Halong Bay (Vinh Ha Long) – Vietnam
The descending dragon bay is Vietnam’s most beautiful natural attraction with thousands of isles and limestone karsts of different sizes and shapes. Legend goes that when Chinese invaders attacked Vietnam, God sent jewel and jade spitting dragons and these jewels turned into islets and islands that linked together to form a wall. Some of the islands are fishermen’s floating villages.
Ayers Rock/ Uluru – Australia
This sacred place of the Aborigines, Uluru, as it is now called is the world’s largest monolith. This is the weathered peak of a mountain range that is buried and rises about 430 meters from the desert. It appears to take on various hues depending on the weather and the distance. Visitors who take mementoes of sand or pieces of rock apparently report bad luck and the belief is that returning them restores normalcy.
Blue Grotto Cave – Italy
German writer, August Kopisch was the first to write about the beauty of the Blue Grotto cave on the coast of the Island of Capri. The blue reflection is caused by sunlight that passes through a cavity underwater and shines through the seawater. The natural cave formations and the crystal blue water take you into a different world.
Victoria Waterfalls – Southern Africa
These falls were named after queen Victoria, by a Scottish Explorer, David Livingstone. Locally, they are called “Mosi-Oa-Tunya,” meaning “smoke that thunders.” They are enormous and most unusual in form. Their width of 1.7 km and height of 108 meters makes them the largest sheet of falling water in the world; although, they are not the widest or the largest. The breathtaking sight of these spectacular waterfalls has to be seen from the air to view its glory.
Antarctica
Antarctica occupies 10% of the land on earth and it is one and half times as big as China. Because of the thin air and high altitude along with the ice and snow on the surface of the solar reflection, this has become the coldest places in the world. The surface is covered with tremendous amounts of iceberg. For animal and bird lovers, there is plenty of action in the form of penguins, sea birds, swallows, skua and fur sea lions (a type of seal). The drop-dead beauty of Antarctica cannot be explained enough.
Bora Bora Island – French Polynesia
The name Bora Bora evokes images of a mythic paradise. This pearl of the pacific is one of the group of Leeward Islands and is the northernmost. The beauty of the lagoon is unparalleled. It has the distinction of being one of the rare places where manta rays (largest of the rays “species”) can be observed throughout the year. Another specialty is houses built over water. This place is a paradise for nature lovers and divers.
Lake Baikal – Southern Siberia, Russia
Lake Baikal – Southern Siberia, Russia
This 25-million year old, 1,637 meters deep lake is the deepest, oldest and also the largest freshwater lake (by volume) in the world and contains much more water than all the great lakes in North America put together. The lake plays host to more than a thousand plant species and animal species. Mountains surround the lake on all sides and with 22 islands on the lake; it offers a most exotic visual treat and thrilling experience.
Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
Meaning River of January, the city of Rio is situated between the Serra da Bocaina mountains and the sea. It is filled with natural beauty characterized by marked contrasts; spectacular mountains, sparkling sea and lush forests, which form a landscape picture of rare beauty. The two beautiful and the most famous vantage points are mountains Pão de Acúcar (Sugarloaf) and Corcovado, atop which there is a large statue of Christ the redeemer, which is world famous. The tropical rain forest is all around the place and covers hillsides beautifully. The dramatic setting framed by miles and miles of dazzling beaches and jungle vegetation is unparalleled. Don’t forget the “caipirinha!”
Canals – Venice
“If this place sinks, the world will be poorer!” The beauty of Venice has been described in several ways. The canals in Venice are world famous and are the most beautiful. It is built on 118 islands connected by bridges and formed by 150 canals. This city with water streets is the only European city where no motorcars are used and all the transportation is on the canals, with the use of water taxis, waterbuses and the most romantic gondolas.
Angel Falls – Venezuela
Angel Falls is a staggeringly beautiful place. Located in the middle of dense rainforests, the sound of the water falling down can be heard from a kilometer. The stream of water is very powerful at the top but with the length of the drop being very huge, most of the water turns into mist before reaching the ground.
Santorini (Thira) Island – Greece
The unparalleled beauty of this famous Greek Island is attributed to God having created it when he was most happy. This island is part of the Cyclades Islands in the South Aegean Sea. It is known as the best place in the world for watching the sunset. The volcanic rim overlooking the sea filled caldera, the breathtaking sunsets and the deep blue are spectacular.
French Alps – France
The French alps offer an outstanding scenery, with the elegantly soaring alpine mountains, lakes and river valleys. They spread from Geneva in the north to the Mediterranean in the south and from Annecy in the west to the Swiss and Italian borders in the east. They also include Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc. They are known to offer the most stunning and beautiful sceneries in the world.
