The Great Wall in Beijing, the Terracotta Warriors in the western city of Xian, the ice sculptures in the frigid northern city of Harbin: These are the tourist destinations most people think of—and hope to visit—when they travel to China. Magnificent as these places are, you’ll find them jam-packed with domestic and foreign tourists. Due to the ease of visiting the famous sights and of finding English-speaking guides, most foreigners don’t stray too far from the beaten path.

With so much to see in Italy, many travelers overlook the country’s beautiful gardens and lose out on a special experience as a result. For these are no ordinary, peaceful patches of green; they are often reflections of artistic expression with exotic designs and formal layouts. The best-known gardens are the elegant, noble estates of Villa d’Este near Rome, the Royal Palace of Caserta close to Naples, and the Boboli Gardens in Florence, but there are other—secret—gardens to explore…

Costa Rica is one country that may truly have it all: A year-round tropical climate, modern cities, Caribbean beaches, Pacific coastline, rainforests, lush valleys, and majestic mountains. With its slower pace of living, warm, welcoming climate, healthy, fresh foods and reputation as one of the “greenest, cleanest” countries in the world with little pollution…it’s no wonder Costa Ricans are considered the “happiest people on the planet.”

It’s called the “Old World” for a reason, and despite two world wars and decades of development, history is evident in the architecture of Europe. You can stroll cobbled streets where lords and ladies once rushed to galas, climb castle steps in the footsteps of armored knights, and explore villages preserved for 500 years or more.

Before setting off on a solo adventure as a woman, one of the biggest concerns—for both the solo traveler herself and her family and friends—is often safety. We worry about pickpockets and scam artists. We wonder if it’s safe to walk home alone. We want to see the world, to shop in Paris, to ride a tuk-tuk through the streets of a Asian city, to learn to salsa dance in Mexico…but we also want to be wise.