Last month, I wrote about five places that were on my travel hitlist. These are places I wanted to visit for their natural beauty, and to do a bit of the photography I love so much. I had a few folks reach out with some other suggestions though, so I thought I’d compile a list of five more places to add to your travel hitlist if you haven’t been.
The Island of Kauai, Hawaii
Ok, so this isn’t a list of top-secret places to go. This one is well-known to travelers, and yet, I haven’t been there, so it absolutely has to be on this list. If you’ve never been, here’s what you need to know about Kauai: it’s friggin beautiful.
The northernmost island in the Hawaiian chain, Kauai is less touristy than some of the other islands and unspoiled in its natural beauty. Much of the inner island is inaccessible by car, so you’ll have to go it on foot or by air to see it. Judging by the photos others have taken, it’s well worth it!
Take Waimea Canyon, for example. It’s known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and it’s no wonder why – look at that freaking view. This. This is why I travel.
Still need convincing? How about the Na Pali Coast? You can see it by kayak, plane or hike; I’ll probably do all three while I’m there! Each one offers its own unique perspective on the coastline.
Upper Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Staying within the USA for a moment, we move on to Upper Antelope Canyon. Another famous destination, I just can’t pass up the chance to shoot those mystifying light beams filtering into the canyon. You probably recognize the photos, even if you didn’t know the name of the place.
There’s really no way to take a bad photo here. You can shoot at almost any angle, during any time of day. I’m going to need to remember to put my camera down from time to time and just soak up the beauty and majesty of the place with my own eyes. It would be such a shame to visit the place to see it only through the camera viewfinder.
One note if you are planning on taking some photos here – it’s really sandy. Should be obvious, but it still bears saying. If you bring a DSLR and multiple lenses, you’re going to run the risk of getting sand in your camera. My personal suggestion, given the setting you’re in (confined space and up-close shooting): bring a single wide-angle lens with you, and let that be your go-to. Daniel Gillaspia over at National Parks and more agrees. His article has a bunch of other great information to help you plan a trip to Antelope Canyon.
The Maldives
Located on the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is built for one thing: chilling out. Yeah, I want to snap some photos here, but this bucket-list entry is really more about relaxing in paradise, and snorkeling/diving to see some of the most beautiful displays of coral and marine wildlife anywhere in the world.
Unlike the other places on this list, all I want to do when I visit the Maldives is relax. No hiking, no tours, no itinerary, nothing. Now, doing “nothing” in paradise is a little pricey compared to the usual flavour of nothing I sometimes like to do at home, so this is probably going to be one of the items I cross off a little later on in life!
One more thing worth noting about the Maldives: the locals follow Muslim culture, so if you plan on visiting a town, be sure to dress appropriately.
Iceland
Iceland is home to some of the most diverse landscapes I’ve ever seen. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a collection of photos, wondered what places in the world they were each from, then later found out they were all taken in Iceland.
It’s no wonder though; when you’ve got locations like the Svartifoss waterfall, the Blue Lagoon, Asbyrgi Canyon and Thingvellir National Park all within a day’s travel, you have that luxury. Where else in the world can you see the Northern Lights, swim in geothermal hot springs, visit cool-blue ice caves, watch a geyser erupt and visit a magma chamber all in one place?
If you’re an adventurer, Iceland absolutely has to be on your bucket list. I’d put this one at almost the opposite end of the spectrum from the Maldives in terms of what kind of an experience you can expect!
Switzerland
Honestly, I’ve never really seen a bad photo that was taken in Switzerland. It’s another one of those places that, no matter where you look, you’ll likely be pinching yourself to see if you’re dreaming or not.
The city of Lugano, for example, is an Italian-speaking city located on Lake Lugano, and the views there are gorgeous. The same goes for the Jungfrau region; it’s insane how beautiful the views are. Accessible by rail, on foot or by bike, it’s well worth the trip.
A popular place for tourists is Interlaken – it serves as both its own photo op, and also as base camp for various activities in the surrounding Alps.
There’s also Lake Geneva. It’s definitely got its natural beauty, but there’s a man-made gem located on its shores as well: Chateau de Chillon. It’s a castle that was once home to the Counts of Savoy, and today is filled with 14th century paintings and murals.
I could go on about all the places I’m excited to see in Switzerland (I didn’t even touch Swiss National Park!), but we’ll leave it at that for now 🙂
Wrapping it Up
As you can see, my travel hit-list is getting pretty long. I didn’t travel when I was younger, and I regret it. But you know what? No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to start traveling more. As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the second-best time is now.
I’m happy that I have a long list of places to see and things to do. There’s so much beauty in this world, and I’ve seen so little of it. I think my list will always be long, even as I cross things off; new places will always make their way in. As Saint Augustine once said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”
I think it’s time to get reading.
How about you, have you been to any of these places? Any others you’d add to the list? Share a story with me in the comments, I can always use more inspiration and wisdom from those who have gone before me!
