Stretching over 4,200 kilometers along the southwestern coast of South America, Chile is a country of dramatic contrasts and hidden surprises. From the world’s driest desert in the north to the icy fjords of Patagonia in the south, Chile offers a landscape that constantly reinvents itself. Visitors can walk through the Atacama Desert, where NASA tests Mars rovers, or gaze at the clearest night skies on Earth from the high-altitude observatories near San Pedro de Atacama.

La Fortuna, a small town in northern Costa Rica, sits in the shadow of the iconic Arenal Volcano, once the country’s most active and still one of its most visually striking. The town’s name, which means “The Fortune,” is no coincidence; it was spared when Arenal erupted unexpectedly in 1968, reshaping the landscape and eventually drawing visitors from around the world. Today, La Fortuna is known for its lush rainforest, geothermal activity, and stunning scenery that feels both wild and welcoming

Dakar, the lively capital of Senegal, stands at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean on the Cape Verde Peninsula. As the westernmost city on the African mainland, it has long been a crossroads of cultures, trade, and ideas.

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.

Bath is a city full of history and culture. Romans trekked many miles to bathe in the hot, soothing mineral waters of the Roman Bath. Majestic art collections were contributed to Bath from many different civilizations. The fan-vaulting at Bath Abbey has 614 memorial tablets that creates an extensive mural cenotaph to the people that contributed to the grandeur of Bath.