Iguazu Falls

Dividing the upper and lower Iguazu River is the Iguazu Falls. The parks that contain the falls on both the Argentinian and Brazilian side of the border are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Because of the width and shape of the falls, Iguazu Falls offers better views than other falls like Niagara or Victoria. At one point you can be surrounded by 260 degrees of waterfalls. The Brazilian side of the falls has a walkway that extends towards the falls.

To get to the Park on the Brazilian side you can take a taxi or bus from the Foz do Iguaçu International Airport. On the Argentinian side you can take a taxi or bus from the Cataratas del Iguazú International Airport to Iguazu National Park to view the falls from the Argentinian side.

Motlatse Canyon

Located in South Africa, the Blyde River Canyon, recently renamed Motlatse Canyon, is one of the most spectacular sights in Africa. The canyon extends twenty kilometers in length with the canyon walls rising 600-800 meters from the river. There are a number of trails running through the area as well as microlighting and ballooning tours.

To get to Motlatse Canyon, you can fly into Nelspruit from any of South Africa's major cities and then travel north to Graskop which will take about an hour and the another hour north to Motlatse Canyon.

 

Cappadocia

Located in Central Anatolia in Turkey, Cappadocia is a land filled with ancient underground cities, a unique landscape, cave churches, and houses carved into rock. Cappadocia served as a hiding area for early Christians trying to escape from the Romans. Aside from enjoying the scenery, there are plenty of hiking trails as well as hot air balloon rides for viewing the landscape from above. 

The easiest way to reach Cappadocia is by taking a flight from Istanbul to Kayseri Erkilet Airport in Kayseri. From there it is about an hour drive west to the central Cappadocia region.

Gruta Do Lago Azul

Located near Bonito, Brazil, the Gruta Do Lago Azul or Blue Lake Cave is a cave with an underground lake that is thought to be over 200 ft deep. The lake has incredibly clear blue water that looks even more spectacular when the light hits it just right. The best time to see the cave is from mid-November to mid-January around 8:30 in the morning when the sun shines through the entrance and reflects off the water creating a light blue glow.

Bonito is just north of Bonito Airport though to get to Brazil you will have to fly into one of the major airports and take domestic flights from there.

Caño Cristales

Known as the most beautiful river in the world, Caño Cristales, located in Serrania de La Macarena, Columbia, is unique among rivers. Most of the year the river looks just like any other. However, for a few weeks in October and early November, the river turns into a rainbow of various algae and moss that coat the water's surface with red, green, blue, yellow, and many more colors.

While Caño Cristales is not accessible by road, there are a number of Colombian tourist agencies that host tours of the area. The best way to get there is to take a tour starting in the town of La Macarena.

Geirangerfjorden

Geirangerfjorden, located in Norway, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. A ferry between the towns of Geiranger and Hellesylt doubles as a sightseeing trip. A number of farms dot the shores of the fjord and some of them can be visited. Popular farms to visit include Skageflå, Knivsflå, and Blomberg. There are three notable waterfalls along the fjord as well. The Seven Sisters and the Suitor sit opposite one another on the fjord. The Bridal Veil is so named because it looks like a bridal veil when the the falls are backlit by the sun. 

Geirangerfjorden can be reached by car from Oslo (seven-eight hours), Bergen (five-seven hours), or Trondheim (five-six hours)

Lauterbrunnen Valley

Nestled between 1000 meter sheer cliffs sits Lauterbrunnen Valley, said to be the world's deepest valley. Lauterbrunnen is also said to be the most beautiful valley in Europe. Seventy two waterfalls descend down into this fertile valley creating some of the most stunning views. Most popular among them is Staubbach Falls which descends 800 to 900 feet making it one of the tallest unbroken single falls in Europe. To the west of Lauterbrunnen is Murren, a transfer point for a spectacular cable car ride up to Schiltorn Peak. To the east of Lauterbrunnen villlage is Wengen, a beautiful car-free village and train stop up to the Kleine Scheidegg mountain pass towards the Jungfraujoch, the most memorable mountain scenery in Switzerland.

To get to Lauterbrunnen village, you can take a train from Interlachen. You can also get to Murren and Wengen from Lauterbrunnen village via train, cable car, or a combination of both.

Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine National Park covers much of Chile's southern Patagonia region and hosts a number of mountains, glaciers, lakes and rivers. The view is dominated by the eastern spur of the Andes mountains known as the Paine massif. The Paine has many vertical cliffs that rise out of the steppes of the Patagonia. These spires are separated by a number of beautiful valleys. There are three choices for hiking paths through the park. A day trip will take you to the iconic Torres del Paine and a five day trail or the 8-9 day full loop are also available for those wishing to see more of the park.

The easiest way to get to the park is to take a bus from El Calafate, Argentina which are offered by Chalten Travel buses. To get to El Calafate, Aerolineas Argentinas has daily flights to and from Buenos Aires. 

Socotra

Socotra is an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean 150 miles off the coast of the Horn of Africa. Before the landmasses of the world reached their present locations, Socotra had already been isolated. The hundreds of millions of years of isolation has led to one of the most unique ecosystems and the most alien looking place on earth. A third of the plant-life there is unique to Socotra. Tourism is pretty new to Socotra, an airport was just built in 1999 and the number of tourists is still low so it remains a pretty unique experience.

Reaching Socotra is best done by flying into Riyan Mukalla airport in Mukalla, Yemen which has direct flights to Socotra through either Felix Airways or Yemenia.