Cathay Members’ Choice Awards 2026: World’s most amazing nature escape
Welcome to the Cathay Members’ Choice Awards. Our annual awards celebrate the very best in travel, dining and lifestyle – as voted by you, our global community of tastemakers.
After counting the votes, we’re thrilled to announce the results of this year’s awards. Discover the world’s most amazing nature escape, as well as the three nominees that made it to the shortlist.
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Winner: Fiordland National Park
The ultimate day trip from Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island, Fiordland National Park delivers on visual drama, pipping Kruger National Park to the post in these awards. Sheer cliffs plunge into dark waters, frequent rain feeds roaring waterfalls, and the forest’s almost prehistoric look recalls a fantasy epic. While Milford Sound draws much of the attention, the park stretches far beyond – offering scenic drives, boat trips and long hikes into the wilderness, where you may spot rare native birds such as the curious kea or elusive takahē, as well as red deer. Wild, rugged and remarkably untouched, it remains one of New Zealand’s most awe‑inspiring landscapes.
Shortlisted nominees
Kruger National Park
One of Africa’s iconic wildernesses, Kruger National Park offers a classic safari experience on a monumental scale. Spanning vast savanna landscapes in north-eastern South Africa, the park is home to rare birdlife and dramatically varied ecosystems shaped by rivers and plains. Game drives reveal lions, elephants and leopards against wide, open skies, while remote lodges place travellers deep in nature. Despite its untamed feel, Kruger is just a four‑ to five‑hour drive from Johannesburg.
East Java
For a rugged alternative to Bali that doesn’t sacrifice an inch on beauty, look to the Indonesian province of East Java. With Surabaya as its main gateway, the region packs a ton into its unspoiled stretches: Hindu-Buddhist sites, scenic waterfalls and untouched beaches. At the iconic Mount Bromo, travellers cross ash plains at first light to reach a smoking crater rim, while the challenging hike up Mount Ijen reveals blue flames burning from sulphur vents before a brilliant crater lake appears.
Credit: Kapook2981/Getty Images
Lauterbrunnen Valley
Switzerland’s Lauterbrunnen Valley is a fairytale come to life. Here, 72 waterfalls plunge from high limestone walls into a verdant narrow valley – including the 297-metre Staubbach Falls and the underground Trummelbach Falls, which channel glacial water inside the mountains. Trains, cable cars, and trails lead straight into the Alps, offering some of the region’s best hiking. No wonder it’s said to have inspired JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Better yet, it’s all just a two-hour drive from Zurich.
Credit: Pavel Khiliuta/Getty Images
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