Wakayama is a coastal city in western Japan and the capital of Wakayama Prefecture, located on the Kii Peninsula beside Wakayama Bay. Its setting combines the sea with wooded hills and nearby mountain country, while the city itself has developed around a historic castle town. Wakayama Castle stands on Mount Torafusu near the city center, overlooking the surrounding streets, mountains, and Kii Channel.

Known as Sugar City, Lautoka is a tropical destination on the western coast of Fiji. Be sure to take a stroll through the Lautoka Botanical Gardens, or venture just outside of the city to take in the natural beauty of Koroyanitu National Park, a rainforest preserve with spectacular hikes and bird-watching excursions.

Castellammare del Golfo is a coastal town in western Sicily, set around a broad bay in the province of Trapani. Its historic center rises above a working marina, while the Arab-Norman castle stands directly beside the sea and gives the town its distinctive profile. The waterfront is lined with fishing boats, small streets, and buildings that climb toward the slopes of Monte Inici.

Cardigan sits on the west coast of Wales, where the River Teifi reaches the wide sweep of Cardigan Bay. At the heart of town stands Cardigan Castle, where battlements and gardens overlook the Teifi. The castle’s history includes the first recorded National Eisteddfod in Wales, a cultural competition of music, poetry and performance that still inspires events across the country.

Nangma Valley, tucked deep within the Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan, is a place where towering granite spires rise dramatically above alpine meadows and clear streams. Located near the small town of Hushé in Gilgit-Baltistan, the valley is often described as a natural amphitheater of peaks. Climbers and trekkers from around the world are drawn to its vertical walls, but the valley’s quiet trails and sweeping views also offer an extraordinary experience .