Alyona Afanasyeva
19/09/2023
Chapman's Peak, South Africa
No matter how many times I take the winding, cliff-hugging route along Greater Cape Town-based Chapman’s Peak, my heartbeat skips. One glance at the honey-colored slopes running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean and it’s clear why it’s considered one of the world’s most beautiful coastal drives.
19/09/2023
Palawan, Philippines
It doesn’t have the household name status (or visitor count) of the likes of Tahiti or the Maldives, but Palawan is truly one of Asia’s most serene tropical destinations. I’ve fond memories of the boat transfer from El Nido’s port to a private island resort named Cauayan, zipping past towering limestone karsts jutting from dazzling aquamarine water.
17/09/2023
Bulgarian Countryside
Devil's Bridge in the Bulgarian countryside truly looks like something out of a storybook. Nestled in the Rhodope Mountains over the Arda river, it dates all the way back to the ancient Ottoman Empire. It's pretty remote but worth the trek if you're staying in Plovdiv. It got its name from dark lore, which to this day prevents many locals from crossing it at night (the perfect Halloween dare, if you ask us).
15/09/2023
Lucerne, Switzerland
Picture a serene alpine lake fringed with soaring Alps. Now add in a walkable medieval town and you've got the setting for this long-popular Swiss destination. Don't miss Mount Pilatus (via the world’s steepest cogwheel railway) and the Rigi for nature trails and a famous viewpoint overlooking three lakes.
12/09/2023
Le Morne Brabant, Mauritius
A freestanding basaltic mountain hulking over a bright blue-green Indian Ocean lagoon certainly makes spectacular scenery. When viewed from above, the surrounding sand and silt form an optical illusion that appears to be a massive underwater waterfall at this mythic place. Thanks to its isolation and near-inaccessibility, Le Morne sheltered people who escaped enslavement during the 18th and early 19th centuries.
10/09/2023
Redwood National Park, California
Home to the world’s tallest trees, Redwood National Park, north of San Francisco, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of an International Biosphere Reserve that protects close to half of the planet’s old-growth redwoods – some of which are 370ft high. With more than 200 miles of trail routes, it’s ideal for camping, hiking and riding.