1. The Amazon
Regardless of which country you go to to see it--Brazil, Peru,
Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, or French
Guiana--considering it's the largest rainforest in the world and houses
millions of unique creatures rarely found anywhere else, it's worth
seeing for thousands of reasons.
2. Antelope Canyon
You might think the Grand Canyon is the only canyon you need to
see in the US, but really, consider Antelope Canyon, which is
conveniently also located in Arizona. Antelope Canyon was created
through rivers and streams eroding the sandstone, and it makes for a
wholly awesome experience where you can just saunter through miles of
them.
3. Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Located in the middle of the Australian Outback, you probably recognize this one from The Adventurers Down Under.
In real life, though, it's even more amazing. However, you'll find that
flying on an eagle's back makes it much easier to access, as it's
actually more than 280 miles outside of any significant town (Alice
Springs).
4. Bora Bora
Located in French Polynesia in the South Pacific, Bora Bora is
well-known as one of the most beautiful islands in the world. With
crystal clear waters and awesome accommodations, there's no way to avoid
this one.
5. Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls, between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is (debatably) the
largest waterfall in the world, with a width of 5604ft (1708m) and a
height of 354ft (108m), and a much better choice than Niagara Falls.
6. Norwegian Fjords
Norway has one of the longest coastlines in the world, but
almost certainly the most interesting. Its eastern coast is riddled with
hundreds of jagged inlets, jutting right into the inland of the
country. The formations within them as well as the views from them are
among the most mesmerizing around.
7. Santorini
Santorini is an island off the coast of Greece, thousands of
years ago the site of one of the largest volcanic explosions in history.
Today it plays home to spectacular views, crazy architecture, and a
storied history (supposedly the same eruption that destroyed it led to
the legend of Atlantis).
8. Iceland
Iceland features some of the most alien landscapes in the
world, from huge, partially frozen waterfalls, to the Northern Lights
and insane sunsets and sunrises, to miles of barren tundra; not to
mention an outgoing population who's down to party.
9. Moraine Lake
You'd think a lake is a lake, but surely not. At least not
Moraine Lake. Up in Alberta, Canada, Moraine is uniquely astounding
because when it's full, the intensely light rock from the surrounding
mountains refracts, creating a neon, mind-blowing shade of blue. Plus,
you know, the whole area is pretty amazing in the first place.
10. Petra
Built around 1200BC, Petra is an ancient city of Jordan, renowned not just for the fact that it's entirely built inside "towering rocks,"
but for its intricacies therein. The city was able to constructed in
the desert because its designers, the Nabataeans, redirected waterways,
creating an artificial oasis--the center of their caravan trade, and a
fortress.
11. Machu Picchu
Located almost eight thousand feet above sea level in Peru,
Machu Picchu is one of the most amazing feats of architecture in the
world. While you might think it's a pretty weird place to put a city,
you'd be wrong: most believe it was an estate for the Inca emperor
Pachacuti, who really must've need to take some time away from it all.
12. Plitvice
Plitvice is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe, and
the largest in Croatia. Its views are something that few would expect in
Europe at all, and the fact that it remains relatively untouched (aside
from a few walkways), makes it all the better.
13. Great Barrier Reef
Composed of over 2900 individual reefs, the Great Barrier Reef
is the largest of its kind in the world--so large it can be seen from
outer space--and also the "biggest single structure made by living organisms." Due to coral bleaching from pollution, this is a site to see asap.
14. Sistine Chapel
Honestly, with some of the most prominent works by some of the
most famous Renaissance artists--like Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli,
and Pietro Perugino--how could you not want to take a quick look at the
Sistine Chapel? I mean, it's in Vatican City, which is pretty worth
checking out on its own.
15. Stonehenge
Considering all the theories
surrounding Stonehenge, it seems pretty likely that it'll have to do
with the apocalypse anyway, so you might as well see the harbinger in
person before it all goes to hell.
16. Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is considered "the jewel of Muslim art in India
and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's
heritage," which should be reason enough to visit its vaulted walls and
beautiful gardens; but what's more, it was built from 1632-1653 by the
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Now that is some serious devotion.
17. Palace of Versailles
The pinnacle of absolute monarchy and the indulgence of the ancien régime
in France, Louis XIV transformed this former hunting lodge into one of
the most expansive palaces in the world. So indulgent was it, in fact,
that Louis had all records of how much it originally cost to build
destroyed, though the estimates range from $2 billion up to almost $300
billion in today's dollars.
18. Great Wall of China
Construction of the Great Wall began in the 7th century BC and
continued for hundreds of years. It's the longest fortification ever
built, constructed to thwart invasions of Mongolian and Manchu enemies.
At its height (well, length), it was more than 3700 miles (6000km) long.
19. Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a temple complex surrounded by a moat, built by
Cambodian king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century to serve as the
state temple and capital city. The symmetry and "harmony" of its design
has been compared to the most famous architecture of ancient Greece and
the Romans.
20. Church of Our Virgin Mary of Zion
Located in Axum, Ethiopia, this site is important--like
Stonehenge--when we're talking about the apocalypse. Contained within
this tiny structure is supposedly the Ark of the Covenant, aka where the
tablet with the Ten Commandments is supposed to be. Something crazy
will probably go down here before the end of the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment