United_Arab_Emirates - Just outside the hotel, we exchange some money and then take a taxi to Jumeirah Palm Island. The Palm is about fifteen kilometers from the hotel. We drive west along the broad highway through the financial district and see the Burj Khalifa towering above— ...

Jamaica - The alarm goes off. I quickly open the curtains. It’s a bright sunny day. In the mountains above Kingston, clouds are gathering. Will it stay dry in the mountains? Today I’m visiting the Blue Mountains. Yesterday there was still a flood flash warning ...

Canada - From Toronto, it’s less than a one-and-a-half-hour drive to the famous Niagara Falls. The Niagara Falls lie right on the border between the United States and Canada. The most well-known and largest waterfall is the Horseshoe Fall, which stretches over ...

Finland - Across the road lies Santa Claus Village. This park is located exactly on the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle sits just above the 66th parallel north and marks the boundary where, on the longest day of June, the sun shines for 24 hours a day. This is ...

Sri_Lanka - At half past four, the phone rings. It’s time to get up for the game drive in Yala National Park. When I peek outside through the curtains, it’s still dark. I hear a light rain on the roof. Did I make the right decision to postpone the safari to this ...

Armenia - The Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is a 4th-century Armenian church in the city of Ejmiatsin, Armenia. It is also the central cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Etchmiadzin Cathedral is listed as ...

Maldives - The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an island nation consisting of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean southwest of India. The islands are spread over an area of about 90,000 km², but the total land area is ...

Cape_Verde - We drive into the Parque Natural do Fogo. At the junction between the old and new road, Mayuka stops. He points to the hill: “That’s your guide.” A young man runs down the mountain. He introduces himself as Eurico, but says, “Most people call ...

United_Arab_Emirates - Of the seven sheikhdoms that make up the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi is geographically the largest. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the state of the same name. It is also the federal capital and seat of government. Abu Dhabi is distinguished by a unique ...

Australia - The Blue Mountains, located about 50 kilometers west of Sydney, Australia, are an enchanting and expansive mountain region known for their pristine natural beauty, dramatic landscapes, and rich biodiversity. This UNESCO World Heritage site covers an area ...

Netherlands - Keukenhof is one of the largest and most famous flower gardens in the world, located in Lisse, the Netherlands. The garden is open annually from March through May and attracts thousands of visitors from home and abroad each year. Keukenhof covers an area ...

Botswana - All our luggage is loaded into one speedboat. We board the other speedboat ourselves. Ten folding chairs are set up inside for our journey through the Okavango Delta. It looks a little rickety, but it’s surprisingly comfortable. It's only half past ...

New Zealand - A thrilling day today. Would the glacier tour go ahead? When we wake up, it is cloudy. Yesterday, the weather forecast seemed better. We can call at nine o’clock to find out if the helicopter trip will take place. To be safe, we decide not to do a mountain ...

Ecuador - The Galápagos Islands (commonly called Galapagos, Spanish: Islas Galápagos, officially Archipiélago de Colón) are a scattered group of islands located on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. Politically, they belong to Ecuador, but they lie in open sea ...

Russia - We return to the hotel a little too late for checkout, but it turns out to be no problem. We say goodbye to the owner and drive out of Gorno-Altaisk into the Altai Mountains. As soon as we hit the road, it starts to rain. A pity for the view with those ...

Cape_Verde - The fishing village of Tarrafal lies by the sea, bathed in sunlight. Fishermen are just returning with their catch. They pull the small wooden boats onto the beach. The sorting and selling of the fish starts immediately. Various basins are filled with ...

Armenia - The Tatev Monastery is spectacularly situated on a rocky plateau above the deep gorge of the Vorotan River in southern Armenia. This medieval monastery complex, dating from the 9th century, was for centuries an important religious, cultural, and scientific ...

Iceland - A few minutes later, we drive on to the Gullfoss waterfall, one of Iceland’s most famous. The impressive Gullfoss waterfall drops the water of the Ölfusá River in two stages. From the viewing platform, we see the waterfall nestled in the valley. A ...

San_Marino - San Marino is one of the smallest countries in Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. The country originated atop a rocky outcrop at an elevation of 700 meters. From its three defensive towers, one could oversee the surrounding area. It is an enclave ...

Belgium - At the edge of the Grote Markt stands the Saint Rumbold’s Cathedral. The cathedral is the largest church in the city. Construction began in the thirteenth century. A century later, the church was expanded. The nave of the church is designed in Gothic ...

Tunisia - The medina of Sfax, located in the heart of the city of Sfax in Tunisia, is one of the best-preserved historic city centers in the country. Built in 849 AD, this medina offers an authentic and lively experience, free from the large-scale tourist influences ...

South_Korea - Around ten o’clock, land appears: Donghae, South Korea. Most passengers prepare to disembark, including us for a brief visit. After docking, passengers heading to Japan disembark first. Miscommunication leaves two of us in the regular line, losing the ...

Netherlands - Urk has existed for more than 1000 years and was an island until 1939. That year, the dike from Lemmer to Urk was completed. In 1942, the Noordoostpolder was drained, and Urk definitively ceased to be an island. Since then, Urk has been a unique municipality ...

England - Stonehenge is a megalithic monument from the Neolithic period, located near Amesbury in the English county of Wiltshire, about 13 kilometers northwest of Salisbury on the Salisbury Plains. The most recent dating places the construction of Stonehenge around ...

Belize - I wake up to the sound of construction workers at the hotel. I check my clock and see it's already eight o'clock. I take a shower. Just as I’ve given up hope for hot water and start washing my hair under the cold stream, the water suddenly turns warm. ...