Perth is a cosmopolitan city where life is laid back and culture reigns. There are so many unspoiled beaches filled with vibrant, turquoise water that you’ll think you’ve gone to heaven. Cottesloe Beach is a great place to relax and you can have your pick of cafés when your stomach rumbles.

If you love snorkeling, Perth can accommodate you — the reef at Mettams Pool offers plenty of marine life. Leighton Beach is the place to go for soft, white sands and soothing, calm waters. Families flock to Trigg Beach for its enormous playground, and North Beach offers quaint rock pools.

Perth also offers lots of charm on land. Kings Park by the river is bigger than New York’s Central Park. For amazing views, head to the Botanic Garden on Mt. Eliza, and inside the Perth Cultural Centre, you’ll find a theatre, opera, ballet and the Western Australian Museum. If you love wine, you’re in for a treat — nearby Swan Valley offers 40 vineyards.