The task of spotting out the most beautiful places in the world which convey something unique and inimitable, is undoubtedly daunting for many experts in the field of tourism. “Traveler”, the well-known monthly travel-magazine has dared attempt this task by selecting 15 places in the world that respond to these extraordinary features. According to the monthly magazine, amongst the most beautiful landscapes in the world, are places known for their history, their artistic beauty or natural habitat which are real and proper havens. The journey to the most beautiful places in the world begins in Canada with Niagara Falls: a natural jewel immersed in the forest surrounded by uncontaminated nature that for centuries has given us scenarios and unique emotions.
Moving a little further South, to the United States of America lies the legendary Grand Canyon National Park, famous al lover the world for the harshness of in the landscape and amazing intensity in the forms. The Amazon rainforest in Brazil, earth’s “ green lung”and then across the ocean and the Mediterranean Sea to arrive to Italy, in Venice, where the Grand Canal, a masterpiece of mankind and nature. Further towards evergreen Ireland, are the impressive sea cliffs of Moher. In Jordan, the city of Petra, with its facades carved into the rocks. And should we yearn for mystical and mysterious places, then Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, and the Bayon temple at Angkor Wat is undoubtedly what we are looking for! On the list are also unique places to visit that may not be familiar to all namely the Crater Lake, in the United States or Dune 45 in Sossusvlei Desert in Namibia, with its strikingly beautiful forms has certainly become an international tourist attraction. Spirituality is to be rediscovered in the East in Okunoin, in the Buddhist cemetery of Koyiasan, Japan, last but not least, the mountains of Guilin, in the Guangxi Zhuang region in China.
THE NIAGARA FALLS
The Niagara Falls situated in the North-East of America, between the USA and Canada, are for their extent one of the most famous waterfalls in the world. Even though not particularly high waterfalls (only 52 metres high) they are famous for the spectacular scenery, due to the extensive water-front and impressive quantity. The background setting to numerous films. They owe their name to the word “Onguiaahra”, which in the language of the indigenous people, means “ thundering waters”.
THE GRAND CANYON
The Grand Canyon is an immense gorge formed by the Colorado River in North Arizona. Here nature reveals all her splendour; 446 km long, up to 1,600 metres deep and with a variable width extendng from 500 metres to 27 km. Most of the Grand Canyon includes the National Park, one of the first national parks of the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt loved the Grand Canyon area and visited it several times, where he went hunting for puma and to admire the landscape.
THE AMAZON RAINFOREST
The Amazon rainforest, also known as Amazonia, is earth’s “green lung”. Place of biodiversity, natural beauty and equilibrium. Situated in South America, it extends for more than 7 million square kilometres (about 1.75 billion acres), though the forest-tress occupy about 5.5 million. The forest covers roughly 65% of the total suface land in Brazil, but also extends into Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. In 2011, a researcher has proved that ther are still existing populations today who have had no contact with the outside world and who are primitive.
The Grand CANAL Of VENICE
The Grand Canal is the principle Canal in Venice which overlooks the most beautiful buildings of the city. Around 3800 metres long ( 30 to 70 m wide, average depth 5 m), divides the city into two parts, the old town by drawing an upside-down “S” that runs from the junction of “Ponte della Libertà” to the basin of St. Mark.
THE CLIFFS OF MOHER (IRELAND)
The cliffs of Moher are splendid cliffs overhanging the sea and are situated near the village of Doolin on the West coast of Clare, County of the Republic of Ireland. A famous destination for tourists acroos the globe, it is one of the most visited places on the Island. The highest point of the cliffs, measure about eight kilometers long, are up to 214 metres above sea level on the Atlantic Ocean, while the southern most deramification, “Hag’s Head” goes down to 120 metres.
THE POTALA PALACE (TIBET)
The Potala Palace situated in Lhasa, capital of Tibet is an impressive 13-storey building, 400 meters wide, named after Mount Potala, the abode of Avalokitesvara. The Palace was the main residence of the Dalai Lama until 1959, the year that the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala, India, following an invasion and unsuccessful uprising. Today the Potala Palace has been converted into a museum by the Chinese Government.
THE BAYON TEMPLE (CAMBODIA)
The Bayon, a beautiful temple found in Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the early 13th century as the State Temple of King Jayavarman VII, is at the centre of what used to be its capital, Angkor Thom. Its distinctive feature is the multitude of smiling faces, carved out on four sides of the squared section of the spires that gradually rise the closer you get to the massive central tower. There are also two groups of remarkable base-reliefs, which describe to us an unusual combination of mythology, history and life.
THE DUNA 45 (NAMIBIA)
Among the many sand dunes in the world, Dune 45 is considered to be the most beautiful in the world. Located 45 Km from Sossusvlei in Namibia, the town to which it owes its name, 80 metres high, its unique shape and striking beauty. Simple and elegant in shape and not so steep, make it easy for those who wish to climb it.
CRATER LAKE (OREGON)
The Crater Lake is a Lake of volcanic origin located in the State of Oregon in the United States. This is a lake formed by the subsidence of the volcanic lava from Mount Mazama. 594 metres deep, it is the deepest lake in the United States.
OKUNION, BUDDHIST CEMETERY OF KOYIASAN (JAPAN)
The Buddhist Koyiasan cemetery is in the vicinity of Mount Kōya (Kōya-san), Kii Peninsula South of the city of Osaka. It is one of the holiest places in Japan where several gravestones placed in a forest of tall cedars filter through the light and turns into magic the atmosphere. The cemetery hosts the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi (founder of Shingon Buddhism) and one of the most revered figures in the history of Japanese religion.
MOUNTAINS OF GUILIN (CHINA)
The mountains are absolutely unique in profile and are found in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang-autonomous region situated on the western shore of the beautiful Lijiang River. According to the Chinese the “mountains and rivers in Guilin are the best under heaven” . Guelin is considered to be amongst the three most picturesque cities in China.
NGORONGORO CRATER (TANZANIA)
The Ngorongoro Crater is a volcanic crater located in the plains of Serengeti, Tanzania, north-west of the city of Arusha and East of Serengeti Park. Ngorongoro Crater has a diameter of more than 16 kilometres to approximately 265 square kilometers, It ranks certainly the largest volcanic crater still in tact in the world. The area around the crater is a paradise of biodiversity. The nature reserve hosts lions, leopards, flamingos and endangered species such as the black rhino.
CAPPADOCIA (TURKEY)
Cappadocia is the historical region of Anatolia, formerly situated in the area that corresponds to present central Turkey, which includes parts of the provinces of Caesarea, Aksaray, Niğde and Nevşehir.
Cappadocia is featured by a unique geological formation and boasts of cultural and historical heritage. The nature of the rocks, which are quite flaky, enabled the inhabitants of Cappadocia to build paths and underground dwellings, giving rise to numerous settlments that could accommodate entire towns for very long periods of time. In the year 1985, it was included by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The region which currently is called Cappadocia, is much smaller than what was the ancient Kingdom of Cappadocia during the Hellenistic era.
PETRA (JORDAN)
Petra, which means “the Pink City”, for the facades carved into the rocks, is an archaeological site of Jordan, located about 250 miles south of the capital Amman, in a basin among the mountains East of the WadiAraba, the great Valley extending from the Dead sea to the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the seven wonders of the world. Its Semitic name was “Reqem or Raqmu” (“ the colourful”), as was written in the manuscripts of Qumran. In ancient times, it was the capital of the Nabataeans. Abandoned in the 8th century following a decline in trade and natural disasters, it was abandoned. Inhabited by Bedouin families, it had been forgotten until modern times and only revealed to the Western world in 1812.
JAISALMER (RAJASTHAN)
Jaisalmer, “the Golden City “so-called because of the golden colour of the stones with which they built them, is famous for its religious buildings, especially the temples and tombs of Hindu Saints, which overlook the lake. Located in Rajasthan, India on the banks of Lake Gadi Sagar, in the Thar desert not far from the border with Pakistan.
