Petropavlovsk, Russia

Petropavlosk is your gateway to a little-know natural wonderland — Kamchatka Peninsula. Lying on the Pacific's vast Rim of Fire, the Kamchatka is a land of volcanoes (over 162, many still active) and home to Siberia's last unspoiled stretch of taiga where wildlife abounds. The peninsula harbors Eurasia's largest stock of brown bears, as well as large populations of snow sheep, ermine, foxes and Steller's sea eagles. Offshore, the waters are teeming with wild salmon, fur seals, killer whales, dolphins and gray whales.

Unfamiliar to travelers, Kamchatka was home to Soviet military bases during the Cold War, and the peninsula was off-limits, not only to foreigners, but to Soviet citizens as well. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the door has been opened for tourism to this striking destination.