The 5 most incredible places in the world
There are places you visit because they’re “must-sees,” because they’re in every guidebook, because you’ve seen 10,000 photos of them on Instagram. And then, once you’re there, something unexpected happens. It’s not just beautiful. It’s not just impressive. You really feel like you’re no longer in the same world.
That doesn’t happen to me very often, because after traveling so much, you become a bit picky. It takes more than a pretty landscape or a famous monument to move me. It takes a special energy, a light, a feeling of vastness, and above all, a desire to go back.
So here are 5 destinations that really left a mark on me:
1. The Sphinx, Egypt: the real star of the Giza Plateau
I know everyone comes to Giza to see the pyramids. They’re massive, mythical, photogenic, let’s be honest. But personally, they’re not what touched me the most. The real star of the Giza Plateau, for me, is the Sphinx..
The first time, it had already impressed me a lot. The second time, I wanted to sleep as close to it as possible again. From our room, we could see it like we were watching TV. What’s crazy about the Sphinx is that it’s not beautiful from every angle. Its broken nose, its battered body, a head too big for its body—all of that makes it almost look strange depending on where you stand. But from the front, especially in the morning when the sun lights up its face, it exudes incredible presence.
I really recommend going right at opening time. Not only are there fewer people, but the light is much more flattering. In the afternoon, it’s quickly in silhouette. By walking around it properly, going along the left side and then up to the platform, you can view it from several angles and understand just how gigantic it is. In photos, you can’t tell. On site, when you see an employee next to its paws, you finally grasp the scale.
The pyramids impress with their size. The Sphinx, however, impresses with its energy.Maybe it’s psychological, maybe because it has survived millennia, the dream told on the stele at its feet, maybe because it’s associated with protection and wisdom… but honestly, there’s something there. If I had to choose just one place to see again at Giza, it would be this one.
2. Ollantaytambo, Peru: the village where you feel at peace
Ollantaytambo is a place I love so much that I wanted to stay for a week. It impressed me almost more than Machu Picchu, which says a lot. Many travelers only pass through to catch the train to Aguas Calientes, but in my opinion, this village really deserves to be lingered in.
What draws me here so much? I don’t know exactly. Maybe the houses built on Inca foundations. Maybe the small stone streets. Maybe the water canals that still run through the village. Or maybe that feng shui vibe you feel without being able to explain it.
Ollantaytambo sits in a perfect valley. The Urubamba River flows by, water is distributed everywhere thanks to the ancient canals, and the mountains are tall, steep, almost like natural walls. You feel like everything is in its place: water, earth, mountains, sky. Nothing dominates, nothing overwhelms. Everything balances out.
The archaeological site is obviously magnificent. You have to climb quite a few steps, over 200, and at that altitude, you feel them. But the view from the top is well worth the effort. The Inca walls are perfectly cut, the stones fit together to the millimeter, and the more you look at the details, the more you wonder how they did it. I’ve visited several times and never tire of it.
But Ollantaytambo isn’t just its archaeological site. It’s also its market, the little stalls in the evening on the main square, the churros, the skewers, the super chill stray dogs, the farmers still working the old-fashioned way, the village festivals where locals parade in traditional dress. You feel good there. You feel at peace. It’s the kind of place where stress just disappears on its own, without effort.
And then there’s the food. A good lunch menu with ceviche, river trout, and dessert, in a little restaurant not necessarily visible from the street… honestly, what more could you ask for? Ollantaytambo is a little hidden paradise, and that’s exactly why it’s so precious.
3. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia: walking in the sky
The Salar de Uyuni is one of those places that can completely change depending on the season. When dry, it’s already impressive: white everywhere, a cracked surface, a blinding sun, fun perspective photos. But when flooded, it becomes simply surreal.
We planned to visit in mid-January, right when there might be enough water to create the mirror effect, without rain ruining the whole day. From the start of planning our world tour, it was marked on the itinerary: Uyuni in January. Just goes to show, sometimes you need a bit of planning to get magic.
Early in the day, big disappointment. We arrive in the salt desert and only see a few measly puddles. The mirror effect? Nowhere to be found. Fortunately, our driver takes us further after lunch, to a much more flooded area.
And then… wow. Water as far as the eye can see, up to our ankles. The sky, the clouds, the mountains, everything reflect perfectly on the surface. The horizon disappears. You can’t tell if you’re on earth, in the sky, in a dream, in a deluxe Windows screensaver. It’s so beautiful that words fail. You just go “ohhh” and “woooow” every two minutes.
What makes the experience even more powerful is the stillness of the water. Since the Salar is completely flat, the reflection is perfect. Mountains seem to float, and clouds appear beneath our feet.
In this kind of setting, a lightweight 360 camera like the Insta360 X4 Air makes perfect sense: its compact size is ideal when traveling light, and its 8K quality captures the salt flat’s reflections with great clarity; we could have shown that the salt flat stretches as far as the eye can see. It’s an excellent camera, easy to use, and its great value for money makes it an appealing option for travelers who want to bring back immersive images without breaking the bank. Learn more by clicking our link, and you’ll exclusively receive a free chest strap.
The flooded Salar de Uyuni remains one of the most extraordinary experiences of our lives.
4. The Blue Eye, Albania: The Source of a River in the Middle of Nowhere
The Blue Eye in Albania is one of those places where you think, “How can such a place exist here?” You drive, pass through already stunning landscapes, encounter animals—cows on the road, dogs, goats—and then you arrive at this utterly crazy water source.
Well, before that, you have to earn your arrival a bit. The road isn’t perfect, far from it. But once you’re there, you immediately forget the journey.
The water is incredibly clear. The current is very strong, and in the middle of this turquoise water, there’s this deep blue hole, almost hypnotic. It’s the source of a river. The origin of a river! Honestly, how many times in your life can you see something like this so easily?
The hole is a few meters wide, but it seems to descend infinitely. Its blue color comes precisely from that depth. You want to lean over, dip a camera in, see what’s hidden at the bottom. But the current is so powerful that it’s clearly not the place to do anything reckless. The water is cold, the current impressive, and even though the urge to jump in is strong, caution must prevail.
This place really moved me. There’s something almost mystical about this spring. You feel like it leads to the center of the Earth. I love springs, clear waters, the little bubbles rising, that sense of water so pure you could almost drink it while swimming. But the Blue Eye has something more. It’s raw, powerful, magical.
5. The Sahara Desert, Morocco: Silence, Camels, and the Milky Way
The Sahara Desert is something we imagine even before going. Golden dunes, camels, a sunset, a night under the stars… And yet, even with all those images in mind, the experience on the ground surprises.
We set off from M’hamid, at the edge of the desert, for a multi-day trip with camping. Right from the start, you’re in the mood: the camels are waiting, you only need to take a small bag, some water, a scarf or hat, and leave your suitcase at the hotel. The camels aren’t there to carry our entire house, after all.
The most magical moment comes in the evening. We climb a dune to watch the sunset. The colors change quickly: pink, purple, red, gold… then as soon as the sun disappears, the cold sets in suddenly. That’s the desert too: very hot during the day, very cold at night. You definitely shouldn’t underestimate warm clothing.
The next day, Erg Chigaga finally offers us the large dunes as we had imagined. You have to climb; the sand slows every step, you huff and puff and complain a bit, but once at the top, you understand why everyone comes all the way here. Dunes as far as the eye can see, some animal tracks, mountains in the distance, Algeria somewhere behind… It’s exactly the image you have of the desert.
Conclusion
These five destinations have nothing in common. The Sphinx takes us back to ancient Egypt, Ollantaytambo to Inca harmony, the Salar de Uyuni to a world where the sky meets our feet, the Blue Eye to the power of water, and the Sahara to the vastness of silence.
But they share a common point: they are places that aren’t just beautiful. They leave a feeling. An energy. A very specific memory. The kind of place you talk about years later, saying, “No, really, we have to go back.”
