PLACES WORTH SEEING
You
should put these places to your travel bucket list.
This
protected land in the Patagonia region is a mix of mountains, glaciers, forests
and lakes. Pro tip: Visit during Chile’s summer (our winter) since the sun
doesn’t set on the soaring granite pillars until after 10 p.m.
Take
a river cruise down the Li, which runs 85 kilometers through the region of
Guangxi in Southern China, for some of the country’s most incredible scenery.
One
of the quaint fishing villages that make up colorful Cinque Terre, Manarola is
clad with grape vines, lemon groves and medieval walls. You can only imagine
the views from here.
This
stunning mountain town sits just below the Chinese border. And the view of the vertical rice terraces of the Muong Hoa
Valley is great.
This
national park and nature reserve occupies part of the Namib Desert. Wild game
like mountain zebra, ostriches and kudu roam over the red sand dunes.
Possibly
the most scenic stop along Big Sur, the McWay Falls plunge 80 feet over a
gorgeous sandy shore into the Pacific Ocean.
This
state park comprises 17 miles of rugged Kauai coastline. Hikers can walk along
the cliffs and valleys covered in lush forests while taking in panoramic views
of the Pacific.
Pamukkale,
which means “cotton castle,” is a stack of white travertine mineral pools in
Southwest Turkey. The UNESC
O world heritage site looks over the Byzantine-Roman
city of Denizli.
Visit
in the early morning before the crowds pile in and you’ll see light beams
gliding in and out of the slot canyon, making it seem like the walls are on
fire.
Set
inside Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise is a year-round
resort destination. On a sunny day, the impossibly blue lake reflects the surrounding
snow-capped mountains.
If
we ever want to go off the grid, you’ll find us in this tropical Thai paradise.
We don’t need much more in life than these mangrove forests and majestic blue
waters framed by limestone cliffs.
This
picture-perfect glacial lake is the Swiss equivalent of Lake Como. Around it,
the city of Lugano is a melting pot of Swiss and Mediterranean culture.
The
most iconic landscape in South Africa, Table Mountain looks over Cape Town from
3,558 feet above the sea. You can see its flat peak from almost anywhere in the
city, often surrounded by clouds.
The
result of a prehistoric lake that dried up, this area in southwest Bolivia is
now covered by bright-white salt formations that give the illusion of walking
in the clouds.
Within
Fiordland National Park you’ll find Milford Sound, the poster for New Zealand’s
South island. (You might recognize the jaw-dropping landscape from The Lord of
the Rings.)
This
National Park in China's Hunan Province was used as a model for the setting of
the movie Avatar. It features dozens of pillar-like mountains reaching toward
the sky
17 Douro
Valley, Portugal
You’ve
never seen a wine country like this before. Hundreds of vineyards—called
quintas—grow grapes on the steep, undulating hills surrounding the Douro River.
This
active volcano just southwest of Tokyo has a reverent status in Japanese
culture, believed to be the country’s holiest mountain. During springtime,
cherry blossom trees light up the five lakes surrounding Mount Fuji.
Visit
Grand Teton National Park during any season and it will punch you in the gut
(y’know, in the best way). The park includes the Teton mountain range and
Jackson Hole valley.
This
archeological area encompasses more than 2,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and
monuments that date back to the kingdom of Pagan in the ninth century.
No,
these mountains haven’t been spray-painted. They’re made up of layers of
different-colored sandstone and minerals that have been pressed together for
over 24 million years.
This
fishing village sits above the Arctic Circle in Norway’s Lofoten Islands and
has a population of about 300. Just imagine the northern lights from here.
We’d
drive the 150-mile Great Ocean Road in Victoria just for a glimpse of these
dreamy limestone stacks. After several apostles collapsed, only nine remain off
the coast of Port Campbell National Park (but, yes, that’s still the name).
One
of the seven new natural wonders of the world, these incredible waterfalls
frame the Argentinian-Brazilian border. Together, they make up the largest
system of waterfalls in the world, and you won’t be able to look without losing
your breath.
These
famous cliffs in County Clare, Ireland, have made several big screen
appearances in movies like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and The
Princess Bride.
On
the outskirts of Kyoto, this giant bamboo grove is filled with thick, green
towering stalks that sway and creek to the rhythm of the wind.
Often
described as the most alien-looking place on earth, this small island in the
Arabian Sea is known for its unique dragon’s blood trees. In fact, about a
third of the plant life in Socotra exist nowhere else in the world.
Remote
and sparsely populated, Palawan might just be the most beautiful island in the
world. It’s basically a long sliver of villages surrounded by crystal water,
lagoons and lush forest.
Nicknamed
the blue city, this locale in northern Morocco’s Rif Mountains is known for its
blue-washed walls, serpentine cobbled streets and Moorish architecture.
There’s
a reason why Rio de Janeiro’s famous coastline is one of the most photographed
landscapes in the world. It’s always summer on the endless stretch of sand
framed by the Two Brothers Mountain.
Sure,
gazing from the top of the Arc de Triomphe onto Paris’s main avenue is
basically looking at a concrete jungle. But it’s the prettiest damn concrete
jungle in the world.
Iceland
could basically be on another planet. Just look at this black sand beach framed
by basalt columns near the village of Vik on the country’s South Coast.
Santorini
might be a cliché, but it’s a cliché for good reason. The island’s most famous
village is Oia, where narrow, hilly streets lined with whitewashed houses and
pink bougainvillea lead to the cobalt Aegean Sea.
Haven’t
you always wanted to walk on the canopy of the rainforest? Well, in this Costa
Rican mountain town, suspension bridges span thick cloud forests, coffee
plantations and volcano peaks.
The
most photographed spot in Colorado, the Maroon Bells are twin peaks in Aspen’s
Elk Mountains, separated by a glacial lake and surrounded by National Forest.
Swoon.
37 White Desert, Egypt
Sahra
al-Beida (called the “White Desert” in English) is a baren stretch of white
rock spires and chalk towers. It’s located in Farafra, an area inhabited mostly
by Bedouins.
Sure,
there are plenty of stunning Caribbean destinations, but the view of the Peton
Mountains overlooking the colorful town of Soufriere is something you’ve gotta
see for yourself.
They
were stunning enough for Monet to paint…so that’s reason enough for us.
This
town in India’s Kerala state sits at the intersection of three mountain
streams. It’s best known for its sweeping hills covered in tea plantations and
verdant forests.
There’s
a reason Croatia is such a hotbed for tourism these days. It’s drop-dead
gorgeous. Just look at this National Park, complete with cascading waterfalls,
cerulean lakes, hiking trails and limestone canyons.
42 Nuuk,
Greenland
Humpback
whales! Fjords! Icebergs! The northern lights! Those are just a few of the
things you’ll find in Greenland’s tiny capital city. The waterfront, made up of
brightly painted houses, is the perfect contrast to the freezing arctic
weather.
Isle
of Skye, an island just off Scotland’s northwest coast, is pretty much a dream
world. But no landscape is more iconic than the Storr cliffs, a series of rocky
pinnacles set before a backdrop of rolling green hills and coastline.
44 Skeleton
Coast, Namibia
Dotted
with shipwrecks and whale bones, Namibia’s skeleton coast is a graveyard of
sorts. But the barren stretch of land, where green sea meets sand dunes, is so
stark it’s an eerie type of beautiful.
45 Varanasi,
India
Considered
to be the spiritual capital of India, this colorful city on the banks of the
Ganges River dates back to the 11th century B.C. It’s one of Hinduism’s seven
holiest cities in the world and contains over 2,000 temples.
46 Machu
Picchu, Peru
Stand
at the top of this 15th-century Incan Citadel (almost 8,000 feet above sea
level) and look at the river valley beneath you. You’re basically walking in
the clouds.
Tatsang
Palphug Monastary, nicknamed Tiger’s Nest, is a Buddhist temple and the most
sacred site in Bhutan. It’s built into a steep cliff 3,000 feet above a valley
in the Himalayan Mountains.
Of
all of nature’s incredible work, this rainbow-ringed natural hot spring in
Yellowstone National Park still manages to blow our minds.
The
Haiku Stairs, informally known as the Stairway to Heaven, are just under 4,000
steps along the Ko’olau Mountains in Oahu. The trail is officially closed, but
plenty of daredevils still make the scenic trek.
RECEIVED FROM PG
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