Tag Archives: forest

The 7 Most Beautiful Forests in the World

Forests are wind-blocking, sound-muffling, toxin-pulling powerhouses: they gobble up carbon dioxide, turning it into twisted trunks, knobby knees, and braided branches.  Three trillion trees strong, forests cover almost a third of the Earth’s surface. They also tie 1.6 billion people and 4.3 million species together—and we often don’t appreciate them until they’re teetering on the brink of extinction. Ready to rewild and reconnect with the natural world? Try immersing yourself among ethereal green bamboo, umbrella-shaped Dragon blood trees, or J-shaped pines. From Colombia to Namibia, these are seven of the world’s most beautiful forests.

 

Cocora Valley

Quindío, Colombia

In the rolling green foothills of the cloud-capped Andes, there’s a valley where 200-foot wax palms tower like the Truffula Trees in Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax.  Slender, shag-topped, sturdy, and wax-covered: Cocora Valley’s wax palms—Colombia’s national tree and the world’s tallest palms—scratch the wispy underbellies of rain clouds. During the Monsoon Season, they bend, almost to the point of being horizontal to the ground, but never break, spinning like floral pinwheels above muddy fields of grazing cows and horses.

Dragon’s Blood Forest

Socotra, Yemen

With their umbrella-shaped crowns, straight trunks, and deep-red resin, Socotra’s prehistoric Dragon blood trees look like something straight out of John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids. After breaking through beds of limestone and granite, the 32-foot-tall trees channel sea mist, drizzle, and fog into their tightly-gnarled limbs and wax-covered leaves. Then they sprout small, fragrant, white flowers which, over five months, produce berries that turn from pale green to pitch black to neon orange, oozing “blood” as they ripen.

Crooked Forest

Gryfino, Poland

In West Pomerania, Poland, there’s a forest of pine trees that’s become famous because of one little “twist”: all 400 of the trees that were planted there, sometime around 1930, buckle out 90 degrees, creating bark-covered potbellies that drag just above the earth, oddly, all pointing in the same direction—north. No one is certain exactly how or why the trees were bent, but the Crooked Forest is generally thought to be the result of human intervention. The most common theory suggests that farmers manipulated the trees when they were 7-to-10-years-old to create naturally bent timber for furniture or ships. Others blame strong snowstorms, gravitational pull, or Nazi tanks.

No one knows why these trees all bend in the same manner. . While we were strolling around we ran into a man who said he had been working in this park for 15 years and he thinks furniture makers trained the trees so they could be later harvested into benches and sleds. . One thing is for certain he told us – over the years the number of crooked trees has diminished and one day this will just look like any other forest. . So go out and explore now because you never know if it will still be there tomorrow… . . . #crookedforest #poland #polska #polandsights #polandways #polandphotos #igerspoland #europe #ig_europe #nikon #travelphotography #sheisnotlost #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #nationalpark #travelstoke #optoutside #artofvisuals #aov #natgeotravel #bucketlist #dametraveler #traveltheglobe #instatravel #travelgram #passionpassort #darlingescapes #sorel #wanderingwheatleys

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Rockefeller Forest

Weott, California

The Rockefeller forest—located in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which is almost twice the size of San Francisco—has the largest remaining contiguous old-growth coastal redwoods in the world.  While the average redwood in Rockefeller forest is roughly 600 to 800 years old, it’s widely known for having trees of all ages. There are “dog hairs”, young, thin redwood trees that cover the ground in patches, and 2,000-year-old redwoods that are covered with spider webs that almost look like beards and have so-called “goose pens”, which are burnt-out caverns in the base of the trees that are as big as playhouses. Oldest of all are the decaying stumps, who shallow-roots were ripped from the fertile earth by high-winds. Rockefeller’s most-famous fallen redwood is the Dyerville Giant.  Weighing in at 1 million pounds and standing 362 feet high—that’s two feet taller than Niagara Falls and comparable to a 30-story building—it was considered the tallest tree in the forest before its fall in 1991.

Have you ever wondered what the roots of a massive redwood tree look like? A few huge specimens from the Saddler Grove in Humboldt Redwoods State Park were blown over in a violent windstorm many years ago and they now lay horizontal, exposing their huge undersides. . Check out the new category “Giant Tree” on my website for pictures of enormous trees from California and Washington State! http://www.lucascometto.com/#/giant-tree/ . . #tree #hugetree #giant #forest #redwood #SaddlerGrove #HumboldtRedwoods #HumboldtRedwoodsStatePark #RedwoodNationalPark #coastredwood #California #championtree #natgeo #nationalgeographic #awesome_earthpix #picoftheday #wanderlust #earthoffical #wow_planet #ourplanetdaily #earthfocus #awesomeearth #nakedplanet #fantastic_earth #igworldclub #discoverglobe #earthfever

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The Amazon

Named after the female warriors of Greek mythology,  the Amazon is itself a place of nearly mythical status.  The largest tropical rainforest in the world, covering a size approximately equal to the lower 48 United States, it spans across eight rapidly-developing countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Suriname.

Considered “the lungs of the world”, the Amazon supplies 20 percent of the world’s oxygen, stabilizing the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It’s also home to 10 percent of the world’s known species. However, if you’re expecting to see scarlet macaws perching at the top of every tree and pink river dolphins peeking over your canoe, you’re going to be disappointed. In fact, the Amazon’s true beauty lies in the little things: listening to the otherworldly cry of Howler monkeys, swinging in hammocks, and canoeing on the world’s largest river.

 

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Kyoto, Japan

One of Kyoto’s top attractions and one of Japan’s most recognizable landmarks, the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove has seemingly-endless emerald stalks. They’re so thick that the city’s noise completely disappears. All that remains is the creaking sound of the wind blowing through bamboo—a sound designated by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan.

Let’s play bamboozle! 🎋#guessthetvshow

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The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove’s main path, located between Tenryuji Temple and Okouchi Sanso Garden, is only 1,640 feet, but it accommodates pedestrians, bicyclists, and rickshaw rides. Admittedly, on weekends, national holidays, and Kyoto Hanatouro, camera-clutching foreigners and the city’s best artisans, who handcraft bamboo baskets, coasters, and chopstick sets, pack in like sardines. Though, the slight-suffocating crowds are well worth it, because on sunny, breezy days, you can experience komorebi: a Japanese word used to describe soft, dappled light as it filters through leaves and branches.

 

Deadvlei

Sossusvlei, Namibia

Cradled between the tallest sand dunes on Earth—some 1,312 feet high, which is almost as lofty as the Empire State Building—there’s a forest where nothing has bloomed since the First Crusade. Deadvlei, which means “the place where everything ends”, was once a fertile desert claypan.  However, some 1,000 years ago, it began drying up after encroaching sand dunes cut it off from the Tsauchab River. The camel thorn trees that lived within the marsh eventually died, and even though a millennium has passed, they’ve yet to decompose. Set against a striking blue sky, fiery-red hills, and bleached white clay, these carbon-black, mummified trees are hauntingly beautiful.

Coziest Mountain-Town Airbnbs

From the rolling Appalachians to the dense, remote Sierra Nevadas, there are dozens of mountain ranges in America to immerse yourself in the serenity of small mountain-towns. While hundreds flock to tourist destinations like Aspen or Vail during ski season, many of the underrated locales on the far east and west are overlooked. Airbnb is a website and mobile application allowing private citizens to rent out anything from spare rooms to entire houses, offering travelers and tourists a more personal, authentic stay in lieu of traditional hotel rooms. Using Airbnb is one of the fastest growing economies, on par with rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. The company even launched its own apartment brand last year. If you do your research, using the marketplace can not only save you money in expensive locations like the Rocky Mountains, but afford you a quirky, unconventional space to meet locals and collect unmatched stories. Whether you’re planning a late-winter snowboarding sabbatical, or just a romantic getaway for two, these charming, five-star Airbnbs will help you kick off the new year right.

 

Peaceful Tower Retreat – Carmel Valley, California

Nightly Rate: $175

tower retreat carmel valley california
Image via Airbnb

This tower-style cabin, embedded in the lush woodlands of California’s Carmel Valley, is just a short drive from world-renowned recreation centers such as Big Sur and Pacific Grove, boasting panoramic views of Garland Park and thousands of acres of biking, hiking, and horseback riding. Bird watching, wine tasting, and a host of other California pastimes are just a few of the activities available to you if you stay in the Carmel Valley. The hosts, Jeanne and “Tiger” Steele, are longtime locals who’re happy to give directions and recommendations. The space is similar to a studio apartment, perfect for a romantic two-person escapade overlooking the California valley.

 

Modern Studio – Rocky Mountain National Park

Nightly Rate: $110

rocky mountain cabin studio
Image via Airbnb

A studio apartment in the homeowner’s walkout basement, the elevation of the space features private, unparalleled views of Rocky Mountain National Park on the slopes of Prospect Mountain. Just four miles from downtown Estes Park, it offers the sought-after solitude of the mountains, in a convenient location to experience the hustle and bustle of nearby mountain-towns. The room comes equipped with a Serta queen-sized mattress with a 3-inch memory foam mattress topper and futon sofa that can be converted to a full size bed, comfortably accommodating three to four people. Even better, the property features a hot tub for stargazing or post-hike relaxation.

 

Bittersweet Cottage – Asheville, North Carolina

Nightly Rate: $250

cottage asheville north carolina
Image via Airbnb

The Blue Ridge Mountains are scenic and mystifying. Known for having a bluish color when seen from a distance, the region’s bouquet of oaks and maples release a compound called isoprene into the atmosphere, giving the mountains its characteristic haze and moody color. On the cusp of the Appalachian Valley, the one-bedroom, two-acre Bittersweet Cottage is nestled between downtown Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway. In business for 14 years, the property owners provide a fully stocked complimentary breakfast, a private hot tub, and interactive Koi pond. Ideal for special occasions, the space may also serve as a casual bed and breakfast for friends.

‘Silo Studio’ Cottage – the Berkshires

Nightly Rate: $225

silo studio cottage air bnb
Image via Airbnb

Located in western Massachusetts, this two-story Berkshire round cabin features 35-foot high ceilings and quaint east coast architecture, including multi-paned mill windows overlooking the brook and lily garden below. This Tyringham Silo cottage looks like something out of a fairy tale, with cobblestone bridges, ponds, and a stone bench seating area with “chiminea” and available firewood. The property is open year-round, each season offering its own experience. The cottage is close to the Appalachian Trail for hiking and a number of ponds for swimming or kayaking.

 

Glacier Park Log Cabin – Glacier National Park

Nightly Rate: $260

glacier park log cabin
Image via Airbnb

This space is perfect for larger groups planning a wilderness vacation. A secluded log cabin on the cusp of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area of Montana’s Glacier National Park, the property features nearly 2,000-square-feet of living space, a garden with strawberry patches, apple trees, three vegetable gardens, and an herb greenhouse. Enjoy mountain views with access to rafting, hiking, fishing, and climbing. And at night, whip up some s’mores under a clear sky using the complimentary fire pit.