Mauritania, stretching between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara Desert, offers travelers a journey through wide-open landscapes and centuries of history. Its terrain is marked by shifting sand dunes, ancient caravan towns, and stretches of untouched coastline.

Barca d'Alva sits quietly along the Douro River, right at Portugal’s eastern border with Spain. Once the final stop on the historic Douro railway line, this riverside village remains relatively untouched by mass tourism. The surrounding landscape filled with terraced vineyards, olive groves, and almond trees form part of the UNESCO-listed Alto Douro Wine Region.

Though it's San Diego County's smallest city in both size and population, Del Mar is one of its most widely known due to prominence of its Del Mar Race Track & Fairgrounds. The City of Del Mar with about 2 square miles of land for its 5,211 residents, the city gives up almost one quarter to the fairgrounds. But its beaches stretch from Del Mar Shores Beach Park in the north edge of Torrey Pine State Reserve and the La Jolla Underwater Park in the south.

Ninh Binh, located about 100 kilometers south of Hanoi, offers a landscape shaped by limestone karsts, winding rivers, and flooded rice paddies. Often referred to as “Ha Long Bay on land,” the area is best explored by rowboat. At Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, boat routes pass through caves, ancient pagodas, and valleys surrounded by towering cliffs. Local rowers often use their feet to paddle, an unusual technique that surprises many first-time visitors.

The Bimini Islands, the westernmost point of the Bahamas, are a tiny chain of islands steeped in history, legend, and natural wonder. Bimini has long been celebrated as the “Gateway to the Bahamas,” blending fishing traditions, maritime lore, and a laid-back island culture.