Iceland offers travellers dramatic contrasts, with fire and ice defining the landscape at every turn.

Some countries are known for their food, others for their culture, and a few for landscapes so striking that they earn poetic nicknames. Tucked away in the North Atlantic is one such destination that feels almost unreal at first glance. Imagine steaming geothermal springs bubbling beside frozen glaciers, or volcanoes rising dramatically near ice-covered plains. Travellers who visit often struggle to describe it in a single word – because it feels like two completely different worlds colliding in one place. Over time, this raw, dramatic contrast has earned the country a nickname that perfectly captures its identity. Let’s find out which place this is, and what makes it stand out.

Why Iceland Is Called The ‘Land of Fire and Ice’

Iceland’s nickname comes from its rare geographical contrast. The country sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, making it one of the most volcanically active regions in the world. This means frequent eruptions, lava fields, geysers, and geothermal springs constantly reshape the land. At the same time, large parts of Iceland remain covered in massive glaciers, creating a striking balance between heat and ice.

Iceland Is Home To Both Fire And Ice

What makes Iceland truly unique is how closely these opposites exist together. You can find glaciers like Vatnajökull – Europe’s largest – not far from active volcanic zones. In some areas, geothermal heat even melts ice from below, forming caves and dramatic-blue formations. This coexistence of extremes is what gives the country its iconic identity.

Geysers, Lava Fields And Ice Caves Define The Experience

From erupting geysers like Strokkur to vast black lava landscapes and shimmering ice caves, Iceland offers a constantly changing visual experience. Unlike destinations known for just one type of scenery, here you get multiple natural wonders in a single trip – often within a few hours’ drive.

Why Travellers Love Iceland

Much like how certain destinations become famous for one defining trait, Iceland’s appeal goes far beyond its nickname. Travellers are drawn to its surreal beauty – from chasing the Northern Lights in winter to witnessing the midnight sun in summer. The country’s landscapes feel untouched, dramatic, and almost cinematic, making it a bucket-list destination for nature lovers and photographers alike.

Best Time To Visit Iceland

Iceland can be visited year-round, but your experience will vary depending on the season.

• Summer (June to August): Best for road trips, green landscapes, and the midnight sun

• Winter (November to March): Ideal for Northern Lights and snowy scenery

• Shoulder seasons: Fewer crowds and balanced weather

How To Reach Iceland

Reaching Iceland from India typically involves connecting flights via Europe or the Middle East. The main international gateway is Keflavík International Airport, located near the capital city, Reykjavik. From there, travellers can explore the country via road trips, guided tours, or rental cars – the most popular way to experience Iceland’s dramatic landscapes.

For travellers drawn to raw nature and dramatic scenery, Iceland’s extremes turn every trip into a journey between fire and ice.

Here’s what you need to know before heading to this idyllic collection of more than 1,000 islands.

The Republic of Maldives, a collection of more than 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean, is known for clear turquoise waters, endless white beaches, and of course, luxurious overwater bungalows—the ideal (and often literal) jumping-off point for unrivaled snorkeling, swimming, and diving.

While there’s no single right way to experience the Maldives, there are several ways you might go wrong. So, whether you’re still in the planning stages or already lounging by your infinity pool in the Baa Atoll, here are nine mistakes to avoid in the Maldives.

Visiting Only One Island

An archipelago of nearly 1,200 islands, the vast majority of which are uninhabited, the Maldives tends to favor a “one island, one resort” approach to hotel development. So you could all too easily journey across the world to see only one tiny, albeit stunning, islet—and maybe a bit of the capital, Malé, which is home to the international airport. Try not to let that happen. Whether you charter a boat, take a day tour to a nearby atoll, or divide your time between two resorts, make sure to get in some island-hopping while you’re here.

Assuming the Maldives Can’t Be Budget-friendly

The Maldives has a well-earned reputation for being ultra-lavish, but visiting on a budget is certainly possible. To cut down on expenses when you arrive, stay at a four-star hotel such as the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma or a local guesthouse.

As for activities on a budget, there are many ways to immerse yourself in local beauty that don’t involve a chartered yacht or helicopter. Those staying at a resort may be able to snorkel along the house reefs or get involved in certain resorts’ reef restoration initiatives, and anyone opting for a rental home can snorkel on select public beaches instead. Plus, staying in a rental home or guesthouse generally gives you access to experiences you can’t put a price on: those that revolve around local life (more on that below).

Missing Out on Local Culture

Because the Maldives tends to be known abroad as a beach destination, its cultural offerings are often overlooked. But in this unique melting pot of Sri Lankan, Indian, Malaysian, Middle Eastern, Indonesian, and African influences, getting to know only the local resorts and reefs would be a big miss. So check out a music or dance performance, try some local cuisine, take a day trip to a fishing village, and never pass up the opportunity to sail anywhere (even from reception to your room) on a small, traditional wooden dhoni.

Not Considering a Charter, Cruise, or Liveaboard for Part of Your Trip

Offering sea safaris around the clear waters and teeming reefs of the Maldives, liveaboards come with a wide range of accommodations and facilities, plus professionals who range from dive and surf instructors to sommeliers. You can even rent your own yacht, houseboat, or small cruising vessel, and customize the staff to your requirements, perhaps with a massage therapist or yoga instructor. That said, island-hopping through this archipelago is so inherently de-stressing, you may find wellness pros superfluous.

Waiting for Your Honeymoon to Visit

Thanks to its profusion of secluded private islands, dreamy overwater bungalows, and unrivaled sunsets, the Maldives will always rank as one of the top honeymoon destinations. But this isn’t a place you need to save for the ultimate romantic getaway. The Maldives is just as well-suited to a girls trip or family escape. In fact, many resorts in the Maldives keep one-upping each other on the family-friendly front.

Forgetting the Reef-safe Sunscreen at Home

Here at the equator, the UV rays are famously strong, so your sunscreen should be high SPF and constantly reapplied, especially when you’re in and out of the water all day. But given what lies beneath—that is, endless tracts of coral and the surrounding technicolor marine life—your sunscreen should be reef-safe, too. While the Maldives hasn’t (yet) joined the growing list of destinations that officially ban chemical sunscreens (only certain physical sunscreens are considered reef-safe), at least one hospitality group with a Maldivian property has banned chemical sunscreens brand-wide: Six Senses.

Not Considering an All-inclusive Resort

Though secluded islands have their benefits, easy access to a wide variety of foods and spirits isn’t one. To avoid the sticker shock of the resulting imports, travelers in the Maldives often choose all-inclusive resorts. Yes, the nightly rates and fees may exceed others, but many guests find that bundling in the cost of food and drink is the most palatable approach here.

Not Combining the Maldives With a Trip to Asia

For all the seclusion it offers, the Maldives is shockingly accessible. You’ll find regular direct flights from, say, Colombo, Sri Lanka (about two hours) or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (four and a half hours), so you can easily pair a Maldivian interlude with a trip to an Asian hub.

Skipping the Bioluminescent Views

While the daytime views get all the screensaver glory, nights are no less magical in the Maldives, especially along the sometimes naturally illuminated shores. Somewhat rare and elusive—but perhaps best seen from April to November—this ethereal light show is caused by visiting bioluminescent plankton that create a glow-in-the-dark effect at the water’s edge.

The Dead Sea, located 430 meters below sea level, is a hypersaline lake known for its buoyant waters and mineral-rich mud but is rapidly shrinking.

There are very few places on Earth that make you feel genuinely, physically different the moment you step into them. The Dead Sea is one of them. Sitting at approximately 430 metres below sea level on the Jordanian side of the Jordan Rift Valley, this ancient, mineral-rich salt lake is not just the lowest point on Earth; it is one of the most extraordinary places a human being can visit. It is also dying. The water level drops by over a metre every single year, and the lake has already lost nearly a third of its surface area since the 1960s. So, if you want to visit the sea that makes you float, now is the time. Here is everything you need to know.

What Even Is the Dead Sea?

Let’s start with the basics, because a lot of people arrive with a fairly fuzzy understanding of what the Dead Sea actually is. Despite the name, it is not a sea. The Dead Sea is a landlocked salt lake, with the befitting Hebrew name, Yam Hamelakh, which translates to “Sea of Salt.” It sits in the Jordan Rift Valley, bordered by Jordan to the east, and is fed primarily by the Jordan River entering from the north.

As of 2025, the lake’s surface sits 439.78 metres below sea level, making its shores the lowest land-based elevation on Earth. It is 304 metres deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world, with a salinity of about 34.2%, roughly 9.6 times as salty as the ocean, and a density that makes swimming feel almost exactly like floating.

That salinity is the reason for everything the Dead Sea is famous for. It is the reason you float, the reason the mud is therapeutically special, the reason the water looks impossibly blue and clear, and, ironically, the reason almost nothing lives in it.

Why You Float (And Why It Feels Completely Bizarre)

If you’ve ever tried floating on your back in a regular swimming pool, you’ll know it requires some effort. In the Dead Sea, effort is the one thing you don’t need. No matter how much you try, you are simply pushed to the top. The water feels warm, oily because of the high salt content, but it doesn’t leave a coating on your body. As you walk further into the water, you can feel yourself being lifted slowly, and then, before you know it, you’re floating.

The physics behind it is simple enough. The extreme salt concentration makes the water far denser than your body, so you are literally buoyed upward by the water around you. What physics cannot quite prepare you for is the feeling, the strange, weightless, slightly surreal experience of sitting upright in water, reading a newspaper or holding your arms out to the sides like you’re reclining in an invisible chair. People laugh involuntarily when they first feel it. It is one of those rare experiences that genuinely cannot be replicated or fully described.

A few important rules before you get in: do not get the water in your eyes or mouth, stay on your back, as it can cause serious pain and nausea. Do not shave or have any open cuts before entering, because the salt concentration will sting intensely. And do not stay in for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a stretch, as the high mineral content can dehydrate you surprisingly quickly.

The Mud: More Than a Photo Opportunity

One of the most memorable parts of the Dead Sea experience, and one that most visitors approach as a giggling photo opportunity, is the black mineral mud. Dead Sea mud is said to contain around 25 minerals, each with different healing properties. The mineral composition includes potassium, magnesium, calcium, bromine, and sodium, among others.

The high concentration of salts and minerals in the Dead Sea, making life nearly impossible within it, has spurred a wellness industry. Mud baths and scrubs are believed to alleviate conditions like arthritis, eczema, and psoriasis. Medical tourism to the Dead Sea dates back thousands of years, with Cleopatra reportedly ordering mud for skincare and Romans valuing its medicinal properties. At a resort, the ritual involves covering yourself in mud, letting it dry, soaking in the water for 10 minutes, and then exfoliating with Dead Sea salt. Your skin feels softer and tighter. The silence and unique landscape create an unparalleled atmosphere.

Do note that the mud stains dark clothing; wear an old swimsuit or a dark-coloured one on your visit.

Is Anything Actually Alive Here?

“Dead” is a strong word. The Dead Sea is not completely lifeless. Microscopic organisms that have evolved to thrive in the presence of extreme salinity can be found here in abundance, including one that can bloom during the summer months and lend the water a reddish tinge. There’s also a green microalgae called Dunaliella. Freshwater springs at the bottom of the Dead Sea give rise to colonies of bacteria. There are also 80 species of fungi on the seabed.

Above the water, the surrounding Jordan Rift Valley is actually a significant bird migration corridor. White storks, honey buzzards, and lesser-spotted eagles pass through here on their way to and from Africa every autumn and spring.

Why It’s Dying, And Why That Should Make You Go Now

This is the part that most travel guides gloss over, but it deserves to be said plainly. The Dead Sea is in serious trouble, and the situation has been getting worse for decades.

The Dead Sea, primarily fed by the Jordan River, has seen a drastic reduction in water inflow due to upstream irrigation and water needs. Once receiving 1.3 billion cubic metres annually, the river now contributes only about 100 million cubic metres, mostly agricultural runoff and sewage. This has led to the sea’s rapid shrinkage since the 1960s, reaching 439 metres below sea level by 2025, with a drop of over a metre per year. By 2021, its surface had decreased by about 33 per cent since the 1960s, from over 1,000 square kilometres in the 1930s to 600 square kilometres today. This shrinkage has caused a secondary crisis: sinkholes along the coastline, threatening residential areas, roads, and lives. These sinkholes result from the chemical dissolution of salt layers as the water recedes. To maintain its current size, the Dead Sea requires 160 billion gallons of water annually, but it receives only about 10 per cent of that. Proposals, like a pipeline from the Red Sea, remain unimplemented. The reality is that the Dead Sea will be significantly smaller in ten years, with its future size uncertain. If you’re planning a visit, the best time was twenty years ago; the second-best is now.

A Comprehensive Travel Guide for Indian Visitors

Getting to Jordan from India

Direct and one-stop flights are available from major Indian cities to Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport. Flying time is roughly 5 to 7 hours with a connection. The Dead Sea is about 55 kilometres from Amman, making it a perfectly manageable day trip from the capital, or an overnight or multi-night stay.

Visa for Indian Passport Holders

Indian citizens need a visa to enter Jordan. Tourists can obtain an eVisa or a visa on arrival at the border. You’ll need a valid passport with at least six months of validity, proof of accommodation, evidence of funds, and travel insurance. The Jordan Pass, available online before your trip, is worth considering if you plan to see multiple sites. It bundles the visa fee and entry to over 40 attractions, including Petra and other historical sites.

When to Go

The best time to visit the Dead Sea is during the late fall or early spring months, when the weather is milder, March to late May and late September to November. Temperatures during these months average 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, which is pleasant for outdoor activity and floating. Winter is actually very manageable, with daytime temperatures around 20 to 21 degrees Celsius, and this is when hotel prices are at their lowest.

Where to Stay and What It Costs

The Dead Sea’s resort strip near Sweimeh features international luxury hotels with private beach access, spas, and freshwater pools. The Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea is renowned for its meditation, yoga, spa treatments, and nine pools. The Mövenpick Resort and Spa resembles a traditional Arabic village with a vast spa. Other options include the Marriott Dead Sea Resort, Hilton Dead Sea, and the Dead Sea Spa Hotel, the first locally owned resort with the largest beach. Day passes are available, like Mövenpick’s at 55 JOD weekdays, 65 JOD weekends. Budget travellers can stay in Madaba, 40 minutes away.

What Else to Do Nearby

The Dead Sea is not just a floating destination. The surrounding area is one of the historically densest regions on Earth. Just 25 kilometres away is Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have been shown the Promised Land before his death. The views from the summit across the Jordan Valley towards the Dead Sea are extraordinary, especially at dawn. The Dead Sea Panorama Complex, a 15-minute drive into the mountains above the water, offers a museum with fascinating exhibits on the geology, ecology, and history of the area, along with panoramic views of the entire lake from above. The ancient city of Madaba, with its 6th-century mosaic map, is also a short drive away. Wadi Mujib, often called the Grand Canyon of Jordan, offers canyoning and trekking through dramatic gorges that empty into the Dead Sea. The Wadi Mujib Nature Reserve is also a spectacular hiking destination in its own right.

Currency and Practical Tips

The currency is the Jordanian Dinar (JOD). One JOD is approximately 1.41 USD, so roughly 117 INR. Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels and larger establishments. Carry some cash for local taxis and small purchases. Jordanians are incredibly hospitable; a simple shukran (thank you) goes a long way. Public displays of affection are uncommon, and always ask before taking photographs of people. Dress codes at the beach and resorts are relaxed; cover up when visiting historical and religious sites.

The water temperature of the Dead Sea remains around 22 to 23 degrees Celsius throughout the year, which means the floating experience is pleasant in any season.

The Lowest Point On Earth

The Dead Sea is one of those destinations that crosses the line from holiday into genuine experience. You come away with something you can’t quite articulate but know you have, the memory of floating weightless in a geological anomaly that has existed for three million years and is quietly, steadily, running out of time. The energy of the water and the surrounding beach make visitors feel as if they are in a place that was nothing less than whimsy, a moment that always feels as if it is in pause mode.

For Indian travellers, the practical picture is simple enough. Jordan is visa-accessible, safe, welcoming to visitors, and enormously rich in experiences beyond the Dead Sea alone. Pair your visit with Petra, Wadi Rum, and Amman, and you have one of the most satisfying itineraries the Middle East can offer. But start with the water. Stand at the lowest point on Earth, lean back, let it hold you up, and stay a little longer than you planned to. You’ll want to.

Photojournalist Tim Baker has been Wendy’s personal photographer (not to mention her husband) for decades. Not only has he shot gorgeous landscapes and emotive portraits all over the globe, he’s also covered the action in war zones and pro football stadiums. During WOW Week 2026, Tim gave a very popular talk on easy ways to improve your travel photos. Watch his full talk below and learn how to take better action shots, nighttime shots, food shots, wildlife shots, and much more. He also shares tips for cropping, editing, and small gear that can make a huge difference.

As you heard in the video, Tim stands by an old saying in photography: “The best camera is the one you have with you.”  For many travelers, that’s their mobile phone. Here are Tim’s tips for taking better photos specifically with your smartphone:

Clean your phone’s camera lenses. Clean them before almost every shoot, especially when around salt water or sunny weather. (You might be wearing sunscreen and accidentally brush your arm up against the lenses, giving them a coating of SPF 100 and your photos an unwelcome misty quality.) You can clean the lenses with anything you would use to clean your glasses.

Take action shots. Ask yourself: What is the verb in the picture? Rather than having people pose for every photo, try to capture interaction and movement. For instance, shoot your family taking part in a cooking class, interacting with local people at a market, or bobsledding down a mountain—not just standing beside the chef, the fishmonger, or the bobsled.

Instead of using the flash, use a flashlight. Since the flash on phone cameras produces horrible results, borrow someone else’s phone and use its flashlight feature to light the backlit subjects. (Watch the video to see the pocket-sized light that Tim also carries.)

When shooting a food photo, light it up. Food pictures should look delicious! Use someone else’s phone in flashlight mode to brighten the dish. Food often looks the best with backlighting.

If a group of people is posing, take multiple photos. Often one person in the group will have their eyes closed or won’t be smiling at the exact moment when you snap the photo. Shoot several times, then choose the shot where everybody in the group has their eyes open and is smiling.

For portraits, turn the subjects away from dead center to the camera. Have them point their feet an eighth of a turn away from square to the camera. Their shoulders will naturally turn too, giving a more pleasing, less driver’s-license look.

Use the phone’s camera grid to follow the “Rule of Thirds.” The rule basically says: Don’t put a horizon line or subject in the dead center of a frame. Turn your camera’s grid on and place the subject at any of the four points where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect.

Use the sun-icon slider to adjust the light. Learn to use the exposure compensation feature (which you can pull up by simply tapping your phone’s screen while in camera mode). The exposure of a subject can be “fooled” by very bright or dark scenes. Using exposure compensation can improve the photo; it’s especially useful with scenic shots.

When shooting close-ups, tap the screen to select the part of the image that you want to be sharpest. When shooting foods or busy scenes, the camera may pick one focus point, whereas you want another. Tapping on the specific focus point that you want tells the camera to focus on that.

Take horizontal photos. We naturally orient our phones vertically, but many shots are best composed horizontally, in what’s called “landscape.” Try both orientations—unlike in the days of film, it’s free to shoot, and you can delete what doesn’t work.

Avoid using the zoom. When you zoom, all you are doing is cropping the original image, which can result in blurry photos because of their small file size. It’s better to walk in closer to your subject instead. (But if zooming is the only possible option, go ahead and try it.)

Use burst mode for shooting fast-moving action. Say your spouse is in the Tour de France and they will pedal by in a heartbeat. Using burst mode (approximately 10 photos per second) will greatly increase your chances of getting THE shot. Once you decide which shot was THE shot, you can delete the other nine to save space.

When shooting video, know that you can take still photos at the same time. Videos are great when you want to capture sound or action. Once you start recording a video, a white button will appear above the red record button; that is now the shutter button that allows you to take still photos while still recording.

Don’t oversaturate. If you’re using the in-phone editing tool, experiment with moving the various sliders around, but don’t boost the saturation too much. It can give your photo a phony Chamber-of-Commerce look.

Last but not least, overshoot and overedit. Don’t hesitate to shoot a lot of pictures, since this will give you more options when you’re ready to edit them. But then make tough editing choices, so that you show people only your very best. Everyone will think you’re a great photographer!