#895 Mykonos, Greece

Perhaps most famous for its partying night life, Mykonos to me epitomizes the reason why Greece's flag is blue and white stripes. This charming little island had beautiful colors of blue and whites contrasting no matter where you looked -- whether it was the blue paints, the blue sky, the blue ocean or the sharp white houses and buildings or the boats. 

It glitters in summer and has the touristy vibe to match. Cruise ships are frequent, beaches are quite full, and the nightclubs, pumping. The restaurants and shops live up to their location, but it is still a charming place -- if ever I was to become a writer and live in isolation, I think Mykonos would be a pretty great location, but then, I thought that of most of Greece! 

It's main town of Hora is a cluster of narrow passages working their way up the hillside overlooking a busy bay and harbor. Little Venice to the south is perched right on the water underneath the iconic windmills

 

Source: Lonely Planet Greece 8th Edition

#931 Kyaiktyo (Golden Rock), Myanmar (Burma)

One of the most sacred pilgrimmage places in Burma is a place called Kyaiktyo, where a precariously perched rock which has been painted with gold-leaf and people travel across the country to spend time meditating there. An amazing journey in itself, the collective travel and sense of purpose that accompany it make it collegial and full of community. Likewise, while the majestic vision itself perched high above a valley is a sight to behold, the people you watch and the spectacle are equally unique.

The area is a marvel of magic and devotion, religious iconography, excessive commercial development, rosaries sold aside toy rifles, people meditating, sleeping, and touching the rock (affixing more gold-leaf). The walk up is several hours long, and in a wonder of contrasts, passes through villages, past stupas, statues, shops and souvenirs.

The gravity-defying rock iteslf, with a 7.3m high stupa on top, is one of Myanmar's most sacred sites, perched on the edge of Mt. Kyaiktiyo (pronounced chay ti tyo). Legend has it that the rock can sit thus because of Buddha's specially placed hair inside the stupa. King Tissa (11th century) was given the hair by a hermit who had secreted it in his own topknot. The king was instructed to find a boulder that resembled the hermit's head, which was found at the bottom of the ocean, and upon reaching the mountain top, the boat turned to stone (which can be seen nearby).

Source: Lonely Planet Myanmar (9th Edition)

#961 Esfahan, Iran

Beautiful, romantic, historic Esfahan: even the name sounds beautiful and evokes emotion! If ever there was a city to evoke the essence of Iran and Persian culture, Esfahan is a pretty good place for it. With its hot summers and cool winters, its iconic blue-tiled domes and muqarnas (the sheer quantity of which is an Islamic architecture buff's dream), the fantastic shopping, and its place on silk trade routes of antiquity, it is memorable and atmospheric.

Its Naghsh-e Jahan Square (Imam Square) is one of the biggest public squares in the world, and is faced with buildings each spectacular in their own right. With Ali Qapu Palace, the Grand Bazaar, Madrassas, Mosques, across the river there is even Vank Cathedral, it is a mixture of heritage and culture.

12th C Pol-e Sharestan Bridge of 33 arches.

The Grand Bazaar during the lunch hour siesta.

One mosque off of Iman Square

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isfahan

#963 Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong River is one of the most impressive in South East Asia, flowing through several countries: China to Myanmar, Laos to Thailand, then Cambodia before ending its journey in Vietnam. Its name is of Lao and Thai origin and has been a trade route for centuries, although its flows change greatly from season to season. You can see the fresh water pink dolphin (although quite rare now), a softshell turtle, crocodiles and wave to the many different peoples living along the banks, but what I loved the most were the number of people who lived on the river itself. The trade was as it has been for centuries and the superstitions continued, such as putting eyes on the boat to prevent bad spirits.

Note: These pictures are so old they were taken with film: Christmas 1998. 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong

#968 Kerala, India

Kerala is a vibrant state in southern India.With the highest HDI in India, and a prosperous economy and culture, it's a pretty cool place. They are majority Malayali people speaking the Malayalam language, and have a mix of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. How can a place with an unpronounceable capital city such as Thiruvananthapuram not be exciting, and other cities like Kochi and Kozhikode? Spices, elephants, street parades (see the fantastic costumes in the film below), beaches, unique fishing nets, and a lovely climate too!

One of the most unique things about Kerala is its canal house boats. Beautiful ratan constructions with pretty arched windows, they offer all the services of a house or hotel, but moving gently down the rivers and backwaters. Beautiful waterways and birdlife, while the people on the shores wash their clothes or swim in the rivers and wave hello!

One other thing that it is common to see are the traditional martial arts and theatre performances. The energy of the martial arts is impressive and was used for training warriors. The Kathakali theatre tells ancient Hindu tales -- have a look at these videos and see the expressiveness! And yes, in the film below the man is cutting off the woman's breasts.  

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala