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When a group of photography enthusiasts joined AFAR and Nikon on an epic adventure to Morocco, they experienced the country through a variety of NIKKOR lenses coupled with the Nikon D7500 and D850 cameras.

You can’t truly understand the Caribbean until you’ve seen a cricket match. Though we can’t promise you’ll understand the cricket match.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent writer Lisa Abend on a spontaneous journey to Malta.

Overview

Bask in a luxurious Turkaegean retreat on the sun-soaked Turquoise Coast

Built by the Knights of Malta in the late 16th century to protect the harbor from land and naval attacks, this largely intact fort is now closed to the public and only used by the Malta Film Commission for period films such as Troy and Gladiator, both of which set massive scenes on the site. In 2004, for example, the fort was used to build the entire city of Troy from the ground up, over 10 acres. In one particular scene, the character of Helen is presented to the people of Troy—over 1,200 costumed extras—for the first time. Back in 2000, director Ridley Scott, set his infamous and epic Gladiator fight in the Roman Colosseum here, where a third of it was recreated to a height of 52 feet from plaster and plywood at a cost of $1 million. Parts of the fort were also used to depict the Red Keep in the first season of the HBO series, Game of Thrones.

No matter how many postcards you’ve seen of Rome’s iconic Colosseum, you just don’t get it until you pass beneath its crumbling arches. Built by Emperor Vespasian in 72 C.E., the huge amphitheater held 50,000 spectators and marked its opening with 100 days of brutal spectacles like gladiator combat and animal fights. The Colosseum was in use for four centuries, and now you can tour the ruins. Walk through the Hypogeum, an intricate series of tunnels and elevators originally used to transport animals, slaves, and gladiators, to the performance above, or take a moonlit tour to have one of the world’s most storied structures all to yourself.

The Court, an off-the-radar lounge bar with front row seats to the Colosseum, is the perfect place to wind down in Rome. The bar overlooks the archaeological ruins of the Ludus Magnus (the site where the gladiators trained) and offers a view of sunset over the Colosseum, the world’s most amazing arena. The cocktails are the creation of mastermind Matteo Zed, one of Rome’s top bartenders, whose tasty Rising Sun (a gin, yuzu, and matcha cocktail) may well keep you at the bar until dawn.

The sixth-largest Roman amphitheater still standing today, the Pula Arena is Croatia’s most magnificent classical monument—and reason enough to check out Pula, Istria’s main city. Built in the 1st century C.E. during the rule of Emperor Vespasian, this oval-shaped stunner once hosted gladiator fights and could hold up to 23,000 spectators. Today, visitors can roam freely through the small underground chambers and enjoy the sweeping ocean views. During the summer months, the arena doubles as the most imposing stage in all of Croatia, hosting several concerts and film festivals.

We set off not long before sunset, from the “new” village across the river. Passing over a modern bridge, I didn’t feel at first like this trek in Morocco was much different than any other. Then the terrain changed, I had to pay more attention to where I walked, we began to pass open doorways with lives in progress barely visible far back in the dark spaces. I saw a crude sign with faded, tape-covered photographs advertising that this was the place in which ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ had been filmed. As we climbed further, passed more houses, took in more of the stamped details in the mud walls -- I finally understood. It’s protected by UNESCO and for good reason. There are probably thousands of kasbahs and ksars in the country of Morocco but the devil is in the details at Aït Benhaddou; walls, patterns, faces of the 10 families who remain, the sound of a drum beating faintly from down a passage. Take time to come early enough in the day that you can shop and bargain with the locals who still reside on the hill inside the old ksar. Leave enough time to hike to the very summit, where the watchtower is, to view the sun setting over the entire valley. Old caravan roads snake through the landscape intertwined with the gleam of the river; it’s a serene space that feels a bit worshipful. To what I don’t know, perhaps to the confluence of nature and man’s creation. After all, nature is trying to bury Aït Benhaddou but man will not be driven away.

Germany’s largest open-air archaeological museum, Xanten explores North Rhine’s Roman history, bringing it back to vivid life with reconstructions of baths, temples, city walls with guard towers, and even a gladiatorial amphitheater. Not only are the re-creations located in the exact same places as the original buildings, but they’re also true to scale, built with authentic materials and impressive attention to detail. In addition to showing how ancient Xanten once looked, the museum offers interactive stations where visitors can learn about what life was like for the town’s 10,000 inhabitants.

The adjacent Roman Museum, opened in 2008, examines Roman history and ancient life in the Lower Rhine more generally, while other exhibition spaces explain excavation methods and how archaeological research is evaluated. Also open to visitors is a guesthouse with a restaurant serving Roman-era dishes, as well as an annual “Swords, Bread, and Games” festival and themed weekend workshops, held May through September, that cover everything from cooking and baking to jewelry making.

The Roman Forum is where ancient Rome began. The sprawling archaeological park gives us just a hint of what the Roman Empire once was—a dominant and diverse society. The Forum itself was the political, social, religious, and commercial focal point for the Roman Republic and eventually the whole Empire—for the most elite members of society as well as the common plebs. Walking through the Forum is a walk through history, from its beginning as a valley with small hilltop communities (8th century B.C.E.) to its rise as the capital of an empire. The ruins of basilicas, temples, public forum spaces, and shops can be explored, and the adventure leads to Palatine Hill, an area of high-society patrician homes including the house of Caesar Augustus.

The ancient city of Ephesus is a must see. Considered the trade center of the ancient world, this busy port town was the commercial center for traders back in the day. The ruins are well preserved. One way to enjoy this ancient city in Turkey is to tour at night to avoid the extreme daytime temperatures that could occur.

The most famous museum in the country, Malta’s National War Museum sits on the tip of the Valletta peninsula at Fort Saint Elmo. The main collection focuses on World War I and World War II, including the fuselage of a Gloster Sea Gladiator, a Husky Willys Jeep used by President Eisenhower and a collection of photographs showing island life in wartime. A recently added gallery showcases artifacts from Malta’s military history dating back to the Bronze Age.