Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Isle of Jersey: Escape in the Heart of the English Channel

Rugged cliffs, candy‑colored harbors and a delightful mix of cultures make the Isle of Jersey feel like a tiny country with a grand personality. Tucked between England and France, the island pairs British gentility with Gallic sparkle — windswept beaches, fragrant narrow lanes and sleepy villages where time takes a gentle breath.

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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

Nantes Uncovered: Secrets of the Dukes’ City

Nantes — spirited and audacious — marries a storied past with a fresh, creative pulse. Once a bustling seaport with a painful link to the slave trade, the city keeps those memories close while continually transforming: a refined art of living, imaginative cultural ventures and renewed neighborhoods where history and innovation meet on every corner.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Atacama’s Valley of the Moon

Eight miles west of San Pedro de Atacama, in the heart of the Atacama Desert, unfolds the enchanting Valley of the Moon. Part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve and declared a Nature Sanctuary in 1982, this spot offers a unique lunar landscape: rock formations and sand dunes patiently shaped by wind and water, as if time had carved a secret planet under the northern Chilean sun.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Whispers of Water & Emerald Trails at Plitviče Lakes National Park

A UNESCO World Heritage gem since 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park dazzles with a fairy-tale cascade of tufa lakes, hidden caves and dramatic canyons, its waterfalls tumbling from heights over 250 feet. Emerald-green waters thread through 16 lakes and more than 90 falls, all inviting exploration along a network of wooden walkways and winding trails.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Yala National Park

Once the capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom of Ruhuna as early as the 3rd century BC, Tissamaharama is steeped in history. This quiet town in Sri Lanka is known for Buddhist monasteries, beautiful beaches and wildlife reserves like Yala National Park, where visitors can join a wildlife safari.

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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

Elephant Safari at Minneriya National Park

A small town in Sri Lanka, Minneriya is famous for two things — the great Minneriya Lake and Minneriya National Park. Declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1938, the park is an incredible location for safari lovers and known for its abundance of roaming elephants.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Mogote Hills of Viñales Valley

Viñales a small town west of Havana with green rolling hills planted with fruit, vegetables, coffee and tobacco. It’s known for steep limestone hills called mogotes which dot the landscape and gardens full of palms and orchids.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Elephant Watching in Pinnawala

Pinnawala is a village near Sri Lanka's capital city of Colombo. The small village is special because of its elephant orphanage, nursery and captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants. Pop over for a night and grab a room overlooking the elephant's watering hole.

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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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