Travel writers pick the most beautiful places on earth
You’ve seen the pictures: The Eiffel Tower with sky ablaze in brilliant color. The Taj Mahal with no tourists. Lakes with perfectly mirrored mountain reflections.
Unfortunately, the photos often have been doctored. Many places can’t live up to the expectations set by photography that has been filled, brushed, blurred, and balanced to a flawless finish. It can leave travelers feeling disappointed when they see famous sites in real life.
But the splendor of some places can’t be fully captured in a photo — edited or not. Here, CNBC Travel contributors identify the destinations that vastly exceeded their expectations.
The stillness of Iceland and Siberia
Iceland is one of the few countries that looks better in real life than in postcards. Its beauty is unearthly. A walk along any of its coastlines is so picturesque, you expect a soundtrack to start at any moment.
Morgan Awyong on Lake Baikal in the Russian region of Siberia.
Courtesy of Morgan Awyong
Siberia’s Lake Baikal is also jaw-droppingly stunning. The area is so isolated that it’s nearly impossible to think it could ever be touristy. As you stand upon the lake’s marbled ice, time seems to slow — even stop.
—Morgan Awyong, Singapore
The lights of Paris
Artists have attempted to capture the Parisian light on canvas for centuries. The Impressionists came closest, but still, no painter has quite succeeded.
The most iconic photos of Paris are in black and white, which simply doesn’t do the city’s rich, creamy colors justice.
—Christian Barker, Australia
The vastness of Patagonia, Chile
One road lies between the small Patagonian port city of Punta Arenas and the town of Puerto Natales. It’s the path to the Torres del Paine National Park — a place of indescribable beauty and grandeur.
The “torres,” or towers in English, are three granite peaks that are surrounded by snow-capped mountains and crystalline lakes and glaciers. There are few places like it on the planet.
Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park.
Courtesy of Kevin Cox
The park occupies just a tiny part of Patagonia, most of which is accessible only to trekkers, climbers and adventurers. It spans Chile and Argentina in the area of South America known as the Southern Cone, which stretches to the literal end of the road, at the bottom of the continent.
It is beautiful beyond compare. The very sight of it made me want to conquer it in ways I hadn’t anticipated — maybe I could climb the mountains, paddle the fiords or traverse the glacier crevasses.
Then a frigid wind swept inside my open jacket, and I lunged back into the sanctuary of my car.
—Kevin Cox, United States
The diversity of Slovenia
For a country the same size as Massachusetts, I was blown away by the diversity and majesty of the landscapes in Slovenia. A mix of Balkan, Mediterranean and Alpine vistas and cuisines make it a truly memorable escape.
Slovenia’s Lake Bled.
Courtesy of Chris Dwyer
The rolling, vineyard-covered hills on the Italian border, the elegant and eco-friendly…
Read More: Travel writers pick the most beautiful places on earth