Robert Schrader

So much more than just a layover destination, Thailand’s capital is brimming with temples and malls, street snacks and watering holes.

Ethiopia was going to be unlike anywhere else I’d seen in Africa — and I hadn’t seen anything yet.

I found Chengdu astonishingly laid-back, which is probably an adjective you never expected to hear in conjunction with the phrase “Chinese city of 14 million.”

From hidden beaches, to fluorescent rivers, to some surprising truths about the underrated capital, here’s how to transcend the typical Costa Rica trip.