Brasília may be a World Heritage Site, but it is only of interest to town planning and architecture students, and those keen to witness the folly of man on a metropolitan scale. It must have looked good on paper, and still looks good in photos, but in the flesh, forget it. Designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, urban planner Lucio Costa, and landscape architect Burle Marx, the city was built in an incredible three years between 1957 and 1960.

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.

Taitung is a city on Taiwan’s southeastern coast, backed by the Central and Coastal Mountain Ranges and facing the Pacific Ocean. Its setting gives the city a distinctive relationship with both mountains and sea, while a slower pace of development has preserved broad open spaces and coastal landscapes.

Klaipeda, Lithuania’s only port city, is a place where history, nature, and the sea come together. Located on the coast of the Baltic Sea, this charming city has a unique old town filled with cobblestone streets.

Duiker Island, located off the coast of Hout Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, is a fascinating destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. Known for its large population of Cape fur seals, the island provides a unique opportunity to observe these playful marine mammals in their natural habitat.