Few places can compare visually. The sculpted dunes of the Sahara Desert are iconic and magical, and have earned their legendary status over the course of thousands of years, where they have a track record for consistently blowing people’s minds. Even just seeing them from a distance can produce an emotional response and a deep sense of awe. A low-pitched, drop-jawed “Whoa…” (ala Neo in The Matrix) has been observed as a reaction in many people upon first witnessing the dunes.
Lanterns may be considered a fire hazard and dangerous to wildlife in many places, but in China and Thailand they are an important part of many celebrations.
There are festivals celebrating the power of lantern light all over Thailand in November, but the biggest is Loy Krathong/Yee Ping.
Wat Rong Khun, or the White Temple as most foreigners refer to it, is an unconventional Buddhist temple in the Northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand. Designed in 1997 by famous Thai painter-turned-architect Chalermchai Kositpipat, this fantastical temple is a magnificent blend of traditional Thai architecture and the surreal. (more…)
The jungle near the ruins at Palenque, in Chiapas, in green state of southern Mexico, was hot, humid, lush, and an amazing place for photography. It was, in essence, a full-on Discovery Channel-level rainforest filled with amazing, huge trees, lush greenery everywhere you looked, with plants and vines that look like something out of Jurassic Park. (more…)
Munnar is a hill station in the mountains of Kerala, India. Surrounded by tea plantations, it is a lush, green place, peaceful and inspiring. Almost 100 miles from even the nearest train station, it is one of the best places to go if you need to unwind. Up here no one minds if all you want to do is sit by the lake and think. The air is fresh, the scenery almost makes you cry from the beauty of it, and you really feel like you’ve successfully left modern life and all its worries behind. Up here in the mountains, you could almost have entered heaven or Paradise.
Visiting the market at Chandni Chowk in old Delhi was like stepping back in time and into another world. The sights, smells, and sounds are enchanting. Every way you turn will fill your senses with magical colors and views. In spite of all this, the biggest treasure you’ll discover in Chandni Chowk is its people. Saying they are friendly is an understatement. The people here love to meet visitors, share a tea, have their photos taken, and look over your work on the camera’s LCD screen. Their character made a wonderful subject for photography, capturing the human side of this 17th century market in Old Delhi that time has left behind.
Kyoto is the New England of Japan when autumn comes around. As the weather turns cooler the leaves turn warmer. Warm shades of yellow, orange, and red light up the landscape in a spectacle that attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Olango Island, part of Cebu province in the Philippines, is a perfect example of what happens when nature just works. It’s a low lying island surrounded by coral reefs and sheltered from the worst of the weather by the neighboring islands of Mactan and Bohol. (more…)
First off, you have to believe the hype. This building really does hold up to all it’s claims and it’s status as one of the 8 wonders of the world. If you appreciate architecture, this has to be top of the list of locations to visit. For me, it meant a long day, but every moment was worth it. I was in line before sunrise so that I had as long as possible to wander around and take photographs.
The Cathedral of the Incarnation in Granada, Spain was many years in the making. Originally intended to be built in a Gothic style, the Spanish Renaissance took over shortly after the foundations were built. Construction began in 1518 on the site where the city’s mosque had stood. Under the inspiration of a number of architects that cathedral was finally completed after 181-years. The final result is a masterpiece that’s true beauty can only be fully appreciated in person.