The modern world brought a lot of technology and facilities, forming large tech cities that are known for “never sleeping”. However, this hasty way of living also brought up high rates of stress that, if accumulated, can cause a lot of health problems, both physical and psychological. According to the scientific magazine Sustainable Earth, 46% of the people who lives in huge urban centers have psychological problems. It was proved by a lot of scientific researches that the contact with nature can reduce the levels of stress in people,
If you are looking for a vacation trip that will amaze at the same that provides you a way out of the stressful city, this list we have prepared will take you to the right place.
- Santa Catarina Mountains
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The Santa Catarina coast is very known for the beauty of Florianópolis’ beaches, but there is a natural treasure hidden in its mountains. Teeming by araucaria forests, this geological formation encompass seventeen cities and a bunch of sightseeing spots.
One example is the Church Hill, located in the vicinity of Urubici. This natural monument rests inside São Joaquim National Park and needs an authorization of the city’s ICMBio to enter once the number of visitations per day is restricted. However, the amazing view in the top of the hill is worth all the paperwork: there, you can see a great part of Santa Catarina Mountains and also the Holed Stone, a “natural sculpture in shape of a window with about thirty meters of circumference” according to Urubici’s city hall official site. At the same road of the hill, you can also find the Bridal Veil waterfall, where you pay a R$ 6 tax to visit this water body.
You can also go to the Corvo Branco mountains and stop in one of it’s lookouts to walk through it’s seawalls. The rocks are part of the Guarani Aquifer, the world’s largest aquifer. Going ahead you can also find the Rastro River Mountains, one of the most pretty roads in the world.
- Salar de Uyuni
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Have you ever imagine a place that is really made of salt? Well, it actually exists and is located in the South America. Salar de Uyuni is a desert, in Bolivia, which was formed by the evaporation of prehistoric lakes that appeared when the Andes Mountains stood up. Nowadays, the landscape is very important to the country’s economy, not only because of tourism, but mainly for being the greatest Lithium reserve in the world.
Dry during the greatest part of the year, the Salar looks like a giant white carpet – you even need to wear sunglasses so your eyes don’t get hurt. When it rains, the desert turns into the biggest mirror in the world! So cross your fingers and wish for rain, right before you travel there.
By the way, there are three ways to get there: flying directly to Bolivia and then go all the way to Uyuni city; traveling from the Atacama desert in Chile, where you can stay in accommodations near there or traveling through some cities of Argentina. The only thing that most travelers that go there complain is the difficulty to take a proper bath. “You have to say goodbye to freshness (aka hygiene) and face absolutely dirty paid toilets with strong full and no flush, and a whole day without a shower – that’s right, live the moist wipes and the desire to explore this natural paradise” says Barbara Tigre, author of the online blog “Dicas de Viagem”. But we swear, if you can stand some days of dirty, this effort will certainly be worth it.
- A night in Dubai desert
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Another incredible experience in the desert that will amaze you is spending a night in Dubai Desert. Usually, this ride starts with a safari in the sand dunes that lasts awhole afternoon filled with adrenaline. Then, you are servided a legitim bedouin dinner that includes presentations of typical dances, such as the seven veils dance.
Later, when the night has already risen, it becomes so dark that, without lanterns, you can’t see anything and some tourists claim that if feels like walking in a void. “I have never seen a sky so starry! There was the place that i felt closest to God.” said Lilian Ferrari, a biomedical that used to work in the pharmaceutical brand Merck Sharp and Dohme.
But don’t forget to bring a coat, because of the big thermal amplitude the temperatures go down quickly and the wind is very strong, so you may feel very cold.
- Secret Beach in Rio
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Do you know those paradisiac desert beaches that we see in the movies? There is one in Rio de Janeiro’s coast… Yes, you read right, the same Rio that has the crowded beaches.
The Secret beach is a natural pool that only appears during the low-tide and is difficult to get: you’ll need to go to Macumba’s beach (where is also a less busier beach to rest) and, then, you can choose rather going by sand or by trail. This last one is quicker way to go, however more dangerous.
All the effort is rewarded by cristalin water, the pretty view of the sea and a peace that will definitely relax you. But watch out for tidal movement or your paradisiac and stressless program will become a mess.
- Kenrokuen Garden
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Japan is a country full of technology, but also has it’s natural charms, such as the Kenrokuen Garden, in the city of Kanazawa.
The garden was elected one of the “three most beautiful landscape gardens”, having lots of differents plants and flowering trees, that flourish on different times of the year ensuring a pretty view in any season.
The place belonged to the Maeda family, from the Kaga clan, who has approximately 343 years old. In the past, it was used to host dinners and tea ceremonies for feudal family guests.
It’s name seems to represent everything that the garden offers to its visitors and characteristics that a perfect garden has to have: spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, water in abundance and broad views. “Walking along the lakes, enjoying the picturesque hills, streams, bridges, traditional tea houses surrounded by ancient trees is something to let your soul wander”, wrote Maria Rodriguês, a brazilian passionate for travel and photography, in her blog “Viajar é alargar nossos horizontes”.
Something you need to know is that a little fee is charged for entering and the visiting period varies according to the season of the year – from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., between march 1st to october 15st, and from 7 a. m. to 4.30 p.m, between october 16st to the end of february.