As with many other things in life, photography is also about taking advantage of the right opportunity, being able to capture a precise instant and to freeze it on an image. So, also as in life, there is a lot about being in the right place and in the right time. And of course, as with opportunities, to take a great photography of a certain landscape or subject is also about being prepared to seek and react when the opportunity to shoot appears in front of us. Overall, it is more a matter of planning, practice and preparation than of luck. Although luck definitely plays an active role for street or wild life photography.
Everything we see is the reflection of the light waves on the objects surface. We do not see objects but the light. Light changes constantly, so the same subject or place can be photographed and seen in completely different manners at different points of time. Hard or soft lights, the yellowish or bluish tones, or the light direction are just few variables that impact on the view and perception of a subject or a scene. The most mundane or futile object or scene can transform into a unique and beautiful scene in matter of seconds with the right light transformation.
Thus, my advice is to be well aware and familiar of the more common and easier to predict natural light conditions such as the golden hour (the hour previous to the sunset under a clear sky), the dawn light and colours, the soft light provided by a cloudy day, or the sharp shadows and strong contrast achieved on a sunny day.
If you have this knowledge and can learn to predict when these conditions will occur, you do not have to go too far to take impactful pictures, as well as you will own a tool kit that you can apply in basically any beautiful landscape or scenery you are at.
As a tip, and specifically when visiting scenic places - exposed to water or in the height of a mountain - be aware of the right time to be there and capture your photography, as those places may offer completely different experiences depending on the time of the day and the weather conditions. For this, you will unavoidably have to plan. If you stay in a place until the sunset, it probably means you will have to return back or continue your journey in the night darkness, or if you stay in the sunrise, you will probably have to initiate a very early day in the darkness. Specially when traveling, ask the locals about the magic hours, the peaceful times to visit certain places or specific known local places that they go to experience a sunrise or a sunset - all humans are amazed by this daily event no matter where in the world they are born.