Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Sunsets Worth Traveling For

Some people are “sunset people” and others are “sunrise people.” If you happen to be part of the former group, then you can prepare yourself for a list to end all lists: sunsets worth traveling for, all over the world. While it's calming to see a burst of color over an open field outside of your hometown, there are sunsets to see over the ocean, peeking from behind European villages, and melting into the mountains. Forbes.com decided to take on the task of determining some of the world's best, with the help of celebrities and travel experts.

The beach is one of the first places a perfect sunset can be located. The reflection on the water, the movement of the waves, and the often tropical trees framing orange sky is a combination that will stick in the memory. The Travel Channel's Andrew Zimmerman said that some of his favorite sunsets in the world have been near the ocean, saying “Top sunsets on my list would have to include the beach in Seminyak, Bali, and sitting in sand on the Mahoe Bay on Virgin Gorda in the BVI, sharing the event with my wife and son--and not a person in sight."

The best sunset Zimmerman ever caught was in Sicily, Italy. "Ten kilometers from the hotel, the entire countryside is dominated by waving fields of wheat [with] ancient palazzo and villas and the ocean ringing the horizon,” Zimmerman described. “The view and the sunset were so dramatic we stopped the car and walked to a hilltop to watch it. The setting sun that night cast the most beautiful light I have ever seen in my life. Nothing has ever matched it."

If you are looking for somewhere else, runners-up include Canada, Scotland, and Africa for Zimmerman, but another travel expert's preferred sunset-spotting location was in the southern hemisphere, in Chile's Valley of the Moon. Julia Dimon described the sight of the winter sun setting, explaining that the desert washes over in tones of red, purple, and orange.

“A warm hue illuminates million-year-old mountain ranges,” she explained. “They jet out from sand dunes like the spine of some prehistoric reptile. Millennia of desert winds have sculpted stones and sand formations and the colors dance in the early evening light. Jupiter beams brightly in the sky, as a patchwork of celestial stars start to sparkle."

If you're going to be snapping pictures of sunsets-that-stun, however, try focusing on something closer to you. By keeping your camera trained on a gorgeous tree, a rock formation, or a picturesque villa, you'll reduce the chance of sunspots. After you capture the view, kick back on your luxury hotel's balcony and commit the rest to memory.

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