They said it could never happen – a peaceful democratic transition in West Africa. But the commentators were wrong.

Six years ago saw the swearing in as prime minister of the former opposition leader John Kufuor, with the outgoing Prime Minister Jerry Rawlings unexpectedly gracious in defeat.

But then, Ghana is different.

Yok Seng, a Phnom Penh taxi driver, tells a tragic but familiar Cambodian story.

With his wife and 10 children, Yok Seng was moved out to the countryside by the murderous Khmer Rouge that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. The whole family was put to work under slave labour conditions. Starting in the fields at 4am, they were lucky if they finished by 10pm. For this toil, the reward might be one bowl of thin soup per day.

Laos is a land of soft light and long twilights; brown churning rivers and shy children; crumbling ornate French mansions and rough bamboo huts; water buffalo and opium.

It is a place where deft hands work giant wooden looms at silk markets and hundreds of bicycles ride past gilded temples dodging ambling orange monks holding shiny black umbrellas.

A crash of continents formed Nepal’s vertical landscape, including eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks.

A crash of ideologies created Nepal’s vibrant and bustling culture. Hinduism reaching up from the plains of India met Buddhism climbing down from the heights of Tibet and decided to hold hands.

Finns have set a number of world records. They’re the world’s biggest users of mobile phones and email, the world’s greatest per capita consumers of coffee, and they have the highest literacy rate on the planet. It is claimed that Finnish kids learn to read very early in life so as to be able to read the subtitles on American movies.

Morocco is a minefield, a heaven, a scream, a dream.

A country that inspired both the enduring fairytales of Hans Christen Anderson and the inventors of Lego, Denmark is a nation with a timeless soul and a modern outlook. 

Long gone are the days of roaming, bloodthirsty Vikings. Today this diminutive Scandinavian nation is among the most enlightened and socially progressive in Europe.

Of Europe's post-communist nations, Poland has undergone the most significant transformation. 

While a majority of Poles remain deeply traditional and devoutly Catholic, Poland is now a fully-fledged member of the European Union, with glittering skyscrapers rising behind historic old towns and fancy boutiques within a donkey ride of sleepy villages.

Chocolate, beer and bicycles. What more could you want from a European vacation? Having finally shaken off its 'dull' image, Belgium has plenty of culture, architecture, outdoor activities and hot waffles to offer the discerning traveller.

Belgium has three official languages - Flemish, German and French - and many people also speak excellent English.

What's not to love about Slovenia? It's cheap (by European standards), the scenery is spectacular, the people are delightful, the gelato is plentiful, the architecture is stunning and it's easy to get around. Best of all, Slovenia is still relatively undiscovered by Europe's tourist hordes.