One of the most enjoyable aspects of travel is just taking it all in. Not really doing anything, simply appreciating the sensory feast - sounds, smells, atmosphere, sights. This is what I mean by my favourite views; not just the scenery but the life, the essence of a place.
Mount Bromo, Java, Indonesia
Rise early and drive to the base of the caldera. Within this vast crater is another smaller volcano, gently smoking. As the dawn breaks the clouds change colour and tumble over the caldera’s ridge. But it is the fellow travellers reactions at this spectacle with the transfixed gazes and collective gasps that add to the sense of wonder.
The Plains of Bagan, Myanmar
I had travelled to Mandalay and continued along the Irrawaddy River to Bagan. The next morning, I travelled out to the Plains of Bagan, where vast numbers of temples, pagodas and stupas stretch far into the distance. Sitting on top of a temple in the early morning as the sun rises is romantic.
The Karakoram Highway, Pakistan and China
In 1996 I led my first tour from Islamabad to Beijing. It was a spectacular journey, if a very busy one. We crossed the Pamirs and Karakoram Mountain and crossed from Pakistan to China at Khunjerab Pass, 4,693 metres above sea level. There was one view in my photo album (remember them?) that sticks out; we were high in the Karakorams, surrounded by a sea of great mountains that felt as if they continued forever. It was awe inspiring.
Punakha Valley, Bhutan
Bhutan is very beautiful. It has that Swiss chocolate box quality with mountains, lush green forest and blue rivers. But the mountains are much bigger. In Bhutan’s Punakha Valley at the confluence of two blue rivers is a perfectly located whitewashed, golden tiled Dzhong (monastery). Viewing it from afar with the only sounds being the river and birdsong is enchanting experience.
Greek Islands
Part of the viewing attraction of the Greek Islands is the quality of the light and the smells of wild thyme and pine resin. There are so many Greek Islands, with many views across the water, but I have chosen the view from Kefalonia to Ithaca. It is a lovely view across the water and for travellers, it also offers a view of that other great traveller, Odysseus.
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
I am sitting on a rooftop bar above the Silk Road city of Bukhara, just beyond the dome of spices. The air is heavy with the smell freshly crushed cumin, the sound of a flute and an oud (a traditional lute) plays in the distance and the view is one of century-old domes and minarets. It is a timeless moment, and I am back in the heyday of a Silk Road trading centre in deserts of central Asia.
Gordon River, Tasmania
The Gordon River Stretches from the small port of Strahan into the vast natural wilderness of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. This is the most dramatic, rugged and wild part of Tasmania. It was once part of Gondwana and some of the trees and plants can be traced back over 60 million years. Its remoteness has kept much of the forest as it was. As well as the forest, the silence here feels ancient, and the views from the river across the forests are magical.
London, UK
St Paul’s and the City of London from Waterloo Bridge. It’s a bridge, a song and a view. I love the juxtaposition of Christopher Wren’s baroque St Paul’s (at the time a daring example of avant garde architecture) and the surrounding skyscrapers of the modern city. The river beneath with boats back and forth and the South Bank Centre in front, full of people seeking entertainment and fun, complete the view.
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