GLOBETROTTERS MONTHLY CHALLENGE
Floral Beauty Around the World
Because flowers are nature’s smiles
I’ve never seen the cherry blossoms in Japan or the Jacaranda trees in Joburg in full bloom. I never walked through the lavender fields of France’s backcountry or marveled at the tulips in the Netherlands.
But yes, I have seen a fair share of blooming beauties around the world. From rainforest flowers and underwater plants to desert lilies, I’ve seen a lot. And photographed even more.
I’m not going to share and talk about every single flower I’ve seen around the world but I’ve got a few pictures and moments worth mentioning. After talking about green landscapes in last month’s challenge, in April we want to see a festival of colors.
Flowers as decorations (Thailand)
While you wouldn’t travel to Thailand specifically just to see flowers or a certain bloom, you won’t get around exploring the country without being surrounded by some blossoms.
The Thais use flowers to decorate their homes, to show appreciation for their religion, or to pimp up their cocktail. It was wonderful to see how much love for the detail they showed upon serving you something as simple (or as special) as a cocktail.
I didn't travel to Thailand to see flowers or planned our trip to a remote part of the country thinking of the blooming season.
However, I did get lucky to be by chance during the right time in the remote Doi Phu Kha National Park in the North of Thailand and get to see the Phu Kha Flower in full bloom, a plant endemic to this area.
Flowers around my home country (Germany)
While one could say I can't share flowers from Germany as it's my home country but I haven't lived there for the past 8 years or at least not longer than 6 months a year and always in a new area, I still collected a few photographs of different flowers.
These yellow poppy flowers, I spotted when visiting my grandma.
The following year, I got back to Germany in late March and just after welcoming spring, the temperatures dropped and tiny packages of snow-covered tulips, hyacinths and daffodils were to be seen in the garden.
Alpine roses in Austria
When thinking of flowers, I also always remember back to the trip I did with my dad and my husband in 2018 when we hiked across the Alps. It was early June and while we had to walk through snow at higher altitudes, the valleys were covered in these pink-blooming beauties.
Between cattle grazing on the mountain slopes, alpine roses were shining from far painting the meadows with a different color. Turquoise blue glacier water was flowing down the valley next to lush green grass and these blooming flowers.
Spring in Spain
I wasn’t there for travel or photography purposes but if something appears in front of my eyes, it usually doesn’t take long until I pull out my camera.
As I was doing a further training course in skydiving, I drove past fields of poppies and daisies every morning. They made me smile and I started out each morning with a happy feeling.
Water lilies in the Okavango Delta (Botswana)
If we’re leaving the European continent and traveling across the African one, we get to a very unique place, where a river creates an inland delta. The Okavango River never reaches an ocean but transforms an otherwise desert-like terrain into a wetland.
Right here, I went on a mokoro (dugout canoe) trip gliding past fields of water lilies. We camped in the wilderness, heard lions roar at night and went on a walking safari the following morning approaching giraffes and elephants on foot.
Flowers in the Eastern Highlands (Zimbabwe)
Just a bit further East of the delta, you get into another country and another landscape feature. The Eastern Highlands host Zimbabwe’s highest mountain and have a rich ecosystem. Rich in wildlife and vegetation.
When we arrived at the edge of a cliff, we went for a lovely hike just before sunset marveling at all the flowers growing and blooming in between boulders and rocks.
Protea flowers on the Swartberg Pass (South Africa)
A country with a bad name due to some people creating high crime rates but with endless beauty in its landscapes. I’ve been to South Africa three times so far and even got lucky to see the cape in bloom during spring. An experience I will never forget.
During my first visit, I was doing a long road trip. Selecting a mountain pass solely for the views, I was left speechless when spotting these king protea flowers along the slopes.
This was a writing prompt for Globetrotter’s April challenge. This month, we’re looking for spring stories from around the world. Michele Maize has created the introduction post for you to get inspired:
I also loved her submission to the prompt where Michele Maize showcased the beauty of desert flowers and adds an educational lesson to all those ignoring signs along the way.
Claire Elizabeth Levesque brings color to England’s spring presenting fields of bluebells.
And then there they are. The tulips fields in the Netherlands. Krasi Shapkarova managed to share their beauty without getting too distracted by the crowds.
Join my email list here if you would like to read more travel essays or sign up for the Medium membership to receive unlimited access to my and other writers’ stories out here (I will receive a commission fee in return).
WordPress | Shutterstock | Instagram | YouTube | Mailchimp | Amazon
