Morocco’s rich history is evident in the tongues spoken by its peoples. The tones of these languages mingle comfortably in the marketplace air with the sounds of French, Spanish, and, increasingly, English. The country’s geography is similarly heterogeneous. As the only African country with coasts on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, there is plenty of coastal life to experience. And, if you yearn for something more adventurous than the beach, you can also enjoy the high life. Thanks to Morocco’s two mountain ranges, Rif and Atlas, most of the country is about 2600 feet above sea level. Morocco’s border also encloses about 3% of the Sahara, Africa’s great desert which feeds the hot and dusty Sharqi winds that sweep across the land in early summer, influencing the country’s wildlife, agriculture, and cuisine.

Norway is home to one of the world’s great expeditionary cultures. In true Viking spirit, generations of Norwegians have moved out to explore and claim distant lands. The greatest, perhaps are Thor Hyderdahl and Roald Amundsen, fearless wanders with whom the Vagabond Adventure claims (very modest) kinship. But the Norwegian countryside itself is a remarkable place for exploration, as if the land nurtures and prepares native adventures to leave for unexplored pastures.

Sprawled across the southernmost tip of South America, far away from the cramped and entangled environs of urban North America, lies Patagonia. It’s a big unspoiled wilderness, an antidote to cities, and, unless you’ve lost your senses entirely, or your last sliver of curiosity, it will captivate you. Here’s a short list …monstrous glaciers, spectacular and unique wildlife (condors to guanaco), towering Andean peaks that run down the region’s spine, and on either side its endless pampas and shimmering lakes.