Tucked within the quiet town of Minamiaso in Kumamoto Prefecture lies a sacred pool of impossibly clear water: Shirakawa Suigen. This isn’t just a pretty pond. It’s the literal birthplace of the Shirakawa River, one of the major water sources for the entire region. What makes it truly special isn’t just the water’s purity—but the sense that you’ve stumbled upon something quietly magical.

On the sun-scorched southern coast of France, wedged between the bustle of Marseille and the calm of Cassis, lies a slice of wilderness that looks like it leapt out of a Mediterranean dream. Welcome to Parc National des Calanques, a national park where jagged limestone cliffs plunge into turquoise coves so clear, they look Photoshopped.