Kerala, India

Laborers go to work at tea plantations in Kerala, India.

Svartifoss, Iceland

Lava-formed columns surround Svartifoss, or "The Black Fall," in Iceland's Skaftafell National Park.

Bagan, Myanmar

A Buddhist monk prays by candlelight in a temple in the ancient city of Bagan, Myanmar (Burma).

Shiretoko, Japan

A scuba diver explores an underwater environment as sea ice floats above in Japan's Shiretoko Peninsula.

Kauai, Hawaii

An aerial view of Tunnels Beach on the island of Kauai.

Portland, Oregon

A Japanese maple reveals autumn colors in the Portland Japanese Garden.

Sardina

Soft dusk cloaks pastel-hued Castelsardo, a fortified hilltown on the northwest coast of Sardinia. Still little known by most Americans, Sardinia’s northern coast is a corner of the Mediterranean adored by Italians and in-the-know Europeans.

Puerto Rico

Though beaches like Mar Chiquita Beach draw Boogie-boarders and other watersports lovers, Puerto Rico also offers lots of landlubber entertainment in its main city, San Juan. Roam the largest fort built by the Spanish in the Americas, go antiquing for wooden santos, and sample traditional Puerto Rican dishes like chicken chicharrones.

Cuba

Paper birds festoon a street during the Santiago de Cuba carnaval, in Cuba, the largest island in the West Indies. “Cuba’s allure lies not just in beautiful vistas and beaches, or its colonial history, or even in the spectacle of its entrapment in the past,” writes Jon Bowermaster. “Its real enchantment is in its optimistic people who carry on, and even celebrate life, in the midst of what appears to many as a failed political and economic experiment.”

Martinique, west Indies

If you prefer to stay dry, head out on one of dozens of marked trails, such as the 12.4-mile (20-kilometer) coastal route that connects, via banana and mango plantations, Le Prêcheur to Grand’Rivière, a road’s-end Atlantic fishing village where the local kids still ride waves on rough-hewn logs, and family-owned Creole restaurants like Tante Arlette win raves (try the crawfish fricassee). Unpack at the just renovated Le Domaine Saint Aubin, a delightful red-roofed plantation house from 1919 that has 30 sunny rooms along with cottages and terraces overlooking the island’s rugged east coast.

Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is just a 30-minute ferry trip from mainland Australia, but its relative isolation has made the vast bushlands and broad beaches of this sparsely populated 100-by-35-mile (161-by-56-kilometer) islet a Galápagosian showcase for wildlife. With no predatory dingoes or foxes, the namesake marsupials—plus wallabies, koalas, echidnas, platypuses, goannas, fairy penguins, opossums, and bandicoots—are living large. (Becoming roadkill is the biggest threat to these nocturnal critters.)

Indonesia

Tiny Batbitim—part of a mostly uninhabited karst archipelago northwest of West Papua—is home to great schools of giant tuna and mobula rays hunting shimmering clouds of anchovies. "We hung in mid-water watching this spectacular dance unfold," Misool Eco Resort owner Andrew Miners says of his first dive there. "I realized that not only had I stumbled upon a place of spectacular beauty, but, aside from a few intrepid divers, I had arrived before anyone else."

Palawan Island

An outrigger canoe glides across crystal waters off Palawan Island in the Philippines. It’s an island of Jules Verne-like vistas, where giant eagles soar, rare seashells litter quiet beaches, and exotic orchids bloom in dark mahogany forests.

Palau Rock Island

The more than 300 islands of Palau, in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Guam, feature some of the world’s best dive sites and the unique foliage-frosted Rock Islands. Palau is also a living World War II museum—WWII wrecks lie submerged just off the Rock Islands.

Bora Bora

Bora-Bora has so many natural advantages it deserves its long-held reputation as the South Pacific’s loveliest island retreat. “It’s everything a Polynesian island should be—blue lagoon, sand-fringed motus, soaring peaks,” says Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler.

Top 10 Beaches (Maya Bay)

After being devastated by the 2004 tsunami, the Phi Phi archipelago off the coast of Thailand has been restored to its pristine, idyllic state.

Top 10 Beaches (Kailua)

Coconut palms line the shore in Kailua, along Hawaii's Kona Coast. The palms' lanky trunks support the heavy fruits dangling from their branches.

Top 10 Beaches (Mykonos Island)

International travelers love the Cycladic architecture, unspoiled beaches, and vivid nightlife of Greece's most popular island, Mykonos.

Top 10 Beaches (Fraser Island)

Clear waters lap the shores of Fraser Island—the world's largest sand island—just off the coast of Queensland.

Top 10 Beaches (Cumberland Island)

Shells speckle the water's edge at Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia. The secluded barrier island gained fame after serving as the location of the secret wedding of John F. Kennedy, Jr., and Carolyn Bessette in 1996.

Top 10 Beaches (Coronado Beach)

Steady waves along San Diego Bay draw surfing enthusiasts and novices alike, as well as crowds of tan-seeking sunbathers.

Top 10 Beaches (Cape Cod)

A drive around Massachusetts' Cape Cod serves up miles of beaches, restful resort towns—and, yes, lobster and clam shacks.

Top 10 Beaches (Cape Town)

The seaside resort of Clifton, near Cape Town, hugs the western slope of Table Mountain.

Top 10 Beaches (Seychelles)

North of Madagascar, off Africa's east coast, are the 115 islands of the Seychelles. The Indian Ocean paradise hosts many sun-loving tourists who fuel its economic engines

Top 10 Beaches (Maldives)

Whether your dream beach trip consists of spending a few pampered nights in a four-star resort or swimming among tropical fish some 80 feet (24 meters) underwater, the Maldives are the sort of islands where either—or both—can come true. Straddling the Equator southwest of Sri Lanka, the 1,102 islands that make up the Maldives form 26 atolls. The soft air enveloping the archipelago blends into a beautiful palm-fringed haze.

Jasper

In Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks, explore a stunning wilderness of hanging glaciers, rushing rivers, and jewel-toned lakes. Hike in blooming alpine meadows surrounded by glacier-carved mountains, and search for elk, bighorn sheep, bears, and more. Feel the thunderous spray of waterfalls and watch the sun set over Lake Louise. Along the famed Icefields Parkway, encounter an abundance of geological wonders, including the largest ice cap in the Canadian Rockies.

Glacier Bay

Along Alaska’s southeastern coast, little is accessible by road. Glaciers tumble down from high mountain slopes, scattering icebergs across inlets and bays. Ferns and moss carpet the floor of the ancient Tongass Forest, and waters rich with salmon and nutrients lure wildlife of every sort, from humpback whales and sea otters to brown bears. Exploring from the intimate perspective of your kayak, encounter the forests and shores of beautiful Chichagof Island close up. Venture far into Glacier Bay and spend three days paddling through this otherworldly wilderness of ice and mountains.

Havasu Falls

The extraordinary beauty of Grand Canyon National Park. From the lush forests of the North Rim, hike along sinuous sandstone ribbons sculpted over millions of years. Explore the more arid terrain of the South Rim and witness the canyon’s shifting palette of red, orange, and gold. Then head to Havasu Canyon, a stunning oasis located just outside a remote section of the park, for a camping expedition. Hike through a red-rock labyrinth and feel the cool spray of waterfalls as they gush over travertine terraces. Swim in turquoise pools, delve into slot canyons, and sleep in tents beside a shaded creek. Explore the geological formations that make the Grand Canyon one of the most magnificent natural wonders of the world.

Yellow Stone of the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a spectacular, 20-mile chasm. Walk along the rim to view cascading waterfalls set against a dazzling red and gold palette. In Hayden Valley, look for bison, coyotes, elk, and perhaps even a grizzly. Then trace the scenic shores of Yellowstone Lake, and continue up and over the Continental Divide to the Upper Geyser Basin, home to Yellowstone's most famous geyser, Old Faithful.

Infinty Pool, Singapore

The vertiginous "infinity pool" at the Marina Bay Sands resort offers a sweeping view of Singapore, a country that's achieved success while building up instead of out.

Sea Stacks, Outer Hebrides

Their crumpled layers as old as the continents, the sea stacks and cliffs of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland offer jagged reminders of the forces that drove Europe, North America, and Greenland apart as the North Atlantic began to open 60 million years ago.

Bering Sea Sunset

Water from the Bering Sea crashes on the rocks of Margaret Bay in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

Lago di Olginate, Italy

A layer of low clouds covers the alpine valleys of northern Italy, just south of Lake Como. The clouds are just dense enough to hide uniformly the valley and also filter the artificial lights below like they were an opaque blanket. Above the layer, moonlight and high cirrus clouds make the night less dark. You can easily recognize the round shape of Lago di Olginate and the lights of the villages all around its banks.

Badab Sourt Spring, Iran

Main Spring in Badab Sourt in wintertime. Badab Sourt Spring is in the city of Sari in Iran, in the Alborz mountains, altitude 1,840 meters.

Archeï Oasis, Chad

Knee-deep wading is bliss for camels in Chad's Archeï, a canyon whose trapped waters hold a zoological surprise. Fertilized by beasts' droppings, algae are eaten by fish that are preyed upon by an isolated group of crocodiles.

Republic of the Congo

Photo of the Day debuted on April 21, 2001, with this photograph of a Pygmy family setting out for a fishing trip in a flooded forest in the Congo.

Forbidden City, Beijing

Presenting another angle from a magnificent palace museum. It was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 1987, it was declared a World Heritage site.

Hotel Lobby, Shanghai

China loves setting records. The lobby of the Grand Hyatt in Shanghai is on the 53rd floor. It held the record for the highest lobby in the world until the Shanghai Park Hyatt eclipsed it. This is a view of the lobby from the observation floor on the 88th floor.

Kurdistan

Considered an oasis of peace and stability in a historically volatile region, the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northeastern Iraq is drawing a growing stream of curious Western visitors to its ancient cities, snowcapped mountains, and bustling bazaars. The 2010 expansion of Erbil International Airport—located in the provincial capital and main commercial center—has improved access to the region and helped fuel tourist infrastructure development. Recent advances include construction of several new luxury and business hotels and additional escorted small group tours focused on Kurdish ethnic heritage and historic sites.

Shikoku

Mountain-ringed Shikoku—the smallest and least visited of Japan’s four main islands—is best known for its "walk of life," the 88-Buddhist-temple pilgrimage retracing the footsteps of the eighth-century monk and scholar Kōbō Daishi. Completing the 745-mile-plus (1,200-kilometer-plus) island-wide circuit on foot is an intense physical and spiritual workout that can take a month or more.

Save time—and your knees—by covering the steep route via bus and riding the train up Mount Koya, the pilgrimage’s traditional start and end point. Many Shikoku temples offer basic lodging for visiting pilgrims or o-henro-san. Affordable, traditional accommodations also are available at Shikoku’s rustic to luxurious ryokans, traditional, tatami mat Japanese guest houses.

Shimla

Visiting Shimla is equal parts journey and destination. For optimal snow-clad Himalayan views, chug back in time on the narrow-gauge Kalka Shimla Railway (above), one of three Indian lines on the World Heritage List. It passes through 102 tunnels, across 864 bridges, and up 4,659 feet (1,420 meters) to the Shimla Hill station in northern Himachal Pradesh. Colonialists built the engineering marvel in the late 19th century to service the Shimla Highlands, an escape for the British from the summer heat.

The colonial influence endures in Shimla’s architecture and ambience, particularly along the Mall, a bustling pedestrian marketplace and cultural hub featuring shops, restaurants, and the 123-year-old, neo-Gothic Gaiety Theatre renovated in 2009. Guided walking tours around Shimla and the surrounding seven hills include stops at historic temples, churches, palaces, and mansions, including the Viceregal Lodge, a baronial-style estate built high on Observatory Hill as a tribute to the empire.

Fjord Norway

Western Norway, known as Fjord Norway, is home to the world’s largest concentration of the saltwater-filled, glaciated valleys. The iconic destination encompasses 1,646 miles (2,650 kilometers) of pristine coastline, glaciers, mountains, and cascading waterfalls, including the 2,148-foot (655-meter) Mardalsfossen, the world’s fourth highest. The region’s six National Tourist Routes offer easy driving access to bouldering, ice climbing, glacier walking, base jumping, caving, and year-round skiing.

Ulaanbaatar

Nearly half of Mongolia’s three million residents are nomads, and most of the rest live in Ulaanbaatar—the country's capital and largest city. The cultural, economic, and transportation hub on the Tuul River is the starting point for two-humped Bactrian camel treks and other exotic Gobi desert expeditions, but its ten museums, close proximity to national parks, and collection of imperial palaces and Buddhist monasteries qualify Ulaanbaatar as a destination rather than way station.

Wander through the Narantuul, a 2,500-vendor, open-air market; visit Gandan Monastery—Mongolia’s largest functioning Buddhist monastery—and the adjoining Megjid Janraisig and Kalachakra Temples; and view Stone and Bronze Age artifacts, sacred relics, and fossilized dinosaur bones and eggs found in the Gobi at the National and Natural History Museums. During the July 11-13 National Holiday, Ulaanbaatar hosts the nation’s largest Naadam Festival, a legendary cultural celebration featuring wrestling, archery and cross-country horse racing competitions, plus traditional costumes and dance.

Chiapas

Hidden within Mexico’s southernmost state are mist-shrouded jungles, volcanic mountains, thriving indigenous communities, and spectacular Maya ruins. Chiapas is home to the Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque, built by the Maya between A.D. 200 and 600. Highlights of the World Heritage site include the rambling Palace—Palenque’s largest complex—and the Temple of the Inscriptions pyramid, housing the crypt of Pakal the Great. In Chiapas’ cultural capital, Spanish colonial San Cristóbal de las Casas, stroll the narrow cobblestone streets and book a guided tour.

Petra and Wadi Rum

Built by nomadic Nabataeans two millennia ago, rose-red Petra is a “lost” city well worth finding. The ancient commercial crossroads chiseled from bedrock cliffs is situated between the Red and Dead Seas, about a hundred miles north of King Hussein International Airport. Follow the 3,300-foot-long, serpentine entry path—the Siq—through towering sandstone walls to Al-Khazne (the Treasury). The elaborately carved, 13-story tomb served as the final resting place of the Holy Grail in the 1989 movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Explore empty caves, visit the archeological and Nabataean museums, and hike 800 steps up to the top of Al-Dier (the Monastery).

Yeosu Peninsula's

Mountainous Yeosu peninsula’s 300-plus jagged islands, two protected national marine parks, and rich maritime heritage made this southern coastal city a natural choice to host Expo 2012: "The Living Ocean and Coast," May 12 to August 12.

Along with promoting responsible ocean stewardship and sustainable technologies, Yeosu’s world’s fair-on-water introduces visitors to local cuisine (try the Dolsan Island Gat Kimchi, a potent and pungent mustard greens blend) and tourist sites—walk across the breakwater to Odongdo Island, home to 70 wildflower species (and typically blanketed with thousands of flowering red camellias through April).

Instanbul

Legendary hub of the Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman Empires, Istanbul has managed to retain its character through centuries of successive change. But unprecedented urban construction and proposed development around and over the Bosphorus Strait could forever alter the fabric and feel of the city.

Ta Prahm Temple

The temple of Angkor Wat, rising out of the Cambodian jungle, is the world’s largest religious structure. But nearby is another temple, Ta Prohm, less grand in scale but more penetrating to the psyche. Here the roots of towering strangler figs cascade over the intricately carved stone walls, framing doorways. They depend on each other, neither the walls nor the trees able to stand without the other. The roots snake over and around the religious symbols, looking like synapses of some ancient central nervous system, connecting lost thoughts set in stone.

Papua New Guinea

In the highlands of Papua New Guinea we come face to face with the parts of our mind that the modern world has hidden away very well. The Huli Wigmen (and many other peoples and cultures) carry forth traditions rooted deeply in time and mind, dredging out inner spirits and (through intricate outfits and lavish makeup) wearing them proudly at sing-sings. The transformation from everyday folk to apparitions from the spirit world is astounding. Looking into their faces we confront our own unresolved, fractured nature. Throughout Papua New Guinea each group displays, with pride, their own identity and inner being.

Pyramids of Giza

The Pyramids virtually define the concept of iconic, their very triangular shape instantly recognized, seared into our collective human cultural blueprint, defining place, time, and ethos. That shape! And so for some 4,500 years they have been the most wondrous of wonders, in a league of their own, unchallenged for their sheer audacity, paragons of all design. And then there is the Sphinx, a riddle evoking a mystery that we don’t want solved. Lurking always, somehow more intriguing the less we know about it, especially beguiling in old photographs when it was buried up to its neck in the sands of the Egyptian desert. Tombs to kings, monuments to human aspiration, all under the blazing Egyptian sun.