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The main town of the Vava?u archipelago in northern Tonga, on one of the most sheltered natural harbours in the Pacific. Between July and October it is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales; the rest of the year it draws sailors to its dozens of islands and coves.

The capital of Tonga, Polynesia's only kingdom, on Tongatapu island: a small, unhurried town with the wooden Royal Palace on the seafront and a central market full of crafts. Elsewhere on the island are the Mapu ?a Vaea blowholes and the Ha?amonga stone trilithon.

A small city on the north coast of Papua New Guinea, on a peninsula surrounded by islets and coral reefs. It is the most accessible diving and snorkelling destination in the country, with Second World War wrecks underwater and a far more relaxed mood than the capital.

The capital of Papua New Guinea and the unavoidable gateway to the country. It is worth a short stop for the National Museum, the Nature Park, the best place to see birds of paradise, and the Parliament building, inspired by the ceremonial houses of the Sepik river. Flights to the other provinces leave from here.

A coastal city in central Angola, calmer and leafier than Luanda, with streets of Portuguese colonial architecture and a slow pace. The surrounding area has some of the country's best beaches, such as Baía Azul and Caotinha, with calm water and hardly any crowds.

A highland city in southern Angola, at 1,700 metres, with a mild climate all year. It is the base for two of the country's most striking landscapes: the Tundavala gap, a thousand-metre balcony over the plain, and Serra da Leba, with its hairpin road down towards the Namibe desert.

The capital of Angola, on an Atlantic bay: a city of sharp contrasts, with the Marginal seafront, the 16th-century São Miguel fortress and the Ilha peninsula, lined with beach restaurants. An hour south are the reddish cliffs of Miradouro da Lua.

Cameroon's best-known beach resort: white-sand beaches with palm trees, fish straight from the sea and the Lobé Falls, which drop directly into the ocean, something very rare in the world. A quiet place to end a trip around the country, about three hours from Douala.

The capital of Cameroon, spread over seven green hills at 750 metres, which gives it a cooler climate than the coast. Tidier and calmer than Douala, it holds the national museums, craft markets and viewpoints over the rainforest that surrounds the city.

Cameroon's largest city and main port, on the Wouri river: chaotic, humid and full of energy, with non-stop markets, street art and the best grilled fish in the country. It is the usual gateway and the starting point for Mount Cameroon and the beaches of Limbe.

The political capital of Ivory Coast, in the centre of the country: a city of vast, almost empty avenues dominated by the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, one of the largest churches in the world, modelled on St Peter's in the Vatican. It is an easy day trip from Abidjan.

The former colonial capital of Ivory Coast, 40 minutes from Abidjan: a historic quarter of late 19th-century French mansions, listed as World Heritage, beside a long palm-lined Atlantic beach. It is the classic weekend escape from the economic capital.

The largest city in Ivory Coast and one of the most dynamic in West Africa: skyscrapers over the Ébrié lagoon in the Plateau district, huge markets and a music, fashion and food scene that sets trends across the region. Atlantic beaches are less than an hour away.

The cultural capital of Cape Verde, on São Vicente island: a bay ringed by dry hills, colourful colonial houses and bars where morna, the music of Cesária Évora, is played. Its carnival is the country's most famous and its nightlife the liveliest in the archipelago.

Cape Verde's main beach town, on the south of Sal island: miles of pale sand, turquoise sea and steady wind that made it a classic for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Laid-back mood, beachfront hotels and a pier where fishermen unload every morning.

The capital of Cape Verde, on Santiago island: an easygoing Atlantic city with the historic Plateau quarter, lively markets and live music at night. It is the base for visiting Cidade Velha, the first colonial settlement in the archipelago.

A colonial town of low houses at the southern tip of the state, set in a protected estuary of mangroves and islands. Boats leave its pier for Ilha do Cardoso, with empty beaches and forest trails, and dolphins are often seen in the channel. Famous for its oysters; about four hours from São Paulo.

A narrow island with more than seventy kilometres of almost unbroken beach, with dunes, coastal scrub and very little development. You reach it by bridge from Iguape and get around mostly along the sand. One of the emptiest, wildest stretches of the São Paulo coast, ideal for switching off; about three and a half hours from the city.