Ideas for a memorable holiday

National geographic Travel Editor have compiled a list of summer travel ideas that are special by destination.

Forget Paris, London, New York. The new to-be places are the Ecuador, Norway or Alabama.

1. Horseback riding in the Andes

Trails in the Andeas mountains can be accessed only by foot or on horseback. But, the tougher the journey, the bigger the reward. Valleys, green lakes, ancient pre-Incan earth mounds and waterfalls delight the eyes of the horseback rider. Tourists have a choice between a 3 or 10-day trip on Zuleteño  horses, which are bigger than a poney but smaller than a carriage horse.

2. Whole-ship reef diving in Alabama

In 2013, an 83-meter long ship was intentionally sunk off the coast of southern Alabama, in Orange Beach. The purpose was to create an artificial reef, promote marine life and, mostly, allow people to pursue recreational diving.

There are over 17,000 artificial reefs in the area, each one abundant in marine life.

3. World's biggest free blues festival

Over half a million blues fans are expected at this year's Chicago Blues Festival, which is held between June 13 and 15. Aaron Neville, Bettye Lavette, Dr. John, Carolina Chocolate Drops, and blues drummer Sam Lay are on the front cover of 2014's edition.

4. Midnight sun safari in Norway

The northern parts of Norway are, during summer months, a place where the sun literally never sets. At a time when, normally, you wouldn't expect to see anything other than the moon and stars on the sky, the sun happily shines upon tourists eager to go sightseeing under the Norway midnight sun.