I came across this post:
http://www.boredpanda.org/30-breathtaking-images-will-force-you-to-move-to-china/ * and many of the photos immediately reminded me of KS landscapes, and/or looked like RL versions of common design elements in KS levels. I've attached a few of the most KS-ish images for posterity / people who can't view BoredPanda for whatever reason.
* Viewing images will most likely not force anyone to take up residence in another country against their will.Image credits:
"Red Rock Valley at Yuntaishan" by Wiwat Navakanon
"Zhang Jia Jie" by Jumrus Leartcharoenyong
"Photographer in the Cave" by Woosra Kim
"Autumn in Wuyuan" by Raymond Peng
Honestly, some of these make me want to just re-create the whole landscape with gradients, tilesets & COs! And even the ones that wouldn't necessarily translate directly into KS very well could still serve as inspiration for getting a similar feel in a level.