Mirissa Whale Watching: Up Close with Ocean Giants
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Mirissa Whale Watching: Up Close with Ocean Giants

Mirissa, a sun-drenched jewel on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, pulses with a laid-back energy. Golden beaches curve into sparkling waters where surfers carve gentle waves by day and the shoreline comes alive with cozy bars and music after dark. It’s the perfect springboard for exploring the storied ramparts of Galle Fort and the deep blue nearby plays host to unforgettable whale and dolphin excursions — sea-spray mornings that feel made for stories.

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Chiloé Island: Land of Myth & Sea
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Chiloé Island: Land of Myth & Sea

Sitting off Chile’s rugged west coast, Chiloé Island is the archipelago’s largest jewel—a place where folklore breathes through colorful myths and weathered wooden churches rise like stories carved in timber. Here, houses perch on stilts above the tides, fields hold heirloom potatoes in astonishing variety and a patchwork of forests, wetlands and coastline shelters wildlife at every turn. Chiloé feels less like a destination and more like a living tale, where tradition and nature mingle in quietly unforgettable ways.

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Atacama’s Moon Valley
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Atacama’s Moon Valley

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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Stargaze in the Heart of Atacama Desert
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Stargaze in the Heart of Atacama Desert

Chile’s Atacama Desert is said to be one of the best places in the world for stargazing because of its extremely dry climate, high altitude, minimal light pollution and near absence of humidity, creating crystal clear skies with perfect visibility of stars and constellations.

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El Tatio Geysers
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

El Tatio Geysers

El Tatio is the third-largest geyser field in the world and largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s located in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile more than 14,000 feet above sea level. This geothermal field boasts over 80 geysers that spew steam and boiling water best witnessed in the early morning.

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Croatian Islands
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Croatian Islands

Historically known as Spalato, Split is the largest city in both Dalmatia and on the Croatian coast. It lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea and is a perfect jumping off point for exploring the surrounding islands and coves. Of which, some of the best include Blue Cave, Stiniva Cove, Budikovac and Hvar.

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Driest Place on Earth
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Driest Place on Earth

Chile’s San Pedro de Atacama sits 8,000 feet above sea level and offers outdoor activities like trekking, hiking, amateur astronomy, archaeological sightings and sandboarding in one of the most unique places in the world.

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Athens of Africa
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Athens of Africa

Thought of as the country’s cultural capital, Fes is most known for its walled medina, Fes El Bali, where visitors experience Morocco’s diverse art, architecture, culture and handicrafts. Outside the walls offers even more to explore.

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Hot Air Balloons & Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Hot Air Balloons & Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia

Central Turkey's dry region of Cappadocia is known for its magical fairy chimneys, hot air balloons and mysterious caves. To unwind, enjoy hookah, browse for local artifacts or smash a fiery clay pot overflowing with testi kebab for dinner.

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Machu Picchu: A Dream Come True
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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Near-Death Experience on Rainbow Mountain
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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Dune Buggy Rides & Wine Tastings in Huacachina
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Dune Buggy Rides & Wine Tastings in Huacachina

Sunsets, sandboarding, lagoons and dune buggy rides. Huacachina is a tiny village and desert oasis west of Ica in southwestern Peru. Its center is filled with emerald green waters of the Huacachina Lagoon, thought to have therapeutic properties.

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