Mai Chau is a rural valley in Hoa Binh Province in northern Vietnam, located several hours west of Hanoi and surrounded by limestone mountains and rice fields. The area is known for its quiet villages, elevated wooden stilt houses, and the daily life of the White Thai ethnic community.
At Chile's northernmost end, the dizzying railway from high Bolivia comes down to the sea. Arica, the City of Eternal Spring, has a population of 169,000. and is located in the Atacama Desert. See San Marcos Cathedral, designed by Gustave Eiffel, and marvel at Pre-Incan relics in the City Museum. Or leave the city to venutre to the White City of Arequipa, the Incan capital of Cuzco and Machu Picchu and the ancient Inca city in the clouds.
Cayo Santa María is a small island off the north coast of Cuba, part of the Jardines del Rey archipelago in Villa Clara Province. It is connected to the mainland by a causeway crossing the shallow waters of the Bahía de Buenavista. The island is known for white-sand beaches, clear Caribbean water, coastal lagoons, mangroves, and low limestone terrain.
Carroll is a small town in northern New Hampshire within the White Mountains region, known for its forested slopes, mountain views, and proximity to several major outdoor attractions. The town includes the village of Twin Mountain, which sits near the junction of several roads crossing the northern White Mountains. Its landscape is shaped by the Ammonoosuc River and surrounding peaks, including Mount Washington farther east.
Photo Credit: Photo by Gabriella Trejoss on Unsplash
While an earthquake in 1972 left few buildings intact in downtown Managua, new areas are building up. Managua has excellent restaurants, nice hotels, and is a good base for day tours into the countryside.
Other Popular Destinations in Nicaragua
Granada
Granada, Nicaragua, founded in 1524, is one of the oldest European-established cities on the mainland of the Americas where visitors can explore cobblestone streets lined with brightly painted facades. The mustard-yellow Granada Cathedral dominates the central park and provides an easy reference point for those navigating the city on foot or by traditional horse-drawn carriage.
León
León, Nicaragua serves as the country’s capital for more than two centuries and still feels like the intellectual and political heart of Nicaragua. The city is known for its revolutionary past, visible in murals that stretch across building walls, telling stories of resistance, poets, and everyday citizens. The Cathedral of León, the largest in Central America and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dominates the central square.