Destinations

North America

Mexico

Mexico is a Hispanic country in North America. The festive culture celebrates a mix of "Indian" (precolonial) traditions, Spanish customs, and modern American influence. The Spanish language and the Catholic church play large roles in society. A sensuous blend of food, music, and color lend...

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean country that borders Haiti to the west on the island of Hispaniola. It is well-known for its beaches, resorts, and golf courses. Its landscape includes rainforest, savannah, and highlands, as well as Pico Duarte, the Caribbean's tallest peak. In its Zona...

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation in the Caribbean, located to the south of Cuba and to the west of the island of Hispaniola. With 2.8 million people, Jamaica is the third most populous anglophone country in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. It remains a Commonwealth realm with Queen...

Europe

Ukraine

Ukraine (Ukrainian: Укрaїна) is a large country in Eastern Europe, and the second largest country in Europe. Ukraine has a very rich culture and history, as well as a multitude of activities for the aspiring traveler.

While Ukraine has fertile farmlands, a well-developed industrial base,...

Russia

Russia (Russian: Россия, Rossiya) is the world's largest republic, encompassing more than one-eighth of the Earth's populated land area, Eastern Europe and northern Asia, and eleven time zones. Although geographically mainly in Asia, the majority of Russia's population is located in Europe, and...

North Macedonia

The Republic of North Macedonia (Macedonian: евернa акедониа, Severna Makedonija; formerly the Republic of Macedonia, also known as FYROM and FYR Macedonia, Macedonian: акедониа, Makedonija) is a landlocked Balkan country.

The majority of the people are ethnic Macedonians and Orthodox...

Asia

Uzbekistan

Nestled in the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan is a land of intrigue, steeped in a rich tapestry of history, culture, and transformation. With its ancient cities, vibrant traditions, and evolving modernity, Uzbekistan captures the imagination of travelers and scholars alike. This essay...

Singapore

The name "Singapore" is derived from Singa-pura ("City of the Lion"), a commonly used term since the fourteenth century. The main cultural traditions are Malay, Indian, Chinese, and to some extent Western (British). The different communities do not regard themselves as sharing a culture; instead...

Japan

Japan is often difficult to understand for those educated in the west. It can seem full of contradictions. Many Japanese corporations dominate their industries, yet if you read the financial news it seems like Japan is practically bankrupt. Cities are as modern and high tech as anywhere else,...

Latin America

Chile

Chile, that long and narrow country on South America’s west coast, evokes images of rural life in Patagonia and the Andes. However, there is more to moving to Chile than its breathtaking countryside.

Chile is an incredibly diverse country, with deserts, islands, the Andes, and Antarctica...

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a small Central American country. This country's history, climates, flora, and fauna are as diverse as its landscapes, which range from rainforests to dry tropical and temperate forests, volcanoes to Caribbean and Pacific beaches, high mountains, and marshy lowlands. Costa Rica is...

Argentina

Argentina is a large nation in South America's south. It has a wide range of climates and habitats, including jungles in the north, vast grass plains in the middle, and frozen mountains in the south. Furthermore, Argentina claims the Falkland Islands, a United Kingdom Overseas Territory, as the...

Africa

Nigeria

In the tapestry of nations, Nigeria stands as a vibrant thread, boasting a rich cultural heritage, immense potential, and a resilient spirit. This West African giant is a land of stark contradictions, where progress and setbacks coexist, and the human spirit continually surges forward despite...

Cape Verde

Cape Verde is a West African republic. It is a group of Atlantic Ocean islands located west of Senegal. Cabo Verde, located 311 miles (500 kilometers) west of Senegal, is a breathtaking island chain with a captivating mix of mountains, beaches, and quiet seaside villages. On Santo Anto, craggy...

Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is a West African nation divided into two parts: the mainland and the islands. The country is sandwiched between Cameroon and Gabon. It was the only sub-Saharan country to be a Spanish colony; the only other African colony was Western Sahara. It is the third-largest oil...

Oceania

Australia

As the only country in the world that (arguably) qualifies as a continent, the wide expanses and low population of Australia make it a nature lovers dream. The lush forests of Tasmania, imposing cliffs of Ayers rock and grape-growing district of Barossa all offer inland splendor, but the most...

New Zealand

New Zealand (Mori: Aotearoa) is a nation of breathtaking and varied natural beauty, with jagged mountains, rolling pasture land, steep fiords, pristine trout-filled lakes, roaring rivers, scenic beaches, and active volcanic zones. These islands form a distinct bioregion that is home to...