Kaikoura, on the northeast of the South Island of New Zealand, is one of the world’s best spots for seeing sea life and eating seafood, and it’s just a quick roadtrip from Christchurch. Come take the dolphin-, bird- and whale-watching journey with us in pictures.

New Zealand certainly has no shortage of natural attractions, but South Island’s Kaikoura peninsula seems to have it in extremes. Credit that to its unique geography that includes both towering mountains and deep undersea canyons. Bordering from the west, the 2,608-metre-high Kaikoura range forms a majestic backdrop of misty snow-capped peaks. To the east, a 60-kilometers-long trench plummets 1,200 metres below the waves. Down there, warm and cold currents converge to push nutrient-rich water up to the surface, thereby sustaining a rich food chain that features the ocean’s biggest creatures.

The stars of Kaikoura’s marine wilderness are its resident sperm whales, which live in these waters and are easily seen all year. There are also other leviathans that may be spotted if you’re lucky enough—migrating blue whales and humpback whales, for instance, or a pod of visiting orcas. Closer to shore there are more animals to behold, like giant wandering albatrosses, playful dusky dolphins and adorable fur seals. On the other hand, those who like their nature trips on terra firma can check out the many scenic walks inland and along the coast. You’d think a place with such a well-preserved environment would be somewhere remote, but it’s not.

Kaikoura is just a leisurely 2.5-hours’ drive north of Christchurch via 180 beautiful kilometers on State Highway 1. Have a look at photographic evidence of the awesomeness this town full of natural wonders has to offer.

01 – Hemmed in by snow-capped mountains on one side and the open sea on the other, the town of Kaikoura in South Island, New Zealand, hosts picture-perfect views and a pristine marine environment.

02 – The waters off Kaikoura are a feeding area for sperm whales, a fact that made it a bountiful whaling site from the 1800s to the 1960s. Since then, the town has remade itself a major ecotourism destination, and is now known for its popular whale watching expeditions (whalewatch.co.nz).

03 – A sperm whale’s distinctive tail fin above the water signals the start of a deep dive into the undersea canyon below. Kaikoura is the best place in New Zealand—and probably the world—to see these amazing creatures up close.

04 – The Gibson’s wandering albatross, one of the largest seabirds in the world, is the main attraction of the Albatross Encounter wildlife tour. This outfit operates small group birdwatching tours on a 13-seater motorboat.

05 – Dusky dolphins often accompany boats cruising the waters off Kaikoura. These curious animals like to show off with playful jumps and underwater acrobatics. Not surprisingly the tourists love them!

06 – Kaikoura’s wild residents include a few thousand fur seals who live in colonies all along the coast. This one decided to leave its protected area and take a stroll along the nearby parking lot.

07 – Still going strong after four decades, this humble roadside shack serves up fresh seafood caught from the seashore behind it. Nins Bin found its spot along the coastal highway in 1977, and has since then become one of Kaikoura’s famous pit stops.

08 – If you eat only one local meal in Kaikoura, make it this: paua shelfish and crayfish fritters, served with a dash of lemon juice over wheat bread. The Kaikoura Seafood BBQ kiosk on Fyffe Quay cooks it fresh, hot and fast.

09 – Cetacean bones at the Fyffe House bear witness to its history as a whaler’s home during the 1840’s. Now a museum, its preserved interiors and artifacts gives a glimpse of life in a bygone era.

10 – Set amidst a 500-acre deer farm, the picture-perfect Hapuku Lodge + Tree Houses offers sustainable luxury to complement Kaikoura’s natural attractions. The hotel boasts 12 gorgeously designed rooms, a full-service spa and a restaurant that serves entrees created from locally-sourced ingredients.

11 – A resident seal takes in the stunning views and the fresh air from the comfort of its breeding grounds. Kaikoura’s unfettered natural charms—and its breezy road connection to  Christchurch—make it an ideal spot for a quick and easy outdoor adventure.

Photographs by Lester V. Ledesma, lede image by Kyle Mulinder/Courtesy of New Zealand Tourism, and unless otherwise noted.

If you haven’t been to Unzen Onsen, near Nagasaki, you’re missing out on one of the hottest under-the-radar towns in Japan. Come with us to this little spot in Kyushu, where the bubbles blurb, the ancient pines tower, and the tomatoes are served singularly and cold. It’s primal healing through hot lava.

IT’S 7 A.M. IN Unzen Amakusa National Park, about 50 kilometers from Nagasaki on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. I’m half asleep still but somehow power-walking with a group of tracksuit-wearing Japanese strangers over a volcanic landscape that’s burping gaseous steam and bubbling gray mud. Our guide’s morning enthusiasm is high—and borderline criminal. 

This wasn’t just basic power walking. It was Jigoku style—Hell Power Walking! Fitting, since the network of snakelike boardwalk trails was the only thing separating me and my powerwalk posse from scalding hot steam vents and hissing fumaroles fed from a lava lair deep below us. One snoozy misstep and it’s sayonara. 

In Japan, these volcanic areas are aplenty and often called “Jigoku” (hell). What made Unzen’s so different was its almost electric-green lushness and, as I would later learn, its dedication to nature, with sign-posted trails listing local flora and fauna. 

To be honest, 7 a.m. power walking isn’t my normal jam. I’m more of a last call for breakfast kind of guy. But I’d been on the road in Japan for a few weeks overindulging nightly on marbled yakiniku, sake, and 7-Eleven snacks, which I began referring to as “R&D,” and it was turning me soft and plump. So I was grateful for the chance to burn off some fat and partake in some onsen and wellness, which Unzen is all about. 

The sleepy microtown itself is home to about a dozen restaurants, thankfully none of them like the smokey sake dens I’d been hanging out in. I walked up and down the town’s main drag in about 10 minutes and wondered what I would do there for two nights. A few shops sold onsen eggs, local yuzu koshu paste and numerous salts and lotions. There were refreshingly no tourist buses or groups anywhere in sight, an increasingly hard find in Japan. 

Earlier, I’d checked in at the Hoshino Kai Unzen (from JPY13,000 per person per night), a 51-room hotel that opened in November of 2022 and is decorated with stained-glass art, a reminder of the region’s Christian heritage. It overlooks the spectacular volcanic landscape. The hotel’s acid sulfuric onsen water, rich in acidic hydrogen sulfide, was a highlight. I disrobed and stepped into my private balcony onsen, where I soaked before dinner while watching the steam puffs rise and evaporate into the sky like ghosts. Later at their public onsen, a basalt pool surrounded by ferns and trees, I watched the lanterns reflected in the rippling water and listened to melodic and piercing bird calls echo from the surrounding forests. I could feel myself sinking into a state of deep relaxation— the kind of state you don’t realize you need to be in until you’re in it. 

There’s something magical and healing about these volcanic areas. I felt it on Etna, in Iceland, and on Hawaii. Knowing that a tsunami of orange molten lava could cascade into town any minute adds an excitement to the drudgery of the everyday, but also makes you appreciate the delicacy of life. 

It also makes food taste amazing. The restaurant choices in Unzen are limited, but what I had was outstanding. At Kai, I feasted on lobster and beef shabu shabu made with a daishi of flying fish broth and daidai, a bittersweet local citrus that burst with flavor thanks to the lava. Simmered whelk, a pot of spongy pumpkin tofu, and a slab of dense foie gras with dried persimmon rounded out the meal. Visits to local joints were also rewarding. At Kinugasa Cafeteria I ordered hiyayakko, a cold block of mineraly tofu garnished with black soy, fresh ginger, katsuobushi flakes, and spring onions. I also ordered a single cold tomato, which turned out to be a highlight—lightly salted, bursting with tomato flavor, and carved ornamentally into a rose. 

Best of all were my hikes in the area, home to several trails including one starting at Manmyoji Temple, dating back to 700 AD. Along the trail were 88 moss-encrusted statues and three needled pine trees, rumored to have been first planted here by famed monk Kobodaishi, who brought Buddhism to Japan in the 9th century AD. Another brought me around aquamarine Oshidorino Pond, where Daikokuten Magaibutsu (a stone carved Buddha with mysterious and allegedly ancient origins) is etched into a giant rock. I walked the sun-dappled trail for a few hours one quiet spring afternoon and enjoyed it all to myself.  There was nothing hellish about this Jikogu. But maybe sometimes you need to go to hell to truly reach heaven. 

Lede image by pnphotos/Getty Images.

Even without pandemic border closures, there are some places unfortunately unopen to tourism. Allow us to introduce you to travel hero Fatima Haidari, who wants to share all she knows and loves about one of the most beautiful countries on Earth: Afghanistan.

ON OCTOBER 10, Fatima Haidari will guide a group of tourists on a journey through Central Afghanistan, taking in the bustling streets of the capital Kabul, the sweeping landscapes of Bamian and Ghor province, and the ancient sights of Herat, the country’s third largest city and a place that’s been a center of culture, art and poetry for centuries. As the first female tour guide in Afghanistan, these are all places Haidari knows well.

She’ll lead her guests to favorite spots like Bamian’s Buddhist caves, lakes the colour of lapis lazuli in Band e Amir, the 800-year-old Minaret of Jam in a remote valley in Ghor province, and Herat’s intricately tiled Great Mosque, imposing Citadel and the towering minarets of the Musalla complex.

But Haidari and her group won’t physically be in Afghanistan. The excursion is part of a series of virtual tours that she’s organizing with Untamed Borders, a travel company specializing in off-the-beaten-track adventures that has been working in the country since 2008, pioneering the first skiing and kayaking trips, and founding the Marathon of Afghanistan. 

Haidari left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021, and is determined to continue showing the beauty of her country from her current base in Italy. She’s also raising awareness and funds for charities that are continuing to offer education for girls – in secret – in Afghanistan, with proceeds from the tour’s US$60 participation fee supporting this work.

She hopes that the one-hour virtual tours will give her guests a sense of what they would experience if they joined her in person, as well as an insight into the realities of the current situation in the country. And for Haidari herself, although she’s conducting her tours from some 5,000 kilometers away, they still feel ‘real,’ she says: “I feel like I’m continuing to do my job.” 

She credits an unusual source as being the inspiration behind her career as a tour guide – the sheep she herded through the mountains of Afghanistan as a small girl. With nobody else to speak to, she started talking to them about nature, the mountains and waterfalls, and anything else that struck her as beautiful. “It may sound a little strange now, but when I started (working as a tour guide), it really connected back to when I was guiding a group of sheep,” she told Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia in an interview. “Being a shepherd helped me to be a good leader.”

Her family moved from the mountains to Herat, where she researched Afghanistan’s potential tourist attractions as part of her university studies. “I knew that when people around the world heard the name Afghanistan, only pictures of mines, explosions, terror and war came into their minds,” she says. “I really didn’t like that, so I decided to introduce Afghanistan in a positive way to the world, from the perspective of a woman.” 

Starting small, Haidari created a Facebook account that she populated with regular photos and posts. Her page gained traction among a community of curious travelers, and in early 2020 she was approached by two Ukrainians who asked her to guide them around Herat. 

“I was able to introduce the beauty of Afghanistan to them in a positive way, without the negatives of explosions or terror or bombing,” she says. Her hope was that her guests would go home and tell their friends about the country and what they experienced there. “I was a woman who, for the first time, didn’t think about what would happen after that,” she says. “That day was so nice and I was feeling so positive.”

Becoming a tour guide was not a decision that Haidari took lightly, and she struggled to convince her family to let her take on a job that was not generally accepted by society for a female in Afghanistan. “I was the only one of my siblings who was educated, and our neighbors and society judged me a lot for doing such a job,” she says. 

Her mother also opposed her decision at first, but eventually convinced the rest of the family to let her get on with it. Haidari understands her mother’s concerns all too well. “In a country where you go out in the morning and you’re not expected to come back alive, it was her right to be worried,” she says.

Haidari describes herself as “a changer, not a victim.” As she says, “I decided to change my life, to not accept being the victim of superstition, tradition, and what this society or community decides for us.” She hopes the sentiment can help to motivate others, and it’s this spirit that has carried her through times when the criticism and negativity around her career choice became almost too hard to bear. 

“I was telling myself, Fatima, what they are doing is just asking you to be stronger,” she says. “It means you are just not strong enough yet, and you have to be stronger than they are.”

In the course of working as a tour guide in Afghanistan, Haidari faced stares and insults, and had stones thrown at her. “Even the educated people were telling me it was so dangerous for me as a girl, and that if I wanted to continue this job I should have a male colleague,” she recalls. But she was determined to carry on, believing that as a female tour guide, she could bring about a different understanding of her country for the many visitors who were as interested in Afghan women’s stories as they were in historical places. 

“I have lived these stories and can tell them in a way that men can’t,” she says. “These stories are not my own, but the stories of millions of women.”

To join Fatima Haidari and to support her chosen charities for women’s education, book your place on her next virtual tour of Herat on October 10, 2023, at 7 p.m. GMT through Untamed Borders.

Not many people need convincing to travel to exotic destinations across the world. Every country has something or the other to offer to its visitors—be it vast white beaches with an unending horizon of the blue ocean, tall mountains with extensive flora and fauna, or a brightly lit city bustling with an urban population. However, every country does its best to entice travellers to maintain its booming tourism industry.

Tourism sectors have an array of practised marketing efforts rolled up their sleeves and one of the many is to sum up an entire country in just a handful of words. Tourism slogans have become a trademark of a country. From aspirational to downright cringe-y, tourism slogans give us a glimpse of the country they represent. Here’s a list of tourism slogans from almost every country in the world.

Tourism slogans from Africa

Tourism is an important economic sector for any country in Africa. So, it is only natural that the tourism slogans here are enticing, too.

• Algeria – The Journey of the Heart
• Benin – Revealing Benin
• Botswana – Our ride, your destination
• Burundi – The ‘Eden’ in the Heart of Africa
• Cameroon – Africa in Miniature
• Chad – Oasis of the Sahel
• Djibouti – Djibeauty
• Egypt – Where it all begins
• Eswatini – A Royal Experience
• Ethiopia – Land of Origins
• The Gambia – The Smiling Coast of Africa
• Ghana – Amazing Ghana
• Kenya – Magical Kenya
• Lesotho – The Kingdom in the Sky
• Madagascar – Treasure Island
• Malawi – The Warm Heart of Africa
• Mali – An Authentic Africa
• Mozambique – Come to where it all started
• Namibia – Endless Horizons
• Nigeria – Heartbeat of Africa
• Rwanda – Remember – Unite- Renew
• Sao Tome & Principe – True Tranquility
• Senegal – Where Hospitality is Natural
• Seychelles – Another World
• Sierra Leone – Sieraously Surprising
• South Africa – Inspiring New Ways
• Tanzania – Unforgettable
• Tunisia – Inspiring Tunisia
• Uganda – You’re Welcome
• Zambia – Lets Escape
• Zimbabwe – A World of Wonders

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Tourism slogans from Asia

The largest continent in the world, Asia has plenty to offer to any traveller. With a plethora of countries spreading across the continent, the slogans are just as diverse, too.

• Bahrain – Ours. Yours. Bahrain
• Bangladesh – Beautiful Bangladesh
• Bhutan – Happiness is a Place
• Brunei Darussalam – Adobe of Peace
• Cambodia – Kingdom of Wonder
• Cyprus – Cyprus in your Heart
• Georgia – Emotions are Georgia
• India – Incredible India
• Indonesia – Wonderful Indonesia
• Israel – Land of Creation
• Japan – Endless Discovery
• Jordan – Set Forth on a Great Journey
• Kazakhstan– The World of Wonders
• Kyrgyzstan – So Much to Remember
• Laos – Simply Beautiful
• Lebanon– Live Love Lebanon
• Malaysia – Truly Asia
• The Maldives –The Sunny Side of Life
• Mongolia – Go Nomadic
• Myanmar – Be Enchanted
• Nepal – Lifetime Experience
• Oman – Beauty has an Address
• Pakistan – Land of Adventure and Nature
• The Philippines – It’s More Fun in the Philippines
• Qatar – Qurated for You
• Russia – The Whole World Within Russia
• Saudi Arabia – Saudi, a Kingdom That Inspires
• Singapore —Passion Made Possible
• South Korea – Imagine Your Korea
• Sri Lanka – Hello Again Sri Lanka
• Tajikistan – Fear the Friendship
• Thailand – Amazing Thailand, it Begins with People
• Turkey – Choose Your Memories
• United Arab Emirates – Seven Emirates One Destination
• Uzbekistan – Naturally Irresistible
• Vietnam – Timeless Charm

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Tourism slogans from Europe

Europe has one of the most thriving tourism industries in the world. From Prague to Paris and Rome to Lisbon, Europe is filled with bucket-list destinations.

• Albania – Go your own way
• Austria – Feel the Spark
• Belarus – Hospitality Without Borders
• Belgium – The Place to be
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – The Heart Shaped and at your Fingertips
• Bulgaria – A Discovery to Share
• Croatia – Full of Life
• Cyprus – Cyprus in your Heart
• Czech Republic – Live your Dream
• Denmark – The Land of Everyday Wonder
• Estonia –Epic Estonia
• Finland – I wish I was in Finland
• France – Explore France
• Germany – Simply Inspiring
• Greece – Always Epic
• Hungary– Wow Hungary; Wellspring of Wonders
• Iceland – Come and be inspired by Iceland
• Ireland – Fill your heart with Ireland
• Italy – #treasureitaly
• Lithuania – Real is Beautiful
• Luxembourg – Daydream
• Macedonia – Macedonia Timeless
• Malta – More to Explore
• Moldova – Discover the Touristic Moldova
• Monaco – There is No Place Like Here
• Montenegro – Wild Beauty
• The Netherlands – This is: Netherlands
• Norway – Powered by Nature
• Poland – Move your Imagination
• Portugal – Can’t Skip Tomorrow
• Romania – Explore the Carpathian Gorden
• Serbia – See Serbia
• Slovakia —Travel to Slovakia, Good Idea
• Slovenia – I Feel SLOVEnia
• Spain – #spainindetail
• Sweden – Welcome to Sweden, when the time is right
• Switzerland – Get Natural
• Ukraine – Experience Ukraine
• United Kingdom – Escape the Everyday

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Tourism slogans from Oceania

Oceania is filled with exotic landscapes. With the Fiji Islands, this continent is a favourite amongst travellers.

• Australia – Come Live Our PhilAUsophy
• Kiribati – For Travellers
• New Zealand – 100% Pure
• Papua New Guinea – A Million Different Journeys
• Samoa – Where Beautiful Just Happens
• Tonga – The True South Pacific
• Vanuatu – Answer the Call of Vanuatu

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Tourism slogans from The Americas

The Americas welcome a huge number of travellers from all around the world, thanks to its innumerable tourist spots.

• Antigua and Barbuda – The Beach is Just The Beginning
• Argentina – Beats to your rhythm
• The Bahamas – Fly Away
• Barbados – Love Barbados
• Belize – Discover How to Be
• Bolivia – Bolivia Awaits You
• Brazil – Visit and Love Us
• Canada – For Glowing Hearts
• Chile – Where the Impossible is Possible
• Colombia – The Most Welcoming Place
• Costa Rica – Essential Costa Rica
• Cuba – Breathe Cuba
• Dominica – The Nature Island
• Dominican Republic – Dominican Republic Has it All
• Ecuador – Be well in Ecuador
• EI Salvador – The 45-minute Country
• Guatemala – Heart of The Mayan World
• Guyana – South America Undiscovered
• Jamaica – Heartbeat of the World
• Nicaragua – Urica Original
• Panama – Panama Surprises
• Paraguay – You Have to Feel it
• Peru – Time To Take a Trip with Your Imagination
• Saint Kitts and Nevis – Follow your Heart
• Saint Lucia – Let Her Inspire You
• Suriname – A Colorful Experience
• Uruguay – Uruguay Natural
• USA – Visit the USA
• Venezuela – Venezuela is Your Destination

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Hero and feature image credit: Christine Roy and Markus Spiske on Unsplash

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