Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Northern Montenegro’s Durmitor National Park, Tara Canyon & Ostrog Monastery

Northern Montenegro — the country's most majestic region — borders fairy-tale Kotor, a perfectly preserved medieval town of cobbled lanes, stone houses and postcard views. Nearby, gentle yet imposing mountains cradle emerald national parks home to the thunderous Tara Canyon, glassy Black Lake and sacred Ostrog Monastery — small, unforgettable wonders of the region's wild, soulful heart.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

The Frozen Frontier: Chile’s Southern Patagonian Ice Field

Imagine a place where wind-carved peaks meet crystalline icebergs and the horizon feels endless — that’s Southern Patagonia. Witness the dramatic spires of Torres del Paine, where copper towers pierce luminous skies, then sail among luminous blue icebergs calved from ancient glaciers. It’s raw, cinematic wilderness that invites slow, soulful travel and unforgettable stories.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Dominica: Nature Island of the Caribbean

Lush, volcanic and undisturbed, Dominica is the Caribbean’s ultimate off‑grid destination for those who crave raw nature over resorts. Hike through emerald rainforests, soak in natural hot springs and snorkel pristine coral reefs teeming with marine life. Dominica promises immersive adventure, wildlife encounters and restorative solitude. Pack sturdy boots, a sense of curiosity and leave your itinerary flexible — the island rewards exploration.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Towers of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains

The Atlas Mountains unfurl for about 1,500 miles across northwestern Africa, a mosaic of sun-baked ridges, secret canyons and timeworn Berber villages. Local families tend terraced fields and cliffside gardens, carrying on age-old, self-sufficient traditions — churning golden butter, pulling warm loaves from wood-fired ovens. From the bustle of Marrakesh, you can be winding through this quieter, soulful landscape in roughly an hour.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Steam, Sunlight & Surreal Silence at El Tatio

El Tatio wakes before dawn, a high-altitude wonder tucked into the Andes of northern Chile. Perched above 14,000 feet, this sprawling geothermal field is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and the third-largest geyser basin on Earth. As the chill of morning clings to the altiplano, more than 80 geysers punctuate the landscape with thin plumes of steam and bursts of boiling water — an otherworldly show that’s at its most magical in the pale light just after sunrise.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Ella’s Epic Waterfalls, Train Rides & Jungle Mountains

Sri Lanka’s Ella is most well known for Nine Arches Bridge, a viaduct bridge built without any steel and set against a lush green landscape surrounded by rolling hills, cloud forests and tea plantations. The town also boasts epic waterfalls, exhilarating train rides and sacred Buddhist temples.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Fushimi Inari Taisha’s 10,000 Torii Gates

Over 10,000 torii gates line the path to Fushimi Inari Taisha, the head shrine of the deity Inari Ōkami and spirit of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, agriculture, industry, general prosperity and worldly success. Placing offerings helps protect visitors from evil forces.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Machu Picchu: A Dream Come True

At almost 8,000 feet above sea level, Machu Picchu is an Incan citadel high in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Set above the Urubamba River valley, the site was built in the 15th century and later abandoned. Even today, it carries an air of mystery with its exact purpose still debated.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Once the Capital of the Inca Empire

Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is famed for its rich history, culture and architecture. Cobblestone streets lead visitors to Plaza de Armas, alongside archaeological remains like the Twelve-Angled Stone. It's also the spot for freshwater trout ceviche and the perfect jumping off point for Sacred Valley and Rainbow Mountain.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Sacred Valley & Peru's Andean Highlands

Sacred Valley is a region in Peru's Andean highlands known for fertile farmland and Spanish colonial villages, stretching from Pisac to Ollantaytambo. Together, with Machu Picchu and the nearby city of Cusco, they formed the heart of the Inca Empire in the late 1500's.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Near-Death Experience on Rainbow Mountain

A two hour drive from Cusco, Vinicunca, also called Mountain of Seven Colors, is a mountain in the Andes of Peru with an altitude of 16,522 feet above sea level and extremely harsh conditions. The seven colors come from mineral composition but are only visible during Augusts’s dry season.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Hiking Peru's Epic Colca Canyon

Colca Canyon is a river canyon in southern Peru famed as one of the deepest in the world. It’s a trekking and rafting destination with canyons, valleys and remote traditional villages honring terraced agriculture that predates the Incas. The giant Andean condor can often be spotted from viewpoints like Cruz del Condor.

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