City life, with its noise levels and constant bustle, can often wear away at our senses and add to stress. Seeking quiet retreats is a necessity for our health, to help one breathe easy again.
Forbes just released a selection of places across the world that celebrate The Quiet.
Places where one can clear the mind, and reconnect with the soul. Read on...
1. Nakasendo Way, Japan
Ginza and other parts of Tokyo showcase the glittering, high-paced Japan.
What's lovely about this country is that Old Japan is alive and well in in so many quiet corners, like Nakasendo Way. Nakasendo means 'the road through the mountains'.
Old-world settlements line this trail. Moving along the ancient path, you’ll often find friendly people walking beside you, turning the trip into a warm and memorable experience.
The route passes through calm rural stretches and eventually leads towards the lovely Kiso Mountains.
2. Patagonia
This far, falling-off-the-map end of South America feels like a place made for dreamers and nature lovers. An immense gorgeous land shared by Argentina and Chile, it's so beautiful its unreal.
Frozen fjords. The strong winds. Sharp mountain silhouettes. Glassy waters. Protected areas like Torres del Paine National Park and Los Glaciares National Park. Every vista is incredible.
3. National Parks of United States
Most tourists who show up in America head to the Big Apple. Or to see Washington DC's National Mall and the Smithsonian Museum. Else to New Orleans, San Francisco, Florida. Or Disneyland. Hollywood. Las Vegas.
They don't head to see some of the US's fabulous national parks, often because of lack of mobility. That's where America the Beautiful resides, between Sea To Shining Sea.
There's the remarkable group of parks in Utah: Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Park.
Far to the north, Alaska offers Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park.
Vast Montana rolls out the legendary Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park with their Wild Montana Skies.
All places of unbelievable natural beauty. Empty and stunning.
4. West Highland Way, Scotland
Wild, windswept Scotland, with its harsh weather and craggy landscape, is where Nature plays out so much drama.
If O ye'll take the high road and I'll take the low road, ye'll be in Scotland to see some of the most poetic scenery of a lifetime.
The 154 km WHW winds its way through the Scottish Highlands, from Milngavie, close to Glasgow, wandering past Loch Lomond, Glen Falloch, Strath Fillan, Glencoe, peaceful glens, glacial lochs or lakes, through shifting landscapes of unforgettable beauty, to reach Fort William in the Highlands,
Those sweeping views will stay with you always.
5. Byron Bay, Australia
The ideal place for a restorative break, the pretty beach town in North South Wales, close the Queensland, is where relaxation can come via surfing, bicycling, hiking, whale spotting.
The stillness and vistas from Byron Bay lighthouse are to die for.
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