World's Best Places to Visit

The Selaron Staircase is one of the hidden treasures in Rio de Janeiro, with more than 2,000 colorful tiles from over 60 countries Long after it hosts the 2016 Summer Olympics, the world travel spotlight will continue to shine on Rio de Janeiro as a result. Visitors to the “Marvelous City” wouldn’t dream of missing its best-known attractions, including the Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf Mountain and Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. But those visitors might unknowingly pass up the chance to see some of the hidden treasures in Rio. Here are eight don’t-skip gems that locals prize (but many travelers miss):

Patagonia… or what should perhaps more accurately be PataGOnia just became one of my favourite finds in the entire world. After travelling to 50 countries across 6 continents, it’s a pretty big statement to make – and I completely stand by it. Whether you have or haven’t heard of it, the Torres del Paine National Park (on the border of Chile and Argentina) should certainly be on any traveller’s list and beckons the question: is this the most underrated view in the world? So, how do you get here? The easiest and most economical way to arrive is by the following steps: First Step: Fly into Santiago, the capital of Chile Second Step: Fly from Santiago to Punta Arenas Third Step: Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales (by land) Fourth Step: Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine (by land) The third and fourth step can be easily achieved travelling by buses that run frequently and daily. However I was staying at the Explora Lodge , which includes a complimentary rou...

In this guest post, Kyle Hepp divulges some of her favourite off-the-beaten-path highlights in Santiago, Chile. Santiago is her home base for most of the year. I’m not an ambitious traveler. Let’s get that out of the way before we even start this post. I’m sure plenty of people would try to see more in Santiago in a day, but after living here for seven years, this is simply my idea of an ideal 24 hours in Chile’s capital. Please note: There are plenty of typically touristy things you could do that aren’t on this itinerary. I figure if you want the obvious stuff, you could find ten million other blog posts written on the subject. I’m not going to go there — you’ve heard it all already. This is my unique take on the city. AM: Parque Quinta Normal There are several massive parks in Santiago. The beautifully green Quinta Normal is my favorite for several reasons. It’s a lush oasis in the middle of the bustling city, for one. But the Quinta is part of the working-class neighborhood...

The Galapagos Islands is a destination that is tough to put into words, a place unlike anywhere else I have ever been. The only way to properly explain it is to show you, the way I saw it, through the lens of my camera. I shot nearly 3000 photos in just 6 days, I have assembled this video of my top 50 photos to show the colors of The Galapagos. We had an amazing week cruising the islands with Ecoventrua, stopping at the islands of San Cristobal, Genovesa, Fernandina, Santa Cruz, Isabela, Santiago, and Rabida. It was a trip of a lifetime and we were happy to tick the Galapagos Islands of our bucket list. If a Galapagos cruise isn’t in your budget check out this Galapagos alternative to Isla de la Plata. *We would like to thank Ecoventura for inviting us as guests to cruise with them.

Here’s the second video from my trip to Colombia: Medellín. Upcoming up is Cartagena and Colombia’s Caribbean Coast. Medellín, Colombia’s 2nd biggest city, is a favored amongst visitors to Colombia due to its awesome scenery, friendly individuals, and surprising amount of sights to see during the city.