The United Arab Emirates rolls history and invention into a seamless experience. In Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque stands out with its reflective pools, marble columns inlaid with floral patterns, and the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet beneath domes that glow by night. On Saadiyat Island, the Louvre Abu Dhabi shelters art that spans civilizations, all beneath a dome designed to scatter sunlight like palm fronds.

St Kilda is a remote volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, far west of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. The group consists of Hirta, Dun, Soay, and Boreray, along with numerous sea stacks and smaller formations. Hirta is the largest island and contains the remains of the former settlement around Village Bay. No permanent civilian population lives on St Kilda today, although conservation workers, researchers, and Ministry of Defence personnel occupy Hirta at various times.

Connecticut may be one of the smallest states in the U.S., but it packs in more variety than many places twice its size. From classic New England villages and coastal towns to modern cities with thriving food and arts scenes, Connecticut surprises visitors with its contrasts. Each season brings a different reason to visit from the brilliant fall foliage and snowy town greens to spring festivals and sunny beach days on the Long Island Sound.

Tianjin is a major city in northern China, positioned near the Bohai Sea where the Haihe River runs through the urban center. Its character has been shaped by maritime trade, river transport, industry, and its proximity to Beijing. The city combines a historic Chinese core with broad avenues, former foreign concession districts, modern commercial areas, and a large port.

Amakhala Game Reserve is a private wildlife reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. Its landscape includes open grasslands, wooded valleys, rolling hills and sections of the Bushman’s River.