Petra: a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Even though only 13% of what it originally was is standing today - almost all of Petra was destroyed by wars and earthquakes - its beauty is as impressive as the energy emanating from its rocks, ruins and tombs. I suggest arriving early to make the most of it, as the walk is quite long.

This province (or beach) of Palermo is the refuge and meeting point for Palermitani, especially on sunny weekends and holidays. It is 11km away from the center of Palermo and easy to reach by car or bus. Its sea is an emerald green that fills your eyes and invites you to both go for a walk along its coast, as well as to spend hours in its fine white sandy beach.

After visiting Amsterdam for a few years and staying in Airbnb flats to be closer to locals and absorb their culture as much as possible, I began to explore different types of hotels. Partly because my previous work as a 20-year Public Relations required me to take every traveling opportunity to learn more about my area of interest.

The important and fundamental thing about Berlin is to be different, bold, to be ahead of time, shocking and out of the box. It is hard to find a "standard" young Berliner. Better yet: their pattern is the type that has no judgment, each individual express himself as he wants in his own way, and the more different the better.

Leipzig is the typical low-key city and will surpass all expectations of those who visit it. It has beautiful landscapes, gastronomic richness, transgressive artistic movements and expressions, a bustling nightlife, full of young people, a lot of investment in education, and a beautiful historical-cultural legacy.

My short stay in Bamberg lasted about 24 hours, and I left with the feeling that I had left a lot behind. It is a small town whose Historic Center was considered a heritage by UNESCO, and it has a very peculiar charm, with a medieval mood and cobblestone streets inviting us to take long walks.

For those who, like me, intensely enjoy the gastronomic and ethylic experiences that a city reserves, I start with the fact that the city of Würzburg, located in the Franconia region, has the largest concentration of vineyards within the city limits in all of Europe.

Traveling by car brings a kind of freedom and practicality that other means of transportation do not offer. That’s because you or your companion can drive and, whatever the route, you are automatically allowed to stop, anytime, as often as you like, and wherever you want. Or to take a detour.

If you have more time to visit Jordan, it is very worthwhile to venture south of the country in the Wadi Rum Desert, where tourists, adventurers, climbers and hiking practitioners find plenty to explore. This place is also sought-after by Hollywood filmmakers, so much so that the new (2019) movie “Aladdin” was filmed just when I was in this desert (end of 2017).

Whenever I close my eyes, I can still feel the sensation produced by the landscape around the River Rhine when I visited tiny Assmanshausen am Rhein. It is almost a village, right beside the town of Rüdesheim am Rein, but hardly ever considered in most sightseeing tours. The entire town is part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

For those who rather stay in smaller and boutique type hotels that generally offer closer service to clientele, I suggest three great options whose concept are very different one from the other besides being located in different areas - which can influence a lot the whole travel experience.

Close by and just over one hour from Amman by car is the amazing Dead Sea, whose waters bathe Jordan, the West Bank, and Israel. It is located 400 m below sea level and is therefore the lowest place on earth. It is a large saltwater lake where one does not sink due to its very high salinity level - about ten times saltier than seawater.

The tour of Amman will surely give you some unforgettable memories and sensations, mainly due to the religious contrasts as well as the architectural and gastronomic richness. The visit can last up to three days, and you can do a lot in just one day trip. Some people arrive at the capital by land, but I particularly find it safer to cross the Israel-Jordan border by plane.

Whether you are a kabbalah practitioner or not, it's worth a visit to the beautiful little town of Tzfat, also known as Safed. Located at the foot of a hill, 1000 meters above sea level, it is the highest city in Galilee, which gives it a beautiful view of the surrounding green mountains.

This city has either an ugly beauty or a beautiful ugliness. Many people consider it ugly. I consider it more beautiful than ugly. I think this is because I was able to see it beyond the abandonment and negligence much seen in its old center, the ravaged buildings and deep marks of long-gone conflicts: in other words, the neglect from its rulers…

Rotterdam has one of the biggest ports in the world and this explains its dynamism and the flow of different cultures and immigrants. It is, indeed, where I most saw foreigners, – more than in Amsterdam – settling themselves, either because of work (expatriates) or nations that for one reason or another grasped the opportunity that a big city offers.