Weaving carpets is an iconic part of Azeri culture, with a storytelling value recognised by UNESCO. Spend time in an old workshop and chat with artisans to appreciate a fine craft that has been lovingly preserved in the country. Try your hand at a few knots and buy a small prayer mat, maybe?

Give Bali’s flashy party-circuit a miss for a cultural dip into the quiet serenity of Ubud. Familiarise with a lesser-known persona of Indonesia, as you interact with local craftsmen creating silver filigree ornaments, carvings of ebony, jackfruit and coconut wood as well as Balinese-style paintings. The backdrop of lush rice fields adds to the heady romance.

Who would expect desert dwellers living in an inhospitable environment to be such warm hosts? Know what it feels to be a wadi-wanderer, in the tent of a Bedouin in Jordan. After all that tea, shish, folk dances, poetry and cheerful conversations, you will wish you had more time on hand.

George Town may be pint-sized, but its street art will leave a big impression on your artsy heart. A brush with these cute, funny and at times intense comic-strip like murals will make you understand the locals and their culture a little better. Fascinating how creators have used real-life objects like bikes as extensions of the walls of art. Pose. Preen.

Be stunned by the scale of the Boudhanath Stupa. One of Nepal’s largest and most revered stupas, it is at its most impressive during the soft glow of dawn or dusk. This is also the time when it is most crowded, so pick your slot well to visit this giant mandala of peace. Connect with your inner zen.