The Costa Brava coastal region, in northeastern Spain, offers excellent beaches and a typical Mediterranean climate, making it an enticing holiday destination. While parts of the Costa Brava coastline have been exploited by large-scale tourist developments, other areas have retained their traditional roots.

Dambulla, situated in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, is best known for its rock temple complex that has been in use for over two thousand years. The Dambulla Cave Temple, also called the Golden Temple of Dambulla, is made up of five caves carved into a granite outcrop, filled with over 150 Buddha statues and intricate wall paintings. These caves were first used by King Valagamba in the 1st century BCE as a refuge during exile, and later transformed into a sacred site.

Originating as a tiny fishing village in 1038, modern Kehl has become an important link between Germany and France. Rhine River cruises most often use Kehl as their gateway to the much larger and better-known Strasbourg. The savvy traveler, though, might choose to skip the jaunt across the river and enjoy many similar sights, shopping and cuisine as those offered in the teeming French city.

Mongolia, a landlocked nation between Russia and China, is defined by vast steppes, dramatic mountain ranges, and the sweeping expanse of the Gobi Desert. Known for its nomadic traditions, the country preserves a way of life that has endured for centuries.

Roatan is the largest of the eight islands known collectively as Las Islas de la Bahia. Brilliant clear blue waters and palm fringed beaches are cooled by gentle trade winds. An extensive reef system offers the most spectacular diving and snorkeling in the Western hemisphere, while inland nature reserves give an up-close look at native wildlife, including monkeys, sloths, and parrots.