Côte d’Ivoire

The Côte d’Ivoire, or the Ivory Coast is beautiful! About 22.7 million people live here (2015) and the capital is Yamoussoukro. The Côte d’Ivoire is a religiously secular country, with roughly equal split between Islamic and Christian followers. The official language is French. . The time zone is 4 hours ahead of EST.

In the capital, check out the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, an architectural feat and the record holder for the largest church in the world. It is absolutely stunning and worth a visit. Many people use their cameras regardless of whether they paid the fee, so it is up to the visitor to decide whether to pay or not, though the fee will go towards keeping the church well-maintained. The stained glass inside is mind-blowing when light filters through the windows just right.

Travels looking to get out of the city life can head to the well-maintained Banco National Park in Abidjan, though be prepared to plan in advance as there are a lot of mosquitoes. Bring food and water, too, if planning to be out for a while (water is a must). This is a relatively untouched jungle area, making it a great place to see different plant, bird, and butterfly species.

Australia

If you ask me what’s my favorite place on planet Earth, one of the two countries / places that would likely come out of my mouth would be Australia … Lizard Island in Australia specifically. I was there in 1992, and haven’t forgotten about it since. photo credit...

Iran

A week prior to leaving for Iran (in '16) I still did not have my visa and I was getting a bit nervous. This is a country that has had US sanctions imposed on it since the 70s and gets few visa requests from Americans. I’m sure that my request was thoroughly vetted by...

Montenegro

One of the most beautiful places on the planet in Kotor, Montenegro Despite being situated on the Mediterranean, Montenegro actually can be quite cold, with heavy snowfall in winter in the inland cities. The highlight of any trip to Montenegro is Kotor, an idyllic...