Minneriya National Park lies in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province between Habarana and Polonnaruwa, within the island’s dry zone. The park covers about 8,890 hectares and is centered on the Minneriya Tank, an ancient irrigation reservoir that remains an important source of water for the surrounding landscape. Dry mixed evergreen forest, scrub, grassland, wetlands, and open areas around the reservoir create a varied habitat for wildlife. The park is particularly known for its Asian elephants, wh

Gotland, Sweden’s largest island, sits in the Baltic Sea and feels like a world of its own. Its main town, Visby, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Northern Europe. Surrounded by a 3.5-kilometer stone wall with original towers still intact, Visby once served as a key Hanseatic trading hub. Visitors can walk along cobbled streets lined with rose-covered cottages, explore Gothic church ruins, and climb up the city wall for views over the harbor.

Kerak is a fortress town 75 miles (120km) from Amman, and contains one of the two major Crusader castles in the Kingdom. The castle, built to protect the approach to Jerusalem, stands on a craggy plateau 4,300ft above sea level. It was built in the early part of the 12th century and held for 50 years by the Crusaders until they were defeated by Salah al Din (Saladin) in 1189.

Gaspé sits at the eastern tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in Québec, where the St. Lawrence River opens into the Gulf and the land feels distinctly maritime.

Florianópolis is the capital of Santa Catarina and occupies most of Santa Catarina Island, with another part of the city on the mainland. Known locally as Floripa, it is shaped by a long coastline of beaches, lagoons, dunes, forests, and rocky hills. The island has more than 40 beaches, ranging from open Atlantic shores to sheltered bays and calm waters. Lagoa da Conceição lies near the center of the island and connects several distinct areas of the city.