Travel

2015 BN FAVORITE PLACES TO VISIT NOW

Bifröst - Kirkjufell, Iceland by Martin Schulz.

by Martin Schulz. Bifröst - Kirkjufell, Iceland.

We rounded up our favorite travel posts of 2015 to share with you now. Get ready… We’re about to give you a serious case of wanderlust. See our top 10 faves below.

Image: by Martin Schulz. Brúarfoss Waterfall in Autumn, Iceland.

1. ICELAND’S BEAUTIFUL FLOWS ARE HAPPENING NOW

MARTIN SCHULZ

One of the most beautiful places in the world, to experience pristine, wild flows is Iceland. There, fire and water flow powerfully across rugged landscapes.

German photographer Martin Schulz has a passion for Iceland’s flows. He has been photographing them for over 8 years.

Perhaps it is because, beyond his obvious skills and talents as a photographer, Schulz works as an audiologist and maintains IT infrastructures. He’s also a heavy, heavy metal music fan.

See more of Schulz’s gorgeous photos of Iceland and learn more about the country in this BN Daily Fix.

Image: by Red Junasun. Sognefjord. Sognefjord, Norway.

2. SOGNEFJORD, NORWAY

Sognefjord, in Norway, runs for 127 miles, making it the largest fjord in Norway, and the 3rd largest in the world. You’ll experience the earth’s extreme highs and lows here, since the water is 1 mile deep, and the craggy mountains are 1.5 miles high.

See more in this BN Daily Fix: 10 BEAUTIFUL VACATION SPOTS WHERE NATURE SHINES BEST.

Image: by Alex Chen. サガノ　チクリン • Sagano Bamboo Forest (嵯峨野竹林). Kyoto, Japan.

3. SAGANO BAMBOO FOREST -- KYOTO, JAPAN

Japan’s Sagano Bamboo Forest, in the Arashiyama district of western Kyoto, is one of the most tranquil forests in the world.

Long, lithe bamboo trees sway in the breeze, as sunlight peeks through the dense groves. This forest is listed on the Japan Ministry of Environment’s “100 Soundscapes of Japan”, because of the wonderfully calming, rustling sounds that the bamboo stalks create as they sway in the breeze.

Tenryu-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Kyoto-gazan (5 major temples of Kyoto), is situated right outside of the Sagano forest.

And check out the nearby Iwatayama Monkey Park, home to over 100 Japanese macaques.See more in this BN Daily Fix: 10 BEAUTIFUL FORESTS TO CONSIDER NOW.

Image: by Steven Gnam. Firey sunset over the confluence of Owl Creek and the Clearwater River, looking back into the Great Western Checkerboards Project just south of Seeley Lake, Montana.

4. GREAT WESTERN CHECKERBOARD PROJECT -- MONTANA, UNITED STATES

The freedom to move between natural areas is crucial to wildlife. The Great Western Checkerboard Project, initiated by The Nature Conservancy, is piecing together migratory corridors for animals such as grizzly bears, lynx, and wolves, so that they can roam freely.

They are attempting to solve a big problem that began in 1862, when Congress gave away 1-square-mile sections of land to railroad companies, which were then developed. These parcels were interspersed in between small parcels of wilderness land, creating a checkerboard effect, which dramatically restricted the free range of the region’s wildlife.

See more in this BN Daily Fix: BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO ROAM FREE NOW.

Image: Courtesy of Tierra Atacama. Atacama, Chile.

5. TIERRA ATACAMA -- CHILE

Tierra Atacama is a luxury all-inclusive eco-lodge and spa on the edge of the Atacama Desert. It sits in the middle of some of the most stunningly beautiful, most dramatic landscapes on earth, in fact parts look more like the moon.

Volcanos punch up through the flats like daisies. You can hike them. Or ride a horse to cover even more of this otherworldly ground.

Or enjoy a float in a silky salt lagoon. And watch the sun turn the salt pans into glitter farms. Get a hot stone massage at the Uma Spa.

See more in this BN Daily Fix: BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO CELEBRATE BEAUTIFUL MOTHERS.

Image: Courtesy of Memolition. Yellow Canola Flowers. Luoping, China.

6. LUOPING, CHINA

With sprawling yellow fields of canola flowers, Luoping China had to make this list. Large rocky hills jut up from the yellow, creating an unforgettable landscape. The area is also known for its honey production.

See more in this BN Daily Fix: 10 BEAUTIFUL YELLOW TRIPS NOW.

Image: by David Bell. Glastonbury Tor viewed from Wearyall Hill.

7. HEART CHAKRA: GLASTONBURY & SHAFTESBURY, ENGLAND

Glastonbury, Somerset, Shaftesbury, and Dorset define the centre of the world’s heart chakra. Glastonbury is the home of the Holy Grail.

Avebury Stone Circle and the Tor at Glastonbury are considered to be the heart “acupuncture” points.

See more in this BN Daily Fix: BEAUTIFUL PLACES WHERE YOU CAN AWAKEN NOW.

Image: by Abe Kleinfeld. Pink Pathway. California.

8. PACIFIC GROVE -- CALIFORNIA

Ice plants bloom along the beach in Pacific Grove, California, between Point Pinos and Monterey. Enjoy the nearby town, nicknamed "America's Last Hometown," known for its Victorian homes and Asilomar State Beach. It is also known as "Butterfly Town U.S.A.," for the annual migration of the Monarch butterflies.

See more in this BN Daily Fix: 10 BEAUTIFUL PATHWAYS TO EXPLORE NOW.

Image: by Kevin McNeal. Columbia Gorge Wildflowers. Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, United States.

9. COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE -- OREGON, UNITED STATES

There are over 800 species of wild flowers in the Columbia River Gorge. Some are found only here, nowhere else in the world. The blossoms open at different times, depending on their elevation and microclimate, ranging from rainforest to desert. The Gorge is 80 miles long, with up to 4000 feet of elevation at the ridgelines.

See more in this BN Daily Fix: 10 BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO SEE BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOMS.

Image: Courtesy of J & J Travel. Aitutaki sunset, Cook Islands.

10. AITUTAKI -- COOK ISLANDS

Aitutaki, in the Cook Islands, has the most beautiful turquoise lagoon at its center, with a string of uninhabited islands and palm-fringed beaches, which are pure joy in the sunshine.

Tapuaetai (One Foot Island) is a tiny island in the southeast of the lagoon, with an extraordinary beach, often considered to be "Australasia's Leading Beach."

Grab the rays while you can, because these islands get record rainfalls. Maximum rainfall of 22.5 inches (572 millimeters).

Image: by Eugene Kaspersky. Kamchatka. Siberia, Russia.

11. KAMCHATKA CRATERS -- RUSSIA

Deep in the wilds of Siberia, Russia, way north, on the 56th parallel, you will find the magnificent circles created by the Kamchatka Craters.

The area is remote and has remained pristine, as it is difficult to access, with no roads or railways connecting it to the rest of the world. Here, you will see prehistoric landscapes, as well as flora and fauna not found anywhere else.

The circle-marked landscape is best viewed from above via helicopter, where you can ride over the steamy Geysers Valley and catch spectacular unparalleled views of the Kamchatka peninsula.

Tours are offered by 56th Parallel. Stay at the opulent 5-star Russo-Balt North Adventures, a boutique spa resort surrounded by nature and the healing thermal waters of Kamchatka’s hot springs. And climb the Avachinsky volcano – Kamchatka’s largest active volcano.

See more in this BN Daily Fix: 10 MAGNIFICENT CIRCLES IN THE EARTH TO VISIT NOW.

See more in this BN Daily Fix: 10 OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RAINIEST PLACES ON EARTH NOW.

Image: Courtesy of Tierra Atacama. Atacama, Chile.

Image: by Philippe AMIOT. Ile des Pins. New Caledonia.

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