There is so much to enjoy in this beautiful country: the sculpted fields dotted with thousands of sheep; ancient seaside cliffs; multitude pubs that welcome you with refreshment and great music. It is a county of storytellers and their long-winded, amusing tales. And more world-class golf courses than you can imagine. Ireland is one eternal, happy vacation, and a photographer’s dream.

The multitude of cuisines in the West Philly neighborhood is reflective of the diversity of the student population. A true foodie destination that's a bit off the beaten path, you'll find African, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Indian spots with daring fusions of flavors; upscale, chef-driven restaurants; and down-home Philly goodness. Highly recommended from the city's foodie community: Marigold Kitchen (its gin-marinated venison gets rave reviews); Aksum, which blends Mediterranean and North African cuisine; and Dock Street Brewing.

After spending an initial couple of days on the surf beaches of El Tunco, the one well-trodden spot in the nation, then a further two in the capital, we boarded a series of buses and wended our way up to the mountains. Sideward glances were shared among our fellow passengers as we made our haphazard way onboard, oversized bags squeezing through the thronged aisles. 

Getting across Cuenca’s busy streets feels sometimes like the Wild West, except here it’s a flood of vehicles hurtling towards defenseless pedestrians, not evenly matched gunfighters in the OK Corral. Traffic on the redondel, or roundabout, spews forth an endless stream of cars, taxis, buses and motorcycles at high speed. Stoplights and stop signs offer suggestions, not mandates. Don’t count on drivers stopping to let you across. If they do, it may be accompanied by an angry chorus of car horns. 

With 10 distinct national parks, Uganda gives visitors the chance to explore myriad landscapes and natural habitats, each with its own impressive characteristics and wild inhabitants. Most people only have time to visit three or four parks in Uganda, so it's important to get a feel for which one may be right for you. Book a boat safari on the Nile in Murchison Falls National Park, or head out on a game drive in Kidepo Valley National Park to see elephants, giraffes, lions and more.

Timor-Leste is a country under construction. The road up to Maubisse was patchwork: stretches of glorious tarmac interspersed with much longer stretches of road populated with construction vehicles and their operators, filling in fissures and creating drainage systems. A work in progress, like much of the nation. The directions we were going off were shaky, to say the least: amalgamated from the collected advice of old blogs and people whose friends had been there recently. Second- or third-hand instructions; recycled wisdom. But that was the easy part.

I met fellow New Orleans transplant, Ellery Burton, 12 years ago, when we were fellow New York transplants, she hailing from Los Angeles. In the city we both attended The New School University; after graduating I stayed in New York and she immediately bee-lined to New Orleans, where she’s been living ever since. Though she’s only been living here for eight years, walking through the Bywater with her makes it seem as though she’s lived here forever. I recently sat down with her at her house in the Lower Ninth Ward to discuss how the city has changed over the past eight years, what makes New Orleans so unique, and what it means to “hustle.”

The best way to experience the Kimberley is through expedition cruising. A unique collection of companies operate boats that take passengers to the region’s most pristine beaches and reefs, to towering waterfalls so close you can feel the fresh mist on your face, through ancient gorges, and to 350-million-year-old rock formations. Through expedition cruising, you will likely place your footstep where no one before you has ever been. 

Over the next few weeks, we taught the kids baseball, held English and math classes, helped with homework, walked down to the Zambezi River (watching for crocodiles), and took a field trip to a terrifying swinging bridge at Chiningi. And I tell you, those kids have nothing close to material wealth. They dress in hand-me-downs. They eat meager meals that fill their stomachs but nowhere near provide the well-balanced nutrition children need: nshima (a thick maize porridge), little fishies, boiled greens. And yet, those children exude so much joy. 

El Salvador is known as the "Land of Volcanoes" with 25 volcanoes visible to the naked eye. Many travelers combine a city tour of San Salvador with an easy volcano hike in El Boquerón National Park, just a short drive from the city. Local guides can navigate visitors up steeper volcanoes for half- and full-day trips. The country's tallest volcano is Santa Ana Volcano in Cerro Verde National Park northwest of San Salvador where hikers will find moderate to difficult trails with a stunning turquoise crater lake at the top.