I don’t often talk about the natural beauties of the world on this blog. I focus a lot on the cities, but, in fact, I do actually travel occasionally to more natural destinations. I’ve gone camping in the desert, taken treks in New Zealand, went skydiving in Australia. I’ve climbed mountains for sunrises and sunsets to get those perfect photos. I’ve spent countless holidays lounging on deserted beaches, far from more luxurious comforts like running water and electricity.

To celebrate, in my own special way, this year’s Earth Day, I’ve gone through some of my more adventurous holidays and found my favorite photos of Earth—those natural scenes from around the world. Looking through these, I’ve found a sort of serenity, a peace and a calmness. That’s a big part of why we look for nature when we travel, why we go outside. There’s something beautiful about this Earth of ours, something special. And it’s a big part of why travel. Sure, the hipster cafés and the skyscrapers and the trendy restaurants—they’re all nice and they’re a lot of fun. But true beauty? That comes in the shape of our planet’s mountains and hills, its trees and its seas, the animals and the plants. And the sunsets. So many sunsets.

I’m not sure if all of these photos will leave you with the same sense of wonder and awe I feel when looking at them. Travel is a very personal endeavor, but these beautiful places are a reminder to myself that we live on a very special Earth. Enjoy!

Asia

 

Middle East

Africa

Americas

Europe

Oceania