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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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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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Stargazing Magic in the Atacama

Chile’s Atacama Desert is a stargazer’s dream — high, dry and blissfully dark — offering crystal-clear skies where constellations sparkle with perfect, breathtaking clarity.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Towers of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains

The Atlas Mountains stretch some 1,500 miles across northwest Africa — sunlit ridges, hidden canyons and weathered Berber villages where families tend terraced fields, churn butter and bake bread, all just about an hour from Marrakesh.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Croatia’s Dalmatian Isles

Once called Spalato, Split is Dalmatia’s sparkling heart and busiest port — the perfect launchpad for island hops to the Blue Cave, wild Stiniva, tranquil Budikovac and lively Hvar.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Cappadocia’s Anatolia Region

Southwest Cappadocia feels enchanted: fairy chimneys, honeyed cliffs and sculpted rock. Stroll Pigeon Valley’s alcoves, climb Selime’s cavern chapels, wander Ihlara’s green canyon and descend the Underground City’s secret chambers.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Athens of Africa

Fes, Morocco’s cultural heart, charms with the walled medina Fes El Bali — alive with art, architecture and crafts — while the world beyond its walls awaits discovery.

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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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