Home to both the midnight sun (with constant daylight from April to July) and the northern lights, North Norway is a rugged land of steep mountains, deep fjords and scenic coastline, making it a great place for outdoor adventures like dog sledding, snowmobiling and wildlife safaris. It's also the ancient home of the Sami people, 3,000 of whom live (along with 100,000 reindeer) at Kautokeino, Norway's largest municipality at over 3,700 square miles.

From its snow-capped mountains to its mighty fjords, from grand valleys to tranquil lakes and lovely archipelagos, the county of Troms is bursting with natural wonders. To cap it off, it also plays host to the northern lights. Tromso, the capital, is the gateway to the region's rugged beauty, but with 65,000 people it's also a surprisingly rich city culturally, with many interesting museums and sites (including the world's northernmost botanical garden) and even a pulsing nightlife.

The valley of Kashmir is as rich with history and political controversy as it is with culture and natural phenomena. Sample exquisitely spiced native cuisines and festive teas, then walk off your meal along the rugged trekking routes to the north. Marvel at the famous houseboats of Srinagar and take a spiritual moment to reflect at one of the many pilgrimage sites and religious shrines that dot the region. Of course, native craftsmanship makes for excellent souvenirs—carpets and textiles are an especial shopping must.

The land of the midnight sun awaits on the northern shores of Great Slave Lake in Yellowknife, a small but diverse city famous for its spectacular wilderness. Sitting on the edge of the Arctic Circle, the city enjoys summer days with nearly 24 hours of sunlight, and dark winter skies lit up by aurora borealis. Once a gold rush town and now a diamond mining town, Yellowknife is the hub of northern activities, ranging from dog sledding and cross-country skiing to backpacking and birding.

Maybe your local zoo has lions, leopards, zebras or elephants. Maybe they even have wildebeest. But we bet they don't have 1.3 million wildebeest—never mind 1.3 million wildebeest in migration, with predators in hot pursuit. It's one of the most awesome sights in nature, and you can see it at Masai Mara in southwestern Kenya.

Situated in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, Corbett has long been a haunt for tourists and wildlife lovers. The oldest national park in India, Corbett, has over 400 different species of flora and over 550 different species of fauna. The park is best known as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India. Tourism is allowed in selected areas of Corbett Tiger Reserve so that people get an opportunity to see its splendid landscape and the diverse wildlife living here. There are many accommodation facilities at Ramnagar as well as at the Corbett National Park. Being one of the most frequently visited parks in the country, the forest department and other agencies have their hotels, lodges, rest houses, log huts for the visitors.