Botswana, a jewel of southern Africa, offers a captivating blend of natural beauty and unique wildlife experiences. The country is renowned for its pristine wilderness areas, including the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This sprawling inland delta floods annually, creating a lush oasis in the Kalahari Desert. Here, visitors can explore a maze of waterways and lagoons by traditional mokoro canoe, spotting a rich array of wildlife such as elephants, hippos, and various bird species.

Punakha sits in one of Bhutan’s most fertile valleys, cradled where the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers meet. For centuries it served as the kingdom’s capital and remains a place rich with stories woven through its fields, temples, and riverbanks. The city’s low elevation brings warmer weather than much of Bhutan’s highland regions, and rice paddies fill the landscape with vivid green during planting and golden hues at harvest.

Labadee, a private peninsula on Haiti’s northern coast, is an exclusive destination for Royal Caribbean cruise guests. Surrounded by dramatic green mountains and the sparkling waters of the Caribbean Sea, it offers a mix of natural beauty and curated resort-style amenities.

Perched on the southern coast of Iceland, the quaint village of Vík í Mýrdal, or simply Vík, is a destination that defies expectations with its dramatic landscapes and unique charm. Known as Iceland’s southernmost village, Vík is famed for its striking black sand beach, Reynisfjara, consistently ranked among the most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world.

Marathon, located near the center of the Florida Keys, is a vibrant island city known for its fishing, boating, and tropical charm. Nestled between Key Largo and Big Pine Key, Marathon is surrounded by clear waters, coral reefs, and sandy beaches, making it a prime destination for water-based recreation.