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Great Wall, China
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Long a symbol of the country’s strength, the Great Wall of China has captured the imagination of people worldwide throughout its history. Over a million workers were involved in the construction of the 3,750-mile-long structure, some of whose sections date back to 221 B.C.E. It was built wide enough to allow ten soldiers or five horses to travel abreast between the 10,000 battlements and watchtowers. |
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Taal Volcano, Luzon, Philippines
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Pack a picnic lunch and head south from Manila in the Philippines to Taal Volcano, one of Asia’s most beautiful panoramas. Taal is filled with water, creating a lake, yet the volcano itself is located within a larger lake. The blues and greens of the vistas have long made this a favorite getaway from the chaos of the country’s capital. |
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Lofoten Islands, Norway
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Nature is powerful in Norway, perhaps nowhere more so than in the Lofoten Islands, 123 miles north of the Arctic Circle. This 188-mile-long archipelago of small fishing communities set against snowy peaks has drawn artists and travelers during the summer months attracted to its seclusion, special light, and bracing air. |
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Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy
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Perched 1,100 feet above the tiny coastal town of Amalfi, Ravello has been described as closer to heaven than to the sea and “the place where poets go to die.” While the views and the terraced gardens of bougainvilleas and lemon groves are lovely up close, a drive along the Amalfi Coast provides an unforgettable way to see the sights.
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Hawaii
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“Hawaii is a paradise—and I can never cease proclaiming it.”
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Agrigento, Sicily, Italy (Valley Of The Temples)
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The main reason to come to Agrigento-called "the fairest of
all mortal cities" by the ancient Greek poet Pindar-is to meander through the
Valle dei Templi (Valley of Temples), a unique series of golden-stone Doric
temples strung along a long ridge facing the sea. The Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concord), built around 430 B.C.E., is
one of the showpieces of the Hellenic world with its thirty-four exterior
columns still standing.
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Palau, Micronesia
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Palau's
unusual drop-offs (the Negemelis Drop-off plummets more than 1,000 feet) make
for extraordinary diving with an astounding variety of marine life.
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Tasmania / Oyster Bay
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Oyster Bay seen here can be enjoyed on an island once known as Van Diemans Land, named after a Dutch explorer. The name was changed because Van Diemans Land was associated with the period of forced convict transportation and is now know as Tasmania- Australia’s southernmost state.
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Lake Powell, Arizona
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Imagine the best of the west—gnarled buttes, red rock walls and surreal spires—then add water. Lake Powell is 186 miles long, and was created by the construction of the Glen Canyon dam.
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Buenos Aires is a city of neighborhoods, from the elegant Barrio Norte, the chic address of Argentina’s fashionable elite, to the docks of Puerto Madero, and the photogenic corner of La Boca, a working-class neighborhood with brightly painted houses.
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Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
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Snake River is home to a variety of outdoor sporting activities,
including fly-fishing, hiking and biking, golf, and horseback riding.
The Snake runs through a number of gorges, including one of the deepest
in the world, Hells Canyon, with a maximum depth of 7,900 feet (2,410
m). |
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Shoshone Falls, Twin Falls, Idaho
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A park overlooking the waterfall is owned and operated by the City of
Twin Falls. Shoshone Falls is best viewed in the spring as irrigation
of the Snake River often significantly diminishes water levels in the
summer and fall. Shoshone Falls is a waterfall on the Snake River
located approximately five miles east of Twin Falls, Idaho. Sometimes
called the "Niagara of the West," Shoshone Falls is 212 feet (64.7
meters) high--36 feet (10.97 meters) higher than Niagara Falls-- and
flows over a rim 900 feet (274 meters) wide. |
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Maldives
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The low-lying Indian Ocean nation consists of almost 1,200 islands,
only 200 of them inhabited. Maldives is also the world’s flattest
country where no natural land is more than 8 feet above sea level. |
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Monastery Of The Holy Trinity, Meteora, Greece
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Of the many monasteries in Greece’s Peneus Valley, Megálou Meteórou is
the grandest and highest, having held sway over the area since it was
built of massive rocks on the highest peak (1,360 feet) in the 14th
century. It is worth visiting not only for the breathtaking views but
also for the religious icons collected over the centuries. |
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Ngorongoro Crater,
Tanzania
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Tanzania’s volcanic Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest unflooded,
intact caldera, is acclaimed as one of the natural wonders of the
world. This natural amphitheater is the Serengeti in miniature, with
wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles migrating from one side of the
12-mile-wide crater to the other as the seasons change. |
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Glacier Park, Montana
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Consists of over 1 million acres of protected wilderness. |
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Rome
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Rome is the capital city of Italy and of the Lazio region, as well as
the country's largest and most populous comune, with more than 2.7
million residents (December 2006, demo.istat.it). The metropolitan area
has a population of about 4 million. It is located in the
central-western portion of the Italian peninsula. |
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Redwood National Park, California
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California’s redwood parks represent an uncommon cooperation between
the state and federal governments. With three state parks and Redwood
National Park, 37 miles of coastline must be kept pristine, and the
park’s namesake residents, which can live for 2,000 years and reach
heights of over 300 feet must be protected. |
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Tongabezi Lodge, Zambia
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Just 10 miles downstream from the Tongabezi Safari Lodge are the
thundering Victoria Falls, yet the lodge is a place of tranquility,
built along the banks of the Zambezi so that each guest cottage and its
veranda enjoy award-winning sunsets. It is the perfect base, whether
for invigorating morning bush walks or canoe trips to one of the
river’s many islands. |
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The Boulders, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
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All of Scottsdale’s resorts offer sunshine and warmth even in the
middle of winter, but the Boulders offers desert vistas that beat those
of their competitors. For golfers, Arizona is a nirvana. In addition to
the Boulders’ course, there are more than 200 others in the state. |
