most photogenic and breathtaking places in the world

At 446kilometres long and 1,800 metres deep, its grand, alright. But size isnt the only story here. Surreal rock formations, carved by the Colorado River over millions of years, yield shapes and textures that defy Photoshop. Waterfalls bisect the mighty Colorado, their azure waters contrasting starkly with the surrounding cliffs. Then there are the canyons varied seasonal faces: the snows of winter, the sunsets of summer, and the thunderstorms of spring and autumn (pictured).

The Maldives, dotted around the Indian Ocean, is one of the most photogenic destinations in the world

Light reflects off the water in a rice terrace in Ubud, Bali, which came fourth in the survey
After Australias Great Barrier Reef, and The Grand Canyon in the States, Ubud in Bali and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil make up the top five of the best places in the world to take photographs, in a survey commissioned by Fujifilm.

Aogashima is a volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea. The island is administered by Tokyo and located approximately 358 kilometres (222 mi) south of Tokyo and 64 kilometres (40 mi) south of Hachij?jima. It is the southernmost and most isolated inhabited island of the Izu archipelago.The village of Aogashima administers the island under Hachij? ubprefecture of Tokyo Metropolis. As of 2014, the islands population was 170 on almost 9 km2. Aogashima is also within the boundaries of the FujiHakoneIzu National Park.Aogashima is a complex Quaternary volcanic island 3.5 km in length with a maximum width of 2.5 km, formed by the overlapping remnants of at least four submarine calderas. The island is surrounded by very steep rugged cliffs of layered volcanic deposits. The southern coast also rises to a sharp ridge forming one edge of a caldera named Ikenosawa with a diameter of 1.5 km. The caldera dominates the island, with one point on its southern ridge, Otonbu with a height of 423 metres (1,388 ft), as the islands highest point. The caldera is occupied by a secondary cone named Maruyama.Still considered a ClassC active volcano by the Japan Meteorological Agency, the last eruption of Aogashima was during a fouryear period from 17811785.

Lake Hillier is a lake on Middle Island, the largest of the islands and islets that make up the Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia. The most notable feature of the lake is its pink colour.

Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in India and the grandest in the state of Rajasthan. It is a World Heritage Site. The fort, plainly known as Chittor, was the capital of Mewar and is today situated several kilometres south of Bhilwara. It was initially ruled by Guhilot and later by Sisodias, the Suryavanshi clans of Chattari Rajputs, from the 7th century, until it was finally abandoned in 1568 after the siege by Emperor Akbar in 1567. It sprawls majestically over a hill 180 m (590.6 ft) in height spread over an area of 280 ha (691.9 acres) above the plains of the valley drained by the Berach River. The fort precinct with an evocative history is studded with a series of historical palaces, gates, temples and two prominent commemoration towers. These monumental ruins have inspired the imagination of tourists and writers for centuries. The fort was sacked three times between the 15th and 16th centuries; in 1303 Allauddin Khilji defeated Rana Ratan Singh, in 1535 Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat defeated Bikramjeet Singh and in 1567 Emperor Akbar defeated Maharana Udai Singh II who left the fort and founded Udaipur. Each time the men fought bravely rushing out of the fort walls charging the enemy but lost every time. Following these defeats, Jauhar was committed thrice by more than 13,000 ladies and children of the Rajput heroes who laid their lives in battles at Chittorgarh Fort, first led by Rani Padmini wife of Rana Rattan Singh who was killed in the battle in 1303, and later by Rani Karnavati in 1537 AD. Thus, the fort represents the quintessence of tribute to the nationalism, courage, medieval chivalry and sacrifice exhibited by the Mewar rulers of Sisodia and their kinsmen and women and children, between the 7th and 16th centuries. The rulers, their soldiers, the women folk of royalty and the commoners considered death as a better option than dishonor in the face of surrender to the foreign invading armies.

The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Over the centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. The Cinque Terre area is a very popular tourist destination.The villages of the Cinque Terre were severely affected by torrential rains which caused floods and mudslides on October 25, 2011. Nine people were confirmed killed by the floods, and damage to the villages, particularly Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, was extensive.

At foot of the Black Cuillins near Glenbrittle are the Fairy Pools beautifully crystal clear blue pools on the River Brittle. These famous pools entice visitors from all over the world as they make some great Wild Swimming for those brave enough to enter the cold water. For the less adventurous these magical Fairy Pools make some fantastic photos.The walk to the pools uses the same route there and back. The complete return distance to the first main waterfall and pool is 2.4km with the average time to complete the walk being 40 minutes (with no stops). Most people will spend some time working their way up the river from the first waterfall exploring the different pools. We have classed this walk as Short in length and Medium for difficulty check the rating guide for details.

The Galapagos Islands (official name: Archipielago de Colon other Spanish names: Islas Galapagos Spanish pronunciation: are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean 926 km (575 mi) west of continental Ecuador of which they are a part. The Galapagos Islands and their surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province a national park and a biological marine reserve. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of slightly over 25000.The islands are famed for their vast number of endemic species and were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwins theory of evolution by natural selection. The first recorded visit to the islands happened by chance in 1535 when the Bishop of Panama Fray Tomas de Berlanga went to Peru to arbitrate in a dispute between Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro. De Berlanga was blown off course though he eventually returned to the Spanish Empire and described the conditions of the islands and the animals that inhabited them. The group of islands was shown and named in Abraham Orteliuss atlas published in 1570. The first crude map of the islands was made in 1684 by the buccaneer Ambrose Cowley who named the individual islands after some of his fellow pirates or after British royalty and noblemen. These names were used in the authoritative navigation charts of the islands prepared during the Beagle survey under captain Robert Fitzroy and in Darwins popular book The Voyage of the Beagle. The then new Republic of Ecuador took the islands from Spanish ownership in 1832 and subsequently gave the islands official Spanish names. The older names remained in use in English language publications including Herman Melvilles The Encantadas of 1854.

Palau officially the Republic of Palau (Palauan: Beluu er a Belau) is an island country located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is geographically part of the larger island group of Micronesia. The countrys population of around 21000 is spread across 250 islands forming the western chain of the Caroline Islands. The most populous island is Koror. The islands share maritime boundaries with Indonesia the Philippines and the Federated States of Micronesia. The capital Ngerulmud is located in Melekeok State on the nearby island of Babeldaob. The country was originally settled around 3000 years ago by migrants from the Philippines and sustained a Negrito population until around 900 years ago. The islands were first visited by Europeans in the 18th century and were made part of the Spanish East Indies in 1885. Following Spains defeat in the Spanish American War in 1898 the islands were sold to Imperial Germany in 1899 under the terms of the German Spanish Treaty where they were administered as part of German New Guinea. The Imperial Japanese Navy conquered Palau during World War I and the islands were later made a part of the Japanese-ruled South Pacific Mandate by the League of Nations. During World War II skirmishes including the major Battle of Peleliu were fought between American and Japanese troops as part of the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign. Along with other Pacific Islands Palau was made a part of the United States-governed Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1947. Having voted against joining the Federated States of Micronesia in 1979 the islands gained full sovereignty in 1994 under a Compact of Free Association with the United States. Politically Palau is a presidential republic in free association with the United States which provides defense funding and access to social services. Legislative power is concentrated in the bicameral Palau National Congress. Palaus economy is based mainly on tourism subsistence agriculture and fishing with a significant portion of gross national product (GNP) derived from foreign aid. The country uses the United States dollar as its currency. The islands culture mixes Japanese Micronesian and Melanesian elements. The majority of citizens are of mixed Micronesian Melanesian and Austronesian descent with significant groups descended from Japanese and Filipino settlers. The countrys two official languages are Palauan (member of the wider Sunda Sulawesi language group) and English with Japanese Sonsorolese and Tobian recognised as regional languages.