Namche Bazaar, perched at 3,440 meters in the Khumbu region of Nepal, is often called the gateway to Everest, but it’s far more than a rest stop on the way to Base Camp. Once a trading post between Tibetan and Nepali merchants, Namche has developed into a small mountain town where yak caravans and Wi-Fi cafes exist side by side. Despite its remote location, it has a Saturday market that continues to bring traders and trekkers together, just as it did centuries ago.

Abilene is no-nonsense and traditional, but it's just as capable of having a good time as any rip-roaring cowpoke. When you're in Abilene, take time to see the Abilene Zoo, particularly the Texas Plains exhibit, a unique collection of species native to that part of the country (if you've never seen a javelina, here's your chance).

Elafonisi is a coastal area in southwestern Crete, known for a shallow lagoon, pale sand mixed with pink shell fragments, and a narrow sandy crossing to a small offshore island. The beach lies within a protected Natura 2000 landscape that supports sea lilies, rare plants, seabirds, and other wildlife.

Ballybunion is a coastal town in County Kerry on Ireland’s southwest coast, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It is known for broad sandy beaches, high cliffs, sea caves, and a rocky shoreline shaped by the Atlantic. The town sits beside Ballybunion Beach, with the ruins of Ballybunion Castle standing on a headland above the coast.

There's nowhere else like it in Britain. Once you reach Newcastle you know you've arrived. By road or rail - all at once everything drops from view except the Tyne Bridge. An impressive sight, the bridge is the symbol of Newcastle the world over.