The Palladian Traveler boards a state-of-the-art pontoon boat and glides deep into the Noosa Everglades to view first hand some of the 1,365 species of plant life and 700 native animals and birds that inhabit this UNESCO world heritage site.

I’m not going out on a limb when I proclaim Switzerland to be one of the world’s most spectacular tourist destinations. Within an area roughly the size of the state of Maryland, there is such an abundance of awe-striking beauty, recreational activities and cultural attractions that the nation has become a Mecca for visitors of every age and nationality.

The only restaurant in the only town on the island consisted of three tables on the second floor porch of a small townhouse. Accommodations were limited to either a luxurious resort or a spartan but beautiful campground. The island's single road was unpaved and traversable only by 4-wheel-drive jeeps. The rest of the island was undeveloped. That was the St. John I visited 50 years ago.

If Fiji was nothing more than sand, sea and palm fronds, it wouldn't matter which beach resort you went to. Every vacation would be just like the last one, another been-there, done-that. But after 15 years and as many visits to this 333-island nation, deep in the South Pacific, I've got a pretty good idea why every resort offers a unique experience.

The Palladian Traveler puts away his wellies and laces up his hiking boots as he treks around the picturesque Valle d’Itra of Puglia in search of deserted trulli.

While visiting the coastal town of Bermeo, one of the oldest towns in the Basque Country of Spain, I received a most unusual invitation to dine with friends of friends. It was unusual not just because it began in a seafood market or ended in a mountaintop bodega. No, this was a rare invitation to dine at one of the Basque male gastronomy societies.

Australia, the “Land Down Under,” where, according to Men at Work, “the women glow, the beer does flow and men [purportedly] chunder,” is the sixth largest country, by area, on the planet, but also the smallest of our seven continents. Confused? Don’t be.

The Manor House, which is still in use today, was built in 1653 by the Knights of Malta. The sugar mill, constructed in 1733, now serves as a venue for weddings. Former slave quarters dating back 250 years provide lodging.

Ranking Blachford Lake Lodge has never been easy. Creative, rustic, “one man’s folly,” and gold-star luxury are just a few of the adjectives that befuddled lodging associations have applied to this remarkable eco-lodge, deep in the heart of Canada’s Northwest Territories. And it’s that last adjective – luxury – that misses the mark.

OK, so here’s the thing – when you go on vacation do you go to a place or county that you’ve been to before and loved or, do you go to a new country? Then again, would you even consider just going to an attraction that, so your friends told you, was so exciting it IS a MUST SEE attraction?