Surrounded by warm-water lagoons, sandstone cliffs, and dense forests, Knysna is one of the most popular towns along South Africa’s renowned Garden Route. The coastal town welcomes tourists with a blend of natural beauty, quaint accommodations, seafood restaurants, and outdoor adventures. Plus, the estuary’s oyster farms provide the chance to indulge in fresh oysters while cruising the lagoon.
Both Uganda’s oldest and largest nature reserve, Murchison Falls National Park is home to the Rabonga and Budongo forests, vast savannah grasslands, and the roaring cascades that give the safari park its name. Come for the chance to spot four of the Big Five: elephants, leopards, lions, and buffalo. You can also spot elusive white rhinos in the nearby Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
From royal mummies to King Tut’s sandals, the Luxor Museum’s magnificent collection contains some of Thebes’ most impressive treasures. This is where to find many artifacts excavated from the Valley of the Kings and other Luxor sites, but the exhibits extend from the ancient world all the way to the Islamic Mamluk period.
Building Luxor’s monuments took an army of artists, stone-cutters, and builders, and many of them lived in Deir el-Medina. An ancient village here is a window into their lives, complete with homes, tombs, and irrigation pipes. It’s a fascinating place to visit, and it’s a refreshingly human contrast to the West Bank’s royal landmarks.
The Dubai Fountain is a spectacle of swaying sprays, multi-coloured illuminations, and booming music, rising from the vast Burj Lake beneath Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower. Composed of multiple jet formations accompanied by dazzling light displays, the fountains reach up to 459 feet (140 meters) as the water sprays dance in time to classical, pop, and Arabian music. Locals and visitors gather at the lakesides for the free-to-view shows that run at regular times every afternoon and evening.
An imposing, sphinx-lined road once used for religious ceremonies, the Avenue of Sphinxes is a a 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) route linking Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple. Some 1,350 sphinx statues flanked the avenue in ancient times, and recent excavations have opened up portions of the avenue abutting Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple.
In the north of the city between the port and the seafront Hassan II Mosque, the Old Medina of Casablanca contains the last vestiges of pre-20th century Casablanca. Though the modern city sprawls in every direction, the historic quarter remains a maze of alleyways and a vast souk, tucked in by the remnants of ancient walls.
Whether you spell it Bab Bou Jeloud, Bab Boujeloud, or Bab Boujloud, you’ll most likely pass through the famous “Blue Gate of Fez” on any visit to Fez Medina. Decorated with fine mosaic tiles, blue on the outside, and green on the inside, the triple-arch gate is less historic than you might think. French colonialists built it in 1913.
Centered on a large Greek–style amphitheater, the Katara Cultural Village is a culture and entertainment precinct to the north of downtown Doha and West Bay. The eclectic cultural village is home to mosques with vivid tile patterns, a planetarium, art galleries, and much more, so it appeals to all types of travelers.
The Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) is an ancient path in Jerusalem’s Old City, where it’s believed Jesus carried the cross to his crucifixion. Also known in Catholicism as the Stations of the Cross, it’s a pilgrimage that’s been followed going back to the fourth century. The route has changed over the years, and today there are 14 stations along the path, each marked with a plaque detailing what took place at that location.
On the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, Ras Mohammed National Park is home to Sharm el Sheikh’s best diving, notably Shark Reef, Yolanda Reef, and Jackfish Alley. Besides the pristine coral that awaits offshore, the land delivers empty beaches, rugged cliffs, and desert, plus mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and diverse birdlife.
The two Giftun Islands—Giftun Kebir and Giftun Sughayer—are some of the closest to Egypt’s resort town of Hurghada and comprise part of a marine reserve in the Red Sea with spectacular coral reefs and drop-offs teeming with life. Day-trippers come for snorkeling, diving, and sunbathing on the pair of islands’ pristine, protected beaches.
Perched on top of Mount ‘Auf, with commanding views over the Jordan Valley, Ajloun Castle was built in the 12th century by a general under Saladin, Egypt and Syria’s first sultan. Destroyed and rebuilt numerous times, it’s been used to deter Crusader attacks, defend iron mines and trade routes, and as part of a beacon and pigeon communication network.
Often referred to simply as the Jozani forest, Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park is Zanzibar's only national park. The big draw for many visitors is the chance to spot endemic red colobus monkeys, though there are plenty of other creatures in the park, from bush babies (galagos) to leopards.
Lined with bars, restaurants, and surf shops, Essaouira Beach (Plage d'Essaouira) is a Moroccan hot spot for surfers, windsurfers, and kitesurfers, thanks to its steady, year-round winds. The town has a charming hippie atmosphere, and travelers who are not indulging in water sports enjoy horse, camel, or quad rides along the broad sandy beach.
Situated in western Muscat, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is one of the city’s treasures. Built in 2001 on the orders of the late Sultan Qaboos, and the only Omani mosque open to non-Muslims, it’s impressive for its cream-marble courtyards, minarets, and prayer hall topped by a golden dome.
Best known as the ostrich capital of the world, Oudtshoorn has more to offer than just a chance to visit ostrich farms. Set in the Little Karoo—South Africa’s semi-desert—the town is the gateway to the Swartberg mountains, the Cango Caves, and innumerable nature reserves and trails. Visitors can also enjoy local restaurants and wineries.
One of the world’s first botanical gardens, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden hosts more than 7,000 plant species from throughout Southern Africa. Visit to explore the 1,300-acre (528-hectare) gardens spread across the slopes of Table Mountain, including extensive hiking trails, a stone sculpture garden, and sunset summer concerts.
Sun City is a resort and entertainment complex located north-west of Johannesburg. One of South Africa's top leisure destinations, the resort complex is conveniently located on the South African Garden Route and next to Pilanesberg National Park. Highlights of Sun City include a casino, spa, water park, and golf courses.
The Church of the Nativity encompasses a grotto where, according to Christain scripture, Jesus was born. Situated in Manger Square in Bethlehem, on the West Bank of the Palestinian territories, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed church is one of Christianity’s holiest places.
A Rabat landmark, the 144-foot (44-meter Hassan Tower (Tour Hassan stands tall above the river in the heart of downtown, surrounded by serried ranks of broken columns. After an earthquake in 1755, this is all that remains of an ambitious attempt by 12th-century sultan Yacoub al-Mansour to build the world’s largest mosque.
The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve holds the third-largest canyon in the world, which boasts cliffs that rise nearly 2625 feet (800 meters) from the river bed below. Adventurous travelers can explore the canyon’s lush green scenery, waterfalls, and wildlife on hikes, boat excursions, and rock climbing adventures.
The Dead Sea, home to the lowest point in the world at 1,269 feet (383 meters) below sea level, also ranks as one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. This hyper-salinity that is so unique to the Dead Sea attracts visitors from all over the world who come to experience the unusual buoyancy, as well as access the nutrient-rich mud on its banks.
Trails, waterfalls, and wildlife draw visitors to lush Tsitsikamma National Park. Set along South Africa’s scenic Garden Route and spanning 50 miles (80 kilometers) of coastline, the park stretches from the mouth of the Storms River to Nature’s Valley. Embark on various adventures here, from a multi-day hike along the Otter Trail to one of the world’s highest bungee jumps.
No place gives better insight into life on the Mekong Delta than the Cai Rang Floating Market (Chợ Noi Cái Rang), where hundreds of wooden rowboats showcase everything from rice and clothing to exotic fruits and vegetables. Located just 4 miles (6 kilometers) from the city of Can Tho, the market can be admired from dry land or during a boat ride.
Located in the southern part of Oman, the largest governorate by area, Dhofar is a mountainous region with a diverse landscape—a surprising find not commonly associated with the Arabian peninsula. The province’s coastal capital of Salalah is known for its beaches, verdant valleys, and gushing waterfalls from the khareef (the region’s rainy season.
Though technically all one nature reserve, Tsavo National Park is split between Tsavo East and Tsavo West, and separated by the Nairobi-Mombasa Road that cuts through the site. Tsavo National Park is one of Kenya’s oldest and largest national parks, and is the country’s largest protected area. It’s home to larger African mammals and a prolific bird population.
Mt. Sinai rises a lofty 7,497 feet (2,285 meters) above sea level and is an important religious pilgrimage site, where the prophet Moses is said to have received the 10 Commandments directly from God. Visit the site’s ancient monastery or hike to the summit for panoramic views of Egypt’s mountainous Sinai Peninsula.
The majestic Oukaimeden valley, set inside Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, is a popular day trip from Marrakech. A lush gorge carving its way through a tableau of jagged peaks, the valley is dotted with traditional Berber villages and prehistoric rock art sites, plus it offers year-round outdoor adventures—including wintertime skiing.
Abu Serga, or the Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus, competes with the Hanging Church for the title of Coptic Cairo’s oldest church. Although it’s been rebuilt many times, its pillars date back to the fourth century, and much of the structure is medieval. It’s named for a pair of martyred Roman soldiers, St. Sergius (Abu Serga) and St. Bacchus.
