Volcanoes National Park, in northwestern Rwanda, is a place where dramatic volcanic landscapes meet extraordinary wildlife encounters. Stretching across the Virunga Mountains, the park is dominated by five towering volcanoes whose slopes are cloaked in rainforest and bamboo.

Trebinje, the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, sits just a short drive from the Adriatic coast but offers a completely different rhythm. Framed by hills and set along the Trebišnjica River, the city has a history stretching back to Roman times. The river that winds through the city is one of the longest sinking rivers in the world and often disappears underground and resurfaces in various places.

Dominica, known as the “Nature Island of the Caribbean,” is a haven for eco-tourists and adventure seekers. Nestled between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, this lush island boasts a remarkable landscape of volcanic mountains, dense rainforests, and stunning waterfalls. Dominica’s most iconic natural wonder is the Boiling Lake, the second-largest hot spring in the world.

ABERDEEN -- Scotland's third-largest city (pop. 187,000) is characterized by buildings of beautiful white granite. Set beside the North Sea, Aberdeen is both a university town and the capital of the Scottish oil boom. It is also one of Scotland's largest seaside resorts (though its appeal is confined to those who like their water well-chilled).

French Guiana, tucked between Brazil and Suriname on the northeast coast of South America, offers an unexpected blend of Amazonian wilderness, colonial intrigue, and French flair. As an overseas department of France, it uses the euro, speaks French, and has croissants alongside cassava bread at breakfast. Yet just beyond the cafés of Cayenne, vast rainforest stretches for hundreds of kilometers, home to rare wildlife, remote rivers, and Indigenous communities.