Most Beautiful Places in The World To Visit 2023 4K

What's going on everybody, this is IslandHopperTV and today we're going to talk about the best places around the world for you to visit and add to your bucket list here in 2024. If you look right behind me, I'm in El Nido. This is one of those places, but let's show you the rest. Let's get into it. That's right IslandHoppers, today we're going to show you around 32 of the most beautiful places around the world. These are some of the top tier destinations for you to add to your bucket list. As always, we will put timestamps below in the description so you can bounce around from location to location. Also, some specific videos about each destination. Let's go. First up on the list, we're headed to Greece. This here is Santorini, one of the most famous islands in the world and certainly a crown jewel here in Greece. Along with amazing views of the volcano Caldera, they also have ancient cities here like Akrotiri. And many beaches, a red sand beach, a black sand beach, white sand beach. So very diverse here, but the big ticket in town is going to be these amazing views that you get overlooking the ocean and that's what make people come here from far and wide. These white buildings that are bleached by the sun and they have the blue crown domes. Santorini has made its name as a honeymoon or a couple's romantic destination. Although they do have some adventures, some of the main towns you'll explore are going to be Ia as well as Thera. And then if you go to the beaches, you have places like Parisa Beach where people like to go around exploring. Now we're headed to Canada. This here is Banff. It's inside a national park. It's really a remote wilderness with a small town right inside. You also have a place called Lake Moraine and Lake Louise. These are also very popular places where they have the Fairmont Hotels. Banff is a summertime and wintertime destination. So really you can come here for skiing in the winter and in the summertime you can do tubing down the rivers. You can do exploring, hiking, so really an all-around all-season place to go. Some of my favorite things to do while here, explore the peaks of Mount Rundle and Mount Cascade. Also walk along the Banff Avenue, which is the main road going through the town. To arrive here, you go up to Calgary and then you drive about an hour and a half to two hours towards Banff. If you go north of here, you end up in Jasper. I would suggest spending at least three to four days exploring the Canadian Rockies, but a week would be perfect. Next up, we're headed out to the Italian Riviera. This here is the Cinque Terre, known as the Five Towns. And those five towns are Monterossa Almare, which is the largest and most accessible of the five fishing villages here. Then you have Varnasa, which is considered a very charming village here with a natural harbor and a medieval tower. Then you have Cornelia, which is perched up here on the hill and that's got a great view overlooking the sea. Then you have Monterolla, which is famous for its colorful homes. You've probably seen those on Instagram. And then my favorite, which is Riomaggiore. It's the southernmost village and it's very picturesque right along the harbor here. All of these are really fishing villages, so you can get some fresh seafood while here. Most people access this through either Genoa from the north or they actually come from Pisa of Florence by train. Typically, train is the best way to get here, although you can also take a van or a private car. Just depends on you. Now we're headed out to French Polynesia. This here is Bora Bora located in Tahiti, known for its famous volcanic rock spire that stands out surrounded by a tropical lagoon with a barrier reef. There's also the overwater bungalows that have made this place very famous for people looking to do honeymoon. Some of the water activities that people like to do out here, paddle boarding, scuba diving, actually getting in the water and snorkeling. There's also coral gardens and marine life that are quite impressive, but really just hanging out relaxing. The cultural experience is quite unique. They have several local markets and craft shops that you can do island tours as well. But really, this is a romantic getaway and quite pricey. It's also hard to get to, but when here, it's very much worth it. Typically, the way you arrive here is a flight to Tahiti, followed by another short flight into Bora Bora area, and then a boat ride out to the island. And like I said, very remote. You probably want to spend seven to ten days while here because it's so far and hard to get to. And speaking of Pacific Islands, this time we're headed out to Hawaii to one of the seven main Hawaiian islands. This is Kauai, more famously known for the Nepali coast, which is on the far western edge of the island. They also have Waimea Canyon here, Hanalei Bay, but really the Nepali coast is super amazing, beautiful place. There's nothing between Nepali coast and Asia in between but water. Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian islands. There are several other beaches around Kauai, including the area of Kapa'a where the airport is. But really, when you go to Kauai, you must go west towards Waimea Canyon and the Nepali coast to really experience what it is that makes this place so special. Surfing along the north shore of Kauai is considered a very good activity to do as well. That's going to be around Hanalei Bay and Tunnels Beach. A flight to Kauai is typically four or five hours away from Los Angeles, so definitely spend at least a week here in Kauai. Maybe even consider visiting some of the other Hawaiian islands. And speaking of beautiful island destinations, let's go out to the Maldives. This is a series of 26 different coral atolls with tiny islands and sand banks with the overwater bungalows making this another popular place with people who do honeymoons, but also people just looking for a great experience in tropics with white sand beaches and coral. Also, lots of marine biodiversity can be found here, water sports, and they have the underwater restaurants. These are very popular that people come from far and wide to experience. Also, there's some unique local culture that you might want to soak up while here. Just make sure you pay attention to the time of year with the monsoon season because people who go to Maldives can either get sunshine or lots and lots of rain. Because where the islands sit here in the Indian Ocean, typhoons just come roaring right across the ocean. You almost wonder if erosion at some point in time will take the Maldives and put it underwater. Next up, we're headed out to the wild west of the United States to the Grand Canyon, a truly massive hole in the ground. If you have never been to the Grand Canyon, I would highly suggest you take time to get out there. Carved out by erosion from the mighty Colorado River. While down there, you will see some waterfalls and really a very powerful river that's been dammed up upstream at Lake Powell. So, keep that in mind when you're here. It's not quite full force, but people still like to do tubing and even hike down from the top of the rim down to the bottom and go to the other side. That's called the rim-to-rim hike. Also, it's important to mention there is the North Rim which is in the Kaibab area and that's about a four-hour drive away from the South Rim. The most popular place people go is to the South Rim. You can either access the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas or Phoenix, Arizona quite easily by driving out here. There are some tours including helicopters that people can ride to get out there. Now, we're headed back out to Italy to Venice. This old city here is an island with canal system going through it where people like to take gondola boat rides all around. Truly an amazing place. It has experienced quite a bit of over-tourism these days, but still if you can get out to Venice and pay the price to visit, it is worth it. Known as the City of Canals or Floating City, it is unique because there is no automobiles. Speaking of unique transportation, we're headed out to Petra here in Jordan, home of the Nabataean people. You will see plenty of camels and that is one form of transportation. You can also take donkeys, mules, or horses into the ravine here in Petra where you'll find the treasury and several other Roman carvings and structures. If you go just outside of Petra, there is another desert called Wadi Rum which is just equally as unique and you can combine the two in one trip. So Petra and Wadi Rum, this is where Lawrence of Arabia explored and remember we're in Jordan, so if you want to see Petra, you need to go here. Most people arrive into Amman and then they take a taxi or private car or van tour from Amman to Petra and it typically takes around two to three hours depending on various conditions. If you arrive in the summer, I would suggest going to Petra in the evening time as it won't be as hot. Next up, we're headed to Krabi, Thailand and here you'll find Raleigh Beach and also several other limestone formations that people like to do rock climbing and hiking around. Also, there's island hopping in the bay. Many of you have probably heard of Phi Phi Islands. You can get to those islands from Krabi quite quickly. They're in between Krabi and Phuket in the Andaman Sea. There's also several other islands I would recommend checking out such as the Hong Island and then going south towards like Koh Lanta. This is also nearby Koh Lipe. This is a really special part of Thailand right here on the Malaysian Peninsula. You can also go inland a bit and explore some of the hot springs and the lagoons that they have around here and the Tiger Temple which is quite interesting. It's the highest viewpoint in this area of Thailand so I would recommend three to four days at least exploring Krabi and then going around to some of the other places in this part of Thailand. And now from Thailand, we're going into the South China Sea area. This here is Palawan. Now, Palawan is known for three main areas although there's many other areas in this part of Philippines. So in the north, you have El Nido. If you go a little bit further north of that, you have another island that's still part of Palawan. It is called Keron. So between El Nido and Keron, you have two very magical places. If you go to the center part of Palawan, you have Porto Princesa which is where there's a UNESCO World Heritage Site called the Underground River. Now, let's talk about the Aurora Borealis also known as the Northern Lights. Now, you can call them also the Southern Lights because they do occur in the South Pole region as well. So the best place to find this is going to be in parts of Scandinavia nearby the North Pole, Canada, Alaska, and Iceland. Three places that I would just recommend right off the top are going to be Norway, Fairbanks, Alaska, and Iceland. Those are the main three ones. Now, there's many waterfalls around the world that are impressive but this one here called Iguazu Falls right here on the border of Brazil and Argentina is quite impressive. It's 275 individual waterfalls and cascades along the Iguazu River. Now, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the area because of a diverse array of flora and fauna including animal life like jaguars and tapirs. So, this part of Brazil is quite impressive. One area to check out in particular is called the Devil's Throat. Next up, we're headed to the United States. This here is Yellowstone established as one of the world's first national parks in 1872. You'll find geothermal features such as Old Faithful Geyser, Mammoth Hot Springs. You also have plenty of wildlife like grizzly bears, bison, wolves, moose, bald eagles. Really an amazing place and it is considered a very volcanic area, one of the super volcanoes of the world. Most people drive to Yellowstone from places like Jackson Hole, Wyoming. One thing I will say is while you're in Jackson Hole and the Yellowstone area, also check out the Grand Tetons. So, really around this area of northwestern Wyoming, really a special place. I would suggest spending around five to seven days exploring this area in the summertime because it is closed in the winter. So, it is very seasonal here. So, pay attention to the dates. The full park is open from April to October. Next up, we're headed to Turkey. This here is Cappadocia. Known for its famous rock formations with cave houses built in there. You have fairy chimneys, hot air balloon rides that take you all over these rock formations. You have the underground cities. There's several of them in the area that you can explore. It's popular to do hiking and exploring while here. Even staying at the cave hotels, two to three days in Cappadocia is perfect. Next up, we're headed to India. This here is the Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan, built by the Mughal emperor for his wife, Mahal, who died in 1631 during a childbirth. The construction began in 1632 and took 20 years to complete. It is quite the structure located here in Agra, which is a three-hour drive from New Delhi. You can easily do a tour in a day trip. Next up, we're headed to Angkor Wat here in Siam Reef, Cambodia. One of the most impressive archaeological finds built in the 12th century during the reign of King Suryavarman II. It was a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu. While here, you can explore many different temples. You will probably need around two days to explore at least. It's popular with people who like to do sunrise viewing from Angkor Wat. Next up, we're headed to Ha Long Bay here in Vietnam. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is known for its unique limestone towering cliffs, as well as boat tours and cruises that go around the bay. Some of the activities you can do while here are swimming and other water activities, getting out on the water, exploring there, and then you can do Tai Chi on one of these boats, night squid fishing, sunset, and sunrise viewing. Also, there is a floating village that you may want to check out, and Cat Ba Island. Most people arrive in Hanoi in the northern part of Vietnam and then take a tour from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay. Two days in Ha Long Bay should be enough for you. Next up, we're headed up to Norway to the fjords. They also have fjords in New Zealand down on the South Island, but here we're going to focus on the fjords of Norway. Really amazing. People do cruises or they just go around starting in places like Oslo or even Bergen and then heading further north towards Tromsø. So many different fjords along the coast here, and it's really carved out by glacier snow melt off these mountains that cascades right into the ocean. And as we continue to show you around the best places on earth to visit, I would also like to say we can make a part two since there is so many, and even a part three. Let us know in the comments. We also most recently made a video about the best countries in the world. That was a list of 30 and the 25 best cities, as well as 50 of the best destinations to travel alongside these. If you guys want to watch those videos, I'll put links below in the description and in the comments, so do check that out. But back to the fjords, if you get a chance, I would say try to spend seven to ten days exploring Norway, winter or summer, both good because in the winter you get the Aurora Borealis. Next up, we're headed to Croatia. This is Plitvice, a national park with beautiful waterfalls, and it's considered by many to be the most beautiful park in all of Europe, even surpassing the Swiss Alps region. The travertine rock formations and lakes and waterfalls around here with boardwalks and trails that wind right through there. You can also do some boat rides, and the flora and fauna that you'll find around here is quite exquisite. And next up, we're actually headed out to the Swiss Alps. This here is Lucerne, but it is really just the base camp to exploring into the Swiss Alps, including places like Interlaken, Grindelwald, you have Lattebrunnen, and then you have several other places that go up towards Matterhorn, like Zermatt, which is an amazing town also. So a lot to see in the Swiss Alps, and you can originate in Zurich, head over to base camp in a place like Lucerne, and explore the beauty of this region. Totally amazing place, and you will love it. Some of the important things to know about visiting Switzerland is going to be their currency is the Swiss franc. It is considered one of the most valuable currencies in the world. It's also various different languages, including German, French, Italian, and Romanish. So that's very interesting, right? Swiss weather is going to vary by the region. For example, if you have Geneva, it's going to be a bit more mild compared to places like Grindelwald or Lattebrunnen, as you can see right here. Even in the summertime, there's snow-capped peaks and mountains around Grindelwald. This area right here is probably one of my favorite areas to explore on earth, so definitely consider getting out here. It is worth it. It's also very easy to get here by train. Switzerland is certainly one of the easiest countries to go by public transportation that I've ever been to. So if you've never been to Switzerland, consider adding this very high on your list of places you must visit. And speaking of trains and getting around very efficiently, right next to Switzerland is France, and you can easily go from the Swiss Alps down to the French Riviera by train within a half day, and you'll arrive here in a beautiful place also known as Cote d'Ivoire. Right near here is also a place called Monaco, but the main city that you'll arrive in is going to be Nice, and then you can explore the surrounding towns like Saint-Tropez. In the French Riviera, you can enjoy a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm sunny summers. We've also got several different beaches that you can hang out and relax at. There's a popular film festival called the Cane Film Festival that you may want to check out, and tea bays. Also beach clubs are also all up and down here, and then of course the outdoor activities include sailing, snorkeling, golfing, cafe hopping, and just enjoying an all-around very luxurious leisurely lifestyle, especially in the summertime. If it's your first time here, I would suggest three days, but you could easily do two weeks in the French Riviera and still not see it all. Next up, we're headed to Pakistan and northern India. This is the Kashmir. The areas around the foothills and up into the Himalayas, which are the tallest mountain range in the world, this is really considered a paradise on earth by many explorers who came here. You guys may have heard of Shangri-La. Well, they say this is the area where you would have found Shangri-La. The area is divided into three regions, the Indian-administered region, the Pakistani-administered region, and then the Chinese region known as Aksai Chin. So it's really kind of complicated getting here, but you can pick one of those three countries to get here. And if you guys are enjoying this video so far, I would encourage you to subscribe to this channel and watch some more of our other videos. Also sending these videos to some of your friends to help get them motivated and inspired to do some traveling with you. So let's keep this tour going. This time we're headed back out to the Andaman Sea here in Thailand. This is the Phi Phi Islands. We talked about Krabi a bit earlier and how easy it is to get to the Phi Phi Islands from the area of Krabi or even Phuket because it is right there in between. You have Koh Phi Phi Lee and then you have Koh Phi Phi Don. Those are the main islands, but there are around six islands in total including Bittanak, Bittanai, Yung, and Pai. And this whole area is around 35 square miles. They're basically right there in the middle of the Andaman Sea here. And you know, I would say two to three days should be enough to explore. Check out the lookout points, Maya Bay, and the area around Koh Phi Phi Don. So be ready for some island adventure and salt life because there's going to be lots of salt water activities for you to do when you're out here. I also recommend staying at one of the hotels. It's on a secluded beach, which they have those out here, where there's not going to be any modern amenities like automobiles or air conditioning even. Next up we're headed to the Sierra Nevadas. This is Yosemite National Park here in California, known for its majestic waterfalls, the pristine wilderness, and Half Dome. They also have Al Capitan. This is really an amazing place to explore if you've never been here. Going up into the Yosemite Valley, even going up to the higher Sierra regions, doing the John Muir Trail. Truly a special place on planet Earth. You can go here in the wintertime or in the summertime, but for me the best time is going to be in the shoulder seasons because it's not as crowded in the summertime. It gets really packed up here. Bridal Veil Falls is very cool. People like to do rock climbing up these limestone cliffs. And then you have the giant sequoia redwood trees that are nearby in Sequoia National Park or even Kings Canyon. So do a lot of exploring here for seven days. Next up we're headed over to Niagara Falls. This here is on the border of Canada and the United States sitting along the Niagara River which connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. You can easily get here from Toronto or Buffalo. They say the Canadian side is a bit better. Niagara Falls is more of a day trip or maybe stay one night in one of the hotels next to the Niagara Falls, but you don't need to spend too much time here. Next up we're headed to Sri Lanka. This here is going to be Sigiriya, also known as Lion's Rock. It is an ancient rock fortress archaeological site. Definitely worth checking out if you're in Sri Lanka. It's 105 miles northeast of Colombo, which is the capital of Sri Lanka, dating all the way back to the 5th century AD. And it really is an architectural marvel. Standing over 200 meters at 600 feet in the air is where the fortress complex is. And you hike up along the side of the mountain to the top. You get there in quite a crazy hike. And I would say this is a day trip or a 24-hour experience, so take that into consideration. Next up we're headed to South America. This is the Amazon, known for the river, but also the Amazon rainforest, which is the world's largest tropical rainforest, producing most of the world's oxygen, in fact. The Amazon River, often referred to as just simply the Amazon, is the second longest river in the world after the River Nile. Also the amount of biodiversity found here in the ecosystem is incredible. Next up we're actually headed to Patagonia, Chile, here in South America, known for Tierra del Fuego. You can also go across to Argentina, as it does extend into that area. There's many different glaciers you'll find here, like Perito Moreno, which is a glacier in Argentina. And then you have Serrano glaciers in Chile. You have Torres del Paine National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Biosphere. And from Patagonia we're headed out to the Whitsundays out here on the coast of Queensland, nearby the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. So this area of the Whitsundays is a very popular area for exploration, but you can't really swim here because it's got some poisonous fish in the water. But it's situated in the Coral Sea, right here, with 74 islands making up this region, including Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Island, Hayman Island, and Daydream Island. With the most popular being the White, with the most popular being the Whitehaven Beach here on Whitsunday Island. It's the most famous and pristine beaches in the world, but again, can't really swim here, even though it's got white silica sand and crystal clear blue waters. And while here, definitely consider getting out to the Great Barrier Reef, where they do have the coral gardens. And yeah, you can get in the water there, but again, around that beach of Whitehaven, be careful. Next up, we're headed to Indonesia. This is West Papua Raja Pot, known as the Last Eden on Earth. It's not so easy to get out here, but for those who do, they are blown away by the marine biodiversity and the stunning islands that allow you to island hop around, as well as doing some diving. And if you guys enjoyed this one, please do consider watching another one of our videos about the best countries in the world to visit, and the 50 most beautiful places on Earth.