Manaus, capital of Brazil’s Amazonas state, is a city that rises unexpectedly from the rainforest. Once the center of the global rubber boom in the late 1800s, Manaus still holds onto that legacy with surprising elegance. The Teatro Amazonas, an opulent opera house imported piece by piece from Europe, sits at the heart of the city, its pink façade and domed roof tiled in the colors of the Brazilian flag. Today, it hosts concerts, festivals, and curious visitors eager to step back in time.

Located northwest of Cairo on the Mediterranean coast, Alexandria is one of Egypt's most spectacular cities and an important historical, industrial, and economic center for the country.

This southern Mexican state borders Guatemala. Its mountainous highlands and dense rainforest are dotted with several Mayan archaeological sites and Spanish colonial towns.

On the east coast of North Island, Napier is considered the "Art Deco capital" of New Zealand and the gateway to the Hawke's Bay wine region, whose popular varietals include pinot gris and syrah.

La Palma (also San Miguel de La Palma) is the fifth of Spain's Canary Islands. This mountainous volcanic island is a natural wonder of tropical vegetation. Its coast is lined by jagged cliffs and plunging ravines, and its beaches are covered with black sand. Thanks to dry climate and the height of its mountains creating excellent observation conditions, La Palma has become the home of some of the world's largest telescopes, seated on the rocky ridge called El Roque de los Muchachos.