beautiful scenery, particularly along the hill-lined Li River, which you can tour by cruise boat or, if you’re feeling primitive, by bamboo raft. Streets in Yangshuo are kept in their original style, preserving the layout of the ancient city. savoury local specialties like beer fish and shatian shaddocks are served on West Street, one of the town's liveliest thoroughfares. Kids will adore the local butterfly cave.

Why settle for a beachfront hotel when you can stay right over the ocean in a cottage on stilts? And why settle for any old dive site when you can snorkel in an orchid-walled lagoon? El Nido is known as the Philippines' last frontier, and if you're looking for magnificent beaches in an unspoiled setting, it's a perfect place for you to holiday.

So splendid was mediaeval Verona that its reputation alone inspired Shakespeare to set two plays here (Romeo and Juliet and The Two Gentlemen of Verona). Though its connection to the actual Capulets is tenuous at best, the so-called Juliet's House draws half a million tourists per year, many of them keen on reenacting the balcony scene. Don't miss the Roman amphitheatre and the Palazzo Barberi.

On the south coast of the Baltic Sea lies Kolobrzeg, a rare combination of beachy atmosphere and medieval architecture. Founded during the Middle Ages, the city survived the Thirty Years’ War and an invasion by Napoleon, but was devastated by WWII. Today, it’s a seaside spa destination that is also popular with outdoor adventurists, particularly for biking the European Route of Brick Gothic. Visit the lighthouse overlooking the River Parseta, stroll the promenade along Kolobrzeg Pier, or visit one of the area’s many wellness centers.