Siwa Oasis, Egypt

Because Siwa Oasis is so isolated in the middle of Egypt's Western Desert, the inhabitants' Siwi language and Amazigh culture have been preserved.

It's not a common stop for tourists (it's a five-hour bus ride from Cairo), but those who brave the desert can enjoy locally-grown dates and olives, swim in Cleopatra's Bath mineral spring, and stay at the famous desert eco-lodge built out of mud and salt.