Top Travel Highlights from BBC's Planet Earth: Expert Picks by Tony Wheeler and Mark Brownlow
BBC's acclaimed Planet Earth documentary showcases stunning nature footage from over 200 locations across 62 countries. Lonely Planet's The Traveller's Guide to Planet Earth, a richly illustrated companion, guides you to 50 of the series' most iconic destinations.
Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler and Planet Earth producer Mark Brownlow selected their top three spots that capture the planet's breathtaking beauty and wonder.
Tony Wheeler's Picks
1. Tibetan Plateau
One lap around Mt. Kailash washes away the sins of a lifetime—or so the legend goes. Well, this lifetime; it'd take 107 more circuits for all past lives.
This is just a glimpse of western Tibet's magic: endless vistas, ancient ruined cities, and locals whose spiritual beliefs blend seamlessly with the dramatic landscape. The ultimate thrill? Ending your journey with a week's drive east to Lhasa—far from the nearest airport.
2. Antarctica
Antarctica's sheer simplicity is mesmerizing. Colors are stark: blue skies and seas, white snow and ice (plus half of every penguin), and black rocks, whales, and the rest of the penguins. Wildlife mirrors this drama—few species, but vast numbers. One penguin delights; 10,000 overwhelm. No wonder visits often inspire repeat trips.
3. Australian Outback
Australia's cities and Great Barrier Reef are wonders, but the Outback deserts truly define it. Every trip delivers: 4WD roller-coasters over thousands of Simpson Desert dunes or foot treks along the rugged Larapinta Trail. Yet, this love affair carries an edge of danger—like an unpredictable partner with a hidden knife.
Mark Brownlow's Picks
1. Angel Falls
Vertigo sufferers beware: peering over the world's tallest waterfall's near-1,000m drop, with no railing, is heart-stopping. The water mists away long before reaching Devil's Canyon below. In the distance: tepuis inspiring Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World—jungle-clad, isolated plateaus. Pterodactyls optional.
2. Lake Baikal
Fracturing ice booms as Siberia's deepest lake thaws under spring sun. Crossing its meter-thick crust by campervan in March's narrow window is risky—but rewarding. Dive through ice holes into a freshwater realm of sculpted ice, sponge forests, giant amphipods, and quirky Baikal seals.
3. Great Whites and Fur Seals off South Africa
Raw brutality unfolds at Seal Island, 12 miles from Simon’s Town in the Western Cape. Cape fur seal pups commute to fishing grounds; great white sharks ambush. Dawn charters offer front-row seats to sharks torpedoing skyward. Voyeuristic and bloody, yet hypnotic. Surfing afterward? Think twice.
Discover 50 extraordinary destinations from BBC's Planet Earth.
