Hobart, Tasmania

The world is enormous. And getting bigger. Every serious traveler I know says their wish list grows longer, not shorter, every time they visit a new corner of the world.

Glass Beach, California, US

If you’ve never seen the northern lights, there’s still time to catch the spectacular display this year.

Norway

Many of us dream of seeing the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.

Last winter was the best time to see the phenomenon for a decade, but thanks to the ‘twin peaks’ pattern of the ‘Solar Maximum’, autumn/winter 2103-4 is set to be even better. So maybe this is the year to make that dream come true?

But isn’t it awfully expensive to go to Alaska or the North Pole to see them? You could either hire an expert guide and a crack team of sled dogs, or if your finances can only stretch to a budget flight and a couple of nights’ accommodation, you’ve still got a good chance if you’re in the right place. Here are six places where you’re in with a good shout of tripping the lights fantastic, without spending a fortune.

May the skies be clear and your dreams come true.

1. Reykjavik, Iceland

2. Ivalo, Finland

3. Kiruna, Sweden

4. Tromsø, Norway

5. Shetland, UK

6. Wherever you are

via Skyscanner (all details)

1. China’s rainbow mountains

2. Oregon’s painted hills

3. Ethiopia’s alien crater

4. Wyoming’s ultimate spring

5. Light up the night in Iceland

via BBC

1. Devil's Pool - Victoria Falls, Livingstone, Zambia

2. Eco-Arqueological Park Ik Kil - Chichen Itza, Mexico

3. Havasu Falls - Arizona, United States

4. To Sua Ocean Trench - Lalomanu, Upolu, Samoa

5. Kuang Si Falls - Luang Prabang, Laos

6. Blue Lagoon - Grindavik, Iceland

7. Enchanted River - Hinatuan, Philippines

8. Pamukkale Thermal Pools - Pamukkale, Turkey

9. Las Grietas - Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

10. Litchfield National Park - Northern Territory, Australia

via TripAdvisor (all details)

1. The Baths, Virgin Gorda, Caribbean

2. Camilo Beach, Lagos, Portugal

3. Pfeiffer Big State Beach, CA, United States

4. Maho Beach, St Maarten, Caribbean

5. Glass Beach, CA, United States

6. Los Dedos Playa Brava, Punta del Este, Uruguay

7. Jokulsarlon Lagoon, Iceland

8. Playa de Gulpiyuri, Asturias, Spain

9. Children's Pool, CA, United States

10. Scala dei Turchi, Realmonte, Italy

via TripAdvisor (with all details)

Plage de Saleccia, Corsica (France)

1. Plage de Saleccia, Corsica

2. Traigh Eais, Barra, Scotland

3. Cala Xarraca, Ibiza, Spain

4. Reynisfjara, Iceland

5. Virgin Mary Bay, Calabria, Italy

6. Skagen, Denmark

7. Dune du Pyla, France

8. Melide, Spain

9. Flag Beach, Corralejo, Fuerteventura

10. Dhërmi, Albania

via SkyScanner

Video with 25 beautiful landscapes in Iceland (2012)

© Ryan Walker Photography 

'Ísland' is a self-reflexive piece about the filmmaker's interaction with the land, people and culture of Iceland. Shot during the midnight sun in June 2012.

By Ryan Walker Photography 

Antelope Canyon - Arizona - United States of America

Top 10 amazing places you must visit


1. Antelope Canyon

    Arizona, United States

2. The Great Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef

    Ambergris Caye, Belize

3. Angkor Wat

    Siem Reap, Cambodia

4. Trolltunga

    Odda, Norway

5. Golden Circle Route

    Reykjavik, Iceland

6. Moraine Lake

    Alberta, Canada

7. Kyaikto (Golden Rock)

    Yangon, Myanmar

8. Fushimi Inari Shrine

    Kyoto, Japan

9. Uluru

    Northern Territory, Australia

10. Jiuzhaigou World Heritage Site

      Sichuan, China

via TripAdvisor

Royal Palace - Budapest - Hungary

Budapest

No one does winter like eastern Europe. Here you’ll find fairytale cityscapes, subzero temperatures and people well versed in getting through the colder months. 

Québec City

The capital of Francophone Canada, Québec City offers some of most nosehair-freezing temperatures of any big city. 

The Trans-Siberian railway

Russian winters are among the harshest you’ll find anywhere. A few days on the Trans-Siberian railway will give you all the snowy scenery you can handle – all from a snugly heated carriage with unlimited hot water for warming brews from steaming samovar kettles. 

Lapland

Lapland does its clichés rather well. The region, which straddles northern Norway, Sweden and Finland, is home to endless snowy vistas, Father Christmas and all the reindeer you can handle.

Vancouver

Vancouver is fine at any time of the year, but it feels built for winter. 

Monkey hot springs, Japan

Humans aren’t the only ones to get a kick out of Japan’s nationally-revered hot springs. 

Lebanon

Lebanon is not the most obvious choice for a skiing destination, but the Mediterranean country is a magnet for winter sports enthusiasts. 

Iceland

Iceland is a superb place to visit in winter. Reykjavik is well used to drinking through the pain of dark days and chilly nights, but regular visitors find it’s not as chilly as they were expecting, with temperatures hovering around freezing.

Dubai

Never mind that there are no hills and it never snows – come to Dubai for a white winter!

Via Lonely Planet (with all details)