Pongara National Park protects a broad coastal landscape on the southern side of Gabon’s Komo Estuary, across the water from Libreville. Covering more than 96,000 hectares, the park includes Atlantic beaches, mangrove forests, tidal mudflats, lagoons, freshwater swamps, riverine forest and grassy savanna.
Spello sits high on the slopes of Mount Subasio in the heart of Umbria, where visitors step into a place shaped by centuries of history. Each year, Spello’s streets become a living canvas during the Infiorate di Spello, a long-standing celebration tied to Corpus Christi. Residents work through the night before the feast to lay flower petals along the town’s main thoroughfares, creating patterns and images that stretch for over a mile.
Xi’an, located in central China’s Shaanxi Province, served as the starting point of the ancient Silk Road and was the capital of 13 imperial dynasties. Its long history is most famously represented by the Terracotta Army, an underground army of life-sized warriors discovered in 1974. Each figure has distinct facial features, hairstyles, and armor, designed to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife.
Mount Bromo is an active volcano in East Java, located within Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Rising to 2,392 meters, it stands inside a vast volcanic caldera surrounded by the Tengger Sea of Sand and several other volcanic peaks. The mountain is part of one of Java’s most distinctive highland landscapes, where dark volcanic terrain contrasts with green hills and open savanna.
Brazil is a country that moves to its own rhythm whether it be samba, bossa nova, the roar of waterfalls or the quiet of the rainforest. Stretching from the Amazon Basin to the Atlantic coastline, Brazil offers both iconic cityscapes and vast natural frontiers. In Rio de Janeiro, visitors can ride a cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain, watch the sunset from Arpoador, or join a drumbeat-filled bloco during Carnival, where the streets turn into one massive celebration of music, movement, and color.
The 300 square mile Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is reached by taking the Georgeville turnoff at mile 65 of the Western Highway. After going through miles of tropical jungle you will be in a forest of tall pines growing amongst wildflowers and grasses. The area has whitewater rivers, waterfalls and cave systems.
Other Popular Destinations in Belize
San Ignacio
San Ignacio sits in western Belize’s Cayo District on the banks of the Macal and Mopan Rivers, where the town and its sister settlement of Santa Elena are linked by Belize’s lone suspension bridge. Its location also makes San Ignacio a gateway to both inland Belize and the nearby Guatemalan border, making it easy for curious travelers to explore beyond town limits.
Caye Caulker
Caye Caulker lies off the coast of Belize, a small island that was once a quiet fishing village and today still feels wonderfully uncrowded compared to many Caribbean destinations. Its name likely comes from an English twist on “Hicaco,” the old Spanish name meaning coco plum, a nod to the island’s early days and bilingual roots.