French Guiana, tucked between Brazil and Suriname on the northeast coast of South America, offers an unexpected blend of Amazonian wilderness, colonial intrigue, and French flair. As an overseas department of France, it uses the euro, speaks French, and has croissants alongside cassava bread at breakfast. Yet just beyond the cafés of Cayenne, vast rainforest stretches for hundreds of kilometers, home to rare wildlife, remote rivers, and Indigenous communities.
Fanning Island, also known as Tabuaeran, is one of the Line Islands in the Republic of Kiribati. Sitting just four degrees north of the equator, this remote atoll is a rare find for travelers seeking raw, untouched Pacific beauty. With no large hotels or chain resorts, visitors often arrive by cruise or private yacht and are welcomed with coconut-leaf garlands and traditional songs.
Jeonju-si, in South Korea’s North Jeolla Province, is widely associated with preservation rather than spectacle. The city’s identity is closely tied to its role as a former provincial capital during the Joseon Dynasty and as the birthplace of the royal Yi family.
Amantani is an island in Lake Titicaca, Peru, known for its high-altitude landscapes, agricultural terraces, and Quechua-speaking communities. Located in the lake’s Peruvian waters, the island is home to small settlements spread across hillsides that rise above the water. Unlike larger lakeside destinations, Amantani has few paved roads and no major commercial center, so daily life remains closely connected to farming, weaving, and community activities.
Darrow is a small community in Ascension Parish along the east bank of the Mississippi River, positioned between Baton Rouge and New Orleans on Louisiana’s historic Great River Road. Its identity is closely connected to the river, sugar-cane agriculture, and the plantation landscapes that line this stretch of the Mississippi. Rather than functioning as a large urban destination, Darrow offers access to historic estates, gardens, museums, and rural river scenery.
Photo Credit: Photo by Riccardo Tuninato on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Polina Kuzovkova on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Riccardo Tuninato on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Fabio Sasso on Unsplash
Located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range, Kings Canyon National Park feaures high mountain meadows, swift flowing rivers, groves of giant Sequoia trees, and many miles of hiking trails to explore it all.
Combined, the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail form the backbone of the trail system, which ranges from relatively easy day hikes to multi-day backpacking treks over difficult terrain. The Rae Lakes Loop, at 41.4 miles, is one of the most popular trips, passing through the deep canyons of Paradise Valley, across the high Woods Creek suspension bridge, and through Glen Pass before reaching Rae Lakes.
Other Popular Destinations in California
San Jose
Located south of San Francisco, California, this area is known as the "Silicon Valley" because of the concentration of computer companies. It is also home to Great American amusement park.
Los Angeles
Sunshine, cars, celebrities... these are just a few of the things that define Los Angeles. But as any visitor to this expansive Southern California city will tell you, it's a place with seemingly infinite possibilities. There's downtown, with Crypto.com Arena, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Olvera Street. There's Hollywood, with its Walk of Fame, maps to the stars' homes and palm-tree lined boulevards. There's Santa Monica, with its pier, shopping and ocean breezes.