Hampi is a historic village and archaeological landscape in Karnataka, set among dramatic granite boulders, rocky hills, banana plantations, and the Tungabhadra River. The ruins belong to the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and cover a wide area of temples, gateways, markets, palaces, shrines, and water structures. The landscape is notable for the way monumental architecture sits among natural rock formations and agricultural fields. Hampi is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Quetzaltenango, often called Xela by locals, is Guatemala’s second-largest city and a hub of indigenous culture, colonial history, and highland landscapes. Surrounded by volcanoes, including the towering Santa María, the city sits at over 7,600 feet above sea level, giving it a crisp mountain climate that contrasts with the country’s tropical lowlands.
Lebanon unfolds like an open-air museum, with ancient stones that tell stories from centuries past. In Baalbek, the Temple of Bacchus stands among the most impressive Roman ruins outside Italy, its columns framed by Beqaa Valley light. In Byblos, one of the oldest cities in the world, ruins sit beside a bustling harbor and modern cafés, blending past and present in a single stroll.
Jambiani is a coastal village on Zanzibar’s southeastern shore, facing the Indian Ocean along a long stretch of white sand and shallow turquoise water. The village extends along the coast between Paje and Makunduchi, with traditional homes, small guesthouses, fishing areas, and local businesses spread between the beach and inland fields.
Luganville is Vanuatu’s second-largest town and the main urban center of Espiritu Santo, the country’s largest island. It stretches along the south coast of the Segond Channel, with roads, shops, markets, small businesses, and waterfront communities forming the center of daily life. The town developed around its harbor and remains closely connected with fishing, agriculture, and tourism.
Photo Credit: Photo by Samuel Arkwright on Unsplash
Ascension island, British dependency of St. Helena (which also includes St. Helena and the Tristan da Cunha group), in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between Africa and South America and 700 miles northwest of St. Helena. The small, volcanic island was sighted by the Portuguese in 1501, but it was uninhabited until the exile of Napoleon to St. Helena in 1815, when the British established a garrison here to guard against his escape. In 1922 the island was annexed to St. Helena. It was a refueling base for U.S. aircraft in World War II. The United States built a station here in 1957 as a post for observing guided missiles. Huge numbers of sea turtles and sooty terns breed on the island. Georgetown is the main settlement.