Who would have thought, back in the tumultuous coup and counter coup days of the 1970s, that Burkina Faso would become the cultural darling of West Africa? Unlikely as it seems, Burkina Faso has become the Utah of West Africa, hosting a biennial film festival that rivals the Sundance Film Festival for cultural clout. When it's not hosting film festivals, it's busy organizing its other biennial cultural festival.

Avonlea Village is a seasonal attraction in Cavendish on Prince Edward Island's Green Gables Shore, created around the fictional community of Avonlea from Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. The village combines restored heritage buildings with purpose-built replicas of houses and shops inspired by the world of Anne Shirley.

Nakhchivan is the capital of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an exclave of Azerbaijan located between Armenia, Iran, and Türkiye. The city lies in a broad valley surrounded by dry mountains, with the Nakhchivanchay River and irrigated farmland supporting orchards, vineyards, and gardens. Nakhchivan has a long history as a regional center of settlement, trade, and craftsmanship, and its landscape contains a notable concentration of historic monuments.

Tajikistan, a landlocked country in Central Asia, is defined by its dramatic mountain landscapes, including the towering Pamir and Fann ranges. These rugged peaks and deep valleys create a striking backdrop for ancient Silk Road sites and traditional villages, reflecting the country’s historical importance as a crossroads of cultures.

Ica is a city in southern Peru, located in a fertile valley surrounded by the dry coastal desert. The city is the capital of the Ica Region and an important center for agriculture, wine, and pisco production. Its setting is distinctive because irrigated fields and vineyards lie close to extensive sand dunes. The nearby Huacachina oasis, about five kilometers from the city center, is one of the region’s best-known landmarks, with a lagoon surrounded by palms, huarangos, restaurants, and high dune