Punakha sits in one of Bhutan’s most fertile valleys, cradled where the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers meet. For centuries it served as the kingdom’s capital and remains a place rich with stories woven through its fields, temples, and riverbanks. The city’s low elevation brings warmer weather than much of Bhutan’s highland regions, and rice paddies fill the landscape with vivid green during planting and golden hues at harvest.
The Berry Islands are a scattered group of small islands and cays in the central Bahamas, located between New Providence and Andros. The archipelago contains Great Harbour Cay, Little Harbour Cay, Chub Cay, and numerous smaller islands surrounded by shallow banks, reefs, and clear Atlantic waters. Much of the landscape consists of low limestone islands with sandy beaches, scrub vegetation, mangroves, tidal flats, and sheltered coves.
Boca Tapada is a remote rural community in northern Costa Rica, close to the San Carlos River and the border with Nicaragua. The area is surrounded by lowland rainforest, wetlands, rivers, and agricultural land, creating a landscape with a strong connection to water and forest. Boca Tapada is best known for its location near Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge, an important protected area in the northern plains.
Plymouth sits on England’s southwest coast, where the River Plym meets the sea, forming a wide natural harbor that has shaped the city’s identity for generations. The waterfront remains central to daily life, with views stretching across Plymouth Sound and boats moving in and out of the marina. Visitors often begin along the historic Barbican, an area of narrow streets and old buildings that survived past conflicts and now house independent shops, galleries, and small cafés.
Fernando de Noronha is a volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, belonging to the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. The archipelago consists of 21 islands and islets, with only the main island permanently inhabited. Much of the land and surrounding sea is protected through the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park and the Fernando de Noronha Environmental Protection Area.
Comoros, independent state comprising a group of islands located at the northern entrance of the Mozambique Channel, between the African mainland and the island of Madagascar. Officially called the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros, the archipelago includes four major islands: Grande Comore (Njazidja), Mohéli (Mwali), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Mayotte. Sovereignty of Mayotte is claimed by the government of the republic; the island, however, remains a dependency of France. The republic (including Mayotte) has an area of 2236 sq. km (863 sq. mi.).
Popular Destinations in Comoros
Mayotte
Mayotte, a French overseas department nestled in the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and mainland Africa, offers travelers a window into a lesser-known island culture shaped by Swahili, Malagasy, and French influences. Unlike its neighbors in the Comoros archipelago, Mayotte remains part of France, giving it a unique blend of European infrastructure and Indian Ocean traditions.