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Top Ten African Travel Wonders - Part One (Rank 1-5) 2008-04-19 19:33:00 This is part one of my top ten African
travel wonder list. Travel
wonders six to ten are posted separately.Africa is the most geographically and culturally diverse continent on our planet. It the birthplace of humankind. Considerably less visited than the westernized Europe and North America, the rewards of visiting the vast emptiness of the Sahara, the rich rainforests of Central Africa, the 5000 year history of ancient Egypt, the colorful souks of Arabic Africa, the color of tribal Africa or the inspiring and fascinating wildlife of the rift valley offers a lifetime of memories, stories and experiences.It is near impossible to nominate a top ten travel wonders list without omitting a number of “must see” sights. Here is my list. How many have you seen?1. Mountain Gorillas of Uganda, Read more:Top Ten
, Wonders
Top Ten African Travel Wonders - Part Two (Rank 6-10) 2008-04-16 20:52:00 This is part two of the top ten travel wonders of Africa featuring those sights ranked six to ten. A separate post lists sights ranked one to five.Here are numbers six to ten of the list.6. Sahara DesertThe parched emptiness of the Sahara is a mesmerising sight. Honed by centuries of wind and erosion, rocky plains, saw-toothed mountains, gravelly escarpments and sweeping sand dunes define a cruel terrain which remains inviting for its remoteness, unearthliness and vivid clear night skies. The small oasis towns reveal a fight for survival over the centuries, the small patches of green celebrating the availability of rare ancient wells and waterholes.7. Moroccan Cities of Marrakesh and FèsThe greatest of the ancient imperial Moroccan cities, Marrakesh and Fès both boast labyrinthine souks. Read more:African
, Part Two
, Top Ten
, Travel
, Wonders
Bountiful Bled (Bled, Slovenia) 2008-04-13 19:05:00 Chomping into the local delicacy of an impossibly rich vanilla and cream pastry (called kremna rezina) and a steaming black coffee on a vivid sun-drenched morning, it is difficult to imagine a more sublime place to be than a café at medieval Bled Castle. Perched precipitously on a bare rock face, this ancient but uninteresting castle overlooks the glittering turquoise glacial Lake Bled with its fairy-tale island church, and glorious snow-capped alpine vista.This touristy village in the very north of Slovenia
, a pocket-sized country wedged between Austria, Croatia and Italy swells with neighbouring European travellers. It is officially over 1000 years old having celebrated its millennium in 2004. Most popular is a visit to Bled Island and the Church of the Assumption via a squat gondola-li
A Pilgrimage to the Most Beautiful Sunset of All? (Assekrem, Algeria) 2008-04-08 17:17:00 It is serenely quiet and bitterly cold. A small group of us have just scrambled over rocks with numb hands to get to a small stone hut. An almost spiritual light replaces the intense sunlight as shades of orange and pink paint the uneven tips of the wind-worn and jagged brown mountains which jut out of the Saharan sands. The eerie shadows of the valleys below fall into a deep mauve haze before evaporating into complete darkness. Only a handful of people huddled together for warmth are on hand to watch nature’s welcoming of a new night in this remote and desolate mountain hideaway.We carefully pick our way back down to small refuge, the dazzling stars of the evening sky belying the plummeting temperatures and biting breezes. Dining in candlelight, a steaming plate of cous-cous and stew, c Read more:Beautiful
, Pilgrimage
, Sunset
Remember! (Oradour-sur-Glane, France) 2008-04-04 20:54:00 Souviens-toi! Remember
! A sign at the entrance says only these words, yet says so much. The town was almost deserted. Two other couples peacefully wander the streets of this small rural village in Central France
in silence. A family with two young boys languidly stroll near the church. Even the children walk quietly here. A gentle refreshing breeze rustles the surrounding trees and speaks a quiet hush through the church spire. The early summer day was clear and sunny. Indeed, the weather was identical on Saturday, 10 June, 1944 – the day this quiet unassuming village was forever changed. The soldiers entered the village and had everyone gather in the middle of town for a check of identity papers. Or so it was said. Only a few hours later, almost everyone in the town was dead – 642 peop
And then there were Eight (Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia) 2008-04-01 17:58:00 One of the great touring drives in the world is along a real travel wonder, the GreatOcean
Road, west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia
. This road hugs the southern coastline of Victoria passing a number of remarkable rock formations, the best known of which is The Twelve Apostles. Originally called the Sow and the Piglets, the tourism marketing department gathered together, added value and renamed these towers of limestone rock some fifty years ago, though they never numbered twelve.Two years ago (in July, 2005), one of the Twelve Apostles finally yielded to the years of wave erosion and collapsed into a pile of rubble. After all, the next piece of land south of the Twelve Apostles is Antarctica and so there is nothing to calm or absorb the waves which pound into this unprotected coast Read more:Eight
A Mother's Love (Buenos Aires, Argentina) 2008-03-25 16:29:00 The Irish super-group, U2 sang about them in Mothers of the Disappeared. These are every day Argentine mothers and grandmothers who lost their sons and daughters in the so-called Dirty War when they were seized by representatives of the military government of the time in the late 1970s. Most of the missing are assumed to have been tortured and murdered.Every Thursday afternoon for over thirty years, this women’s group, the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo have gathered in the main square of Buenos Aires
to seek reunification with their children and grandchildren. They walk, slowly and purposefully, in a large circle adorned by stylised white shawls painted on the ground. The painted symbols appear a little like white doves, the universal symbol of peace. The women wear simple matching head scarv Read more:Argentina
Where is the World’s Largest Church? 2008-03-18 20:45:00 Imagine this is for a piece of pie in Trivial Pursuit. The stakes are high. The pressure is on.St. Peters in the Vatican seems too obvious. Maybe somewhere in Italy? Milan? Venice? Spain and Portugal have some huge cathedrals as does Britain. Maybe Canterbury, seat of the head of the Church
of England. There are some big churches in Mexico and South America with their strong Catholic populations. The cathedrals in New York and Washington DC are gigantic too.The remarkable thing is that we haven’t even got the correct continent yet. The largest church in the world is the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (Notre Dame de la Paix) in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast. Now how many can find that on a map?The brainchild of an enthusiastic (or is that, eccentric?) Ivory Coast president (now passed away), Y Read more:Largest
, World
Life as a Penguin (Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica) 2008-03-18 01:09:00 Life is busy. Chicks have to be fed, guarded and kept warm even in these short summer months. Nests have to be maintained. Suitable stones and rocks are in short supply and there has been a lot of thieving going on this year. It is difficult with so many of us living in such a confined space.And we have our human guests to keep entertained as well. They look so silly with their bright orange and yellow heavy plastic outfits and unwieldly gum boots. They slither and slide on the slippery rocks and ice. Yet, nearly every day another ship disgorges a small army of them ferrying them to shore in the rubber zodiacs.What is that sound? Is that him? Oh, the unbridled joy. I am starving and I badly need a wash and finally my husband has returned. I’m so happy to see him. He looks very contented Read more:Antarctic
, Antarctica
, Penguin
Personal Space (Halstatt, Austria) 2008-03-17 23:40:00 Though invaded by tourists in summer but with a permanent population of less than a thousand, Hallstatt is an idyllic and picturesque Austria
n village sandwiched on a small wedge of land between towering mountains and a chilly, peaceful lake – a typical Austrian travel wonder. The nearby salt mines have bought people to this area for over 4,500 years including Iron Age folks and the Romans.Only one narrow through road and a handful of steep pedestrian paths give access to the limited space of the village. From the elegant mountain lake, the wooden houses appear to cling grimly to the foreshore leaning back into the steep lush cliffs so as to not topple over. Vivid red flowers blossom from the window boxes decorating the wooden houses and celebrating the warm summer months. The houses are Read more:Personal
, Space
The Spiritual Medicine Lake (Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada) 2008-03-13 19:28:00 Jasper National
Park consists of the top half of the spine of the Canadian Rockies. It is considerably more peaceful than its better known cousin of the south – Banff National Park. It is replete with stunning natural sites from glaciers and wildlife to deeply gorged canyons and lakes. You are much more likely to see wildlife in Jasper NAtional Park than you are in Banff National Park.One of the lesser known but most interesting sites is so-called Medicine
Lake. In summer, when most people visit – Jasper's summer population is apparently quadruple its winter population – the lake looks like any other. It is set among snow-capped mountains, has a range of wildlife around and is very striking but nevertheless, appears to be a typical glacial lake. Bears, elk and deer abound. Particular Read more:Alberta
, Canada
, Jasper
A Monument to Love (Agra, India) 2008-03-08 21:38:00 Is this the most extravagant monument to love? Built by the heartbroken Emperor Shan Jahan when his favourite wife (Mumtaz) died bearing her fourteenth child, this white marble Moslem mausoleum is one of the most iconic and reknown travel wonders in the world. Built by an estimated 20,000 workers over 20 years (400, 000 man hours of construction), this is a masterpiece in architectural symmetry.Ironically, the only non-symmetric aspect of the Taj Mahal is the tomb of Shah Jahan himself – buried next to his wife, whose tomb is exactly centered. The story goes that Shah Jahan planned to be buried in an identical monument in black marble on the opposite side of the river, a space which still lays vacant in this seething crowded city of over a million people. It makes for a great afternoon v Read more:India
, Monument
Top Ten Wildlife Experiences 2008-03-06 17:13:00 There is an ever-increasing number of wildlife viewing opportunities available all over the world. For me and for many others, viewing wildlife in their natural environment is among the most rewarding experiences around. Sadly, many of the animals in the list below are endangered. Often, the money from travellers helps fund their protection and well-being, especially in countries which are much poorer than those of us who live in the first world countries.Here is my top ten list.1. Mountain Gorillas of Uganda, Rwanda and CongoThe most exceptional single hour of many people’s lives who have seen the mountain gorillas. Trek in Central Africa for some hours to spend an hour with an habituated group of mountain gorillas (group is typically between 8 and 20) including the alpha male – the s Read more:Top Ten
Fishing with the Bears (Alaska, USA) 2008-03-03 23:25:00 If looks could kill! Scratch, a solo black bear with a savage scar across his nose, has stood up to his belly in the cascading falls for over half an hour, plunging his head into the frigid water and coming up empty. Yet elegant Mom, strolling down to the river for the second time in a few minutes, enthusiastic youngsters waddling behind, leans into the water from the bank and plucks a writhing salmon from the creek in seconds. A few drops of water drip from her neck, a spray of water from the struggling salmon. She strolls off to a quiet spot under the tree to continue the family picnic. The cubs follow in anticipation with even more spring in their step as they assuredly traverse the slippery rocks.Nearby, four black bears, stand in a protective rock cave, out of the main current of the Read more:Alaska
, Bears
, Fishing
Misty Fjords - Bears, Crabs and Eagles on the African Queen (Alaska, USA) 2008-03-03 00:43:00 I slurp the last vestiges of meat from a fresh (and I mean fresh) crab claw, feet up and reclining back as the last energies of the sun expire into the mist of this Alaska
n wonderland. The silence is only broken by the gentle lapping of water into the towering granite walls and against the boats sides. A lone brown bear continues grazing on the nutritious sedges and grasses of the foreshore. Bald eagles soar overhead, eyes scanning for an evening snack and for their voracious chicks. Harbor seals maintain a cautious watch over the whole scene.The mist settles lower over the fjord like a protective and warming blanket, dimming any remaining light from the near-full moon and the setting sun. Even the brightest stars would not twinkle tonight.Earlier, sea planes galore buzzed and darted aroun Read more:African
, Bears
, Crabs
, Misty
, Queen
Gorillas in the Mist - A Great Wildlife Experience 2008-02-28 21:50:00 Our group had been trekking for three and a half hours through thick forest, the thorns catching our clothing and our feet sloshing through the muddy grounds. It was well over 30°C (86°F) and 100% humidity and getting hotter. The six of us were starting to get a little agitated, being drained of fluid and having started the early morning with such anticipation. The glint off the guard’s rifle caught my eye as he macheted away more branches. There is something unnerving about guns, especially when carried by two guys who hardly seemed old enough to be out of school. They walk intently with a clear direction in mind, though there were no obvious paths to follow.The rear guard pointed right to show piles of matted leaves and branches in the trees. Though I couldn’t hear him, it was to b Read more:Gorillas
, Great
Monopoly - And who did you vote for 2008-02-28 18:35:00 I have had a few people ask me what my ten selections were for the Monopoly cities. I wanted to ensure that all the continents were represented and that they were all special cities full of travel wonders that I would want to own. Let’s face it, any of the cities would be a bargain at the rates Monopoly typically charges. Paris – the city of Love with fantastic food, great boulevards, superb art and great buildingsPrague – Europe’s architectural wonder with a medieval center topped by a castle over 1000 years oldMoscow – the great Russian city Rome – so much history with the Roman Forum, Colosseum, superb churches, great piazzas, a joy of living and the VaticanCairo – the home of the Pyramids and 1000s of years of historyNew York – the Big Apple with its hectic pace, great
Monopoly - Vote for the World's Great Cities 2008-02-27 23:03:00 As I post this blog, the folks at Monopoly are gathering the final votes as to the 20 cities which will make a new world Monopoly board (from a list of 68 of the world’s major cities). Just think, a chance to buy Paris or Tokyo or Sydney. For a further two weeks (up to 9 March), you can vote for two wildcard cities, which are cities that did not make the final list of 68. This means you can enter your home town, your favourite city around the globe or a city that brings a special memory to you. Maybe one that has one of the world’s great travel wonders. Read more:Cities
, Great
, World
Great Pyramids and Sphinx (Egypt) 2008-02-26 23:31:00 Through the dust and sand, these three giants stand proudly overseeing so much of the world's history. Crowds snap photos and gaze in amazement, touts hawk the latest in T-shirts, plastic pyramids and hats to hide the sun. Camels cruise by, seemingly unaware of the fuss. Built over 4,500 years ago, the Pyramids are the only survivor of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Although there are around 100 pyramids in Egypt
and Sudan, the most famous are the Pyramids of Giza, a virtual suburb of Cairo. As the ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife, the pyramids are built on the west side (setting sun side) of the Nile and are glorious mausoleums to the pharaohs. They sit on a perfect north-south alignment. When you are there, note the extraordinary architectural skill - the huge blocks Read more:Great
Welcome to Travel Wonders of the World 2008-02-26 22:41:00 Hi and welcome.This blog will contain a mix of travel stories and reviews of what I believe are the true travel wonders of our planet from over 25 years of travel to every continent on the globe. Most blog entries will tell a story or review one special travel wonder and give you some guidance in what to see and experience if you go there.The sites will vary from glories of nature (Barrier Reef, Iguaçu Falls, Grand Canyon or the Himalaya), through ancient worlds (Pyramids, Machu Picchu, Stonehenge), the great modern cities, sacred places and the wonders of wildlife.Over the months, this site will build into a review of 100 to 200 of the finest wonders on the planet. Eventually I’d like to get to the point of giving them some kind of ranking or at least a top 10 and a top 50 and a top 10 Read more:Travel
, Welcome
, Wonders
, World
Iceland - Nature's Wonderland 2008-04-23 21:37:00 Rich in natural travel wonders with large snaking glaciers, weird and wonderful rock formations from the highly active volcanoes, sulfuric thermal pools and waterfalls galore from the melting snow and glaciers, Iceland
’s natural beauty, rich Norse legends and easy going nature should put it on the itinerary of any avid traveler. Expressive and energetic waterfalls seemingly tumble over every rock face in beautiful unaltered settings. Indeed, the word foss (for waterfall) is indelibly engraved in the minds of every visitor to Iceland. Many falls are unnamed yet are sufficiently impressive that many other countries would encompass them into national. With a true sense of nature, Iceland leaves their waterfalls au naturel uncluttered with fencing, restrictive paths or concrete viewing platf Read more:Wonderland
Hiking the Confection Villages (Cinque Terre, Italy) 2008-05-01 23:53:00 Delicately balanced on sharp ridges or squeezed into tight ravines, the random tangle of pastel-painted houses and traffic-free laneways of these five small Italian coastal villages known as the Cinque Terre
are a true travel wonder to behold. A local railway connects the five villages running through tunnels gouged from the hillsides with occasional openings to glimpse the wide blue ocean, the green terraced vineyards or the colorful houses.Far beyond the occasional glimpse from a train is to experience the Cinque Terre by walking the panoramic Blue Path – a rugged walk of around five hours to explore all five lands. Any day sees a good number of walkers on the tracks between each village providing chances to chat with folks from all over the world or to lose yourself in thoughts of dif Read more:Hiking
, Italy
, Villages
The Reed Islands (Lake Titicaca, Peru) 2008-05-13 02:01:00 Straddling Peru and Bolivia, the travel wonder of Lake Titicaca (with an area of over 8,000 square kilometres or 3,000 square miles) lies at a oxygen-deprived 3,800 metres above sea-level (12,500 feet) making any activity for a visitor beyond a slow stroll quite a feat of endurance. For hundreds of years, the Uros people have lived peacefully on a handful of small islands made solely of reeds dott Read more:Islands
Happy Birthday Peak Tram (Hong Kong) 2008-05-26 00:21:00 As travel wonders go, one of the great train journeys in the world is one of the shortest. And in two days time, it is 120 years old. HappyBirthday
!Taking less than five minutes, the 1.4 kilometre (less than one mile) ride up the funicular rail gains an elevation of around 400 metres from Hong Kong
’s central district to the top of Victoria Peak. From the top, one of the world’s finest citysca Read more:Happy Birthday
Cycling the Death Road (La Paz, Bolivia) 2008-05-29 00:52:00 Chiselled through the steep-sided travel wonder of the Yungas Mountains in Bolivia
, the rough one-lane road from shrouded La Cumbre (at a lung-bursting 4700 metres above sea level) to Corioco (at a tropical 1100 metres) is variously described as the World’s Most Dangerous Road and El Camino de al Muerte (the Road of Death). There is supposedly a death every week or so.With fog, rain, mud, dust, Read more:Cycling
Top Ten Travel Wonders of South America - Rank 6 - 10 2008-05-31 20:17:00 This is part one of my top ten SouthAmerica
n travel wonder list covering sites ranked six to ten.South America
holds a staggering array of travel wonders both natural and cultural. Boasting the world’s greatest rainforest, the world’s most spectacular waterfall, the world’s highest waterfall, the world’s greatest river, cosmopolitan cities and remarkable ancient cultures, there is somethi Read more:Top Ten
, Top Ten Travel
, Travel
, Wonders
Top Ten Travel Wonders of South America - Rank 1 - 5 2008-06-05 21:36:00 This entry represents my top five SouthAmerica
n travel wonder list. Numbers six to ten of the South America
n travel wonders appear here.South America holds a staggering array of travel wonders both natural and cultural. Boasting the world’s greatest rainforest, the world’s most spectacular waterfall, the world’s highest waterfall, the world’s greatest river, cosmopolitan cities and remark Read more:Top Ten
, Top Ten Travel
, Travel
, Wonders
The Troll's Way (Geirangerfjord, Norway) 2008-06-12 17:49:00 Everytime I think of the travel wonder of Troll
stigen, one of Norway
’s and Europe’s greatest drives (literally the Troll’s Ladder), I am reminded of a great story I can recall being told in bed as a young child.It is the story of Three Billy Goats Gruff, a fable told to Scandinavian children for over a century. In this tale, there are three goats who have run out of grass in their field and
Pretty as a Picture or Leaving an Impression (Giverny, France) 2008-06-16 01:41:00 Dramatically changing by the seasons, the tranquil symmetric Water Garden is as much a travel wonder today as it was when being recorded on canvas by Claude Monet’s artistic brushstrokes around 100 years ago. The Japanese bridge elegantly arches over the jeweled waterway bedecked with lilies and reflections from the dappled light through the overhanging weeping willow trees.Monet concentrated hi Read more:France
, Impression
, Leaving
, Picture
, Pretty
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