The Most Beautiful Place on Earth --
Readers Have Made Their Decisions!
by www.SixWise.com

This past summer we published an article, The 10 Most Beautiful Places on Earth, which proved to be one of our most popular -- and controversial -- ever. Yes, our choices were tilted a bit in favor of U.S. places, but the editorial team here at SixWise.com is from the U.S., and while we have traveled the world to some extent, we certainly haven't even been close to everywhere.

That's why in that article we asked readers like YOU to tell us what you think the single most beautiful place on earth is. And we have been overwhelmed with responses ever since.

Finally, here is a somewhat representative sampling of those responses, with a few quirky ones thrown in (we can see how "my backyard" and "my kitchen table" qualify, though!)

This can only be a subjective exercise in the end, of course, as our earth affords us endless "most beautiful places" ... but it still is fun to argue about which is the best of the best. (And judging from the sheer volume of responses, it seems Sedona, Arizona would be THE most beautiful ... ok, before we get more angry letters from our European readers, we KNOW our readers are more so from the U.S. and therefore perhaps biased. Perhaps. ;) )

Readers Cite "The Most Beautiful Place on Earth"

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, and Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

The little village of Gryon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland because of its unbelievably beautiful views of the Alps and the valley below, breathtaking sunsets and most of what man has created there just adds to the beauty!

The Isle of Skye in Scotland and the Fjords of Norway.

Iguazu Falls -- Argentina/Brazil. The largest waterfalls in the world, all together. Huge, breathtaking, full of life and a large variety of species.

Great Smoky Mountain Park, Gatlinburg, TN Miles of gorgeous unspoiled hiking trails, scenic drives, fresh air, peace and quiet, wildlife, flowering foliage, sparkling creeks, animal life, etc. Something for everybody.

. This small village is situated on the North Coast of Kwa Zulu Natal in South Africa. The name Mtunzini means place in the shade. There is a beautifull protected beach, Hundreds of different species or birds. wildlife and beautiful people.

Bagan, Myanmar. Thousands of pagodas along the skyline. Not too many cars, mostly bicycles and horse and carriage.

-- beaches look like a post card picture. Relatively undiscovered and unspoiled -- not overly developed.

I would nominate Highway 12 in Utah as one of the most beautiful and relaxing drives in the world. I would also nominate Mesa Verde National Park as the most spectacular and ahead of its time place to capture in your mind at least once or twice in your life... To sit and capture how the Anasazi Indians may have lived in a nomadic type of live style and ask yourself how and why did they disappear?

San Juan Islands, Washington State. Inland waterways, thousands of islands, numerous marine species, including resident Killer Whales, gorgeous sunsets make this one of the most special places.

Olympic National Park in Western Washington State. Because of its pure verdant, primordial, natural beauty.

Valley of Flowers. India, is also a place worth including.

Venice, Italy is one of the most beautiful places on earth because of the uniqueness and elegance of the city.

Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays, Australia. The most pure white silica sand you have ever seen, surrounded by crystal blue water. Just beautiful!

Mackinac Island -- a step back in time with no cars only bicycles, carriage rides, and walking for transportation. You can circle the entire island on bikes and enjoy the water scenery and the beautiful homes on the island. When you get tired, get off the bike, roll up your pants, and wade in the water and skip rocks.

The Angkor Wat in Cambodia is an ancient Hindu temple with the most beautiful architecture depicting scenes from ancient religious texts. The temple is placed amidst a very lovely verdant setting. Monks still practice in the temple and there is just a real spirituality to the place. It is just the most wonderful place to visit because you feel so at peace.

Lake Powell, in Arizona and Utah, is the most beautiful place I have ever visited. The red rock formations are perfectly protected from any influences of man. They take my breath away!

Victoria Falls, in Zambia, Africa. It is probably one of the natural wonders of the world.

Yosemite National Park is one of the most awesome places on earth. The huge solid rock mountains, sheer cliffs, and waterfalls are beautiful.

The drama of Yosemite Valley is incomparable. Float down the Merced River and look up at the sheer granite cliff of Half Dome and hike by beautiful waterfalls.

Panglao Island, Bohol, Philippines!

Northern New England in the autumn. It is surreal and the air is so refreshing. When the Birch trees turn golden it as though you are walking in Heaven on streets of gold.

I read somewhere of the ten most beautiful places to see before you die, Santorini, Greece was number one.

Washington State North Cascades Scenic Highway -- Like a trip through the Swiss Alps! A two-lane highway that winds its way through the North Cascades National Park and into the Okanagon National Forest. Travel past waterfalls, river valleys, and snowcapped pinnacles. Closed in winter due to snow, but a wonderful drive in summer.

Canyon Lands, Utah... vast beautiful untouched. Chaco Canyon, New Mexico... You have to be there to see/feel the beauty.

The Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia are the most beautiful gardens I have seen and definitely one of my favorite places in the world. They are breathtaking and you feel like you are in heaven when you are there!

The area north of Durango, Colorado -- beautiful mountain peaks, streams, forests, and lakes.

Niagara Falls, of course! Not only is it visually beautiful, night and day, but the sound of the waters plunging over the side and the delicate droplets of water blowing against your face is beyond awesome.

My own backyard. We have a portion of the family farm in upstate NY. 40 very private acres of woods, fields, wildlife and a beautiful pond. Nothing nicer anywhere!

Pick any place in Greece! I think when the Bible spoke of Paradise....it was referring to this country. I have visited many islands and much of the mainland and have yet to find an undesirable area of this magnificent country. I think it would be wise for your staff to investigate and include Greece in your top 10!

Sedona, Arizona -- Instead of going down like the Grand Canyon, Sedona goes up.

Sedona, Arizona -- As you drive into town you are overcome by breathtaking red rock formations all around you. There is something truly magical about Sedona aside from its natural beauty.

Sedona, Arizona -- Amazing contrasts of very red rock formations with green trees and shrubs. Not too mention, close by forests, streams, and lots of flowers!

Sedona, Arizona would still be second to the Grand Canyon.

The Ring of Kerry in Ireland. The contrast of colors is stunning--vivid blues and greens.

The Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. The reef extends for over 2000 km in the tropics, it has an enormous diversity of coral, fish and other marine life. There are many islands along the reef with prolific bird life.

Capri, Italy. One word: breathtaking

Capri, Italy -- The Roman Cesar Augustus and Tiberius had it right, when they spent most of their time ruling the world from this beautiful island. Breathtaking views, great people, food, and very refreshing.

Yellowstone National Park. The skies are blue, the trees are green, and the buffalo are cool.

Sunrise at , an extinct volcano, on Maui

The rainforest on the island of Kona in Hawaii, where the hanging bridge gave the illusion of floating through the dense wilderness. It was magical since I could not see the sky above nor could I see the floor below through the thickness.....it seemed to be endless.

Lancaster County, PA. Beautiful farm lands!

Milford Sound, New Zealand, puts most of these to shame

Rocky Mountain National Forest in Colorado!

Sequoia National Park, California. The grandness of the trees and the magnificence of the granite rock, indescribable and breathless.

Taj Mahal in Agra, India. It is a thing of beauty. One must see it to know about the greatness.

Macchu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes is just an incredible place to visit. The architectural ruins are set amidst the majestic green mountains is like a dream. It is a very spiritual place and a great place to meditate. There is also lots of hiking there for the adventurous.

The most beautiful place on earth is at my kitchen table when I invite family over for dinner. To see the smiles of my family and enjoy each others company is absolutely breathtaking.