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Insider Guides
Learn more about these unique destinations and our special trips from local experts.
deserts
Why You Should Visit Turkmenistan, Land of Contrasts
An expert guide to Central Asia’s most fascinating country.
ruins
Six Wondrous Reasons to Explore Oaxaca Right Now
Advice from an expert on what to see, drink, and eat in one of Mexico’s most exciting states.
The Best Ways to Explore Peru’s Ancient History and Exciting Present
A local tour guide gives us an insider look at Peru’s hidden wonders.
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Turkmenistan
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Turkmenistan
The Gates of Hell
A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.
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Merv, Turkmenistan
Ancient Merv
This famed Silk Road oasis was one of the largest cities in the world before it was destroyed by a Mongol horde.
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Balkanabat, Turkmenistan
Yangykala Canyon
Few people have ever heard of, let alone visited, one of Turkmenistan’s most impressive natural attractions.
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Gokdepe, Turkmenistan
Saparmurat Hajji Mosque
A memorial to the thousands of Turkmen soldiers and civilians who died in a bloody 1881 battle.
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Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Independence Monument of Turkmenistan
Sumptous memorial to a controversial independence.
Mexico
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Oaxaca, Mexico
La Pozontlería
One of the city's few vendors selling the Sierra Norte's ancestral beverage lies within a hidden farmers market.
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Oaxaca, Mexico
Itanoní
In a quiet residential neighborhood, one restaurant fights to preserve heirloom corn, one tortilla at a time.
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Oaxaca, Mexico
Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca (Ethnobotanical Garden of Oaxaca)
A 16th-century monastery boasts a lush array of plants native to Mexico’s most biodiverse region.
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Oaxaca, Mexico
Night of the Radishes
At this Oaxaca contest, artists turn purple produce into stunning depictions of saints, buildings, and La Pietà.
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Oaxaca, Mexico
Rufino Tamayo Museum of Pre-Hispanic Art
An incredible collection of Mesoamerican art assembled by one of Mexico's great artists.
Peru
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Aguas Calientes, Peru
Machu Picchu: The Lost City of The Inca
The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.
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Peru
Q'eswachaka Rope Bridge
Keshwa chaca, among the last handwoven Incan bridges, crosses Apurimac Canyon in Peru.
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Nazca, Peru
Nazca Lines
A set of ancient drawings in the desert of Peru that are so massive, many of them can only be fully seen from the sky.
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Urubamba, Peru
Moray
Huge stone depressions which may have acted as an Incan agricultural experiment.
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Provincia de Bongará, Peru
Yumbilla Falls
The world's fifth tallest waterfall is a spectacular silver chute of water that cuts through the cloud forest in northern Peru.
