Like many people, my love for traveling the world will never cease to exist, despite never being outside of the U.S. My goal in life is to see the vast majority of beautiful and breathtaking works of art that this Earth has to offer. Here is my short-list of places I need to see before I die.
1. Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore, Italy
A beautiful commune consisting of five Italian fishing villages, Riomaggiore is said to be one of the most beautiful places in the world as we speak. The villages are set on a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Genoa. The town is a premiere place for nightlife with its sky-high cocktail bars. If you're not into that, like myself, hang low with the fishermen on the rocks and cliffs surrounding the city. Not to mention, the water is crystal clear.
2. Maldives in South Asia
An archipelago sitting in the middle of the Indian Ocean, The Maldives is definitely on my list of places to visit. The string of islands, located on top of a vast underwater mountain range, is encompassed by a lagoon of unclouded waters. The islands are surrounded by a beautiful reef structure that houses beautifully exotic sea creatures and underwater life.
3. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
One of the most magnificent gems of nature I have ever laid eyes on, visiting Yellowstone National Park is a must. Home to nearly 3,500 square miles of wilderness, volcanic hot spots, rivers, hot springs, geysers, and canyons, the Park is truly a work of art (and every nature freak's dream).
4. Glass Beach, California, USA
The Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California is one of the most magnificent state parks in the U.S. Because of years of dumping in to the coastline of the area, the beach is covered in a myriad of sea glass, giving the state park it’s name.
5. Saint Lucia
An alluring island nation in the Eastern Carribean, St. Lucia is home to glorious mountains, volcanic beaches, reef-diving, resorts, and fishing villages. There are considered to be two different ‘islands’ in this elegant nation; Rodney Bay, a more modern way of life with shopping, diving, markets, and many family-friendly activities, and Soufrière, in the heart of St. Lucia, home to an older lifestyle of plantations, hidden beaches, and the Pitons mountain range.
6. Hawaii
You can’t really pick just one place in Hawaii to visit, so I decided to put the whole island. The largest island in the U.S, Hawaii is a beautiful, tropical archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. Filled with two largely active volcanos, lush rainforest, and exquisitely-colored sandy beaches, Hawaii is a prime vacation spot.
7. Santorini, Greece
If you haven't seen pictures of the cerulean waters surrounding this cliff city, you are missing out. Santorini is one of the Cyclades Islands in the Aegean Sea. It is home to an active underwater volcano, possibly one of the only volcanoes in the world who’s crater is under the ocean. Santorini is also known as the most romantic getaway in the world and is an extremely active sight for weddings.
8. Marble Caves, Chile
A beautiful set of caves carved out of the marble Patagonian Andes, the Cuevas de Mármol, or Marble Caves of Chile Chico, were formed by the ocean over a span of more than 6,000 years.
9. Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey
One of the largest ancient cisterns that lie beneath Istanbul, The Basilica Cistern is a must-see. It’s ancient columns and low-lighting look like something straight out of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, aka, my go-to aesthetic.
10. Giethoorn, Holland
A mainly car-free village, Geithoorn is known for its boat-filled waterways, footpaths, bike trails, and elegantly crafted houses. It truly is a town from a fairy tale.
11. Crystal Caves, Iceland
Absolutely mesmerizing structures that lie in the Iceland underground, the caves of Iceland are a true work of art. With crystal-blue, almost glowing ice structures, you can tour two locations, Vatnajokull, in South East Iceland, and Langjokull, in South West Iceland.
12. Longji Rice Terraces, China
Also known as the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces, it is the most astonishing terrace in China. The construction of the terraces began in the 13th century and continued until the early 1900’s. The Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces are symbols of divine wisdom and tenuous labor. In spring, the water irrigates the fields and the terraces look like delicately places ribbons the hillsides. In the summer, waves of lush greenery occupy the mountainside.
13. Venice, Italy
One of the most magnificent places on Earth, Venice is built on 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. There are no roads, only canals, including the Grand Canal, which is lined with beautiful Renaissance-era and Gothic-style structures. With it’s gondolas, canals, to-die-for food, and unforgettable romance, you won’t regret visiting Venice.
14. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, USA
Carlsbad Caverns National Park lies in a desert of southern New Mexico. Hidden beneath the surface are more than 119 (known) caves, high sea ledges, deep canyons, and flowering cactus and desert wildlife. Entering the Caver, you’ll find stalactites clinging to the cavern ceiling and huge underground chambers.
15. Bali, Indonesia
A picture-perfect Indonesian Island that is home to forested volcanic mountains, vast rice paddies, crystal-clear beaches, and coral reefs. It has stunning attractions, such as the cliffside Uluwatu Temple and the beachside city of Kuta, that has various bars, nightlife attractions, and resorts. The island is widely known for it’s yoga and meditation retreats as well (which I can't resist).
16. Caño Cristales, Colombia
A breathtaking, multi-colored Colombian river located in the province of Meta, this 62-mile long river is colored with yellow, green, blue, black, and red, and is widely known as the ‘Liquid Rainbow’ or ‘River of Five Colors’.
17. San Andrés Island
An archipelago in the Caribbean Sea, San Andrés is an extraordinary coral island. Filled with coconut palm plantations, lush green pastures, native trees, coral reefs, sandy-white beaches, geysers, and hidden coves, San Andrés is definitely a hot vaca spot.
18. Flathead Lake, Montana
The largest natural freshwater lake by surface area west of the Mississippi, Flathead Lake is also one of the clearest and most unbelievable lakes to visit.
19. Blue Lake, Nelson, New Zealand
Another breathtaking lake, Blue Lake is a small National Park in northern New Zealand’s Southern Apls and is home to the clearest natural fresh water in the world.
20. Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming
Who wouldn't want to see a giant rainbow in the ground? The Grand Prismatic Spring is located in Yellowstone National Park and is the largest hot spring in the U.S., and the third largest in the world. It’s known for it’s striking colors, which match the colors of the rainbow.
21. The Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Crystal clear blue pools on the River Brittle, these famous pools are perfect for those of you who love to swim in cold water. Any takers? If you're not in to that, the pools still make for some pretty great photographs as well.
22. Cave of the Crystals, Naica, Mexico
The Cave of the Crystals is a connection to the Naica Mine in underground Mexico. The giant chamber contains huge selenite crystals, which are some of the largest natural crystals ever discovered. (and yes, those are real people on the crystals)
23. The Great Blue Hole, Belize
A giant underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize, The Great Blue Hole is a must-see.
24. The Waitomo Glowworm Cave, Waitomo, New Zealand
The Glowworm Cave is located on the North Island of New Zealand and is widely known for it’s population of glowworms, which illuminate the cave like a million tiny stars.
25. Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland
Ireland is an absolute dream itself, but this interlocking path of columns known as Giant’s Causeway is a must-see spot. The area was formed by an ancient volcanic eruption and sits on the heart of one of Europe’s most magnificent coastlines.
