The Dolomites has the most wow-factor mountain scenery in the world. The mountains around Machu Pichu in Peru and those of Interlakken in Switzerland are IMO the most beautiful, but the Dolomites blows everything else out of the water for sheer outrageous awe-inspiring wow and should be top of your list if mountain scenery and hiking is something you appreciate.
And it is all just so well done – the cable-car, hiking trails and road infrastructure in place makes it accessible; the views and general vibe is protected from any signs of rampant commercialisation; and the German / Italian vibe gives you good food, pretty alpine villages and typically friendly locals. No wonder it is so famous and Instagrammer’s wet dream.
But . . . Instagrammers means crowds. To be fair, the set-up and general scale of the place means that crowds are managed pretty well, even at the most famous spots. But, in order to enjoy the Dolomites in a walking-alone-on-an-Alpine-trail-with-just-you-and-the-views kind of way rather than being in Disney Land, I would suggest two main tips.
View of Monte Cristallo and Cortina from the hike to Cliffhanger Lodge
Ibiza has two sides, which gives it the huge wow factor.
The first – some of the most famous clubs in the world, sensational food and world-beating beach clubs. Glam dripping everywhere and everything you could want in the lash party animal in you.
The second is a calmer, far less crowded and an idyllic beautiful side. A wonderful old town, picture-perfect beach coves and, critically, all less than 45mins from the doof doof craziness.
This combination of the two makes Ibiza one of the top island highlights of the Mediterranean (along with The Sorrento Peninsula, The Aeolian Islands, Santorini and Havar), if not the world.
The only downside is that it is daft expensive . . . especially if you want to do it well. We did . . . three times . . . and hence the tips below.
Quick Take:
Best for: Party weekends, beach club indulgence, and mixing nightlife with beautiful island exploring.
Time needed: 3–4 days.
Highlight experiences:
• A mega-club night (Ushuaïa / Hï / Pacha)
• Sunset at Café del Mar or Cala Conta
• Exploring Ibiza Old Town
• A beach cove day on the east coast
• Boat trip to Formentera
Downsides: daft expensive, especially clubs and beach clubs.
Best time to visit: Summer to blow the doors off.
Idyllic island group (UNESCO world heritage listed) ✅
Perfect hot dry Mediterranean climate ✅
One of the Top 10 Old Towns in all Europe (Lipari) ✅
Wineries offering world class dessert wine (Salina) ✅
Volcanoes to provide the extra (Stromboli and Vulcano islands) ✅
Easy to access and not expensive (15 1hr hydrofoils leaving per day Milazzo to Lipari alone) ✅
. . . and the critical feeling of adventure as you jump on and off ferries to get around ✅
I’m surprised the Aeolian Islands don’t get more attention. They really do tick so many of the boxes that any island experience in the world would be happy to meet, yet alone one right in the middle of the Mediterranean. I wouldn’t quite put it up there with the likes of the Galapagos, Sorrentino Peninsular, Komodo, Raja Ampat etc (it probably misses the outrageous “wow” factor), but if done right it’s as idyllic an experience you can get in the Mediterranean.
The Sorrento Peninsular, which includes the Amalfi Coast part of the Bay of Naples is, in my opinion, in the top 5 most beautiful places in the world. The dramatic cliffs, turquoise clear waters and idyllic islands that look like something from an AI-generated image are even further enhanced by the exquisite Italian villages that hug the impossibly dramatic mountain sides. It really is wow, and you find yourself often stopping and just gawping at the beauty.
The problem though is the crowds and general mass tourism of it all – the queues along some of the narrow roads are some of the worst I’ve seen anywhere in the world, and the prices are utterly, utterly mental (think €2,000+ a night in summer). The experience is still wow . . . but the crowds diminish it.
If you tweak it a bit, primarily with staying in the small towns to the west of Sorrento Town itself, you can quickly change this from a basic Wow to a max Wow-factor experience. See below for the tips to help you do this.
The Sibillini Mountains form part of the Apennines that run down the spine of Italy. They are surprisingly wild and empty – a landscape of dramatic ridges, alpine lakes and deep valleys where wolves and bears can still be seen.
Below the mountains sits one of Italy’s most overlooked regions: Marche. Scattered across rolling countryside are dozens of hilltop villages, many every bit as beautiful as those in Tuscany or Umbria, but with far fewer tourists.
I spent around four months living here and what stood out most was how authentic the place feels. This is not a region designed for visitors – it’s simply everyday Italy: quiet piazzas, family-run restaurants, weekly markets and landscapes that feel largely untouched.
If you’re looking for famous landmarks, Italy has plenty elsewhere. But if you want beautiful scenery, charming towns and a genuine slice of Italian life without the crowds, Marche is a wonderfully underrated corner of the country.
Most people would think this is a classic “tick off another country” box (and there is a chunk of truth in that!), but it’s actually very much worth the day trip mainly for the super cute Citta de San Marino town on top of the hill and the genuinely spectacular views from there.
Top tip – every visit centres around visiting the high point of Citta di San Marino, so you will do well to miss the views from there. But getting there has various options – drive up (plenty of parking), get the cable car up or walk up. I’d really recommend get the cable car up and then walk down – the walk takes you straight back to the cable car car park and you’ll be rewarded with the best views and to experience the less busy (and less tacky) parts of Citta de San Marino. We were blown away by how pretty parts of it were, and there is no way we would have seen those parts without the walk (we actually walked up and down, but more pleasant just to walk down).
I’ve been to the Neuwanstein Castle – the one Disney based his castle on – before as part of a standard winter trip. It was cool, definitely worth doing. But nowhere near as good as hiking the route from the Panoramablick Tegelberg Cable Car.
You still get to experience the castle as normal, yet get the added advantages of the outrageous views from the top of the cable car for what is one of the prettiest parts of the Bavarian Alps, to see the snow on the top (we went in April), a pretty cool hiking trail and the best views of the castle itself
A truly wow experience in Germany.
The Black Forrest area in the South West of Germany probably doesn’t have the wow factor of Bavaria in the South East, but it is super peaceful with its patchwork of forest-cloaked hills, glacial lakes, petty valleys and timbered villages.
When you throw in the Black Forrest Cherry Gateau (surprisingly good!), the cuckoo clocks and the baths of nearby Baden Baden, its definitely worth 3-4 days and I personally see it as one of the most peaceful, relaxed places I’ve ever been.
My photos were shocking from my time there, so I’ll just leave some high level tips:
- Where to stay – because the Black Forrest isn’t huge and that you will almost certainly have a car, the location to stay isn’t crucial as you can easily travel about. I would just aim for somewhere that either has access to a nearby cute village, or direct access for walks nearby. We stayed near Loffingen, which was nice and I’d recommend.
- Definitely visit the baths at Baden Baden – they’re just super fun and well done.
- Must try the Black Forrest Cherry Gateau – it lives up to the reputation.
- If you like waterfalls, be sure to visit Triberg im Scharzwald.
The Komodo Islands are best known for the Komodo Dragons, and rightly so, because seeing these awesome creatures in their natural habitat while walking across the islands is a wonderful experience. But it’s actually the islands themselves that are the real star – jagged savannah-covered mountains meet bright white sand beaches across 30 islands surrounded by gorgeous turquoise waters filled with manta rays . . . indeed, rather appealing! . . . one of the highlights of all of South East Asia . . . and a Wow Wow Wow 🌟🌟🌟 experience.
The trick though is how best to do it – especially when it comes to what kind of boat (day trip / local boat / snorkelling trip / diving trip / luxury end) and the time of year (dry season is generally April – November, with June-August and December peak months). I’ve visited twice now – once in early November 2015 and once in mid March 2025:
- November 2015 was a real 🌟🌟🌟 experience as it was right at the end of the dry season when the vegetation is parched, and the crowds were minimal because it is before the December spike. We went with a local boat from Labuan Bajo (the main hub you will fly into) for 3 days / 2 nights at fraction of the normal price
- March 2025 was fun but more like a 🌟 experience because although the landscape was gorgeously green, seas calming, and underwater visibility great, it felt super busy as the operators ramp up for the coming dry season and the cluster of holiday at that time. This was despite us going with a far more high end snorkelling boat for 3 days / 2 nights.
So, after two visits, I’m sharing some of my tips below on how to make this a Wow Wow Wow 🌟🌟🌟 experience.
The further east you go through Indonesia, the less developed everything becomes. You go Java → Bali → Lombok → Komodo… and then suddenly you’re properly off the beaten track.
The vast majority of people haven’t heard of the likes of Western Nusa Tengara, Flores (Eastern Nusa Tengara), Sumba or the Alor Archipelago that continue far to the east … which of course makes it all that much more appealing for a real adventure.
In March 2025 we hired a driver and headed from Komodo along the Trans Flores highway seeing volcanos, lush jungle, empty roads, traditional villages and the extraordinary Seventeen Islands Marine Park along the way
But the real highlight was just how unspoilt it all felt. Travelling through South East Asia can feel like a tourism conveyor belt at times, but this was proper travelling again.
