Landscape

Iguazu Falls is the largest waterfall system in the world, made up of 275 cascades, drops, and falls. Standing at the edge of the Garganta del Diablo, which translates to the Devil’s Throat, a visit to Iguazu Falls truly feels as though you are perched on the edge of the world.

The small village of Cemoro Lawang is perched on the fringes of an undulating stretch of fine volcanic sand. This is Laut Pasir which, in Javanese, means Sea of Sand. My hotel, Bromo Permai, has a charming lobby that overlooks this unsettlingly unearthly territory.

The official scientific name is the aurora borealis, but they have many names. The northern lights, the Green Lady, merry dancers, guovssahasat, and revontulet or ‘fox fires’. No matter what you call them, they have been tempting travellers forever.

Of course, the state wouldn’t be for lovers if its cities and towns didn’t embody the same coveted qualities. Located in the southwest region of the state, Roanoke checks all the boxes.

Ireland is often referred to as the “Emerald Isle,” due to the vast greenery throughout the island. Most of the Irish countryside is dotted with farms and national parks, while the landscape in almost every county is dominated by some of the greenest hills anywhere in the world. But is this greenery the reason Ireland is known as the “Emerald Isle?”

Shengjergj waterfall, which is locally called “Ujëvara e Shën Gjergjit”,offers an amazing 30-meters drop with breathtaking stratified rock formations surrounding the scenery. The water comes straight from the “Mali me Gropa Mountain” and is especially impressive during the fall-to-spring season, when rain increases and snow melts from the mountain tops.

Whenever I read about people planning a trip through Europe, Germany seems to be frequently skipped or, at least, at the end of the queue behind Spain, Italy, or France. And those who do decide to visit Germany, sadly often focus on Berlin and Munich only.

At the end of my second week of traveling through Namibia during the pandemic, I reached the most-anticipated stop of my journey within the Namib-Naukluft National Park: Deadvlei, a white clay pan that represents an inevitable stop for nature lovers and photographers. I will never forget the second I stepped into that arena-like plateau.

Switzerland is known for its beautiful and dramatic landscapes. But there is more than just the natural aspect to it. Some of its most famous places have served as great inspirations for authors and movie directors. One such place is the incredibly picturesque valley surrounding Lauterbrunnen, a small village deeply nested within an alpine mountain chain.

One way to be connected to nature is to learn about the history of the Earth. In the chain Red Sea Mountains in the Eastern Desert in Egypt, there are red granite rocks that are among the oldest on the planet, dating back to 600 million years ago.

Although I usually have a hard time ranking landscape destinations, there is one specific beach I would easily consider the most beautiful in the Baja California area, if not even in all Mexico: Playa Balandra, a spectacular, crescent-shaped bay with crystal clear and shallow water.

In the central part of Croatia, close to the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, lies the Plitvice National Park, one of Europe’s most famous and, by far the prettiest. This almost 300-square-foot area consists of a broad range of natural features, such as turquoise water, deep green forest surroundings, limestone canyons, and an impressive series of 16 cascading waterfalls.