Arthur’s Pass is a small alpine village in the Southern Alps of New Zealand’s South Island, positioned within Arthur’s Pass National Park between Canterbury and the West Coast. State Highway 73 and the TranzAlpine railway cross the mountains here, following a route shaped by steep valleys, braided rivers, and high peaks.
St. Helena is a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean, known for its dramatic cliffs, volcanic landscapes, and rich history. It is most famous as the place where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years in exile, and visitors can explore Longwood House and other historic sites that tell the story of this period.
Quetzaltenango, often called Xela by locals, is Guatemala’s second-largest city and a hub of indigenous culture, colonial history, and highland landscapes. Surrounded by volcanoes, including the towering Santa María, the city sits at over 7,600 feet above sea level, giving it a crisp mountain climate that contrasts with the country’s tropical lowlands.
Tskaltubo is a spa town in western Georgia, located in the Imereti region near Kutaisi. The town is known for its naturally warm mineral waters, which emerge from springs beneath the surrounding limestone landscape. Broad streets, parks, gardens, and early resort architecture reflect Tskaltubo's long association with health tourism.
Masalli is a town in southeastern Azerbaijan, situated between the Talysh Mountains and the Caspian Sea. The district is known for its humid subtropical climate, fertile lowlands, forested mountain slopes, and numerous mineral springs. Tea plantations, citrus orchards, rice fields, and other cultivated areas are found across the surrounding countryside, while the Talysh Mountains rise toward the west. Masalli serves as a gateway to several natural attractions.
Photo Credit: Photo by Cemrecan Yurtman on Unsplash
An Eastern city of Turkey, known in ancient times as Amida, spreads across a basalt plateau close to the banks of the Dicle River. The black basalt triple walls which encircle the old town give the city a rather ominous appearance.
Other Popular Destinations in Turkey
Istanbul
Istanbul is a city built on layers of empire. Spanning two continents, it was once the capital of three major empires: Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. Visitors walking through the Sultanahmet district can witness this timeline firsthand, from the Roman-era Hippodrome to the Byzantine mosaics of Hagia Sophia, and the towering minarets of the Blue Mosque. At nearby Topkapi Palace, rooms still display the jeweled swords, ceremonial robes, and handwritten Qurans once used by Ottoman sultans.
Cappadocia
The ancient region of Cappadocia lies in Central Anatolia, between the cities of Nevsehir, Kayseri and Nigde. Here, the traveler finds one of the most fantastic landscapes in the world. Wind and weather have eroded the soft volcanic rock with hundreds of strangely shaped pillars, cones and "fairy chimneys", often very tall, and in every shade from pink through yellow to russet browns.