I don’t think I’m that easily impressed and I’m not one to spend my time looking at the ‘must sees’ everywhere I go. I’m actually sort of notorious amongst friends for not seeing the things I’m supposed to, for example skipping seeing the Statue of Liberty in favour of sledding down a hill on a baking tray somewhere in Westchester. I guess I always assume I’ll go back to places and the ‘must sees’ will always be there whereas the random moments will not.
But that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen some beautiful places in my travels. The places that really strike a chord with me most are the ones where I feel totally at ease, completely chilled and make me say ‘wow… this is what it’s all about’.
Here are my top five most peaceful places so far:
The Nile, Egypt
Lying on a felucca as it drifts down the Nile is one of the most relaxing things I’ve ever done. The sunsets and stars are stunning and the whole experience is capped off with the calls to prayer coming from the darkness of the banks as you chill out on what is essentially a floating bed. Beer and sheisha were both plentiful and I was surrounded by good friends which made the experience even better.
Noosa River, Australia
Noosa River snakes up to the Cooloolah National Park where tea trees line a narrow, still river. The tea trees put oil into the water that makes it black and, combined with the stillness, it makes a perfect reflection. It’s amazing to float down the river in a canoe with all of the trees and even the clouds being reflected on the water. The best part is taking the canoe out on a clear night. The reflection of the starry sky makes it feels like you’re floating in space and it is one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced.
Ometepe, Nicaragua
I am currently living on a farm on the side of Madera volcano and it’s one of the most stunning places I’ve been. There are plenty of opportunities to kick back and enjoy the views but my favourite spot is the hammock in a treehouse watching the sun set behind Conception Volcano. Once the sun goes down things are still amazing with fireflies lighting up the ground, frogs making crazy noises and the stars filling the sky on a clear night. Last night was spent in the treehouse watching an electrical storm which wasn’t quite as relaxing but pretty amazing in a semi-scary kind of way.
Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces, China
Rice terraces have been built into the hills in this area and rise up from the small town of Dazhai. I was staying an hour’s hike up into the hills and the view looking back down on them was surreal, especially on a misty day.
Middle of Nowhere, Bangladesh
Bangladesh is super flat and you can see a long way across the countryside which makes for some huge starry skies and fantastic sunsets. I spent some time there living in a cyclone shelter in an extremely rural community spending each night on the roof staring at the stars, attempting to listen to music over the call to prayer and laughing with friends. By day we were building a playground too so overall it was a pretty amazing week.
So those are five of my most peaceful places. Spots where I remember being totally in awe of everything around me, loving life and enjoying the moment. I would love to hear about other people’s experiences… what places have had this sort of effect on you?
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