The most heavily populated of the Hawaiian islands, Oahu is known as the Gathering Place. Two parallel mountain ranges, the Koolau Range and the Waianae Range, cross Oahu from northwest to southeast. . Among the many popular beaches is the renowned Waikiki, backed by the famous Diamond Head, an extinct volcano.
British influences are quite evident in Victoria, from afternoon tea times to elegant Victorian architecture. This capital of British Columbia on Vancouver Island provides ample outdoor recreation, with its public parks and access to both the ocean and wilderness. Cyclists will be right at home here, as Victoria boasts a seemingly endless number of bike paths for exploring.
Cebu sits at the center of the central Philippines, shaped by seafaring trade and early colonial contact. It was here that Spanish rule first took hold in the 16th century, leaving a legacy visible in churches, street patterns, and long-standing ties to Catholic tradition.
Long regarded as one of the freest-thinking college towns in the U.S., Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Domino's Pizza. While you're in Ann Arbor, be certain to see the city's many fascinating historic buildings; the Kelsey Museum of Ancient and Medieval Archaeology; and Kerrytown (a diversity of specialty shops and eateries in restored 19th-century buildings close to the Farmers Market).
Set at the meeting point of Brazil and Argentina, Foz do Iguaçu is defined by the sheer scale of the Iguaçu Falls. Nearly 275 individual waterfalls stretch across close to three kilometers, sending mist into the air and sound echoing through the surrounding forest. Visitors follow raised walkways that bring them face to face with this moving wall of water, culminating at the dramatic Devil’s Throat, a deep, curved drop where the river seems to vanish into the earth.
This natural reef and its uninhabited islands are home to one of the natural wonders of Belize, the Blue Hole. An underwater shaft that drops from a ten-foot-deep lagoon, it opens into a series of elaborate, stalactite-filled caverns. A true diver's paradise!