The Untamed Atlantis

It is always a surreal calling when you look out the window of a moving train and see a small hill wearing a lush green coat and smiling at you. Perhaps, we have never been able to grow out the caveman cravings of wanting to explore. If there is one thing in the world that would heal you, elevate you and make you feel that you are so much more, is the world in itself. Come dive with me to the top five subtle, breathtaking places that flew past our radar.

 

Patagonia

This stunning landmark which looks like a rip off from a video game world is situated in South America, Along the cape horn and the Strait of Magellan. The glaciers on the top, carve its way through the mountains as you watch from a small ford pick up truck in your most comfortable traveling attire. It is the home of the Torres del Paine National Park which would immediately remind you of the Spielberg movie with pre-historic creatures. It is one of the few places in the world where you would feel elated and insignificant at the same time. Despite being a tourist spot, there are only a limited number of visitors per year which makes it even more special. The moment your feet touches the muddy ground and the cold air breezes through your ears, your brain will trick you into thinking that you are in an alien planet.

As much as the breathtaking views steal your attention, there is one famous culprit living in these parts. Someone we all have been familiar with. They even have their own television series. Yes! The Penguins of Madagascar! (Technically, not from Madagascar but its nearby. You get the point) Penguins of course!

These babies will steal you away from the monstrous landscapes to their little flapping wings which by definition, do not work. However, interactions with the penguins are not allowed without an expert adventurer by your side. Regardless, you would be able to spot dolphins swirling around your boat and maybe even take a selfie with one of them as you cruise through the Beagle Channel, which was named after the HMS Beagle, from where Charles Darwin explored the world for his theory of evolution.

Petra

This famous location has been vied by tourists from all over the world for its eerie and yet majestic presence. Situated in Jordan, this entire structure was carved into the massive rock. Although it had been quite busy with almost 600,000 visitors per year (1700 people per day) the numbers have been declining because of terrorist activities and war patrols. Al Khazneh of Petra is the example of how dramatic the older civilization have lived. Al Khazneh roughly translates to “The treasury” which means, this stunning piece of architecture was once a place where people visit to deposit their earnings or avail loans. If their banks received this much attention, I could only imagine what their palaces were like.

However, the story doesn’t end there. To get to Al Khzneh, we would be required to cross a narrow passageway that anyone who is lazy enough not to change their computer wallpapers might be familiar with.

Suddenly, you understand the bigger picture. The meticulous planning to guard the treasury from the robbers and thieves (Ali Baba and his forty thieves?) As you spend the evening under the crystal blue lit night sky with white stars twinkling above, deep red rocks surrounding you, you feel like a guard waiting for an ancient force to show up through the narrow passageway. You feel the chills, the chills from the sands of time

Zambia

We love to be as close to fantasy as we possibly can, whether you are a wakandan or friends with the panther, this is as close you can get to believe that there is a secret place full of vibranium. Known as “The smoke that thunders”, Victoria falls is situated in the Zambezi river between the international borders of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The sheer sound of the waterfall is enough to make you think twice before approaching it. Since it is shared in both countries, you are required to get a visa if you want to see the waterfalls from the other side which is connected by a wooden bridge held tight by ropes. Your knees shake as you take each step, looking down the abyss of frothy waters, only to get a tourist visa so that you can win the bet of being in two countries at once on top of a waterfall.

Fun fact:
There is a portion in the waterfall called the “Devil’s pool”  where tourists can take a swim.

No so fun fact:
It is situated at the very edge of the biggest falling water curtain in the world.

I wouldn’t recommend swimming there unless you have some serious unresolved issues with your life that needs to be taken care of immediately.

Svalbard

The mysteries of ice has been ever elusive. Nobody knows for sure what happens in the north, which might have been an inspiration for an epic HBO television series. It is a world of its own, untamable by man. There are no trees to cut, no water to pollute. It is a spitting image of what end of the world would look like. Those who are brave enough to visit Svalbard, situated in the Norwegian archipelago would have one hell of a story to tell when they get back home.

To even navigate to this place requires a special type of ice-breaking ship. But after that, it is a bliss. The first time your pupils adjust to the northern lights dancing in the crystal black sky will get you the goosebumps that you haven’t experienced in a lifetime. Sky is not the only thing you would be looking at in Svalbard. It is known as the Realm of the polar bears! However chubby they might look like, they can rip a human being in half. Although poaching is a major threat to these animals, activists make notable efforts to preserve them.

Chiseling through the ice, cold wind on your face, hiding under the thick fur coat that you cannot wear anywhere else would remind you that all those documentaries you saw on your television set are suddenly yours to live.

Pompeii

Situated in Southern Italy in the city of Naples, This humble structure was once part of a metropolis that was devoured by a Volcano. This is the only city in the world to be completely wiped out by volcanic activity in the last two thousand years. If the historic timeline of human civilization from birth to 2018 is 20 hours, then Pompeii was destroyed 12 minutes ago. That is why historians get goosebumps when they visit the site because of how recent it was.

You would walk through the streets of Pompeii, visiting the markets, water baths, hotels of the ancient world which were preserved due to the volcanic sediments. There are even inscriptions on the walls about the people who visited there. Pompeii was not just a city of the ancient world. It was a tourist spot overlooking the pristine coastline. To visit it again after two thousand years and empathizing with the people who quenched their wanderlust in the beautiful city is appealing. If you are lucky, you might get some previous life memory flashes as the city comes alive at the whim of your mind. one of the most visited places in the modern day ruins is the brothel of Pompeii. (Nothing has changed, sigh) Unlike the intentions of the centuries-old traveler, people visit these structures to study the condition of slavery and get to know more about the lifestyle of the people. It is said that Pompeii was the ancient version of Las Vegas, where people did nothing but party.

As the mount Vesuvius smirks from behind the ruins of Pompeii, standing near the balcony of one of the ruins, you feel like a time traveler who escaped that fateful night and somehow managed to visit the dream destination that
it was two thousand years back

It is a shame that traveling costs money but if at all it becomes free, you know where to find me.

 

Disclaimer

All images are taken by professional photographers who are earning more than what 270 million people in my country earn each day

I am sure that there are much more beautiful places in your home country, hence keep that kind of negativity to yourself.

No, your dog is not allowed.