Amelia Island is a rare combination of carefully preserved natural beauty, man-made luxury and small town charm with a history that spans more than four centuries. Once a haven for pirates and rumrunners, Fernandina Beach is now one of the most productive shrimping and fishing harbors in the South.

According to the National Park Service, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in the country. The Smokies are filled with wildlife, waterfalls, and historic buildings. While all of these are definitely sights worth seeing, one of the main attractions comes during fall when the Smoky Mountains show off their artwork in the form of beautiful scenery, inspirational music and traditional crafts.

Hot air ballooning has always had an element of romance and danger about it but so few of us have ever tried our hand at it. Riding in a hot air balloon is very safe and will give you one of the most unforgettable experiences of your life. Watching a balloon taking up shape is a wonderful sight- a lifeless piece of fabric emerging to a magnificent beast. Why note enjoy a trip to Albuquerque, the ballooning capital of the world. The Temecula Balloon Festival is also filled with a collection of treats that will bring you back to memories of childhood enchantment and amusement park dreams.

One of the major plus points of choosing to spend a bit of time doing a German course in Berlin is that it's a bustling, energetic and multicultural city. What's more, it doesn't exactly seem like the sort of place that needs much of an excuse for a good party. And, sure enough, nowhere is this multiculturalism and passion for partying, more evident than in the number, and sheer raucous energy, of the many big Berlin events, parades and festivals that take place all year round.

If fish is your favourite dish you're not going to want to miss an event in Cornwall dedicated to people's love of the sea-dwelling creatures. Book your stay at a Cornwall holiday cottage for September to ensure you get to take part in the Newquay Fish Festival, which is popular with both locals and tourists. Held at the resort's harbour, you should prepare yourself for a party atmosphere, with live music acts set to perform and local chefs on hand ready to show you how to whip up a storm in your own kitchen with cookery displays.

Birmingham is England's second largest population center, whose wealth was a product of the multitude of trade spawned by the Industrial Revolution. The city has less historic and aesthetically pleasing architecture than most of its national counterparts due to most of its buildings being leveled during the Second World War, but it is rapidly gaining a reputation for its multi-ethnic, cosmopolitan culture and diversity.