BBC Travel
I drove 2,500km across Madagascar to find the world's last lemurs
One epic road trip connects Madagascar's richest wildlife, most spectacular landscapes and the world's last lemurs.
Condé Nast TravelerSep 3
The 17 Most Beautiful National Parks in the World, From Yellowstone to the Serengeti
These diverse landscapes serve as a beautiful reminder of why our planet is worth protecting.
16 sights in this story
- Tsingy de Bemaraha National ParkSightFamous for its forest of limestone needles jutting into the sky
- Elsewhere
- Banff National ParkSightBanff, CanadaStaggering views of the Rockies and glacial blue lakes
- Plitvice Lakes National ParkSightPlitvice Lakes, CroatiaSixteen interconnected lakes cascade through the forest
- Lençóis Maranhenses National ParkSightBarreirinhas, BrazilSand dunes striped with turquoise and emerald lagoons
- Iguazú National ParkSightPuerto Iguazú, ArgentinaProtects the Argentine side of the enormous Iguazú Falls
- Cabo Pulmo National ParkSightCabo Pulmo, MexicoCoastal wonderland with quiet beaches and rock formations
- Namib-Naukluft National ParkSightSesriem, NamibiaBurnt-orange sand dunes, white salt pans, eerie skeleton trees
- Serengeti National ParkZooSerengeti, TanzaniaThe Great Migration is one of Earth’s greatest natural shows
- Vatnajökull National ParkSightSkaftafell, IcelandEponymous glacier and accompanying ice caves dominate the scene
- Las Salinas de Torrevieja National ParkSightTorrevieja, SpainSalt lagoon gets its hue from red-pigment-releasing microorganisms
- Valley of Flowers National ParkSightJoshimath, IndiaTransforms into a huge natural garden with wildflowers
- Göreme National ParkSightGöreme, TurkeyDefined by Cappadocia’s fairy chimneys, best viewed from above
- Kelimutu National ParkSightMoni, IndonesiaThree lakes shift colors at the whims of minerals and gases
- Zhangjiajie National Forest ParkSightZhangjiajie, ChinaThousands of jagged sandstone peaks rise dramatically over treetops
- Fiordland National ParkSightTe Anau, New ZealandShowcases mountains, rainforests, waterfalls, and deep glacial fjords
- Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National ParkSightYulara, AustraliaSandstone monolith rising from an otherwise flat and open desert
Condé Nast TravelerDec 3, 2025
50 Most Beautiful Places in the World
From the Serengeti to the Grand Canyon—plus 55 more destinations you need to see to believe.
10 sights in this story
- Valle de la LunaSightAtacama Desert, ChileLandscape startlingly similar to the moon.
- Grand Canyon National ParkSightGrand Canyon, United StatesHike scenic loops for views of rocky badlands.
- Avenue of the BaobabsAttractionMadagascarCenturies-old trees reach heights of nearly 100 feet.
- Banff National ParkSightBanff, CanadaOverwhelms with views of the Canadian Rockies.
- Moraine LakeSightBanff, CanadaIt is situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an elevation of approximately 1,884 metres (6,181 ft).
- Lake MinnewankaSightBanff, CanadaThe lake is 21 km (13 mi) long and 142 m (466 ft) deep, making it the 2nd longest lake in the mountain parks of the…
- Bathsheba BeachSightBathsheba, BarbadosKnown for huge boulders and best waves for surfers.
- Whitehaven BeachSightWhitsundays, AustraliaConsidered one of the world's most beautiful beaches.
- Danxia Landform Geological ParkSightDanxia, ChinaStriped, multicolored mountains formed over 20 million years.
- Lake LouiseSightBanff, Canada