I have travelled to many historic sites, but until recently I had never even heard of the colossal statues of Mount Nemrut in Southern Turkey. It was on a trip to Cappadocia that I picked up an old copy of the Lonely Planet in a cave hotel which had one of the weathered heads on its cover. Since then I have been planning to visit.

A city of two million with a history that goes back many thousands of years before it became an important trading post on the Silk Road, with incredible museums and unique tasty food, Gaziantep should be swamped by tourists. The reality is that is almost completely devoid of them. Why?

What do you get when you mix fresh newly picked green pistachio nuts, syrup and layers and layers gossamer- thin pastry? Baklava, the wonderful sticky sweet pastry that it is almost impossible to say no to, and Gaziantep, in far southern Turkey, is the world capital of this dessert.

Dhaka is one of the worlds mega-cities, with a population of over 19 million people, and growing by over 5,00 people a week.  Yet with a history going back over two thousand years and being the political and cultural capital of Bangladesh, the densely populated city is one of the best kept secrets in Asia.

When I first moved to Sydney I went to a photographic exhibition one Saturday in Paddington. It was by Sebastiao Selgado, part of an exhibition of prints from his book 'Workers'. There were some stunning shots from around the world, but it was the images from the shipbreaking yards of Chittagong that stuck with me.

Moldova is one of Europe's hidden gems. An independent country since the break up of the Soviet Union, it has also been occupied and fought over by the Ottoman Empire, and Romania. The people are friendly, it has some great sights to see, and produces some wonderful, and very cheap, wine.

Transnistria is one of the more unusual 'countries' in the world to travel to as it's existence is not recognised by any major country. It is well worth a visit, as it will give you a taste of a place that has not removed the traces of its Soviet history, unlike most of its neighbours.