All Destinations

The Outer Banks are a 200-mile chain of barrier islands off North Carolina, strung from the wild horse beaches of Corolla in the north through Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Hatteras, and ferry-only Ocracoke. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (198 feet, the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States) anchors the middle of the chain, the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills marks the spot of the first powered flight in 1903, and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore protects 70 miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach. This is a quieter, fishing-and-family vacation coast, not a boardwalk-and-arcade one.

The first Roman province outside Italy (Provincia Romana, 121 BCE) and the lavender-and-ochre southeast of France — a region rather than a single city, comprising Avignon's Palais des Papes (the largest Gothic palace in Europe, seat of seven popes 1309–1376), Aix-en-Provence's plane-tree boulevards and Cézanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire, and the Luberon hill villages of Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, and Ménerbes. The Plateau de Valensole's 800 km² of cultivated lavender produces half of France's crop and peaks for three weeks in late June through mid-July; outside that window the fields are green or dormant. Roman engineering survives at the Pont du Gard aqueduct and the Arles Arena (still hosting bullfights), and Europe's deepest canyon — the 700-metre Verdon Gorge — runs 25 km through limestone with a turquoise river at the bottom. Gateway airport: Marseille (MRS).

The Sacred Valley of the Incas (Valle Sagrado) is the Urubamba River valley running ~60 km between Pisac and Ollantaytambo at 2,800-3,000m elevation — meaningfully lower than Cusco and a far better acclimatization base before Machu Picchu. The Incas grew their best maize here on stepped agricultural terraces still in use today, and three of their most impressive archaeological sites cluster in the valley: the hilltop fortress of Pisac, the perfectly engineered military complex of Ollantaytambo (still a working Inca-era town), and the surreal circular terraces of Moray. Add the bone-white Maras salt evaporation pans descending a hillside and you have a full 2-3 day side trip from Cusco.

The Scottish Highlands are raw, wild, and hauntingly beautiful — ancient mountains, deep lochs, and vast empty landscapes stretching to the horizon. Drive the NC500 coastal route, hike in Glen Coe, visit the Isle of Skye, and sample single malt whisky at the source. One of Europe's last great wildernesses.

115 islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, 1,600 km east of mainland Africa — the granite-boulder beaches of Anse Source d'Argent and Anse Lazio regularly top "world's most beautiful" lists. Mahé holds the capital Victoria and international airport; Praslin protects the Vallée de Mai palm forest where the coco-de-mer grows; La Digue is pedal-and-ox-cart slow. Among the most expensive island destinations on Earth — dive operators, private-island resorts, and honeymoons dominate the market.

The Norwegian Arctic archipelago at 78°N — halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Longyearbyen is the only real settlement (~2,400 people, more polar bears than residents on the archipelago). Global Seed Vault, the ghost Soviet mining town of Pyramiden, snowmobile tours across frozen fjords, and the unique Svalbard Treaty making it visa-free for every passport holder — though Schengen transit is the practical gateway. Rifle required outside settlements for polar bear defense.

Australia's island state and one of the world's last great wildernesses — the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area covers 20% of the island. Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair frames the Overland Track (the country's premier long-distance hike), Wineglass Bay's perfect crescent in Freycinet is the headline beach, and the Bay of Fires lights up orange-lichened granite at sunrise. Hobart's MONA is the most provocative private museum in the southern hemisphere; the Port Arthur penal colony (UNESCO) is Australia's most powerful convict-history site. The air here is among the cleanest measured anywhere on Earth.

Rolling hills, cypress-lined roads, medieval hilltop towns, and some of the world's best wine. Tuscany is the Italy of postcards — and it delivers. Florence anchors the region with Renaissance art, but the real magic is in the countryside: Siena, San Gimignano, Val d'Orcia, and the Chianti wine region. Renting a car is the best way to explore.

A UNESCO-listed valley in Cuba's tobacco-growing Pinar del Río province, three hours west of Havana, where flat-topped limestone mogotes rise like sleeping giants over fields of red earth. Days here run on country time. Horseback rides slip between rows of curing tobacco at family vegas, classic Plymouths and Buicks ferry travellers along Calle Salvador Cisneros, and farmers like the Robaina dynasty open their drying barns for free hand-rolled cigar tastings. Cueva del Indio threads an underground river through limestone, the giant Mural de la Prehistoria covers a cliff face, and casa particular homestays put guests at the family table for fresh-pressed sugarcane juice and yuca con mojo.