Sintra, located just 40 minutes from Lisbon, feels like a world apart. Tucked into the hills of the Serra de Sintra, this town has drawn kings, poets, and explorers for centuries. It was once the summer retreat of Portuguese royalty, who left behind palaces and gardens that seem pulled from a storybook. The most famous, Palácio da Pena, is perched high above the town with bold red and yellow towers that blend Romanticism with Moorish and Gothic styles.

Near but far from the glaring strips and crowds of Disney, lies another magical place in the Sunshine State. Often called "The Other Florida", with its deep-rooted history, rolling hills and Southern-style hospitality, Leon County is a different kind of Florida waiting to be explored.

Santa Margherita Ligure is a coastal town on the Italian Riviera in the Liguria region of northwestern Italy. Positioned along the Gulf of Tigullio, the town is known for its palm-lined waterfront, pastel-colored buildings, fishing harbor, and hillside villas overlooking the Ligurian Sea.

Itea is famous for its honey and olives. That said, it is the perfect little town to stay in as a starting point for day trips to such places as Delphi, one of the most popular and interesting archaeological sites in the world, and Amphissa, the capital of prefecture. Itea is also host to many festivals in the winter and summer months.

Although its great days are past, its palaces and castles deserted, gondar is one of Ethiopia's most fascinating cities and one of the world's most mysterious. The city stands at the foot of the Simien mountains and is set in a landscape of incomparable beauty. Gondar is the former 17th century capital of Ethiopia, although some say it was Saudi Arabia.