TToday travel is the most accessible it’s been, not just because air travel has exceeded most limitations, or because cruise travel has pulled out all the stops; but also because virtual travel is available to everyone. Anyone can, from the comfort of her own living room , wander off to all those “far away places with strange sounding names.” How wonderful..
40 Most Beautiful
Places To See
Before You Die
((Source: /www.boredpanda.com/amazing-places-to-see-before-you-die/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic com)
1. Antelope Canyon, USA
Antelope Canyon is the most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon includes two separate, photogenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as Upper Antelope Canyon or The Crack; and Lower Antelope Canyon or The Corkscrew. The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means “the place where water runs through rocks.” Lower Antelope Canyon is Hazdistazí, or “spiral rock arches.”
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways are eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic ‘flowing’ shapes in the rock.
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2. The Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
The Phi Phi Islands are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. Classic beaches, stunning rock formations, and vivid turquoise waters teeming with colorful marine life – it’s paradise perfected.
3. Santorini, Greece
Santorini is perhaps the most fascinating and most talked about island of Greece in the Aegean. Only the name of the island is enough to unfold in the mind, pleasurable connotations, volcanic landscape, gray and red beaches, dazzling white houses, terraces with panoramic sea views , stunning sunsets, and wild fun. All this, together with remnants of lost civilizations discovered in the volcanic ash justify the epithets with which visitors identify Santorini and fairly, is called, magical, indescribable, astonishing.
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4. Maldive Islands
The Maldives lie in two rows of atolls in the Indian Ocean,
just across the equator. The country is made up of 1,190
coral islands formed around 26 natural ring-like atolls,
spread over 90,000 square kilometers. These atoll
structures are formed upon a sharp ridge rising from the
ocean, making way for their secluded uniqueness.
Maldives has deep blue seas, turquoise reefs, white
sandy beaches and palm trees. It is also a place full of
character, where its people have long spent their days
languishing in the very essence of idyllic living. While it is the perfect place to sit on a beach and watch a sunset with a cocktail balanced on your hand, it is also a geographical marvel, knowing that there are thousands of fish swimming around the vivid corals just a few feet away from where you sit.
5. Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna.
The Incas started building the “estate” around AD 1400, but abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham
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6. The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of
the world, was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in
1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds
up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and
plateaus, stretching approximately 8,851.8 kilometers
(5,500 miles) from east to west of China. With a history
of more than 2000 years, some of the sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.
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7. Iceland
Fire and Ice offer a stunning portrait of this island of extremes, where some of Europe’s biggest glaciers cozy up to some of the continent’s hottest volcanic springs. Every season has its own unique charm and there are always opportunities to experience new things, discover beauty and be mesmerized by the freshness and colors of nature.
8. Bora Bora Island
Bora Bora emerged from the waters 3 millions years ago. Like all the other Polynesian islands, this volcanic island is slowly sinking in the ocean. It currently presents particular geological characteristics ranging in between a high island and an atoll status. The island has an unforgettable turquoise lagoon – where multi-color aquatic fauna (sting & manta rays, sharks, tropical fishes) can be observed by outrigger canoe, boat or diving explorations. The coral reef includes a string of islets and gorgeous white sand beaches surrounding the main island.
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9. The Wave, Arizona, USA
The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in the
United States of America near the Arizona and Utah
border on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes, in the Paria
Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, on the Colorado
Plateau. Nearly 200 million years ago, this region was a sandy desert where huge dunes migrated across the landscape pushed by
seasonal winds. Prevailing winds of that ancient
Jurassic time can be determined by examining the
cross-bedding (layers) in the sandstone. What we see today are some of the original crossbedded dunes shaped into dramatic landforms and exposed by erosion from eons of runoff. The spectacular ribbons of various colors called Liesegang Bands, were formed by movement and precipitation of oxidizing materials such as iron and manganese by ground water. Thin veins or fins of calcite cut across the sandstone, adding another dimension to the landscape.
10. Petra, Jordan
Petra, the world wonder, is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.
Petra, the world wonder, is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction.
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11. The Cave of Crystals, Naica Mine, Mexico
The Naica Mine of the Mexican state of Chihuahua is a
working mine that is best known for its extraordinary selenite
crystals. The Cave of Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales) is a cave
approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) below the surface in the
limestone host rock of the mine. The chamber contains giant
selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever
found. The selenite crystals were formed by hydrothermal
fluids emanating from the magma chambers below.
12. Moraine Lake, Canada
Moraine Lake is a glacially-fed lake in Banff National Park, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) outside the Village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. The lake does not reach its crest until mid to late June. When it is full, it reflects a distinct shade of blue. The color is due to the refraction of light off the rock floor deposited in the lake on a continual basis.
13. Grand Canyon, USA
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the
Colorado River in the United States in the state of
Arizona. A powerful and inspiring landscape, the Grand
Canyon overwhelms our senses through its immense
size; 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km)
wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep. Nearly two billion years of
the Earth’s geological history have been exposed as the
Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels
through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted.
14. Berry Head Arch, Canada
This magnificent sea arch is located on the Spurwink Trail, along the East Coast Trail. To get to the arch, find the East Coast Trail trailhead at Port Kirwan. From here, it is about a 4.75-mile one-way hike to the arch. The hike is moderate but extreme caution is required at points where the trail skirts the edge of some rather high cliffs.
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15. Monument Valley, USA
Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii,
meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of
the Colorado Plateau characterized by a
cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest
reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley
floor. Monument Valley provides perhaps
the most enduring and definitive images of
the American West. The isolated red mesas
and buttes surrounded by empty, sandy
desert have been filmed and photographed countless times over the years for movies, adverts and holiday brochures. Because of this, the area may seem quite familiar, even on a first visit, but it is soon evident that the natural colors really are as bright and deep as those in all the pictures. The valley is not a valley in the conventional sense, but rather a wide flat, sometimes desolate landscape, interrupted by the crumbling formations rising hundreds of feet into the air, the last remnants of the sandstone layers that once covered the entire region.
16. Plitvice, Croatia
The stunning Plitvice Lakes National Park lies in the Lika region of Croatia. The park is surrounded by the mountains Plješevica, Mala Kapela, and Medveđak, which are part of the Dinaric Alps. The 16 blue-green Plitvice Lakes, which are separated by natural dams of travertine, are situated on the Plitvice plateau. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.
17. Preikestolen, Norway
Preikestolen or Prekestolen, also known
by the English translations of Preacher’s
Pulpit or Pulpit Rock, and by the old local
name Hyvlatonnå (“the carpenter-plane’s
blade”), is a massive cliff 604 metres (1982
feet) above Lysefjorden, opposite the
Kjerag plateau, in Forsand, Ryfylke,
Norway. The top of the cliff is
approximately 25 by 25 metres (82 by 82
feet) square, almost flat, and is a famous tourist attraction in Norway.
18. Pamukkale, Turkey
Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is Turkey’s foremost mineral-bath spa because of its natural beauty: hot calcium-laden waters spring from the earth and cascade over a cliff. As they cool they form dramatic travertines of hard, brilliantly white calcium that form pools.
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19. Socotra Island, Yemen
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Socotra is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of continental origin. Socotra is considered the jewel of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea. The long geological isolation of the Socotra archipelago and its fierce heat and drought have combined to create a unique and spectacular flora. Botanical field surveys led by the Centre for Middle Eastern Plants indicate that 307 out of the 825 (37%) plant species on Socotra are endemic, i.e., they are found nowhere else on Earth.
20. Carerra Lake
Shared by Argentina and Chile the deepest lake in South America is famous for its trout and salmon fishing. The waters of General Carrera Lake are beautiful, a glittering combination of emerald, turquoise, aquamarine and azure. The marble protrusions stretch along a beachside and are around 300 meters in length. The waters of the lake have slowly impacted upon the marble and, in their infinite patience, have created something of enormous, almost bewildering beauty. The rock manifests different tones which are dependent upon the natural impurities within the marble. Although the white banks, of immense purity are predominant blue and pink marble banks can also be seen due to the presence of other minerals within the rock.
21. Bagan, Myanmar
Bagan is notable for its expanse of sacred
geography, the number and size of their
individual ancient monuments. The ruins of
Bagan cover an area of 16 square miles. The
majority of its buildings were built in the 11th to
13th centuries, during the time Bagan was the
capital of the Myanmar dynasty. Bagan is also
the first place to have transformed into a
religious and cultural centre, by Shin Arahan
who brought Theravada Buddhism to this land.
Bagan is full of ancient architectural designs,
mural paintings, precious frescoes and stone
inscriptions to see for yourself, and also it is the centre for the manufacturing of lacquerware products in Myanmar. Hence it is marked as a cultural heritage of the Myanmar People, and also a landmark full of ancient pagodas and monuments which can be rarely encountered today. Bagan is one of the major historical landmarks of Asia and represents the outstanding achievement of Theravada Buddhism. Most of the site was damaged by the 1975 earthquake, and cooperation with UNESCO projects, help some experimental conservation work, restoration of mural paintings and maintaining some of the rare monuments.
22. Salar De Yuyni, Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni (or Salar de Tunupa) is the world’s largest salt flat at 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 sq mi). It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, and is elevated 3,656 meters (11,995 ft) above the mean sea level. The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes. It is covered by a few meters of salt crust, which has an extraordinary flatness with the average altitude variations within one meter over the entire area of the Salar.
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23. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Halong Bay is one of the world’s natural
wonders, and is the most beautiful tourist
destination of Vietnam. Halong Bay features
more than one thousand awesome limestone
karsts and islands of various sizes and shapes
along the 120-km coastline of Bai Chay Beach.
Its waters are host to a great diversity of
ecosystems including offshore coral reefs,
freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests,
small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. The
folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade into the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottos and caves with contiguous chambers, hidden ponds and peculiar stone formations.
24. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country’s prime attraction for visitors.
25. Iguazu Falls, Argentina & Brazil
Taller than Niagara Falls, twice as wide with 275 cascades spread in a horsehoe shape over nearly two miles of the Iguazu River, Iguazú Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left yet another large crack in the earth. During the rainy season of November – March, the rate of flow of water going over the falls may reach 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic ft./ sec.
26. Twelve Apostles, Australia
Witness the rugged splendour of the famous 12
Apostles, magnificent rock stacks that rise up
majestically from the Southern Ocean on Victoria’s
dramatic coastline. Created by constant erosion of
the limestone cliffs of the mainland beginning 10-20
million years ago, the stormy Southern Ocean and
blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone,
forming caves in the cliffs.The caves eventually
became arches and when they collapsed
rock stacks up to 45 metres high were left isolated from the shore.
27. Yosemite National Park, California
Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States, is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.
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28. Meteora, Greece
Meteora is an area in Thessaly (Central Greece)
and Kalampaka is the city under the rock towers
of Meteora. The thing that makes Meteora so
special is the monasteries on the top of the rock
towers. The monasteries, the amount of peaks
to climb and the paths for hiking bring in
Meteora the whole year many tourists.
29. Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina
The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in the south west of Santa Cruz province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentine Patagonia. The 250 km2 (97 sq mi) ice formation, and 30 km (19 mi) in length, is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile and the largest reserve of fresh water.
30. Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA
The sky never seems so blue as when viewed through
the window of a Claron sandstone pinnacle in Bryce
Canyon National Park. Although it is the smallest of
Utah’s national parks at 35,835 acres, Bryce Canyon
contains an outsized number of some of the most
beautiful, unlikely rock formations on earth. This Dr.
Seussian landscape of towering spires, fins, arches, and
mazes is fodder for the imagination and a delight to the
eyes.
31. Seychelles
Mother Nature was very generous with these 115 islands scattered in the Indian Ocean and has spoiled them rotten. Undeniably, the beaches are the big attraction, and what beaches: exquisite ribbons of white sand lapped by topaz waters and backed by lush hills and big glacis boulders. With such a dreamlike setting, the Seychelles is, unsurprisingly, a choice place for a honeymoon.
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32. The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
The Pyramids of Giza are the most famous monuments
of ancient Egypt. These massive stone structures were
built around 4500 years ago on a rocky desert plateau
close to the Nile. But the intriguing Egyptian pyramids
were more than just tombs for kings. The mysteries
surrounding their symbolism, design and purpose have
inspired passionate debate. It is likely that many of these
mysteries will never be solved…
33. Azores
The Azores are nine different islands of adventure, nine delightful surprises. You can see dolphins and whales frolicking in the sea or volcanic landscapes covered in green. Then there are the stunning, lilac-coloured hydrangeas that provide hedges for the meadows; the blue and green lakes; the craters of extinct volcanoes and the steam rising from the land. The volcanic activity here means that you can even have your meal cooked under the ground. Inland you can go mountain climbing and walking through the countryside. Or you can stick to the coast and go diving and swimming.
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34. Positano, Italy
Positano is one of the highlights to visit when
you come to Italy. With all its chic hotels,
apartments and fancy restaurants it’s managed to
maintain its traditional character. The stunning
coastline from Capo di Sorrento to Positano is an
adventure on itself. Not many people know that
Positano is originally not a fisherman’s village,
but a mountain village. During the 14th and 15th
century the little villages along the Amalfi Coast
acted as an independent country. To protect
themselves they built their houses and churches
high on and inside the mountain rocks. Between
the 16th century and the beginning of the 19th
century the Italian people, forgot this beautiful
village and in place, the intellectuals and artists
rediscovered the magic of Positano. Now Positano is one of Italy’s most exclusive resorts, attracting celebrities, artists, musicians and writers for many decades.
35. Tanah Lot, Bali
Tanah Lot, one of the most popular places of interest in Bali, is located on the coast of West Bali, at the village of Beraban in the Tabanan Regency. The temple Pura Tanah Lot, simple in its construction, is dramatic in its ocean-front location and is one of the main temples in the worship of Balinese gods. Tanah Lot has a long history in the world of tourism. The temple itself is built on a small promontory which is only accessible at low tide. During high water the rock takes on the appearance of a large boat at sea, such is its shape. Poisonous snakes live in the nearby caves to ‘guard’ the temple and contribute to the temple’s dangerous reputation.
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36. Palawan Island, Philippines
Palawan has been included in the list of protected areas,
thus becoming the biggest nature reserve in the world.
Aside from snorkeling and swimming, Palawan Islands,
Philippines provide viable opportunities for underwater
exploration. With all these attractions, you are sure to
find yourself breathless during your Palawan vacation,
Palawan is indeed a heavenly place to visit.
37. Angel Falls, Venezuela
Angel Falls is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the world’s highest waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,648 ft). Angel Falls is one of Venezuela’s top tourist attractions, though a trip to the falls is a complicated affair. The falls are located in an isolated jungle, and a flight from Puerto Ordaz or Ciudad Bolívar is required to reach Canaima camp, the starting point for river trips to the base of the falls. River trips generally take place from June to December, when the rivers are deep enough for the wooden curiaras used by the Pemon guides. During the dry season (December to March) there is less water seen than in the other months (this can be clearly seen in the photos of the falls above).
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38. Tianzi Mountains, China
Hundreds of waterfalls and thousands of
peaks are in the Tianzi Mountains. What an
uncanny work of art by Nature. The highest
peak of the mountains is 1262.5 meters
above sea level. Around it are rolling ridges
and peaks and high picturesque rocks. On
the top of the mountains, one can have a
bird's eye view of numerous winding hills
and deep valleys of the Wulingyuan area as
well as waterfalls and lofty old pines in drifting mist and clouds. There are different sights when seasons and weather change, Sometimes it is fine with blue sky, which gives one a sense of strength and vastness. Sometimes it is full of clouds and mist, which gives one a sense of mystery.
39. Uluru, Australia
Ayers Rock/ Uluru, the world’s largest monolith and an Aboriginal sacred site is Australia’s most famous natural landmark. Visitors may wish to make the tough 1.6km ascent to the top or take a walking tour around the rock with an aboriginal guide, learning about its fascinating history with the Uluru people and its importance in dreamtime legend.
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40. Hamilton Pool, Texas, USA
Hamilton Pool Preserve is a historic
swimming hole which was designated a
preserve by the Travis County Commissioner’s
Court in 1990. Located 3/4 mile upstream
from its confluence with the Pedernales River,
Hamilton Creek spills out over limestone
outcroppings to create a 50-foot waterfall as
it plunges into the head of a steep box canyon.
The waterfall never completely dries up, but
in dry times it does slow to a trickle.
However, the pool’s water level stays pretty
constant, even during periods of drought.
