Stunning. Never before has a panoramic vista engulfed me in a wave of emotion quite like the view from atop Corcovado, where Cristo Redentor stands. I felt in awe, lost, shocked, overwhelmed, humble, euphoric, proud and a whole host of other emotions as I look across Guanabara Bay.

Never has the old adage of no resemblence resonated as true as it does here. Rio de Janeiro really is 'one of a kind' with nowhere else on earth quite like it.

The view of Rio de Janeiro from Corcovado is virtually 360 degrees. All the way round there is something to see from the unique geographical formation of the land, to the modern tall buildings in the more affluent areas of Ipanema and Leblon. Then there's the famous stretches of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, and the view of the spherical Maracana football stadium.

The stark divide between rich and poor could also not be more severe.
Surrounding the Ipanema Jockey Club is a wealthy neighbourhood of several hundred houses complete with tennis courts and swimming pools, whilst a glance to the left, literally across the road, is one of Rio de Janeiro's biggest slums (or 'favelas', as they say in Portuguese). This place, this view, not only makes you ponder the social injustices of the locals, but really does make you reassess your priorities in your own life and gain some perspective on what really matters.

Aside from the stunning view, Christ Himself towers over you and your thoughts. Walking up the final few steps didn't feel real. It felt like I was back in time in some mythological Greek era walking up to the Colossus of Rhodes.

If you are in Rio, there is no excuse not to visit this, as it is a once in a lifetime experience. Yes, you can go again and again if you wish, but nothing prepares you, or at least it didn't with me, for the wave of thoughts and emotions that crash through your mind as you overlook the city for the first time.