Nicholas Kontis

A lifeline uniting six countries, the Mekong River flows from the Himalayas through Southeast Asia. Beginning in Tibet, it traverses China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam en route to the broad South China Sea. For thousands of years, the fabled thoroughfare has provided a connection for merchants and traders from China to Southeast Asia.

Known as Pueblos Magicos, (magical towns), these gems of Nayarit are recognized by the Mexican government for their unique cultural or historical significance. The hamlets are prime destinations for visitors seeking more than pristine coastal sands.

In my life as a globetrotter, I have missed large swaths of my own country, including much of the upper Midwest. Grand Rapids, Michigan, gave me an opportunity to discover something new. And it was a pure delight.

In the Canadian police drama “Hudson & Rex,” a detective and his canine partner solve crimes in and around picturesque St. John’s, capital of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Through six seasons (including 2024), their police work took them to all corners of Newfoundland, the world’s 16th-largest island, to adjacent Labrador, a sparsely populated fragment of the North American mainland. They even ventured to the French territory of St. Pierre et Miquélon, anchored just off the coast of  Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean.

Expedition cruises extend to some of Earth’s most fragile and captivating lands with itineraries that focus on nature and culture. Traditional cruises may offer a robust choice of onboard activities and a seemingly endless number of food options, but expedition cruises provide a very different motivation: Scientists, marine biologists, historians, and other experts lead expeditions. And no two cruises are ever the same.