For a small country, Ecuador has more varied climatic zones than anywhere in the world. From Salinas, a favorite beach resort on the southern coast, one can go in one day from tropical beaches to semi-arid desert to impenetrable Amazon basin rain forest to the spring-like high altiplano to the soaring snow-capped mountain peaks of the Andean Cordillera. The area around Salinas was once home to the ancient Mocha culture. Archeologists have discovered exquisite examples of pottery and jewelry i

Periyar is a forested highland destination in Kerala’s Idukki district, centered on the Periyar Tiger Reserve and the town of Thekkady. Set within the Western Ghats, the region combines wooded hills, evergreen forests, grasslands, streams, and the large Periyar Lake. The tiger reserve covers about 925 square kilometres and supports an extensive range of wildlife. Its landscape is particularly associated with Asian elephants, Bengal tigers, gaur, sambar deer, wild dogs, and rich birdlife.

Moshi sits on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, shaped by both Chagga culture and its role as a crossroads for trade and travel.

Djúpavík is a tiny settlement on the shore of Reykjarfjörður in the remote Strandir region of Iceland’s Westfjords. The village is surrounded by steep mountains, a narrow fjord, and largely undeveloped coastal landscapes, with only a handful of buildings clustered beside the water. Its identity is closely tied to the abandoned herring-processing complex that dominates the settlement.

Fuerte Amador is a waterfront district located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal in Panama City. Built on a causeway created with rock excavated during canal construction, the area links four small islands: Naos, Perico, Culebra, and Flamenco.