Bernard Gagnon
For many years, this ancient country was the Middle East’s great “what if?” — home to some of the planet’s oldest cities and most extraordinary archaeological treasures, yet effectively sealed off from mainstream tourism by civil war, sanctions, and security fears. But in 2026 travelers are beginning to return, cautiously and curiously, to a country still emerging from one of the 21st century’s defining conflicts. I hope to join them soon, because I was born in Damascus and have
unesco world heritage (31)
Dmitrij Rodionov
Just a half hour by car or around 40 minutes by train from Lisbon, this municipality of roughly 386,000 residents feels a world apart. Nestled among the forested hills of the Serra de Sintra, its historic old quarter, has long been a retreat for kings, nobles, and wealthy merchants seeking relief from the summer heat of the Portuguese capital. Most of Sintra today consists of modern residential neighborhoods, commercial districts, and former villages that have gradually become
Adam Smigielski
In good part because of its long civil war (from 1983 to 2009), this mostly Buddhist island nation of 22 million, located in the Indian Ocean to the southeast of India, is afflicted by overtourism yet is now attracting increasing numbers of visitors thanks to an amazing trove of sights and experiences, from coconut-palm-fringed beaches (some of which are great for surfing!); lush tea plantations; exciting wildlife-spotting safaris; a delectable cuisine; and friendly locals not
Bujar I Gashi
Europe´s newest independent country – just 18 years old – is small, youthful, and still something of a blank spot on the European travel map, without the polished tourism industry of neighboring Croatia or Greece. But that’s exactly a key part of its appeal: Kosovo feels real, raw, and a little bit undiscovered. Plus with a population of roughly 1.8 million and slightly smaller than Wales and the U.S. state of Connecticut, it´s compact enough to explore easily, yet varied enough
For sheer human energy, few countries can match this one. Dense, river-laced, green, noisy, resilient, and often misunderstood, Bangladesh sits tucked into the northeastern corner of the Indian Ocean, almost enveloped by India, with a shorter border to Myanmar and a coastline on the Bay of Bengal. Long dismissed abroad as a place of floods, poverty, repression, and exploitative garment factories, Bangladesh is increasingly emerging as something more interesting: one of Asia’s great undervisite
First off, the current conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has spilled over into various other countries in the Middle East, and Iraq is one of them, particularly in capital Baghdad, parts of which have been targeted in retaliatory strikes by Iran and militias aligned with it. But while it´s definitely unsafe to travel to at the moment, once the crisis passes, this is a country that any curious traveler—particularly one interested in history—should visit. Because Iraq
Guatemala´s "place of voices" is the largest of the ancient Mayan cities of the Classic period. Its monumental scale can still be admired, transporting us back in time to the era between 250 and 909 when it became one of the main cultural centers of the Mayan civilisation which today spans four other countries besides Guatemala (Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico).
It has more than 3,000 structures spread across an area of 16 square kilometres (just over six sq. miles) with
Virginia Humanities
Slow, lyrical, and deeply expressive, often described as "the sound of longing carried on Atlantic winds," morna emerged in the 19th century, particularly on the island of Boa Vista and later São Vicente, shaped by a blend of African rhythms, Portuguese song traditions, and even from Brazil and the Caribbean across the Atlantic. Over time, it evolved into a refined urban style, closely associated with cafés, salons, and small ensembles rather than large public performances.
Mus
Zairon
This wealthy Persian Gulf kingdom - an archipelago of one large island and dozens of smaller ones off the coast of Saudi Arabia (and connected to it by causeway - is one of the Middle East´s smallest countries – packing a population of 1.6 million into a territory just a fifth the size of Wales and smaller even than the U.S. state of Rhode Island – you can drive across the main island in just under an hour. But it also boasts one of the region´s longest inhabited histories. stretching b
This landlocked country in South America´s Southern Cone is the continent´s biggest “blank space” for travelers. About the size of California and just under twice the size of Britain, but fairly sparsely populated, with a population of some seven million, it gets a fraction of the travelers welcomed by neighbors like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru. The reason is that it doesn´t have the “star power” and marquee attractions that pull most first-time visitors. Paraguay’s appeal is d
This small North African country (pop. 12.3 million) is perhaps most famous as home in classical antiquity to the capital and heartland of the Phoenician-founded Carthaginian Empire, which lasted some 670 years until razed by Rome, and at its height ruled all of coastal North Africa as well as large swaths of present-day Spain and southern Italy. Today, however, it´s only as big as Florida and about two-thirds the size of England
After 75 years under French colonial rule, Tuni
UNESCO
An anomaly in South America, the continent´s only country where Dutch is spoken, and it’s also one of the continent’s smallest and least visited—roughly the size of the U.S. state of Georgia and a bit more than England and Wales put together — with a population of 630,000. Most Surinamese live along the Atlantic Ocean coast, especially in the capital Paramaribo, and the interior consists of vast Amazonian rainforest, sparsely populated and even roadless in many areas.
The region was exp
Ali mjr
Covering around 35 acres, this carefully planned ceremonial complex is a powerful symbol of ancient Persian civilization,. It´s located in Fars Province in the south, at the foot of the Kuh-e Rahmat (“Mountain of Mercy”) a one-hour drive from Shiraz and roughly ten to 12 hours from Tehran, depending on traffic and road conditions (there are also regular 90-minute flights between Tehran and Shiraz).
Founded around 518 BCE by Darius I, Persepolis served as the ceremonial he
Palestine´s West Bank - a territory of just under 2,200 square miles with a population of 4.2 million, wedged betwen Israel and Jordan - has long been a trove of history and culture enjoyed by millions of visitors in recent decades, especially those attracted to biblical history (mostly but far from exclusively Christians from around the world). But beginning in the fall of 2023, Israel responded to the brutal murders and kidnappings of more than a thousand of its citizens by Gaza´
A British Overseas Territory with a land area of just 21 square miles – the size of a middling city anywhere in the world – and a population of 73,000, Bermuda is named after its original discoverer, Spanish explorer Juan de Bermúdez. It has been settled for 412 years and has been a popular tourist destination – especially for those in the United States, for whom it´s a flight of just over two hours from the East Coast – since the 1880´s, when the Hamilton Hotel (now the Fairmont
Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is home to some of the most fascinating remnants of the ancient Maya civilization, and among them, the Tulum ruins stand out as a spectacular destination that combines history, culture, and breathtaking coastal scenery. Nestled on a cliff overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea, the Tulum archaeological site offers visitors a unique glimpse into the past while providing stunning natural beauty. For travelers interested in exploring ancient mysteries, a Tulum Ruins tou
Some of the world’s most famous ruins can be found in this expansive, steamy lowland peninsula covering the southern Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo (as well as, many people don’t realise, northern Belize and the Guatemalan state of Petén, home to Tikal). The two best known, Chichén Itzá and Tulum, are celebrated for a reason. But if you’re particularly fascinated, as I am, with the Mundo Maya, you’ll want to add several more days to your visit here, as the
by Pamela Acosta Ruiz
Even in a hemisphere full of spots with unique appeal to visitors, Xochimilco in Mexico’s Federal District (about an hour from downtown Mexico City’s main square, the Zócalo) can claim a special place.An Aztec town dating back to the 10th century, today Xochimilco (“field of flowers” in the local Nahuatl language), it largely has the feel of a Mexico City suburb it's become, but with one major exception, for which it is justly famous: its 170-square kilometre (66-square-m
In southern Jordan, just under three hours from capital Amman, one of the most recognisable ancient sites in the MIddle East - and indeed, the world - was rediscovered by archaeologists in 1812. But it dates back to at least the 2nd century BCE and probably earlier, settled by an ancient Bedouin Arab tribe called the Nabataeans, who spoke Aramaic rather than Arabic and grew into a wealthy, powerful kingdom which at its height - and until it was absorbed by the Roman Empire in the
