Lukla, a mountain town perched at 2,860 meters in eastern Nepal, is best known as the gateway to the Everest region. The town is home to Tenzing-Hillary Airport, one of the world’s most thrilling landing strips, named after the legendary climbers who first reached Everest’s summit in 1953. The short, sloped runway hugs the mountain, offering a once-in-a-lifetime arrival that travelers remember long after their journey ends.

A quaint Italian town off the beaten path.

Lac Abbe, straddling the border between Djibouti and Ethiopia, is one of East Africa’s most otherworldly landscapes.

Polonnaruwa, located in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, served as the island’s capital nearly a thousand years ago. Today, it offers one of the most extensive and well-preserved archaeological sites in South Asia. Visitors can walk among the ruins of royal palaces, Buddhist monasteries, and intricately carved stone temples. One of the highlights of Polonnaruwa is the Gal Vihara, a group of colossal Buddha statues carved directly into granite.

One of Turkey's popular holiday vacation spots, Antalya is an engaging city. The region is immersed in sunshine for 300 days of the year, making it a hot spot for sunbathing, swimming and activities like wind-surfing, water-skiing, sailing, mountain climbing and caving.