From eye-popping villages to landscapes painted by nature, these multi-coloured rainbow destinations are guaranteed to brighten up your day.
Explore them on your 2nd honeymoon, Renewing your Vows, or just a romantic getaway somewhere different with that special someone in your life!
1. KAMPUNG WARNA, JODIPAN, INDONESIA
Just south of Malang, a city in East Java, Kampung is an explosion of colour in what was once a drab corner of Indonesia.
Management students from a nearby university came up with the idea of painting the houses. A local paint company donated the paint. And a previously unremarkable village was turned into a happy place of rainbow colours, suddenly receiving an influx of money from selfie-seeking visitors.
It also inspired locals to clean up their rubbish-strewn river, so there has been a positive environmental impact, too.
2. GRAND PRISMATIC SPRING, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, USA
Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the USA and the third largest thermal spring on the planet.
But it’s the rainbow-coloured bands of heat-loving bacteria that make it truly memorable.
The sulphur fumes may burn your eyes, but it's certainly photo worthy.
3. THE BO-KAAP, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Sitting at the foot of Signal Hill on the fringes of central Cape Town, Bo-Kaap was once known as the Malay Quarter, home to workers brought in from Malaysia, Indonesia and the rest of Africa to work.
Built in the 1760s and rented to the workers, the houses had to be white as per the terms of the lease.
When the workers were eventually allowed to buy the properties, they painted them in bright colours to express their freedom and individuality.
4. RED SEA, EGYPT
The Red Sea boasts one of the richest and most diverse underwater eco-systems in the world, with over 1,200 species of fish, 10% of which can’t be found anywhere else.
This is largely due to the 2,000 kilometres of coral reef along its coast. Some of the coral is 5,000 - 7,000 years old.
It’s lost none of its vibrancy, and coupled with the neon fish that call it home, remains one of the most colourful places on earth.
5. RAINBOW VILLAGE, TAICHUNG, TAIWAN
What began as an attempt to save houses in the Nantun District of Taichung has turned into one of Taiwan’s most popular and colourful tourist attractions.
Former soldier, Huang Yung-Fu, started painting houses in the settlement to stop them from being demolished.
Over the years he has added colourful artwork, including birds, animals and people, to most of the remaining houses in the village, gaining it the moniker of Rainbow Village.
6. VINICUNCA, PERU
A two-hour drive from Cusco, Vinicunca, Peru’s Rainbow Mountain, has become one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions.
Formed millions of years ago, the ridges of sediment are made up of a variety of minerals, each providing its own vibrant hue of either pink, yellow, turquoise, and burgundy.
Sitting at 5,200 metres, you’ll need to take time to acclimatise to the altitude – and the mix of colours.
7. GUATAPÉ, COLOMBIA
A bumpy three-hour bus ride from Medellin, the tiny traditional pueblo of Guatepé is full of brightly coloured colonial-era homes, embellished with delicate painting of llamas, sunflowers, parrots and guitars.
The Plaza de Zocalos is rainbow-coloured, too, and the perfect place to have a drink and people watch.
8. SEVEN COLOURED EARTHS , CHAMAREL, MAURITIUS
A series of colourful dunes in the middle of tropical rainforest, the Seven Coloured Earths near Charamel in Mauritius is believed to have formed from the decomposition of volcanic rocks.
It has settled into stripes of colour ranging from violet and red through to yellow and blue and is best viewed at sunrise, when the colours are at their most vibrant.
9. CINQUE TERRE, ITALY
Hugging the rugged coastline and tumbling down towards the Ligurian Sea, the five tiny villages that make up Cinque Terre are a riot of colour.
Walking the jagged coast path between them is one of Italy’s most treasured treks, rewarding hikers with fresh sea air and spectacular views, especially when you round a headland and catch your first sight of villages like Vernazza and Manarola.
10. TULIP FIELDS, KEUKENHOF, THE NETHERLANDS
Between March and May every year, the fields around Keukenhof in the Netherlands are transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour as the country’s world famous tulips bloom.
They’re not just for show.
These tulips will be picked and sent all around the world, an important source of revenue for this tiny country.
That doesn’t make it any less spectacular, especially when framed with one of the Netherlands' famous windmills.
11. RAINBOW ROW, CHARLESTON, USA
This row of historic houses in Charleston, South Carolina, is the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States.
With their bright colours and mature trees, they are also amongst the most beautiful. You’ll find them on East Bay Street, north of Tradd Street, and south of Elliott Street.
12. MEENAKSHI AMMAN TEMPLE, MADURAI, INDIA
This ancient city on the Vaigai River in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is dominated by the 14 colourful gopurams (gateway towers) of Meenakshi Amman Temple.
It's festooned with thousands of rainbow-coloured carvings of Hindu gods. It is also home to colourful celebrations, like the Chithirai Festival, held every April to celebrate Meenakshi and Lord Vishnu.
Contents per wanderlust.co.uk
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