Top Ten Travel Destinations - UNESCO World Heritage
There is a good chance, whether knowingly or not, that the travel daydreams you roll over in your mind each day at work, include aUNESCO world heritage site. UNESCO which stands for the United NationsEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is an institutionconceived of dreams; not only your own, but of the people who camebefore us and their visions of life. Scattered across the earth -ranging from the accessible to the remote, and the apparent to thepuzzling - UNESCO world heritage sites are an important means ofcultural preservation. Some seek the latest in exciting travel trends,while a discriminating few appreciate that by taking a step back yougain insight and growth from studying the value of humanity. Uncoverthe intrinsic tie we have with our surroundings and the important rolewe play in its protection. You can't help but be enamored by places ofuniversal value. This list of top UNESCO sites is a colourful culmination from around the globe to further ignite your dreams!
Experience underwater enchantment diving the Great Barrier Reef, and submerge your senses into a plethora of reef life and mesmerizing coral reef ecosystems. This coral formation located off the South Pacific coast of Queensland in Australia is truly an undeniable best of the world’s natural wonders. With close to 3,000 individual reefs and some 900 islands, the diversity of the Great Barrier Reef is truly stunning. It houses close to 1,500 species of fish and thousands of other forms of life such as clams, corals, snails, crustaceans and echinoderms (like starfish). Some of the species found here are believed to be found nowhere else in the world, and the Great Barrier Reef is the breeding ground for some of the more well-know sea creatures, such ...
In the story of life, there is nothing as riveting as the great migration of the 1.5 million wildebeest as they cross the sprawling plains of the Serengeti. As the great migration heads north through Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, and ultimately east into Kenya's Masai Mara in search of greener pastures, the journey is not made without sacrifice. The Wildebeest are so in tune with the seasons and their dependency on water, that they will travel up to 30 miles away for thunderstorms they hear. Hunted continuously over the eight-month pilgrimage, the best time to view the dramatic climax of the great wildebeest migration is between June through August as they cross the final challenge in their trek: the Grumeti River. Some wildebeest cross the ...
Time ceases to move at Angkor Wat as you step out of modern civilization into an early 12th-century temple complex in the central Cambodian jungle. In fact, the jungle is actually growing in the Angkor Wat Temples—literally! Tree roots and branches are growing through, on top and inside the temples, making for a scene of culture and nature intertwined. It's hard to explain a place that demands such attention based on its sheer size, and sustains your interest in a gripping search over the layers of detailed stone carvings. The Angkor Wat complex encompass over a hundred stone temples in total, and the Angkor Wat Temple is the largest and best preserved of these ruins. This enduring masterpiece was built initially for King Suryavarman II ...
Some of the most remarkable achievements in human history stand in preservation on the Plateau of Giza, by Cairo in Egypt. The Great Pyramids of Egypt, built over 4,500 years ago, continues to astound the amazement of all who visit. The Pyramids of Giza are the most famous of ancient Egyptian monuments. This series of necropolises served the elite Royal Egyptians during the 4th Dynasty, approximately late 3rd millennium BCE. The most famous of these tombs is the Pyramid of Khufu. It is also known as the Great Pyramid (or the Pyramid of Cheops) and is the largest of the bunch. The next most prominent Great Pyramid is the Pyramid of Khafre; then followed by the modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure. Khufu Pyramid was built by ...
Sunrise at the Taj Mahal in India is truly a sight to behold. As the ancient wonder awakes, this is the perfect time of day to begin exploring the great Mughal Mausoleum. The air is cool, the people are sparse, and here you can enjoy some rare tranquil moments in the morning sun, often hard to come by in India. Described by many scholars as the world's greatest monument to love, the pristine Taj Mahal in India draws upwards of three million visitors each year. Emperor Shah Jehan ordered the mausoleum be built to honour his wife, Mumtaz, after she passed away giving birth to their fourteenth child. Construction took over ten years and was completed in 1648. The Taj Mahal is now listed as ...
The giant panda lives in a few secluded mountain ranges in Sichuan China, but due to forest clearing and farming, it is a conservation-reliant endangered species. The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries are home to 30% of the species remaining world population and is the prime location to catch the giant pandas in their natural habitat. Made up of 7 Nature Reserves and 9 Scenic Parks, this habitat is not only integral for the preservation of the endangered giant pandas, but it also serves to protect many other species such as the snow leopard, red pandas, and clouded leopards. Spanning over 9245 km², the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries is the largest remaining contiguous habitat for the giant panda bear. The most popular parks to see the ...
With only 700 left in the world, and none in any zoo the chance to see a Mountain Gorilla face to face is the experience of a lifetime. Tracking Gorillas is not easy, and there is no guarantee you’ll even get to see one. For me the opportunity of observing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat was something I’d always dreamed of doing. The hours spent hiking through the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest melted away as soon as I caught my first glimpse of black fur through the foliage. Before I knew it the guides had carefully cleared away the hanging vines and dense leaves and we were treated to a little over an hour long close encounter with some of the most intriguing animals in ...
Step back into a time of lost cities and mystical pasts when you visit Petra. This surreal city is housed in southwestern Jordan, in a valley amongst mountains that run from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Discovered in 1812 by a Swiss traveler, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, Petra was later declared a World Heritage site in 1985. The history of Petra is somewhat ill-defined, passed from its original creators 6th century Nabataean Arabs , down through to Romans and later to Crusaders, it was eventually left to locals. The entry way to this amazing archeological site is a stretch of narrow gorge that is called a Siq, created by a natural geographical fault. This passage measures over a mile in length, towers over ...
Have you ever fallen in love? Not with a person, but a place for the feeling that you when you walk around it, agog in its unique beauty and fascinating people. How many times have you sat down to drink tea with a guy you met minutes earlier motorbiking down the street, who simply stopped to ask you where you were from? This is part of the fun and adventure of traveling in Hoi An, Vietnam. Once the bustling center for the silk and spice trade between the 15th and 19th century, the streets in the Old Town have remained preserved despite the wars that have forged on around them. Hoi An is a captivating place that transports you back in history, as you roam ...
A wondrous water world, Tonle Sap Lake is the lifeline for many of Cambodia's people. Hardworking and ever adapting communities line the shores of the Great Lake, earning a living from the abundant fishing and farming, and shaping their livelihood around its natural splendor. The total area of Tonle Sap is a combination of rivers and lake, and has major significance, as it is the largest freshwater Lake in South East Asia, and largest freshwater floodplain in the world. This great waterway is also unique for other reasons, twice a year the direction of Tonle Sap water flow changes and the dramatic flooding and draining cycle is astounding. During the Cambodian dry season, November to May, Tonle Sap is relatively small approximately, 2,700 square km, ...
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