With a gorgeous beach for every day of the year, tortoise sanctuaries and loads of succulent seafood, Antigua & Barbuda is truly a hidden gem. The island offers endless amounts of sunbathing, swimming and water sports but still feels quaint and untouched. It also has rich British history as a British naval headquarters and sugar colony.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Croatia since 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park is known for its picturesque series of tufa lakes, caves, canyons and connected waterfalls that reach over 250 feet high. The emerald green lakes can be explored via a series of wooden paths and trails that surround the 16 lakes and over 90 waterfalls.

The driest place on Earth, the deserts of Atacama boasts natural wonders like salt flats home to pink flamingos, red rock formations and mysterious blue lagoons at Laguna Chaxa, Piedras Rojas and Altiplanic Lagoons.

Once the capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom of Ruhuna as early as the 3rd century BC, Tissamaharama is steeped in history. This quiet town in Sri Lanka is known for Buddhist monasteries, beautiful beaches and wildlife reserves like Yala National Park, where visitors can join a wildlife safari.

The emerald green forests of Japan’s Arashiyama offer more than meets the eye. Come for the bamboo but stay to explore the charming temples, beautiful shrines and cherry blossoms along Ōi River.

An island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, Vieques is a land of untouched beaches, roaming wild horses and spark-filled Bioluminescent Bay.

Sri Lanka’s Ella is most well known for Nine Arches Bridge, a viaduct bridge built without any steel and set against a lush green landscape surrounded by rolling hills, cloud forests and tea plantations. The town also boasts epic waterfalls, exhilarating train rides and sacred Buddhist temples.

Over 10,000 torii gates line the path to Fushimi Inari Taisha, the head shrine of the deity Inari Ōkami and spirit of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, agriculture, industry, general prosperity and worldly success. Placing offerings helps protect visitors from evil forces.

Located in the lush mountains north of Tokyo, Nikkō has long been celebrated as for its Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship. Toshogu Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Nikkō National Park are highlights worth exploring.

A small town in Sri Lanka, Minneriya is famous for two things — the great Minneriya Lake and Minneriya National Park. Declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1938, the park is an incredible location for safari lovers and known for its abundance of roaming elephants.

Viñales a small town west of Havana with green rolling hills planted with fruit, vegetables, coffee and tobacco. It’s known for steep limestone hills called mogotes which dot the landscape and gardens full of palms and orchids.

Known for its sandy beaches, unique wildlife and sunny weather, Paracas is a special little beach town on Peru’s western coast. It’s also an incredible area to explore the Ballestas Islands, Paracas National Reserve and Nazca Lines.