10 BEAUTIFUL PLACES ON THEIR WAY

We are exploring places in transition, where you can go to find beauty that you likely haven’t ever seen before. These are places that are in the process of political, economic, and cultural change --- places where up until now, have not been ones that were hospitable or attractive to outside visitors.

 

But now, they are budding and ready to blossom. Some still have challenges -- things you won’t like to deal with. But if you can manage to take these bitters with some sweets, 2014 is a great year to check them out -- before they mature into heavily trodden tourist destinations.

Photo: Courtesy of Snow Brains. Gulmarg, India.

1) KASHMIR

 

While the Himalayas have gotten a bit too popular among hikers for their own good, there is a new opportunity to enjoy unchartered territory -- in Kashmir. Now that the region’s political tumult has calmed, you can be among the first outsiders to explore its magnificence.

 

If you live to ski, check out the Gulmarg ski resort, now with the world’s highest gondola, rising up to 13,400 feet. You can go higher in a helicopter if you dare. And you can ski to your heart’s content, on seemingly endless virgin slopes, as if they belonged only to you and you alone.

Photo: Rambonp love’s all the crea. Dal Lake, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir India.

If you love exotic landscapes and culture, explore the waterlily-dotted Dal Lake at the foot of the Pir Panjal mountain range. Paddle your canoe through the floating markets, past charming houseboats, and off into a dream.

Photo: Andries3. Sur, Oman.

2) OMAN

 

A good friend just returned from a holiday trip to Oman, quietly raving about its surprising beauty. This country, far from the tips of most travelers tongues, sits on the Arabian Peninsula, offering a remarkable combination of isolated beaches, vast deserts, spectacular mountains, and sparkling new luxury resorts.

Photo: Courtesy of Luxurious Magazine. Alila Jabal Akhdar Hotel.

The recently opened Alila Jabal Akhdar Hotel is perched 2,000 metres up, overlooking a dramatic gorge and the Hajar Mountains.

 

Or try paragliding down from the mountains to reach the pristine beaches of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. If you are a bit less adventurous, you can elect to take a boat or traverse the desert in a rover to get there. But those are your only 3 options. Once you arrive, you can enjoy the private pleasures of the Six Senses Zighy Bay.

 

Check out the recently reopened Rustaq Fort and Al Hazm and Qurayat Castles.

Photo: Courtesy of Emirates World Travel Cologne. An excursion in Oman.

Oman was the only Arab country to be ranked among the 20 Top Tourist Destinations in the World by National Geographic magazine last year. And Muscat was recently ranked as the second best city in the world by Lonely Planet.

Photo: Courtesy of Holiday Check. Chameleon.

3) MADAGASCAR

Madagascar is another country that has transitioned through a political nightmare to awaken as a magical destination. Last year, the world’s fourth largest island became a democracy.

While the Galapagos is the place most famous for wildlife found nowhere else on earth, Madagascar quietly touts 5% of the world’s unique flora and fauna.

 

Take a thrilling safari through the jungles to see lemurs, butterflies, the world’s smallest chameleon (Brookesia Micra), and the rare cat-like fossa, among other exotica.

 

Revel in vanilla orchids, cacao orchards, and lush sweet jungles.

Photo: Courtesy of Zebra App. Madagascar Beach.

And check out our earlier stories about Madagascar Madagascar Baobab Avenues at Dawn, Chocolate, Even More Beautiful in Madagascar, White Sifaka Lemurs: Beautiful Angels or Ghosts in the Making?, 10 Most Beautiful Chocolates, Trees: Portraits of Time, and Beautiful Sapphire Jewelry.

 

Photo: Courtesy of Galapagos Islands Information. Tren Crucero at Chimborazo.

 

4) ECUADOR

 

Speaking of the Galapagos, Ecuador, the gateway to these precious islands, has been developing its own new reasons to attract your attention.

 

One, is the country’s newly renovated and expanded railway network. It can take you to new heights -- boasting the world’s steepest run, 5900 meters up to the top of the Cotopaxi volcano and the Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s Nose). Roll across Chimborazo. Or catch a train from Quito to the port of Guayaquil, where you can set sail for Darwin’s famously treasured islands.

 

Photo: Courtesy of Fidel’s Cafe. Classic car on Havana Streets.

5) HAVANA, CUBA

 

Cuba is getting sexy again. Life is relaxing. Grudges are softening. Layers of dust are blowing away. It’s still a bit crumbly. But a cultural renaissance is underway. This place, stuck in a time warp, is feeling a new beat pulsing and an energy rise. Havana is a great place to enjoy the transition.

Photo: Courtesy of Get in Travel. Women smoking cigars in Havana, Cuba.

Enjoy a stroll through the cobblestoned Spanish colonial quarter. Get seduced by cigar-chomping women who are at the ready to offer you a kiss and a photo opportunity. Check out the sunsets and parties at Malecon.

 

Take a ride in a ‘57 Chevy. Get your jazz on. And kick back with Mojitos the way they were meant to be drank.

 

Cuba is still not an easy option for American tourists, but there are ways around the travel deterrents currently in place. We predict that it won’t be too long before this too changes for the better.

Photo: Courtesy of Pearl Island. Pearl Island Beach.

6) PANAMA

 

Panama has been coming up in the world ever since it gained control of its canal 10 years ago. But there’s now more reason to go than just crossing through its canal.

 

Panama City has been rising up, with new luxury hotels changing its skyline. And more people from around the world are choosing to transition into retirement here, thanks to the favorable economics and climate.

 

Pearl Island, a private patch of land just off the coast, just recently opened to visitors, with 14 private beaches and sustainably developed lodges.

Photo: Courtesy of Travels with Moose. Museum of Biodiversity, Panama.

The BioMuseo, the Museum of Biodiversity, designed by Frank Gehry, is a multicolored spectacle to behold, inside and out. It celebrates the important contributions Panama has made to our planet as a “bridge of life,” connecting two oceans, and hosting all that passes between them.

 

You might stay in one of the old colonial buildings, recently transformed into lovely little hotels at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Casco Antigua. Or perhaps you might enjoy the tropical-colored jungle waterside El Otro Lado, a Design Hotel.

 

Watch this beautiful country develop its shine now.

Photo: Courtesy of Round Table Zambia. Victoria Falls.

7) ZAMBIA

 

Zambia is leveraging its newly found peace with a handful of new luxury hotels, camping, and safari expeditions. First, check out Victoria Falls from the Zambian side.

Photo: Courtesy of Safari en Afrique. Ana Tree Lodge.

Check out the new Chinzombo Safaris, with lodges designed by award winning architects Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, beautifully situated in the middles of a wildlife preserve. Or try the newly refurbished Bushcamp Company for an especially intimate experience.

 

The luxe Ana Tree Lodge, on the Zambezi River in the Lower Zambezi National Park, offers camping adventures with exceptional fishing safaris -- in search of Zambia’s acclaimed tough-fighting tiger fish.

Photo: Courtesy of NBC News. Berlin Festival of Lights.

8) BERLIN

 

2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. So, the city of Berlin is transforming even further to celebrate.

 

The new Brandenburg Airport is scheduled to open shortly. And a series of special events are planned next fall, on and around November 9th, the anniversary of the date the wall fell. A giant light installation is being erected at the center of the city. And the 7 mile long stretch, where the Wall once stood, will be lined with illuminated helium balloons.

Photo: Steve McCurry. Mt. Popa, Burma

9) BURMA

 

Burma has been in the process of saying goodbye to its military state and hello to a small new crop of adventurous tourists. Political prisoners are being pardoned. Relations with the Western world have been warming. And human rights atrocities are being readdressed. It’s not perfect yet.

 

There is still a lot in transition. But the window into this beautiful world is opening, giving a chance to see what, for many, has been inaccessible for centuries.

Photo: Courtesy of Zhonghuan99. Temple in Bagan, Burma.

Go see Bagan’s 4400 temples. Immerse in a wide variety of indigenous cultures and Southeast Asian customs. Check out the dazzling rubies and other jewels served up by the mines. Check out the developing contemporary art scene.

Photo: Courtesy of Viator. Amsterdam Red Light District.

10) AMSTERDAM

 

Amsterdam is a city full of transitions. The Red Light District of Amsterdam is turning into a little version of NY SOHO, with new edgy boutiques, vintage shops, galleries, and B&Bs replacing some of the brothels.

 

A couple of great museums are reopening after decade-long renovations, including the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum of Contemporary Art.

Photo: Courtesy of Caviar Nights. Andaz Hotel interior.

Some beautiful new hotels have popped up around town, such as the one-room Hôtel Droog, the Sir Albert -- housed in a former diamond-cutting factory, the Exchange -- designed by fashion students, the giant Conservatorium, and the design-centric Andaz.

Photo: Courtesy of All Web Design.

Read more about Beautiful Transitions, as they relate toArts/Design,Nature/Science,Food/Drink, Place/Time,Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact in our posts throughout this week, including 10 New Books on Beauty in Transition, 10 Beautiful Winter Transitions, Gorgeous Winter Ice Creams, and 10 Beautiful Transitions Songs.

 

Spread some peace and share your beautiful vision. Enter this week’sBN Competition. Our theme this week is Beautiful Transitions. Send in your images and ideas. Deadline is 01.05.14.

Photo: Courtesy ofInterActiveMediaSW.

Also, check out our special competition: The Most Beautiful Sound in the World! We are thrilled about this effort, together with SoundCloud and The Sound Agency. Finalists are announced and voting has begun! Cast your vote and help us choose the winner!