Manama pulses with stories from long ago and today. Just beyond the modern skyline lies Qal’at al‑Bahrain, a layered mound once the capital of Dilmun, used by societies from the Kassites to the Portuguese. Visitors can climb its crumbling stairways and imagine life across centuries there. Nearby, the Bahrain National Museum, opened in 1988 in a stately waterside building, displays archaeological finds from ancient Dilmun to modern-day artifacts and is one of the Gulf's first modern museums.

The car-less village of Murren is surrounded by the mountain peaks of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, all soaring over 13,000 feet.

Fujairah stands apart among the emirates as the only one on the UAE’s eastern shore, where waves roll in from the Gulf of Oman and the Hajar Mountains rise sharply behind the city. Life here moves between sea and mountain, where coastal breeze meets rugged terrain, and echoes of ancient trade routes still shape the rhythm of settlements.

Bikini Atoll, a remote ring of islands in the Marshall Islands, is one of the most sought-after wreck diving locations in the world. These underwater sites are preserved in a time capsule-like state, providing a rare look at history submerged in a silent world of coral and marine life.

The Orange River is the longest river in South Africa and one of the defining natural features of southern Africa.