New South Wales is a state located on the east coast of Australia and is the most populated area in the country. You can expect warm to hot summers, and cool to cold winters. The state is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia, while it encompasses the entire state of ACT, or the Australian Capital Territory.

If you are planning on visiting the land down under make your first stop Sydney, but be sure you book at least a week or two, because there is so much to see and do. One of the best places to stay is in the city’s centre. That way you can get around and see just about everything. Start off with a hop on and hop off tour. You can see what you want when you like, and not be forced into a schedule. Adjacent to Sydney Cove and Circular Quay, the Rocks, which was settled by the Europeans in 1778, is a wonderful place to shop for souvenirs and scour the antique stores. Other great places to visit in Sydney include Bondi Beach, Manly, Darling Harbour, Palm Beach and the Taronga Zoo.

New South Wales is much more than Sydney. Rent a car and take a drive to the Blue Mountains. Here you will be in awe of the Three Sisters, and the Jenolan Caves. Choose from three different cave tours which include Magic of Jenolan, Mysteries and Ghosts Tour, and the Jewels of Jenolan. After the tour, set out on foot and explore the nature reserve that is part of the World Heritage area. While you are in the Blue Mountains, go horse riding in the Megalong Valley. You do not have to be an expert to saddle up and enjoy the great outdoors.

When you leave Sydney behind, take your rental car up the Pacific Highway towards Queensland. You will want to get out and stretch your legs next to the Hawkesbury River which is surrounded by three national parks. It is a great place to cast a line, or go for a bush walk. Your next stop would have to be Newcastle. Have a bite to eat at the local pub, and make sure you stop for pictures at Nobby’s Beach. If you have time, stay the night at a Bed and Breakfast and go wine tasting in the Hunter Valley. Before you cross the border, you will want to spend a day or two in Byron Bay.

South Australia lies in the south central region of the country and features terrains that range from the hot, arid desert outback to the thickly forested cliffs and islands along the coast. The southern coast also offers the chance to visit popular and secluded beaches. The region is a nature lover’s paradise between botanical gardens, caves and numerous National Parks. The capital city of Adelaide is large enough to offer many big city attractions, but small enough in geographical size that travelling from one end to the other takes less than half an hour.

The rugged Australian outback attracts many who curiously seek an adventure. The Coorong National Park features sand dunes and salt pans, along with an amazing array of wildlife. Bird watching enthusiasts especially like the park, as it serves as home to over 200 species of birds. Visitors also see amphibians, mammals and reptiles in their own environment. The park additionally has hundreds of species of flowering plants and ferns. The Outback also features the Umoona Opal Mine and Museum. Mining remains a large industry in the area and this location allows visitors the chance to experience first hand this type of industry. Employees provide opal cutting demonstrations and exhibits feature various versions of the stone, along with opal jewellery. The museum also tells the story of the Aboriginal and European cultures.

Located less than 30 minutes from Adelaide, the coast boasts five separate beaches, having white sand and crystal clear waters suitable for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving, in addition to other popular water sports. On the southern point of Yorke Peninsula, Innes National Park has secluded bays and coves, while Pondalowie Bay features a historic mining site and the ruins of a Victorian ship. Glenelg Beach has cafes, restaurants and bars with numerous shopping opportunities nearby. Coastal locations also offer the opportunity for viewing dolphins, penguins and whales.

The region is also famous for agriculture, which includes wineries, allowing visitors the chance to visit any number of local wineries that have been established for centuries. The Wine Discovery and Journey Centre in Adelaide offers the chance to learn incredible facts concerning what makes a world class wine. The city has a number of galleries, museums and the beautiful botanical gardens. Next door to the gardens, animal lovers find the local zoo, which houses the only pandas in the country. There is no lack of places to eat in Adelaide, as the city has over 100 restaurants featuring cuisines from around the world.

The state of Western Australia accounts for the vast western "nose" of Australia, bordered to the northeast by the Northern Territory and to the southeast by South Australia. This enormous area, around a million square miles, is the largest state in the country, though it only plays host to about ten percent of the population. By far the majority of Western Australians live in the cities of the southwestern coast, especially the lively capital, Perth, which boasts some 1.7 million inhabitants.

Topographically, much of Western Australia is subdued plateau, though several broken highlands provide substantial localized relief. The ancient, gorge-strung mountains of the Hamersley Range include the state's loftiest summit, 4,098-foot Mount Meharry, while the rugged metamorphic heights of the Stirling Range in the south regularly collect snow in the austral winter.

Ecological landscapes are dictated partly by topography but significantly by climate. Much of Western Australia is arid, and the state includes portions of some of Australia's great drylands, including the Gibson and Great Sandy deserts, but the far northern horn of the Kimberley is tropical and, in places, lush. The far southwest enjoys a mild, temperate Mediterranean climate similar to California's or South Africa's; this, not incidentally, is one of Australia's great wine-growing regions. The variety of ecosystems is, unsurprisingly, impressive, from the red dunes of the interior deserts to the Jarrah woodlands of the Swan River coast.

The best way to sample Western Australia's ecological landscapes is in national parks and other protected reserves. The Kimberley, for example, features an extensive network of natural areas, not least the large and remote Drysdale River National Park, which showcases rugged defiles, waterfalls, and a variety of wildlife, including the Estuarine Crocodile. An excellent adventure destination to explore the sere beauty of Western Australia's arid and semi-arid reaches is Karlamilyi National Park, which includes a portion of one of the country's biggest drylands, the Great Sandy Desert.

For a less wild experience, you can explore the numerous wine regions of southwestern Western Australia, from the vineyards of the Perth Hills along the Darling Escarpment on the fringe of the capital's metropolitan area to those of the Great Southern Wine Region along the Southern Ocean coast. You'll surely be able to sample some of the high-quality products of these grape-growing hotspots in the many restaurants of Perth, Mandurah, Albany, and other of Western Australia’s major cities.

Goa was a Portuguese colony for 450 years, and remnants of this heritage can be found throughout the area. Portuguese rule ended in 1961 when the colony was annexed to India, but its history goes back thousands of years, perhaps as early as 8,000 BC. Paleolithic rock carvings can be found along the Kushavati River at Usgalimal. Stone-axes and petrographs going back 10,000 years have been found throughout Goa.

Fast forward a few millennia to the 16th century when Portuguese merchants and traders set up shop in Goa. Portugal eventually claimed Goa as a colony, bringing the country’s culture, religion and architecture to the state. Goa’s largest city, Vasco da Gama, is named after the famed explorer. The Bom Jesus Basilica is a Unesco World Heritage site, one of two in Goa — the other are the many cathedrals and churches found here. St. Francis Xavier, who many consider to be the patron saint of Goa, is buried here.

Goa today is a popular destination for sun-seekers. With 81 miles (131 kilometers) of coastline on the Arabian Sea, India's smallest state is known as the “Pearl of the Orient.” Golden-sand beaches, waving palm trees, Gothic cathedrals and white-washed buildings all combine to make Goa holidays a paradise for travelers who seek only to relax. The winter months are the most popular times for European travelers looking for respite from the harsh cold to visit.

Should visitors tire of lazing on the beach, they can take in the area’s amazing flora and fauna that make it one of the world’s hot spots of biodiversity. Shoppers will love the colorful Friday market at Mapusa that has been taking place there for hundreds of years. While Portuguese influence can still be found throughout the area, it is most visible in Margao, the second largest city in Goa.

Panaji is the capital, but the state’s airport, used by both civilians and the military, and the central rail terminal are in Vasco da Gama.

Nuevo Leon is one of 31 states that comprise the country of Mexico. Considered one of Mexico’s most industrialized regions, it boasts a quality of life similar to Slovakia, Croatia, and Poland. Nuevo Leon has the highest per capita GDP of any Mexican state. Its PPP of $26,658 far exceeds the national average of $14,119. Its capitol city of Monterey is the third largest metropolitan area in Mexico. The total population of Nuevo Leon is 4.1 million and almost 80 percent of the population lives within the Monterey Metropolitan Area.

Nuevo is located in the northeastern corner of Mexico. It is bordered by Tamaupulas to the north and east, San Luis Potosi to the south, and Cohuila to the west. It also shares a 9-mile border with the United States through Texas. Americans can enter Nuevo Leon by car and international flights are available to the capitol city of Monterey.

Alberto del Canto originally founded Nuevo Leon, but frequent raids by natives prevented any permanent settlements from being established. The Spanish King later launched an initiative to repopulate the area and Nuevo Leon became one of the Eastern Internal provinces of New Spain. The 19th century saw a population boom as European immigrants flooded the region to take advantage of land grants.

Grutas de Garcia
One of the most extensive cave systems in Mexico, visitors will be amazed at the extensive cave system as they trek through a mile long system of underground caverns and caves. The cave entrance is reached by the way of cable car.

Barrance de Potrillos
This is an excellent destination for the history and archaeology buff. Isolated from any populated area, this ancient site features magnificent stone carvings and archaeologically significant artifacts.

Cumbrance de Monterey
This is Mexico’s largest National Park. Filled with deep canyons and gorges, this park at the foot of the Sierra Madre Orientals is an excellent place to visit for those who love to hike and experience the natural wonders of Nuevo Leon’s arid landscape.

Matacanes
Extreme or Adventure travel is growing in popularity, and Matacanes is the perfect destination for the adventure traveler who likes a little danger along with their vacation. The area is filled with roaring rivers, majestic waterfalls, and deep underground caves. Tour companies are only too happy to arrange for all the necessary equipment and offer guided tours for adventure travelers.