FLORIANOPOLIS, BRAZIL

Spreading out over much of the island of Santa Catarina in the south of Brazil, Floripa, as the locals abbreviate it, is the Brazilian city with the highest quality-of-life index, according to the UN. Crime is low and reasons to be cheerful abound. There’s the vibrant party scene; the 42 beaches – many of them, like Praia Mole, fixtures on the surfing circuit; and the fact that in less than an hour you can be eating in a charming seafood restaurant in one of the south-coast fishing villages founded by settlers from the Azores.

ANTWERP

The Belgian fashion capital gets more stylish year after year, and is fast becoming one of those long weekend destinations that impress friends and influence people. Art is part of the deal, withenough Rubens canvases to bring on an allergy for ruddy-faced wenches, but so is cutting-edge architecture – with Richard Rogers’ law courts and Zaha Hadid’s upcoming port authority headquarters setting the agenda. But it’s the broad mix that really works here, with a strong roster of quirky shops, bars and restaurants and a good selection of stylish hotels – like new Zen-minimalist Maison Delaneau (www.maisondelaneau.com) in the buzzy Zuid neighbourhood.

MACEDONIA

This former Yugoslav republic has long been an under-the-radar sort of tourist destination. Though the capital, Skopje, has a certain ramshackle Ottoman charm, it’s Lake Ohrid, on the border with Albania, which most visitors reserve the superlatives for. Think of Lake Como with hubble-bubble pipes and exquisite waterside Orthodox churches and you come close to the unique spirit of this geologically ancient body of water. Ohrid, the delightful main town, is developing a cool summer eating, drinking and partying scene. Now run by expanding Turkish operator TAV, both Skopje and Ohrid airports are due to be modernised in the near future.

COLOMBIA

Drug cartels and kidnapping still taint its image, but anyone who has spent time in this vibrant Latin American country recently knows that the Colombian movida is in full swing, and the streets are the safest they’ve been in years. The historic coastal city of Cartagena is being sold as the new Buenos Aires, and boutique hotels have sprung up here like daisies – the most recent being fashionista hangout The Tcherassi (tcherassihotels. com). But Bogotá is hopping too. La Candelaria, the once no-go old town, is alive with sidewalk cafés and funky shops. New flights from the US – like the low-cost Orlando to Bogotá route operated by JetBlue – make it a good add-on to an American jaunt.

ALGERIA

A few adventurous travel publications and tour operators have begun talking up Libya, but it is next-door neighbour Algeria that has the greatest potential. Algiers, the capital, is a suprisingly laid-back city with some handsome colonial architecture and a lively café scene. And if it were anywhere else in the Med, Tipaza – a pretty port town which is also home to some impressive UNESCO- listed Roman ruins – would be up there with Positano or Antibes as a chic resort. The infrastructure isn’t quite there, but it is only a matter of time.

DAMASCUS

The world’s oldest inhabited city is easily as spectacular as Marrakech, Cairo or Seville – but it’s only in the past few years that it has come up with lodgings you might actually want to stay in. There’s a Four Seasons in the sprawling new town, just across from the National Museum, but it’s the slew of boutique hotels converted from mansions in the fascinating old town – one seems to open every month – that are really setting the agenda. Current tips are Al Pasha (www.alpashahotel.com), Beit Zafran (www.beitzafran.com/node/11) and the Talisman (www.talismanhotels.com) – the only one with a pool.

KALPITYA PENINSULA, SRI LANKA

Tourism is on the upswing in post-war Sri Lanka. Though it’s the west coast around Bentota and the lushly tropical south coast from Galle to Tangalle which attract the bulk of winter sun trade, other areas are opening up as a part of President Rajapaksa’s ambitious plan to quintuple visitor numbers by 2016. The main one is Kalpitya, north of Colombo – a long sandy peninsula and 14 islands, which have been earmarked for a sustainable $4bn (€3bn) luxury development and which will be served by the international airport in nearby Pallavi.

BASILICATA, ITALY

Most of the ‘new Tuscany’ headlines in recent years have been reserved for Puglia, the relaxed beach, food and wine destination that occupies the heel of the Italian boot. But it’s Basilicata, the region nestling in Italy’s instep, that has more of a buzz right now. Le Grotte della Civita (www.sassidimatera.com), a new hotel in the rock-hewn Sassi district of Matera, is an unforgettable place to stay – partly because the experience is so bracingly spartan. And Maratea, a chic seaside town on the region’s short western shore, is just about ready for the ‘new Amalfi’ hype.

CHICAGO

Barack Obama’s hometown has become a significant leisure destination only recently (incoming non-business visits leapt 47% between 2003 and 2008). But hotel occupancy is still more than 10% down on pre-recession levels – which means significant bargains, even in desirable kips like The Burnham (www.burnhamhotel.com). This is right next to the newest Windy City draw – Zaha Hadid’s Burnham Pavilion, an exhibition space which resembles a hi-tech mollusc. Independent travellers are also starting to discover tasty little neighbourhoods away from the centre, like boho, multi-ethnic Rogers Park to the north.

TAIWAN

Those who have ventured to Taiwan have come back enchanted – by the friendliness of the locals, the scenery and the food. In spring 2010 China Airlines began direct flights from London three times a week, and on arrival the new THSR high-speed rail line allows you to traverse the whole west coast, north to south, in just 90 minutes. But it’s the island’s mountainous eastern side, with sights such as the rugged Taroko Gorge, that Taiwan connoisseurs really rate.

Lee Marshall is contributing editor at Condé Nast Traveller