Italy

Truly captivating and utterly enviable for its trove of history and culture, ‘Il Bel Paese’ (the ‘Beautiful Country’) needs little in the way of introduction.

Though widely familiar to the world since Fellini’s classic 1960 film, la dolce vita—‘the sweet life’–is an experience trademarked to Italy and Italy alone, where amid its array of stunning, technicolour backdrops, the simplest of pleasures are what count: a sugary espresso at the bar, a foaming cappuccino, bitter Campari or Spritz in a street-side café; or a leisurely-paced passeggiata—a communal, evening stroll along the coastal corniche, a cobblestone street or a piazza dripping with nostalgic charm.

A lifetime of visiting Italy would hardly exhaust its vault, from Rome’s timeless grandeur to Florence’s Uffizi to the frescoes of tiny Galatina’s Basilica di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria. Cruise the searingly scenic coasts of Amalfi, Liguria and Salento (on a rented Vespa, of course). While roving, however, remember to reign in your pace to truly soak up the sweetness. Fuel up for your journey with savoury arancini al ragù, Neapolitan pizza and aromatic salamis, snacking on saccharine pasticiotto pastries, cannolis, and gelatos—among reams more regional delights, tastes you’ll no doubt savour even after you’ve said your arrivederci.