#NoFilter. The World’s Most Enviable Photo Opportunities

It’s 2016, and the ancient philosophical question ‘If a tree falls in the forest, and no-one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’ has been updated to fit our digital age. Now, it’s ‘If an adventurer takes a trip somewhere exotic, and she forgets to post about it on Instagram, did it really happen?’ Well, with our list of awe-inspiring photo opportunities, you can sit back and watch those Instagram likes climb as your followers turn green with envy – here’s our guide to some of the most jaw-dropping photo ops the natural world can offer you. From the easy-to-access to the truly remote and obscure, these locations will put you on the (Instagram) map as a traveller worth following!

1. Trompe-l’oeil, Paris

Image credit to google

Start your Instagram tour in Paris at this stunning optical illusion – it might be hard to convince your followers your photo of this brain-fart of a building isn’t photoshopped, but it’s so worth trying! This apparent architectural anomaly actually has a very simple explanation – photographer Pierre Delavie took photos of the building, distorted them, printed them on huge canvasses and pasted them over the façade of the building, creating an illusion which will have you (and your online following) questioning the nature of reality. 

2. The Wave, Arizona 

Image credit to google

 Another trippy optical illusion, this insane looking sandstone rock formation in Arizona, US is elevated 5,225 feet above sea-level, and your amazing photo will be the culmination of a challenging hike. There’s a lot of competition to see the Wave, which, of course, only adds to its Instagram appeal. Much like a members-only club or a boutique event, only 10 individual next-day passes are handed out to see the Wave each day.

3. Rainbow Mountains, China

Image credit to google

 These psychedelic, rainbow-frosted mountains need to be top of your to-gram list – it’s hard to imagine anywhere on Earth that’s going to steal the spotlight off these beauties. Frenetic stripes of Crayola-coloured sandstone have been created through a combination of weather-wear, freeze-thawing and erosion, allowing the multi-coloured rocks beneath the surface to shine through. Located in the Danxia National Park in China’s Gansu Provice, special viewing platforms have been established around the formations – strictly for your selfie-ing pleasure, of course.

4. Batu Caves, Malaysia

Image credit to google

 These remarkable sacred caves in Gomba will have you booking your flight from London to Kuala Lumpur in a frenzy of Instagram likes acquisition – from huge golden statues to towering multi-coloured lichen-lined cave walls filled with intricate wooden carvings, these caves are as photogenic as they are unique. Said to be 400-million years old, these caves make a remarkable contrast between the raw natural beauty of the limestone, and the intricate craftsmanship of the temples and figurines. You won’t be able to stop snapping! With a miasma of mischevious macaques and monkeys around to pose with, you might want to keep a close hold on your camera – you don’t want to end up embroiled in a monkey-selfie copyright case like nature photographer David Slater.

So pick up your selfie-stick, dust off your duck-face and check out our bucket list of must-visit photo ops – you’ll be an Instagram celeb in no time!