With lively restaurants, white-sand beaches, ever-expanding resorts and a natural harbor, Grand Baie is fertile tourist ground. Located on the northwest coast of Mauritius, its fashion and craft shops appeal to landlubbers, while swimming, sailing and windsurfing enthusiasts frolic in the emerald Indian Ocean. Glass-bottom boat trips provide a window on the underwater world, but for a one-of-a-kind experience, board a two-person submarine and cruise beneath the surface with the tropical fish.

Miles of powder-white beaches hug the coast at Belle Mare, where championship golf courses, posh resorts, a family-friendly water park and abundant aquatic sports ensure activity-filled days. Deep-sea fishing for tuna, marlin and mako shark is especially popular in this eastern Mauritius enclave. Belle Mare also serves as a convenient base camp for a trek to 1,575-foot Lion Mountain, where sweeping views reward those who make the challenging hike to its peak.

Kite surfers, paragliders and deep-sea fishermen flock to windswept La Morne, a small village on the southwest side of Mauritius. Le Morne Brabant Mountain, a dramatic basaltic rock peak dotted with caves that once harbored runaway slaves, presides over luxury resorts and a wide beach widely regarded as the best on the island. Throw in a shimmering turquoise lagoon and gorgeous sunsets and calling the town "paradise" doesn't seem like a cliché.

Over the centuries, many cultures have added their mark to this prized piece of land. Today, you can experience those influences firsthand by exploring Istanbul’s mahalles (neighbourhoods). From the holy sites of Sultanahmet and the 19th-century European elegance of Beyoğlu to the high fashion of Nişantaşı, the vibrant café society of Kadıköy and the football-loving streets of Beşiktaş, it’s easy to see why travellers say that Istanbul isn’t just one city, but many cities within one.