Archipelago Azores, Portugal

The Azores, officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the North Atlantic Ocean about 1,360 km (850 mi) west of continental Portugal. There are nine major Azorean islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups. All the islands have volcanic origins, although some, such as Santa Maria, have had no recorded activity since the islands were settled. The Azores are actually some of the tallest mountains on the planet, measured from their base at the bottom of the ocean to their peaks, which thrust high above the surface of the Atlantic.  Because these once-uninhabited and remote islands were settled sporadically over a span of two centuries, their culture, dialect, cuisine, and traditions vary considerably.

The Village of Bagan, Burma

Bagan is an ancient city located in the Mandalay Region of Burma (Myanmar). From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan, the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern Myanmar. During the kingdom's height between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas still survive to the present day. Bagan was founded in the second century CE, and fortified in 849 CE by King Pyinbya. The culture of Bagan was dominated by religion. The religion of Bagan was fluid, syncretic and by later standards, unorthodox. It was largely a continuation of religious trends in the Pyu era where Theravada Buddhism co-existed with Mahayana Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, various Hindu (Saivite, and Vaishana) schools as well as native animist traditions. While the royal patronage of Theravada Buddhism since the mid-11th century had enabled the Buddhist school to gradually gain primacy, other traditions continued to thrive throughout the Pagan period to degrees later unseen. Bagan, located in an active earthquake zone, had suffered from many earthquakes over the ages, with over 400 recorded earthquakes between 1904 and 1975. Today, 2229 temples and pagodas remain. 

 Blue Hole Cenote, Belize

A blue hole is a cave (inland) or underwater sinkhole. They are also called vertical caves. There are many different blue holes located around the world, typically in low-lying coastal regions. The best known examples can be found in Belize, the Bahamas, Guam, Australia (in the Great Barrier Reef), and Egypt (in the Red Sea). Blue holes are roughly circular, steep-walled depressions, and so named for the dramatic contrast between the dark blue, deep waters of their depths and the lighter blue of the shallows around them. Their water circulation is poor, and they are commonly anoxic below a certain depth; this environment is unfavorable for most sea life, but nonetheless can support large numbers of bacteria. The deep blue color is caused by the high transparency of water and bright white carbonate sand. Blue light is the most enduring part of the spectrum; other parts of the spectrum—red, yellow, and finally green—are absorbed during their path through water, but blue light manages to reach the white sand and return upon reflection. The deepest blue hole in the world-at 392 meters (1,286 ft) is Pozzo del Merro in Italy. The deepest blue hole in the world with underwater entrance—at 202 metres (663 ft)—is Dean's Blue Hole, located in a bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island, Bahamas. Other blue holes are about half that depth at around 100–120 metres (330–390 ft). The diameter of the top entrance ranges typically from 25–35 metres (82–115 ft) (Dean's Blue Hole) to 300 metres (980 ft) (Great Blue Hole in Belize).

Blagaj, Bosnia Herzegovina

Blagaj is a village-town (kasaba) in the south-eastern region of the Mostar basin, in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It stands at the edge of Bišće plain and is one of the most valuable mixed urban and rural structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, distinguished from other similar structures in its urban layout. Blagaj was most likely named for its mild weather patterns since "blaga" in Bosnian means "mild". Blagaj is situated at the spring of the Buna river and a historical monastery. The Blagaj Tekija was built around 1520, with elements of Ottoman architecture and Mediterranean style and is considered a national monument.  A 360° Virtual Tour Can Be Seen Here

Montreal Botanical Garden, Canada 

The Montreal Botanical Garden in Montreal, Quebec, Canada is comprised of 75 hectares (190 acres) of thematic gardens and greenhouses. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2008 as it is considered to be one of the most important botanical gardens in the world due to the extent of its collections and facilities. The garden was founded in 1931, in the height of the Great Depression, by mayor Camillien Houde, after years of campaigning by Brother Marie-Victorin. The grounds were designed by Henry Teuscher, while the Art Deco style administration building was designed by architect Lucien F. Kéroack. It serves to educate the public in general and students of horticulture in particular, as well as to conserve endangered plant species. The grounds are also home to a botanical research institution, to the Société d'astronomie de Montréal,and to the Montreal Insectarium; offsite, the Garden staff also administer the Ferme Angrignon educational farm and petting zoo.

Natural White Sand Pool of Fervedouro, Brazil

Near the Mateiros village is a natural pool, Fervedouro. It measures 8 meters in diameter, the water is crystal blue and the ground is white sand. The pressure pushes you out of the water. In fact there is no bottom, only a soft mix of sand and water. The pond is protected with planted banana plants.  Fervedouro is located in Jalapãoa State Park, a deserted region of 34.000 km2 in the east of the state Tocantins between the city Palmas and the state Bahia. It is a flat and dry savanna with no trees higher than 2 meter and small rivers that slice deep through the red soil. The area can be crossed via one rough road. A long trail of dust will mark the presence of a visitor. But visitors are to prepare themselves well for the trip because Jalapão is hostile and completely deserted.

Buddhist Stairway to the Sky, Thailand

Legend says that at the top of Khao Khitchakut, a holy mountain located deep in the Chanthaburi province near the Thai-Cambodia border, there is an actual footprint of Khao Khitchakutthe Lord Buddha. It's believed that visiting the footprint equates to appearing before the Lord Buddha and those who make the trek are granted 1 wish. These spiritual beliefs are what draw thousands to make the climb every year. Besides the distance, roughly 10km in total, what makes the climb even more elusive is the short window of when the mountain is open; 3 months each year starting from Chinese New Year to Magha Puja day (roughly late January to early April).

Hotel Le Moulin de l'abbaye, France

Le Moulin de l'Abbaye, includes three romantic dwellings, steeped in history, on the banks of the Dronne river. This was the home of Abbé de Brantôme, author of "La Vie des dames galantes". The charm of this region, known as the "Venice of the Perigord", is an inspiration for the palate in the elegant " Le Moulin" restaurant, on its riverside terrace or at the "Fil de l'Eau", its delightful fisherman's bar. It is also considered as the "Marvel Venice of the Perigord" with its luxuriant landscape, its prehistoric grottos, its quaint bow bridge which is the only one of its kind in France, its castles and superb estates.

Tower of Percée in the Chartreuse Mountains, France

Situated in the Chartreuse mountains la Tour Percée is a unique double arch and at 32 meters the longest span in the Alps. The existence of this arch was only documented in 2005. The Chartreuse Mountains is the longest mountain range located in southeastern France, stretching from the city of Grenoble south to the Lac du Bourget north. It is the southernmost range in the Jura Mountains and belongs to the French Prealps.  The monastic Carthusian Order takes its name from these mountains, where its first hermitage was founded in 1084. Also derived from the mountain range's name is that of the alcoholic cordial Chartreuse produced by the monks since the 1740s, and of the chartreuse colour, named after the drink.

Wacachina Oasis, Peru

Huacachina is a village in the Ica Region, in southwestern Peru and it is featured on the back of the 50 Nuevo Sol bill. Huacachina is built around a small natural lake in the desert. Called the "oasis of America," it serves as a resort for local families from the nearby city of Ica, and increasingly as an attraction for tourists drawn by the sports of sandboarding and taking dune buggy rides on sand dunes that stretch several hundred feet high. Legend holds that the lagoon was created when a beautiful native princess was apprehended at her bath by a young hunter. She fled, leaving the pool of water she had been bathing in to become the lagoon. The folds of her mantle, streaming behind her as she ran, became the surrounding sand dunes. And the woman herself is rumored to still live in the oasis as a mermaid.

The Library of Alexandria, Egypt

The Royal Library of Alexandria in Egypt, was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. It was dedicated to the Muses, the nine goddesses of the arts. It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major center of scholarship from its construction in the 3rd century BC until the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BC. With collections of works, lecture halls, meeting rooms, and gardens, the library was part of a larger research institution called the Musaeum of Alexandria, where many of the most famous thinkers of the ancient world studied. The library was created by Ptolemy I Soter, who was a Macedonian general and the successor of Alexander the Great. Most of the books were kept as papyrus scrolls, and though it is unknown how many such scrolls were housed at any given time, their combined value was incalculable. The library is famous for having been burned down, resulting in the loss of many scrolls and books; its destruction has become a symbol for the loss of cultural knowledge. A few sources differ on who is responsible for the destruction and when it occurred. Although there is a mythology of the burning of the Library at Alexandria, the library may in truth have suffered several fires or other acts of destruction over many years. Possible occasions for the partial or complete destruction of the Library of Alexandria include a fire set by Julius Caesar in 48 BC, an attack by Aurelian in the AD 270s, and the decree of Coptic Pope Theophilus in AD 391. After the main library was fully destroyed, ancient scholars used a "daughter library" in a temple known as the Serapeum, located in another part of the city. According to Socrates of Constantinople, Coptic Pope Theophilus destroyed the Serapeum in AD 391. Although the various component parts of the physical library were destroyed, in fact the centres of academic excellence had already moved to various capital cities. Furthermore, it is possible that most of the material from the Library of Alexandria actually survived, by way of the Imperial Library of Constantinople, the Academy of Gondishapur, and the House of Wisdom. This material may then have been preserved by the Reconquista, which led to the formation of European Universities and the recompilation of ancient texts from formerly scattered fragments. Completed in 2002, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina functions as a modern library and cultural center, commemorating the original Library of Alexandria.