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Founder’s Note: Uncommon Travels

One of only three trains in the world to have been recognized with UNESCO’s World Heritage status (the others are in Austria and India), this scenic passenger route was built in 1889 and stretches for 150 miles from Thusis, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy, via 84 tunnels and 383 vertiginous bridges and viaducts. The rails don’t just connect this primordial landscape of sparkling teal rivers, hyacinth-blue glaciers, and jagged pink-hued rocks; they also serve a number of cities and towns, including St. Moritz and several Romansh-speaking villages in the stunning Engadine Valley. Keep the camera on, because the train zips past Roman-era chapels, Celtic archaeological sites, modernist thermal baths, and numerous Hapsburg-era castles—some crumbling atop mountains, others perfectly built into the Alps like something from Tolkien’s Rivendell. Highlights include the C-shaped Landwasser Viaduct, a 213-foot-high, six-arch viaduct spanning the Landwasser River, and the nine-arch spiral viaduct in Brusio that will have rail enthusiasts in a tizzy. Though this is not a sightseeing train, highlights are announced (somewhat annoyingly, in five or six languages) on the overhead system as the train passes them. Most trains have panoramic cars with curved glass ceilings and seats costing an additional five to 10 Swiss francs.

There’s more to Jordan’s history than Petra. Away from the Nabataeans’ feted “Rose-Red City,” a treasure trove of ruins awaits. Travelers who want to dig a little deeper into this nation’s past can walk down colonnaded Roman roads, gaze up at Umayyad frescoes, and scramble over slumping rubble to explore toppled churches still clinging on to fragments of once majestic mosaics. Better yet, at most sites you’re likely to have the entire place to yourself.

Emma John dodges Brits, looks for Russians, and goes beneath the surface in this ever-changing Baltic country.

One of Tasmania’s top tourist attractions is the crumbling ruins of a penal colony, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the penitentiary, where 60 stone buildings remain, for a sobering glimpse into the brutal lives of the 12,500 convicts incarcerated here between 1830 and 1877. Visitors can also tour the Dockyard and Port Arthur gardens. There’s so much to see that a guided tour is recommended—especially the one that covers paranormal activity. (There’s also a lantern-lit ghost tour, for brave families only.)

Nonprofit founder, Joe Rosli Sidek, showcases the diverse culture that is George Town, Malaysia through his favorite places to visit.

From the moment you step into the Mark Hotel, with its art deco-inspired lobby clad in black-and-white marble floors, the vibe is a blend of fashionable, worldly, and understated. Located in a landmark 1927 building on a tranquil corner of the Upper East Side, just a couple of blocks from Central Park, the 153-room hotel was designed by French interiors maven Jacques Grange. Accommodations feature furnishings in ebony, sycamore, and granite, while black-and-white-floored marble bathrooms are outfitted with soaking tubs and heated towel racks.

An artist living in East Amsterdam shares her favorite places to go.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent Chris Colin on a spontaneous journey to Iceland.

Although it might not seem so when standing in the center of any large city, but there are still some wild places to get lost around the globe. Whether you’re hiking through a sea of sand in Namibia or on an expedition in Antarctica, exploring the Guyanese Amazon by boat or marveling at the baobabs in Madagascar, these are the best places in the world to just get lost in the natural world.

At Salt Water Farm, students return to the land—and the sea—to learn forage, fillet, and feast.

The Cathedral of Aachen is one of the most famous examples of occidental architecture. It is the coronation church of more than 30 German kings, burial site of Charlemagne, major pilgrimage church and cathedral church of the Aachen diocese since 1930. In 1978 it was the first German building to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. A guided tour is therefore an essential part of any visit to Aachen and a “must” for anyone who loves historic buildings and churches.

One would be hard pressed to find a country more steeped in history, culture, and religious tradition than Israel. Once there, you’ll find a vibrant mix of modernity and antiquity, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern philosophies and practices, and dramatic landscapes. A major focal point for three of the world’s major religions, the spiritual weight and sanctity of the city is almost palpable in the winding streets of Jerusalem.

Surrounded by sea, mountains, and rain forest, Rio is blessed with some of the most beautiful natural scenery in the world. Beyond the landscape, the city offers a host of museums, markets, and thriving neighborhoods, all just waiting to be explored.