Since the arrival of Instagram in 2010 and with the ever improving quality of smartphone cameras available, travellers can capture and share their experiences like never before. To provide some inspiration to those with one finger on the travel pulse and one on the shutter, we’ve found five of the most Instagram-worthy destinations. With the right angle (and filter, TBH), they’ll leave your family, friends and followers in awe.
| Five Instagram-worthy destinations to visit in 2016* | ||
| Destination | Hotel recommendation | Round trip flight price p.p* |
| Lake Baikal, Russia (Irkutsk International Airport) | International Hotel Sayen | S$1301 |
| Gion, Japan (Kansai International Airport) | Kyoto Tokyu Hotel | S$514 |
| Niagara Falls, Canada (Pearson International Airport) | Holiday Inn Niagara Falls | S$1488 |
| Mount Emei, China (Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport) | Sofitel Chengdu Taihe | S$520 |
| Burj Khalifa, United Arab Emirates (Dubai International Airport) | The Address Dubai Marina | S$789 |
Lake Baikal, Russia: The world’s oldest and deepest freshwater lake
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Among Russia’s many natural attractions is Lake Baikal (or Baygal Nuur), lauded as one of the most beautiful lakes on earth. Situated in south-east Siberia, ‘The Pearl of Siberia’ is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At 25 million years old and with a depth of 1,700 m, Baikal is oldest and deepest lake in the world and freezes over for about four months every year. For the brave travellers out there, you can walk out onto the frozen lake for a selfie quite unlike any other. For the less brave, Lake Baikal is still a great spot to take impressive landscape shots.
Gion, Japan: Kyoto’s most famous Geisha district
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Kyoto jumped in popularity following the release of the movie ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’. Gion, Kyoto’s most famous geisha district, is situated around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west. Its high concentration of traditional wooden machiya merchant houses makes it the perfect place to capture ancient streetscapes. We suggest ‘gramming Gion in the early evening, when the place takes on an old-world atmosphere with glowing traditional lanterns and perfectly preened apprentice geisha moving from one engagement to another.
Niagara Falls, Canada: The fastest-flowing waterfall in the world
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Eighteen thousand years ago, thick ice sheets covered large parts of southern Ontario. Today’s Niagara River is a legacy of the last Ice Age. The largest vertical drop of Niagara Falls is over 165 feet (50 metres), and about 28 million litres of water travel down the falls every second. Our Instagram tip: stay on the Canadian side of the falls between noon and sunset, when you’re pretty much guaranteed to see a rainbow. Because the falls are wider than they are tall, it’s best to take landscape shots rather than portrait and to use a slow shutter speed to give the water a silky appearance.
Mount Emei, China: One of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains in China
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Mount Emei, traditionally regarded as the place of enlightenment of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. The trees are verdant almost all year round, and the mountain’s landscape varies according to the season, elevation, and climate. Here you can capture the surrounding greenery that emanates tranquillity and calm as you ascend the mountain. At the Golden Summit, you’ll be rewarded with the sight of the imposing four-sided and ten-headed golden statue of Puxian, set against the backdrop of a clear sky. It’s highly instagrammable.
Burj Khalifa, United Arab Emirates: The world’s tallest skyscraper
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The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, stands at a whopping 828 meters tall, making it the world’s tallest skyscraper, and roughly about three times as tall as the Eiffel Tower. The tower is designed to resemble the desert flower, Hymenocallis. A snapshot from afar will capture Burj Khalifa in its magnificent entirety, and from the observation deck of the tower itself, you can capture breathtaking views of Dubai and its desert surrounds. The views are stunning in clear weather and November and March are also good months to visit, when the city is swathed in a moody fog. Our tip: if you’re heading to the observation deck, leave the tripod at home to avoid run-ins with security.
This blog post is also published on SilverKris.com
*Data provided by KAYAK.sg is based on flight searches conducted between 5 May and 11 May 2016 for travel between 15 May and 15 July 2016 for all locations. Flight prices are quoted in Singapore dollars and are based on a return economy flight for one person. Prices quoted may change and may no longer be available.
