Located in northeast Brazil, Salvador was founded in 1549 and served as the country’s first capital. It’s the third largest city in Brazil, and one of the oldest colonial cities in the Americas. Salvador’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s renowned for its beautiful cobblestone streets, colonial architecture and numerous churches.
One of the nice things about having a large stash of frequent flyer miles is that you can dream about going almost anywhere in the world, and then actually do it. Travelers who love to collect points and miles end up going to some of the planet’s most far-flung destinations just because they can. The Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, definitely rates as one of those distant destinations.
It’s surprising that we don’t hear about more frequent flyers booking award tickets to Botswana, Africa. It’s a great destination, offering some of the most beautiful wilderness on the planet. And if you want to go on safari, you can’t do much better.
If you’re traveling to South Africa from the United States, it makes sense to stay a while and see as much as you can, since it takes a long time—about 15 hours from New York—to get there. Many travelers fly into the city of Johannesburg before embarking on a safari adventure in Kruger National Park or one of the nearby private reserves, such as Sabi Sands or Timbavati.
White houses with blue domes, and idyllic beaches with beautiful sunsets can all be found on the Greek island of Santorini. Located in the Aegean Sea, this volcanic island also serves as a great home base for island hopping. You can easily visit other popular spots in the Cyclades, a group of Greek islands southeast of the mainland including Mykonos, Naxos and Paros, or some smaller, less crowded islands, such as Folegandros.
Iceland is unique and fascinating, which is proof that you don’t have to travel far to see something new. It’s easy to get there, especially if you live on the East Coast. Flights between New York and Iceland are only five-and-a-half hours. That’s less time than you’d spend flying from New York to Los Angeles.
Moorea is one of the Society Islands, an archipelago in French Polynesia. This beautiful and idyllic island, located a few miles off the northwest coast of Tahiti, is the perfect destination if you’ve always wanted to stay at a luxury tropical resort without blowing your budget. Moorea is less costly than its more famous cousin Bora Bora, but no less amazing. So get ready for your overwater bungalow experience, and get there with miles.
Tasmania is located 150 miles south of mainland Australia, across the Bass Strait. While the biggest island is called Tasmania, this Australian island state is composed of over 330 islands.
The Maldives is an archipelago of 26 coral atolls with over 1,000 islands. Only 200 of them are inhabited. They lie in the Indian Ocean, about an hour by plane from Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. In the last 40 years, the Maldives has transformed from a virtually unknown British colony to one of the most popular travel destinations in the world.
Known as the City of Gold, Jerusalem is a holy place for three major world religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. One of the oldest cities in the world, no trip to Israel is complete without visiting its ancient religious sites, such as the Wailing Wall and the Temple Mount. The ancient walled quarter in the center of town, known as the Old City, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Galapagos Islands are a small archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles west of Ecuador. With a treasure trove of unusual native species not found anywhere else in the world, the islands are fascinating and delightful for both scientists and tourists.
Krakow, located in southern Poland on the banks of the Wisla River, is a beautiful and historic city. The city center, referred to as the Old Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Exploring its medieval streets and climbing Wawel Castle Hill—the most famous city landmark—is a thrill, but there’s so much more to see.
Once a small, nondescript village on the Tiber River, Rome grew into an astonishing world power, ruling a vast empire for almost 3,000 years, and changing, reinventing and transforming the world, arts, politics, culture and itself as it went along.
Florence is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and it is filled with dozens of cathedrals, palaces, museums and art galleries, making it a dream come true for art and history lovers.
Hanoi, the 1,000-year-old capital of Vietnam, is one of the most dynamic capitals in Asia. It offers a fascinating blend of Vietnamese, Chinese and French cultures, as well as modern high-rises, centuries-old traditional architecture, sweeping boulevards and quaint narrow streets. The city attracted nearly 2 million visitors in 2014, and ranked fourth in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards for the Best Destinations in the World for 2015.
Sri Lanka, a small island nation located off the southern coast of India, is a land of cultural wonders and natural beauty. Despite its small size, the island has the highest biodiversity density in Asia, making it one of the top biodiversity hot spots in the world.
Aruba is a favorite Caribbean destination because it’s not just beaches and sunsets. The island, located in the Lesser Antilles, has its share of those beautiful beaches, and plentiful water sports, but its attractions also include great shopping, dining and nightlife. If you’d like to visit a Caribbean island but you’re afraid you’ll be bored, Aruba is a good choice.
One of the most famous stretches of sand in the Western Caribbean is Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. There’s something magical about the powdery soft sand, even if it is really closer to five miles than seven. This coveted beach is great for sunbathing and as a jumping-off point for fishing, snorkeling and diving trips.
Victoria Falls is twice as high as Niagara and more than twice as wide. Located in southern Africa in Livingstone, a town named after the first European to discover this natural wonder, the waterfall is on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Goreme is a beautiful and otherworldly town in Cappadocia, Turkey. Carved into volcanic rock by time and human ingenuity, Goreme and its surrounding valleys contain underground cities, cave churches and striking pinnacles known as fairy chimneys.Â
