Asunción

It's hard to get your head around Asunción. At its heart, the city is beautiful and simple, with a sprinkling of original colonial and beaux arts buildings, international cuisine, shady plazas and friendly people. Probe a little deeper, however, and you'll see another side: smart suburbs, ritzy shopping malls and fashionable nightclubs. This is one of South America's greener and more likable capitals, and it doesn't take long to get oriented.