Capital of Martinique, a French overseas territory, Fort-de-France is a veritable island paradise replete with striking colonial architecture, exotic flora and fauna, verdant nature parks, and sparkling beaches. Highlights of this vibrant island capital include the colorful Jardin de Balata, the cascading Fontaine Didier waterfall, and the expansive Schoelcher Library.

Lalibela is the name of the township which King Lalibela, later canonized, ruled in the 12th century. At his command, eleven monolithic churches were hewn out of living rock. The churches are unique because they are not carved into rock but were freed from it entirely

Khao Lak rests quietly along Thailand’s Andaman coastline, about an hour north of Phuket, yet it feels worlds apart. This stretch of shoreline runs for miles, with wide sandy beaches that often seem almost untouched. The name itself comes from the nearby mountain that rises behind the coast, giving the area a dramatic backdrop where forest meets sea.

Formerly Mocamedes, this port in southwest Angola has become an important industrial center since a rail line was built in 1905 connecting it with the interior of Angola. In 1967 when iron ore was discovered in Dongo, an additional line was laid and the port was enlarged.

The National Park of American Samoa invites visitors to step into a world shaped by towering volcanic ridges, tangled rainforests, and clear coral-sand bays. Spread across Tutuila, Ta‘ū, and Ofu islands, the park protects nearly 13,500 acres of land and 4,000 acres of ocean, an unusual patchwork where ancient ecosystems like paleotropical rainforests meet hip-deep coral reefs. Only U.S. national park in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s a place where you can hike through cloud-shrouded forests and t