Who would have thought, back in the tumultuous coup and counter coup days of the 1970s, that Burkina Faso would become the cultural darling of West Africa? Unlikely as it seems, Burkina Faso has become the Utah of West Africa, hosting a biennial film festival that rivals the Sundance Film Festival for cultural clout. When it's not hosting film festivals, it's busy organizing its other biennial cultural festival.

From the rugged highlands and volcanic plateaus to the lowland deserts and the Great Rift Valley, Ethiopia's terrain is as varied as it is dramatic.

Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, showcases the country’s contrasting landscapes and deep-rooted history. Although much of the city was rebuilt after World War II, traces of its Roman and Ottoman past still remain. Visitors can explore the ruins of Doclea, a Roman settlement just outside the city, where surviving columns and mosaics give a glimpse into life nearly two millennia ago.

New Jersey often surprises first-time visitors. It’s not just the gateway to New York or Philadelphia but a destination in its own right with deep Revolutionary War history, beach towns full of character, and some of the most diverse food offerings on the East Coast. Cities like Trenton and Morristown still carry the echoes of pivotal battles, while monuments and preserved buildings tell stories of George Washington’s winter encampments and early American resilience.

Situated on the coast of Tuscany near the Tyrrhenian Sea, Livorno, Italy, is a popular stop on Mediterranean cruises and an important commercial and industrial port. It was founded on a former auxiliary Pisan port between the late 16th and early 17th centuries on the orders of the Grand Duke Cosimo I, who made it Tuscany's main outlet to the sea.