Byron Bay lies on the far north coast of New South Wales, Australia, where wide beaches meet the deep blue Pacific and the point of land known as Cape Byron marks the easternmost tip of the mainland. Standing tall above the coastline, the Cape Byron Lighthouse has guided ships since 1901 and now greets walkers and sightseers who take the scenic cliff-top path for views stretching toward whales during their migration season.
Rovaniemi, located just a few kilometers south of the Arctic Circle, is widely recognized as the official hometown of Santa Claus. From late August through early April, the Northern Lights are visible on clear nights, and several local guides offer nighttime tours to remote locations for optimal viewing. During summer, the sun doesn't set for weeks, giving travelers the rare chance to hike or kayak under a sky that stays bright at midnight.
Madagascar, the world’s fourth-largest island, lies off the southeastern coast of Africa and is renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity and unique landscapes. Its rainforests, spiny deserts, and highland plateaus provide habitats for species found nowhere else on Earth.
Georgia, nestled at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, is a country defined by dramatic landscapes, rich traditions, and a deep sense of history. The snow-capped Caucasus Mountains rise in the north, offering scenic hiking trails and ancient villages, while the Black Sea coastline in the west provides a warmer, more relaxed atmosphere.
Doubtful Fjord (Doubtful Sound) is a large fjord in southwestern New Zealand, in the same region as the smaller but better known Milford Sound. It is home to an unusually large population of bottlenose dolphins, as well as a variety of birds, fur seals, penguins, and often even humpback whales.
Lake Nakuru National Park is located in the heart of the Great Rift Valley. The Park encompasses the alkaline Lake Nakuru and has earned fame as the greatest bird spectacle in the world. The gathering of hundreds of thousands of greater and lesser pink flamingos. The massive flock of birds color the waters a delicate pink and feed on the abundant algae which thrives in the lake's shallow warm waters.
Lake Nakuru is subject to fluctuation in depth and once in every 20 to 30 years it dries up completely, in which case the flamingos and pelican fly over the Managaai crater to the more remote waters of Lake Bogoria. Lake Nakuru National Park covers 78 square miles, most of which is the lake itself. Nakuru has also been declared a black rhino sanctuary and has a number of these endangered animals underguard. Other wildlife found here are leopards, buffalo, Rothschild's giraffes, waterbucks, reedbucks, hippos, baboons, pelicans, and cormorants. The acacia savannah which surrounds the lake is itself beautiful and provides an area particuarly delightful for game viewing.