Cairo, Egypt

Although it's currently a place to avoid, at some point the social and political turmoil will die down and Cairo will once again be one of the world's must-go destinations. There's the beautiful setting by the Nile, and amid all the chaos is faded grandeur in Paris-like architecture downtown. But it's as a gateway to the Giza pyramids and the spectacular treasures of the Egyptian Museum that should place Cairo on anyone's travel list.