From Scorched Deserts to Lush Jungles, Here’s Where to Find Nature’s Most Striking Landscapes

Queenstown, New Zealand, is popular in the winter, when the slopes fill with snow bunnies, but its dramatic scenery means it’s also a perfect destination year-round. Just outside town, The Rees offer views of snow-capped mountains dipping into glassy Lake Wakatipu. Aside from large, well-appointed rooms, it’s also the perfecting jumping-off point to see some of the surrounding attractions, including Milford Sound.

Scenic flights depart from Queenstown Airport, a few minutes drive from the hotel, crossing through the mountain range and down into the fiord. Flying in one of the tiny planes can be unnerving, but it also offers an unmatched view of the sharp peaks of the Southern Alps before dropping visitors deep in the fiord, where they board a boat to take in the sheer cliffs mirrored by still water.