Feast your eyes - 45 of the greatest views on Earth

Sunset on Uluru, sunrise in Naples, starry skies over Wadi Rum… Wanderlust.co.uk readers pick the incredible views they'll remember forever, from deserts to cityscapes to rainbow-framed waterfalls

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For last month's '10 Second Travels' competition, we asked Wanderlust.co.uk readers: What's the most incredible view you've ever seen while travelling? Here are the fantastic responses...  


lwall1: Full moon rising over the tidal flats in Broome, Western Australia, casting a golden staircase in the darkness.

Rachelmcp: On a flight from Cusco to the Peruvian rainforest, the moment when the high plateau gives way to the beautiful jungle thousands of feet below. 

harve: The night panoramic sky from the Wadi Rum wilderness area in Jordan. I could have been on Mars, like Matt Damon.


Milky Way over Wadi Rum (Dreamstime)

Brian Dempsey: Watching a line of pelicans flying silhouetted against the golden setting sun on Lake Tana in Ethiopia. 

Emdee: Watching the sun set in the reflection of Wolji Pond leaving the perfect symmetrical reflection of Donggung Palace in Gyeongju, South Korea. 

newforester: Night-time lightning storm over Hong Kong Harbour viewed from the hotel balcony.

daniel.c.king: Watching a storm roll in across the blackness of the Cuillen hills, whilst hiking across the Isle of Skye. Just a little bit terrifying.


River Sligachan with Cuillen hills (Dreamstime)

louise_paul21: Being in Devil’s Pool, looking over the edge of the 100m Victoria Falls.

davenilsson: Driving into a storm in the Mojave desert, as the clouds turned the day to night and lightning seared down all around every few seconds.

ShaunAnkers: Total eclipse of the sun in the Libyan desert. A pink 360 degree ‘sunset’ along the horizon and shadow bands across the desert floor.

pjhap: Red rock, ochre shadows and dusky desert, as the golden sun sinks and the silver moon rises over the brooding monolith: Uluru.


Uluru at sunset (Dreamstime)

robfyoung:The most spectacular and breath-taking sunset I have ever witnessed, in Keurbooms Strand, South Africa.

jeb1904: Sitting alone on a beach in Oman at 2am, watching the crashing waves and a sky full of stars. 

Tess Fensome: Finally, we arrived. Just a glimpse at first, a jagged peak rising from the clouds, but unmistakably Mount Everest. 

HelenS77: After a couple of hours waiting as darkness fell, finally peering into the Masaya Volcano (Nicaragua) to see molten lava. Spectacular.

_xxNickyxx_: Night-time view of Manhattan from the Empire State Building. It wasn't just the bitter cold that took my breath away.


Manhattan skyline at night (Dreamstime)

Taniya: My first view of Bodanath Stupa in Nepal. It was so unexpected, so vibrant. 

keithrickaby: The view from the train when you reach Durham. It’s my home city, but still a great view if passing through.

Eli D: Purple and blue hues of a Koh Lanta (Thailand) sunset, complimented by orange tinted clouds, enjoyed from our little speedboat.

jurassicjay: Controlling a sledge as an imposing vertical mile of wind-blasted rock and ice springs into view: the Eiger's north face. 

ratclick: Walking from the parking area through Bright Angel Lodge to suddenly have the Grand Canyon in front of you in all its majesty. Absolutely breathtaking.


Hiker at the Grand Canyon (Dreamstime)

Nandini: Chalk formations glowing like giant pearls in the full moon, spreading for miles to the horizon, in the White Desert (Egypt).

Sheila Brisland: Enormous floats carried by dozens of men down a narrow, crowded street in Udaipur at Muslim New Year. Lights, shouting, drums… 

Chiggs: Rainbows over Victoria Falls, thundering in full flow at the end of the rainy season in Zambia. 

Anaphiri: Flying to Okinawa island in Japan, the sky was breathtaking. Heavenly hues of pastel pink clouds were mirrored by glassy waters below. 

stvgreen: The sunset over Borobudur temple in Java, Indonesia.


Borobudur temple in Java (Dreamstime)

emk0404: Petra, one of the Wonders of The World, in Jordan is a beautiful site. There is a peak on the site where you can take photos of the mountain ranges. It's beautiful.

Moneypenny71: A ‘thunderstormy’ sky over the Peruvian Amazon, whilst travelling on a cattle boat.

proffr: Niagara Falls (Canada) in the very early dawn light. 

Wandylou: The Northern Lights in Iceland. We had been told we had missed them. We went to look anyway and suddenly the whole sky became covered in the most amazing colours.


Northern Lights, Iceland (Dreamstime)

stentor: Seeing the clusters of crosses on the Hill of Crosses near Siauliai n Lithuania. It was a powerfully emotive moment for me.

JJJBBB: Our hot air balloon parting a sea of wildebeest at sunrise during mass migration in Tanzania.

ath007: Views over Blyde River canyon, Mpumalanga, South Africa, which are stunning from very high up.

jode101: Viewing the sun rising behind Machu Picchu from the sun gate after a fantastic trek. Exceeded all expectations. 


Clouds over Machu Picchu (Dreamstime)

davidjohnwilkins: Looking over the rooftops of Naples (Italy) at sunset. Amazing colours, sights and sounds. Not far from England and yet it feels so very different.

Sam9: Hacking through cloud forest with machetes, blue morpho butterflies above, tree frogs at our feet, revealing the Eden of Rara Avis and her waterfall in Costa Rica.

JamesB: Relaxing in Aguas Calientes in the south-west circuit of Bolivia with views of colourful lagoons and icy volcanoes.

alimarvels: Hot air balloons, rising with the sun, casting shadows over Angkor Wat temple at dawn.


Angkor Wat from above (Dreamstime)

theresacoo76: We took a helicopter ride at dawn around Uluru. The orange-red glow hit Uluru and all around. It was spectacular.

Nikki T: Sipping whisky and taking our first ever look at the stars of the southern hemisphere at Mount Cook (New Zealand). A breathtaking evening. 

JocelynMurgatroyd: A helicopter's overview of endless canopy and forested mountain ranges of Papua New Guinea's highlands, after a three-day hike.

Garfield: The Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, coming in to view from over the brow of an ashen hill in Iceland. So beautiful.


Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon (Dreamstime)

deja1214: He suggests 100-mile walk as first date. Risky strategy but shimmering Pembrokeshire coastline in the sunshine won everything.

Emmamuh: The Havmann sculpture in the Ranfjord, Norway. It sits in the water, framed by the mountains. A perfect winter picture.

rcg1610: Hamburg fish market at sunrise. Stalls glowing, dawn on the water, and a man touting baskets of bananas to hungover partygoers.

 

These 45 views were provided by readers of the Wanderlust website as part of our monthly '10 Second Travels' competition. The Winner was lwall1, with their description of tidal flats in Broome. Brian Dempsey, harve, ShaunAnkers and toonsarah were all Runners-Up.

Keep an eye out in our News section for our latest 10 Second Travels and other competitions.

Main image: Angkor Wat at sunrise (Dreamstime).

 

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