Around the world, there are many wonderful places to see a myriad of wild animals, but with Halloween around the corner, there is no better time to see one particular kind of animal: bats. While these might not be the first animal that comes to mind while planning your next wildlife trip, these creatures can make for a very impressive sight when seen in the wild because . In fact, bats are one of the few , reports the Smithsonian...

Travel guide publisher Lonely Planet has released its list of top 10 countries to visit in 2016 and the . (MORE: ) Praising the country for its journey "from poverty" to "one of Africa's most stable, thriving societies" as inspirational, Lonely Planet writes that Botswana is "." Lonely Planet judges their destinations, including whether the countries are deemed "up-and-coming" and whether they have any special developments or events coming up. Botswana is celebrating its 50th anniversary of independence in 2015....

(Credit: Mark Mervai Photography) “It became a passion when I saw Budapest on a foggy day in front of me. The beauty of the city together with the fog overwhelmed me,” photographer Mark Mervai told weather.com. Based in Budapest, Hungary, Mervai has been “fog-hunting” and capturing eerily beautiful photographs of fog since 2010. “There are just a couple of mornings on which the fog and every other condition is so perfect and beautiful, so it [took] a long time to...

Condé Nast Traveler's readers have named the best islands to visit in the world outside the United States and the top spot went to . This stunning island was chosen largely because itis home to one of the . Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this river is one of the longest underground rivers in the world, spanning five miles. (MORE: In second place was Bora Bora,, and in third was the . ranked in fourth place, renown for being...

Perched on rocky coasts, towering cliffs, or islands, . While many of them have beendecommissioned today, several been converted into hotels and bed & breakfasts, offering guests unique, historical places to spend the night and enjoy views of the water. Here are just a few of some these amazing historical places to stay. (MORE: ) 1. Farol Hotel, Portugal Perched on rocky cliffs along the Portuguese Riviera in Cascais,and lighthouse converted into a five star luxury hotel. Once owned by...

Salt flats in Northern California. (Andrei Durman) Andrei Duman went from spending his days sitting in an office to hanging from the edge of a doorless helicopter, shooting photographs of some of the world’s most stunning locations. The photographer, who spent over 10 years as an investment banker in London and New York, switched gears to go full-time behind a camera lens, traveling the islands of Peru and following the tribes in Namibia and even storm-chasing across the Midwest. Duman...

The British airship R-100, described as 'small hotel,' flies through a thick layer of cloud in 1929. The airship was designed to hold 100 passengers and was made up of three decks, with 14 two-berth and 18 four-berth cabins. She was scrapped after the crash of her sistership, the R-101, in 1930. (Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images) Ocean liners are known as the epitome of luxurious travel, offering the best amenities and entertainment on board—from swimming pools and restaurants...

Around the world, castles are some of the most scenic, beautiful sights that exist. Many of these majestic fortresses have famously inspired writers, painters and filmmakers. William Shakespeare used the Kronborg Castle as the setting for his play 'Hamlet' and, according to Lonely Planet, poet Goethe found . Unfortunately for Goethe though, the drawing got him mistaken for a spy and temporarily imprisoned. Meanwhile several other castles are rumored to have inspired Walt Disney’s animated fairy-tale films, including the French...

Winter can be a beautiful and exciting time to travel: landscapes transform under snow, ski resorts open, ice hotels are built, and cities light up for the holidays. So as the days grow shorter and temperatures begin to drop, now is the perfect time to plan your next winter getaway in Europe. (MORE: ) One of the most stunning places to go is Finland's. Here, trees are covered in frozen snow deposits, creating a landscape full of stark, otherworldly shapes....

An Indian man stands near lanterns on display at a roadside stall on the eve of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. Hindus light up their homes and pray to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, during the festival which will be celebrated on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Every year, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains in India celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights. As one of the brightest and most colorful festivals in india, Diwali...

Snowdonia National Park, Wales. (Credit: Daniel Alford) Nature is big—there’s no doubting that, but just how does one capture the vast size of it all in one frame? Easy, shrink the humans. Photographer Daniel Alford from Cardiff, Wales began his photography shooting landscapes, but later decided to rethink his work when he realized his favorite photographs always contained people—tiny people. “This came as a surprise when I looked back through my work,” Alford told weather.com. “I love the sense of...

Vineyards near Pernand-Vergelesses, Cote d' Or Route in Burgundy (Bourgogne), France. This is a revered wine region, home to vineyards that were first planted by ancient Romans. (Günter Gräfenhain, SIME / National Geographic Traveler Best of The World List) National Geographic Traveler magazine announced its annual , highlighting 20 must-see destinations to visit in 2016, as chosen by the magazine's editors. “This year’s Best of the World list truly represents travel’s superlatives,” said National Geographic Traveler editor in chief Maggie...

Highly Commended. 'It's not funny...I've got cramp in my flipper!' (Julie Hunt / Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards) Animals have the power to and the smaller—and cuter—variety can even ." But as the finalists from the 2015 Comedy Wildlife Photography prove, they can also make us laugh. The is a new competition in partnership with the ,an international wildlife charity working throughout the world to stop individual wild animal suffering and protect threatened species in the wild. The competition aims to...