With the potential for a spectacular light show and attendant feelings of excited yearning – the result, no doubt, of a night well spent or a morning just begun – it is no small wonder the sunrise holds a special place in many travelers’ hearts.
From the highest mountain to the most-deserted beach, it is a chance to revel in the mystical stillness of a foreign land and watch on as the day gradually takes shape. Here we present five of our favourites, earned through years of early rising or being in the right place at the right time.
Read more: Bunaken: A Quick Capsule Guide to Island Life in Sulawesi.
Bangkok, Thailand: BKK slowly awakes from its slumber, the city’s pollution casting a pleasingly iridescent hue as Southeast Asia’s throbbing metropolis roars into life.
Bunaken, Indonesia: A genuinely magical island paradise in the north of Sulawesi, Bunaken positively shimmers as the sun peers over the distant horizon and through the mangrove forests.
Isla Colón, Panama: The Bocas del Toro archipelago is the prime location for sunrises in Panama, with Colón witnessing purple-tinged, expansive examples of the peculiar melancholy of breaking dawn.
Old Harry Rocks, UK: Two cows engage in a spot of sun worship as Dorset’s most enduring landmark becomes swaddled in light.
Erg Chebbi, Morocco: With its endless shifting sands visitors to the Sahara can enjoy some spectacular sunrises and if you’re lucky a camel may let you watch its morning voguing routine.
Eye In The Middle 