The third largest city in Turkey, a cosmopolitan and lively city all year round, during the International Arts Festival (June/July) and the international Fair (August/September), Izmir bursts with an added vibrancy.

Pench National Park lies in the southern part of Madhya Pradesh, across Seoni and Chhindwara districts, with the reserve extending toward Maharashtra. The Pench River runs through the landscape and gives the park its name. Its forests include teak, salai, mahua, bamboo, and mixed dry deciduous vegetation, interspersed with open grasslands and streams. The park is especially known for Bengal tigers, but it also supports leopards, Indian wild dogs, gaur, sambar, chital, nilgai, sloth bears, and ma

Santa Cruz is in stark contrast to La Paz. Climate is tropical and altitude is only 1,250 feet. It is on the eastern lowland side of the Andes mountain range and one of the gateways to Bolivia's jungle area. Trinidad is the other. Much of Bolivia's natural resources, including agricultural products, are found in this area. Although Santa Cruz has grown tremendously some parts of downtown still retain a look of an Old West frontier town. Carnival is an especially happy time to be in Santa C

Helena is the capital of Montana, set among mountains, forests, and open valleys in the western part of the state. Its identity is closely tied to the gold mining that shaped the early settlement, while the modern city combines historic architecture with an active arts community and extensive outdoor recreation.

Kobe, Japan is a beautiful port city renowned for its historic shrines, botanical gardens, hot springs, and marbled Kobe beef. Highlights of this Japanese retreat include Ikuta Shrine, thought to be one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines, Kobe Nunobiki Herb Botanical Gardens, Mount Rokkō, and Arima Onsen, a popular hot springs resort surrounded by Japanese maple trees.