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What makes an amazing view? Is it the scenery or the people or the moment? For me, the answer is all of the above. Here is collection of amazing views from our world travels.

Featured Image: View from our hotel room of Rio de la Plata in Costa Colonia, Uruguay.

The Place: Chiang Rai, Thailand

The Moment:

One of the most anticipated destinations on our world trip was the elephant camp at Anantara. We spent a full day interacting with elephants, which included a lecture about elephant behavior from Think Elephants International, a lesson on elephant health from the camp’s vet, a bare back stroll through the jungle, and dip in the river. At the end of the day, Michael and the mahout led his elephant to the bedtime spot. I watched as they walked away and thought about my newfound amazement and respect for these incredible animals.

Anantara elephant camp Thailand

Good night beautiful elephant

The Place: Singapore

The Moment:

We didn’t see much of Singapore during our one-week stay because Michael was recovering from a severe case of food poisoning that occurred in Cambodia. But we got out for some short walks to see a few of the sights. Despite being queasy and dizzy, Michael snapped a wonderful shot of the beautiful harbor lights at night.

Singapore

Hello Singapore

The Place: Serengeti, Tanzania

The Moment:

During a game drive with our guide Masha, we came upon a wide, expansive open plain. There were no animals in sight, just the most amazing cloud formations floating in the sky. We stopped, got out, and just looked at the horizon for a while.

Serengeti Tanzania

There’s more to Serengeti than wildlife

The Place: Stellenbosch, South Africa

The Moment:

On our first trip to Africa in 2005 we packed a lot into the two-week vacation: safari at Kruger, Cape Town, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and the wine lands. Table Mountain provided the perfect backdrop for the beautiful vineyards, while the fog added the finishing touch. We returned to Stellenbosch on our world trip to explore at a more leisurely pace.

Stellenbosch South Africa

Perfect backdrop for wine tasting

The Place: Istanbul

The Moment:

We spent one month in Istanbul in the middle of the world trip. Our home was a serviced flat in a residential neighborhood away from the tourist areas. We got to know the local markets, the metro, and even experienced the Occupy Gezi demonstrations complete with tear gas.

Stellenbosch South Africa

Galata Tower

The Place: Rio de Janeiro

The Moment:

Rio was the first stop on the South America leg of our world trip. Michael got his second case of food poisoning – luckily it was just a mild one. After being cooped up in our tiny hotel room for two days, we went on a tour of Rocinha Favela. When we stopped to take in the scenery, the guide commented: Rio is one of the few cities where disadvantaged neighborhoods have some of the most amazing views.

Rio de Janeiero view

View from Rocinha Favela

The Place: Machu Picchu

The Moment:

After eight months of traveling, our world trip concluded with a long-awaited visit to Machu Picchu. There’s no need to say much about this classic view – it speaks for itself!

Rio de Janeiero view

Top of the world

Share your Amazing Views

What amazing views have you seen on your travels? Leave a comment and link to the photo…