Nature lovers and adventure seekers alike, look no further than these natural wonders of the world.
Travelling to new places is incomplete without immersing yourself in nature. If you love getting lost amongst towering trees, breathtaking landscapes and indelible vistas, pack your rucksack and make tracks for these natural paradises.
1. Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, Canada
Travelling with: Alexis Buxton-Collins
At 700 metres above sea level, the aptly named Big Lookout gazes out from a flower-filled alpine bog over brooding mountain ranges, windswept volcanic beaches and glacier-carved fjords. Across the bay lies a tall granite dome erupting from a sea of trees. This is the mountain that gives the World Heritage-listed Gros Morne National Park its name.
Western Brook Pond is a spectacular glacier-cut freshwater fjord.
I’m visiting as part of World Expeditions’ Gros Morne Adventure, a week-long walking trip that takes me to the heart of this remote and staggeringly beautiful park perched high up on the north-western tip of Newfoundland. Adrift in the wild Atlantic Ocean, this remote island didn’t join Canada until 1949 and the locals still have a fiercely independent streak and take evident pride in the beauty of their surroundings. It is hard to express the remoteness of this place. Gros Morne doesn’t just feel like another planet; it contains multiple worlds, each of them somehow more beautiful than the last.
2. Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, USA
Travelling with: Katie Carlin
I am camped on the bow of Holland America Line’s Koningsdam, anticipating the thunderous crack of a tidewater glacier as we cut a path through the icy-cold waters of Glacier Bay National Park. “The brilliant blue of the ice will shine bright in this fog," reassures the park ranger over the speaker as we journey closer to Margerie Glacier.
Snow-capped mountains surround Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park.
Alaska is warming twice as fast as the rest of the Earth and 95 per cent of its 100,000 glaciers are thinning, stagnating or retreating at an alarming rate. Jagged chunks of ice float past, a sea otter appears briefly and tufts of fog hover as we take the last bend. Margerie doesn’t disappoint. Her face towers 60 metres above sea level and stretches around 1.4 kilometres wide – but for how long? Even something this grand could disappear if we can’t correct our course in time.
Brown bears (Ursus Arctos) inhabit the Glacier Bay National Park.
3. Aareschlucht, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
Travelling with: Emily Murphy
Dreamlike landscapes are the norm when traversing Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland region but even still, Aareschlucht (Aare Gorge) is a phenomenal outlier. Formed by glaciation over thousands of years, the limestone gorge and icy-blue glacial water of the Aare River are mystical and oddly enticing. But that 200-metre drop-off is somewhat of a disincentive. The hike through the gorge winds its way through 1.4 kilometres of footbridges and tunnels. Start in the east entrance and finish with a crescendo of waterfalls and rapids at the narrowest parts of the gorge.
The icy-blue glacial water of the Aare River is dreamlike.
4. Antarctica
Travelling with: Angela Saurine
Standing alone on the deck of an expedition ship admiring the reflection of jagged icebergs and snow-capped mountains cutting into a soft pastel sky in the silky water below, tears begin to stream down my face.
See a humpback whale breach the surface before your very eyes.
After days exploring the Antarctic Peninsula, with the roaring sound of glaciers calving, whales swimming beneath our Zodiac and penguins nibbling at our camera straps, the magnificence of the frozen continent has moved me like nowhere else on Earth.
Journey through the Antarctic with Expeditions – Zodiac cruises.
5. Great Blue Hole, Belize
Travelling with: Sarah Reid
It’s a thrillingly eerie feeling descending into the cobalt abyss of the Great Blue Hole, a giant marine sinkhole near the centre of Lighthouse Reef some 70 kilometres off mainland Belize.
Recreational dives descend to 40 metres, meaning most divers will experience the discombobulating effects of nitrogen narcosis as you make your way down, along and back up a section of the limestone sinkhole wall adorned with stalactites. If you’re lucky, you might spot some sharks patrolling the depths.
Off the coast of Belize lies the majestic Blue Hole.
6. Abisko National Park, Swedish Lapland, Sweden
Travelling with: Taylah Darnell
It’s 1am when I pull on my hiking boots. Abisko National Park in the heart of Swedish Lapland is only a two-kilometre walk from my accommodation and I’m taking advantage of summer’s midnight sun to hike part of its well-known but rarely trodden Kungsleden trail. The rushing of Abiskojåkka’s ice-laden water is the only sound I hear as I gaze up at Abisko Sky Station in the distance. It’s in this moment that I bookmark the spot in my mind; vowing to return for aurora borealis in winter.
Stroll along the scenic wooden path in Abisko National Park.
7. Waipoua Forest, New Zealand
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Admire the bark of the kauri trees twisting and curling on trunks that soar out of reach while walking among the giants of the Waipoua Forest. The mighty Tāne Mahuta (Lord of the Forest) stands an impressive 51 metres tall, presiding over a grove of kauri trees that is said to be among the oldest and largest in the world. The towering trees are intertwined with the lives of Māori in Aotearoa/New Zealand and part of the largest remaining tract of native forest in Northland.
A giant kauri tree in Tāne Mahuta, also called “God of the Forest". (Image: Miles Holden)
8. Guyana, South America
Travelling with: Sarah Reid
It’s any wonder how one of the most biodiverse corners of the planet remained off our radars for so long. But now this English-speaking South American nation is becoming a go-to destination for wilderness adventure.
Kaieteur Falls is a wondrous sight to see in Guyana.
From hiking for days (or braving a small plane ride) to marvel at the thundering glory of Kaieteur Falls to spotting giant anteaters by horseback, Guyana’s dense tropical rainforests and sweeping savannahs, largely untouched by logging and mining, are ripe for exploration.
Scarlet Macaws are native to the evergreen forest of Guyana.
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9. Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead
The Scottish Highlands have inspired countless folklore tales and poems. The landscape is as harsh and dramatic as it is beautiful, captivating humans throughout history with its green glens, glittering lochs and toothed mountains. Throughout the seasons, the landscape shifts.
Majestic sunrise views at Quiraing on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Come summer, flowering heather colours the hillsides with a dreamy purple hue. In winter, the stark mountains are frosted with porcelain-white snow. In all iterations, the Scottish Highlands enthral visitors with magic, magnificence and mysticism.
Meet the gentle giants of the Scottish Highlands.
10. Atacama Desert, Chile
Travelling with: Catherine Marshall
Miracles are visited upon this brittle wasteland stretched between the Andean Plateau and the pampas of northern Chile. Lakes blush with flamingos’ reflections; mesquite trees appear like sudden cloudbursts on the plains; quinces and pomegranates grow fat on snowmelt drifting down from the Andes.
Occasionally, wildflowers paint the desert in primary colours. There’s beauty, too, in the monochrome renditions of the world’s driest place (besides the polar regions): salt-crusted pans glittering in the sunlight, chalky wastes rippling towards a line of volcanoes, skies so unsullied the world’s leading astronomers use the desert as their terrestrial base for heavenly studies.
Spot pink-coloured flamingos at the Laguna Colorada.
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Cathlyn Botor is International Traveller's Digital Content Producer with a degree in Speech Communication from the University of the Philippines. She’s also a Creative Storyteller for The Panoramic Soul, a Filipino travel blog. She had a short stint in digital lifestyle publications like When In Manila and Guide to the Philippines, the largest marketplace for Philippine travel. Cath was also a Senior Associate Copywriter at the US-based digital marketing agency AffinityX and a former Web Content Specialist at ADEC Innovations. Outside work, her friends deem her an island girl who loves chasing sunsets. Cath likes being spontaneous and prefers to wander aimlessly with a relaxed itinerary. If she’s nowhere to be found, she’s probably at the beach, lost in her thoughts. Part of her travel wish list is to set foot on the beaches of Bali and the Greek Islands.
From sophisticated new sleeper trains and opulent hotel openings to the exploration of new frontiers, we’re now finding ourselves in our own gilded era of travel. These 21st-century travel experiences are leading the way.
If we were to turn back the clock 100 years, there was a real romance to travel – the dawning of a glamour-filled jet age, refined rail sojourns and first-class cruising where the voyage itself trounced the destination.
We’re feeling a similar excitement in the air about travel in 2026. Think state-of-the-art cruise liners allowing access to destinations formerly off-limits, resort launches where avant-garde architecture takes centre stage, and a return to the days of luxury locomotives. This reoccurrence of the advances, adventure and elegance of a bygone era has not only come full circle; it’s now superior.
How? Travel has become more mindful, intentional and accessible. This includes environmental initiatives by operators determined to leave less impact on the planet and a shift towards a deeper cultural exchange with the local communities we visit. Whether it’s exploring previously hard-to-reach cities such as Uzbekistan’s Khiva, staying with a family to experience village life in Nepal or discovering new frontiers in Antarctica, our round-up of ‘new golden age’ travel experiences is a snapshot of how we are travelling today, as well as into promising new horizons.
Exploring the emerging city of Khiva
The walled inner city of Khiva, Uzbekistan. (Credit: Getty/Mlenny Khiva)
Uzbekistan’s Silk Road city of Khiva used to be off the radar for many travellers, but 2026 has changed all that. You can thank a new bullet train service connecting Khiva to Bukhara and Samarkand, slashing the trip from the capital of Tashkent from 15 hours to under eight. Add renovations to Urgench International Airport, and interest in this fascinating city is rapidly on the rise.
Check out Khiva’s preserved inner-walled fortress, the first UNESCO site in Uzbekistan, explore ancient minarets and ornate mausoleums, and try traditional fare at Terrassa Cafe & Restaurant. Looking for fancy digs? The Mercure Khiva is due to swing open its doors later in 2026.
Riding the rails on the Eastern & Oriental Express
Onboard the train, rich fabrics are complemented by elm, cherrywood and teak marquetry. (Credit: Ludovic Balay)
The resurgence of train travel reflects how we are travelling today – slower and with a new appreciation for both scenery and cultural exchange. Include a large dollop of old-world glamour, and the three-night Wild Malaysia tour truly delivers. Winding its way deep into the Malay jungle, the journey makes plenty of pit stops for exploration along the way.
Having been resurrected from a 1970s sleeper, the luxury locomotive now comes replete with plush interiors of hand-cut marquetry dressed in oriental silks and embroidery – there’s even a Dior Spa. Watch the world go by from the Observation Car, indulge in fine wining and dining, kick up your heels in the Piano Bar, then snooze it all off in your sumptuous sleeper car.
Embracing Mother Nature in Peru
Befriend local llamas in Peru.
Travelling to Peru is like stepping into a kaleidoscope of contrasting cultures and landscapes. Whether you’re learning about shamanic natural remedies in the pre-Inca Colca Valley, cruising the wilds of the Amazon on a luxury river ship or discovering firsthand why the contemporary capital of Lima is celebrated for its culinary and artistic scenes, there are myriad reasons why this colourful country is topping wish lists.
One such experience is the Ultimate Peru by River and Rail journey (five days) by Abercrombie & Kent, available in 2026. This incredible river cruise allows you to truly connect with the jungle rhythms of the Amazon via skiff and on foot with in-the-know local guides, and includes nights onboard newly launched luxury riverboat Pure Amazon, an A&K Sanctuary.
Spot exotic creatures such as sloths, macaws, piranhas, and pink dolphins on the daily excursions, before juxtaposing these wild encounters with a return to pure pampering on the boat.
Seeking sustainable community experiences in Nepal
Tharu woman and master weaver Parbati Chaudhary in Bhada Village. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)
While Nepal has traditionally attracted visitors to traverse its majestic mountains – Everest and Annapurna in particular – travel experiences in this beautiful Himalayan nation are expanding.
Home stays, where you reside with Nepali families and take an active part in their daily lives, are a growing attraction. It’s a win:win for local youths – who took their country back after bloody protests in 2025 – wanting to stay in Nepal rather than moving abroad for work, as well as foreigners seeking a deeper cultural experience. Nepali women, Indigenous people and marginalised castes are also benefitting from home stays, upping the feel-good factor even further.
Leading the charge is Community Home Stay Network, which links travellers to local-family hosts. Travel off-the-beaten path to homes in areas including Tharu in the south, learn how to cook Nepali style, and take part in traditions such as making moonshine, dancing and weaving straw handicrafts.
Exploring new frontiers in Antarctica
A breathtaking ice window captured at Wilhelmina Bay on the Antarctic Peninsula. (Credit: Renato Granieri)
Gone are the days when a trip to Antarctica meant a perilous voyage through the Drake Passage on a vessel holding the mere essentials. Innovative cruise ships now offer a smooth and sophisticated passage to the White Continent, as well as experiences formerly off-limits.
Abercrombie & Kent’s 19-day Antarctica, South Georgia and Falklands: Holiday Voyage captures it all. Spot breaching whales and gracefully gliding albatrosses from the deck, before stepping onto this Narnia-like landscape with daily Zodiac excursions. Observe adorable penguin and fur seal colonies, visit Antarctic communities that were previously too remote, and get so close to colossal icebergs that you’ll feel humbled by their scale.
Silversea‘s Antarctica Fly Cruise voyages will soon include a stay at The Cormorant at 55 South, the southernmost hotel on Earth purpose-built to bring uncompromised comfort to guests travelling to Antarctica.
When it comes to protecting this fragile eco-system, the future is also looking bright: HX Expeditions has partnered with the University of Tasmania to create a world-first educational course allowing cruise guests to dive into Antarctic science and sustainability, while A&K pours funds into conservation efforts and uses energy-efficient hybrid ships – all in trademark luxury, of course.
Indulging in New Zealand’s exceptional dining
The Ayrburn precinct serves up delicate dishes.
By welcoming the Michelin Guide to sample Aotearoa/New Zealand’s finest gastronomy for the first time, our cousins across the ditch have now become serious players on the world culinary scene.
And there’s never been a better time to experience NZ’s greatest gastronomy with the inaugural guide currently going to press. Sample haute cuisine in Queenstown with a side serving of theatrics by culinary director Paul Froggatt at Essence in the new ROKI Collection hotel, and pull up a chair at Amisfield for its delicious degustation experience under new chef Sung Peng, with the world-renowned restaurant slated to reopen in July.
And it’s not just Queenstown holding all the culinary cards. The Michelin inspectors travelled to rate the best epicurean artistry in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Te Whanganui a Tara/Wellington and Ōtautahi/Christchurch against the world’s most renowned restaurateurs (bring loose pants).
Bedding down at design-led hotels and farm stays
A woodfired sauna deepens the meditative state at Azuma Farm Koiwai. (Credit: Azuma Farm Koiwai)
New grand dames on the global hotel stage are receiving a standing ovation for their triumphant 2026 openings.
Return to old-world elegance at the Orient Express Venezia, a reimagined former 15th-century royal residence set in Venice’s Palazzo Dona Giovannellii. It certainly makes for a regal stay, with grand Neo-Gothic windows and restored Baroque splendour blending seamlessly with modern luxury flourishes. Also bringing the fantasy factor is France’s Zannier Île de Bendor on a petite private island off the Provençal coast. Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea – and with three luxe, design-led accommodation concepts to choose from – this resort exudes golden-era glamour.
In a breath of fresh air, we’ve also seen an uptick in farm stays. Trade the urban rush for a rambling rural retreat at Sibbjäns, Sweden’s first boutique farm stay, or opt for horseback riding followed by woodfired saunas on the sprawling eight-hectare Azuma Farm Koiwai in Japan.
Cruising the Danube on a festive Eastern Euro adventure
The magical Pécs Christmas Market in Hungary. (Credit: Emily Murphy)
Dreaming of a white Christmas? While floating past snow-dusted, fairytale cities on a river ship in Eastern Europe makes for an amazing voyage, when you add the magic of Christmas the whole experience becomes, well, more magical.
From twinkling trees and tinsel to red-nosed reindeer and wreath decorations, the festivities greet you the moment you step aboard AmaMagna by AmaWaterways. The ship then spirits you away along the Lower Danube for a seven-night Gems of Southeast Europe adventure from Romania to Hungary.
Explore Bulgaria’s medieval city of Veliko Tarnovo, glide into the dramatic Iron Gates crossing into Serbia; and sip on fine wines at Croatia’s Kast Winery (one variety made famous by Queen Elizabeth II). The highlight? For many it’s wandering the shimmering Christmas markets in Hungary’s Pécs. Peruse stalls selling unique handicrafts, try the traditional treat of kürtőskalács (chimney cake), and warm your cockles with a cup of mulled wine.
Delving into the buzzing city of Beijing
Calm and chaos at Lama Temple in Beijing. (Credit: Natasha Bazika)
Walking the line between its imperial past and a frenetic, futuristic present – Beijing is an exciting city to dive into.
If you want to be centrally located, the palatial Peninsula Beijing is hard to beat. From here, strap in at street level for a stroll among the city’s famed hutongs (ancient alleyways), pausing to taste traditional delicacies such as jianbing (savoury breakfast crepe) and dumpling soup. Then scope out the narrow lanes dotted with siheyuan courtyard homes (there are only 1000 left), and if you love to shop, head to Taikoo Li Sanlitun for a mix of luxury brands and local labels.
And it wouldn’t be a well-rounded trip to this history-rich city without experiencing its highlights reel. Admire golden-topped architecture in the Forbidden City, take a hike on the Great Wall of China and pay a visit to Tiananmen Square for both remembrance and observation on how it operates today.
Embarking on a round-the-world cruise
Sitting pretty in a Queen Anne cabin.
Can’t decide where to go on a cruise? On a round-the-world voyage you can live out all your dreams at sea.
It’s not a new idea – the first world cruise occurred more than a century ago on Cunard’s RMS Laconia in 1922 – but a reimagining. If you don’t have a spare year up your sleeve, you can now join for specific legs of the journey (unlike the 1922 trip), and ships have been modernised with sustainability measures, contemporary designs and a less formal feel.
Queen Anne, also by Cunard, cruised the world in 2026 with guests joining at handpicked ports, including in Central America for the extraordinary experience of crossing the Panama Canal. If you want the full adventure by circumnavigating the globe, Queen Anne will set sail on another world voyage in 2028.
Discovering the joys of small-group travel in Spain
Sample organic wine and olive oil on a tasting tour in Molino El Vínculo in Grazalema with Intrepid Travel. (Credit: Intrepid Travel/Tim Luck)
Small-group touring is a travel trend currently soaring, with many embracing it as an authentic, intimate and insightful way to visit a country – with VIP benefits to boot.
The small-group format, typically capped at five to 15 guests, is now accounting for around 62 per cent of group travel worldwide. And operators such as Intrepid Travel, APT Luxury Travel and Janesco Travel are among the frontrunners in this space, handling all navigation and insider experiences within an intimate group led by expert guides.
Seeking a Spanish sojourn? Small-group journeys to the vibrant southern Andalusia region are now topping bucket lists. Be mesmerised by flamenco dancers from a professional dance school (rather than touristy versions), learn how to make authentic sangria with a private class, skip queues at the Real Alcázar of Seville royal palace, and score a seat at the best Andalusian restaurants, sans waitlist.
Learning from the past in Japan
The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum presents a sobering dive into the nuclear event. (Credit: Eleanor Edström)
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to experience a war-time atomic bomb, hopefully the closest any of us will ever get is a visit to Nagasaki.
While on a cruise excursion to the Japanese city aboard the Diamond Princess, you can visit the fascinating hypocentre of the Second World War bomb dropped to widespread annihilation in 1945. While there is no doubt this is heavy material to digest on a tour, it comes with a message of hope – that the horror of a nuclear war should never happen again.
There is also much more to this 11-day Japan Explorer Cherry Blossoms with Princess Cruises voyage. Witness the world’s most active volcano in Kagoshima, join a traditional tea ceremony in Kyoto and marvel at Mt Fuji in Shimizu. Also don’t miss the onsen experiences onboard the ship or its many mouth-watering local culinary offerings. Next departure is March 2027.
Supporting a typhoon-ravaged community in Vietnam
Time to kick back at Zannier Bãi San Hô. (Credit: Amber Hunter)
When typhoon Typhoon Kalmaegi ripped through Vietnam’s south-central coast in November 2025, it left a devastating trail of destruction.
And Zannier Bãi San Hô, an expansive 98-hectare beachfront resort, took a direct hit. An incredible five-month clean-up and restoration has now seen the Green Globe-certified retreat reopen, thanks in large part to the local community who rallied to help rebuild it. The support goes both ways; the 180-strong resort staff is made up of 177 locals – their livelihoods dependent on it.
You can help by simply booking a stay here. It’s hardly a punish, when you consider the beauty and luxury of this place; picture private pool villas and powder-white beaches. Take to the sapphire waters for water sports, visit local fishing villages and sweat it out at the onsite fitness centre. Or, if relaxing’s more your jam, simply loll by the pool with a good book.
10 Natural Wonders From Around the World | International Traveller
