Everyone wants to travel the world and visit the beautiful sites, the question is, which one’s…? We took the time to explore and find out which places are choosen by most travellers as the best places to visit before you die, and would leave an unforgettable touch to your heart.
The world is big and filled with top places to travel, but at the same time life is too short to get a really good look at every wonder the world has to offer. Too much of life is spent to do day-to-day obligation, and too little is spent for families, friends, and even yourself. Both natural and man-made wonders are spread all across the globe, and there are just too many of them too see in one lifetime. If you are inclined to start your journey anyway, however, these places should be at the top of your list.
The world’s wonders are too vast, but if you are looking to spice things up and see some of earth’s finest, you can tick off a couple.
Below are the best places you must visit before you die. Must add destinations to your bucket list:
1. Angkor Wat
Stories have been told over and over again about the majestic Angkor Wat. It does not matter how often you hear it, there isn’t really anything that can prepare for the real-life experience of being inside the world’s most audacious religious monument. The entire area of Angkor complex covers about 1,000 square kilometers of the former Khmer Empire. It would take you days and a whole lots of memory cards to capture every single mesmerizing detail you see. Angkor Wat is the capital temple; it is just one of dozens equally stunning architectural sights surrounding it. The entire complex was built by a monarch who declared himself as god king, and surely it was not designed to disappoint visitors until today.
2. Pyramids of Giza
Built more than 2500 BC for Egyptian Pharaoh Khurfu, the Great Pyramid of Giza took 20 years and more than 2 million blocks of stone to construct. It remained the world’s tallest building for thousands of years until the construction of Lincoln Cathedral in London in 1300. As the only surviving member of the Seven Ancient Wonders, Pyramid of Giza deserves a visit at least once in your lifetime so you can remember that the world has always been filled with some great people with the power to mesmerize others even after they die. Although the pyramid is actually located within close proximity to Cairo, it remains in almost perfect conditions. The Great Sphinx is nearby too.
Another interesting part of construction is that it still has the remains of modern civilization (of the ancient life). Archeologists also found settlements for the builders, medical facilities, and large-scale production of food supply. All indicate that the builders were actually not slaves, but professional organized workforce. Scientific studies have been on the field for many years, yet they can only provide some answers to many questions concerning the process of how and why it was built to begin with. Even for those in the archeological world, it is hard to believe that Egypt had reached that point of civilization before most parts of the world even began to build proper community.
3. Serengeti National Park
If documentary footage of African wildlife grows an admiration in your soul, the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania should be on your bucket list. You probably have heard the term “safari” for far too often, but in Serengeti the word refers to a quite different thing thanks to The Great Migration. When rain ends in May, a colossal-scale of animal herds begins their annual journey is search green grasslands. By colossal, it refers to at least 1.5 million wildebeest along with more than 250,000 zebras and around 470,000 gazelles, to name a few. Along the way, there are perils waiting in the river, the dry savannah, and even when they arrive at their destination, the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya
The Great Migration in the Serengeti National Park actually starts in Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Let us start with the fact that Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera on Earth. This is a dried up lake, and now it acts like a sanctuary for wildlife surrounded by natural steep walls that stand up to 600 meter tall. As a matter of fact, the crater is home to some of the highest concentrations of wildlife; lions and generally every big mammal predators live and thrive in the crater. Ngorongoro is like a stage for wildlife performance in the struggle to survive. With open grasslands, acacia woodlands, swamps and all the other pretty details, Ngorongoro Crater is an otherworldly spot among harsh deserts of Africa. This natural wonder is one of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4. Galapagos
It does not really matter if you believe in evolution or not, you still have to visit Galapagos at least once before you die. This is the island where Charles Darwin developed his idea of evolution by natural selection; today you can still see the diverse animal species that bewildered him, too.
While the condition is not as pristine as it was two centuries ago, at least the island gives a glimpse of what Darwin saw and observed when he was here. Influenced by three ocean currents and located in an isolated region of the world, many of the animal species that live and thrive in Galapagos are endemic; they are not found anywhere else on the planet, unless somebody took one home during a visit. Some of the natural wonders you must see include the pink iguana, blue-footed booby, and the giant green tortoise. Especially for the tortoise, this animal can live up to more than 150 years; some of them probably knew Darwin in person.
5. Great Barrier Reef
Stretching to more than 1,600 miles long, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth. In fact, it is the only living thing visible from space. Located off Queensland coast, Great Barrier Reef is the ultimate destination for divers, both for research and recreational purposes. It offers unbelievable diverse marine life including but not limited to 1,500 fish species, 215 species of birds, 30 species of dolphins and whales, and six species of sea turtles.
Great Barrier Reef is composed of more than 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, so it is probably better to plan for a month visit to explore everything you need to see. This is the melting pot of marine animals and plants packed into gigantic colorful ecosystems.
6. Maldives
With more than 1000 tiny islands, Maldives is one of the most idyllic places on the planet. The only thing that happens here is vacation in a spoiled environment of fancy resorts combined with wild underwater adventures with exotic marine animals. On the surface, the whiter-than-white sands seem to massage your feet and please the eyes at the same time. You are almost always surrounded by cyan blue water like nowhere else in the world. Sprinkled with world-class resorts, your stay is decorated with luxurious treatments by personal butlers, private pools, in-room massages, and basically the things you imagine will happen in paradise.
Underwater Maldives provide some of the best diving sites as well. Corral walls and inviting caves are just parts of the attractions; the diversity of marine life is the real highlight. Brightly-colored schools of tropical fish are always around the corner along with turtles and friendly manta rays. For the adventurous, Maldives can also give breathtaking adventures with the presence of the world’s largest fish, the whale shark. Before you prepare your wetsuit, you need to be reminded that the water in Maldives is warm, too.
7. Mount Fuji
Serving as the highest peak in Japan and one of the most sacred places at the same time, Mount Fuji has always been a praised spectacle by tourists, locals, and artists. It stands before Lake Kawaguchi, and the combination of the view of the almost-symmetrical snow-capped summit and the lake itself deserves more admiration than anybody can give.
Among all beautiful natural wonders Japan can offer, Mount Fuji has always been the first in the list. Mount Fuji is one of UNESCO World Heritage Site; what most people do not know is that within the locality of the mountain, there are 25 other cultural interests recognized by UNESCO as well. A visit to see Mount Fuji is packed with natural and cultural wonders of Japan. There are five lakes surrounding the mountain including Motosuko, Shojiko, Saiko, Kawaguchiko, and Yamanakako. All of them offer outstanding view of the mountain sprinkled with great scenery of cherry blossom trees during springtime.
8. Blue Lagoon
In the remote city of Girdavik of Iceland, lies a wonder of natural spa resort called the Blue Lagoon. It contains about six million liters of seawater heated by the naturally existing lava bed 2,000 meters underneath the pool. It is one of the best hot springs in the world, and it offers spa experience like nowhere else. The pool itself is a treat, yet the extras that come with it are worth highlighting at the same time. In some occasion, you can also witness the Northern Light shimmering up in the sky while you are relaxing in the hot bath. Do your research beforehand to improve your chances of witnessing the best light spectacle in the sky while you are in Blue Lagoon. The hot spring will relax your muscles and the Northern Lights with will brighten up the mind.
9. Great Wall of China
Built to protect Chinese empires from the attacks of various nomadic groups of Eurasian Steppe, the Great Wall of China today remains one of the most remarkable man-made structures on Earth. While it is not actually comprised of a single continuous wall, it is safe to say that the construction generally stretches from the east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China. In total, the length is more than 20,000 kilometers.
The most extensive and best preserved portion of the wall dates back to Ming Dynasty ((1368–1644); this portion stretches to more than 8,850 km long. Great Wall of China reflected the military and political power of the dynasties that continually built, destroyed, and restored, and rebuilt it over time. China had reached modern civilization long before most parts of the world did, and the Great Wall is great remembrance of that.
10. Antarctica
When people are talking about a trip of a lifetime, they rarely mention Antarctica. That alone, for some people, makes the place the ultimate destination in their bucket list. As the southernmost continent, Antarctica has no rain, but it is cold and almost constantly blown by freezing wind; it is practically the largest dessert in the planet.
There is no permanent human resident in the continent. It has no government and no political activities for obvious reason: people, despite their superiority and powerful technologies, do not belong in Antarctica. For truly an otherworldly adventure, this southernmost dessert exceeds the qualifications. You’ll feel like you are on another planet since the first time you set foot on the area. You can just see Antarctica and take some photographs on top of a cruise ship, but real adventures happen when you are actually in Antarctica.
There are expedition agencies willing to take you to the interior side for mountain climbing and safari trip on a frozen landscape with Emperor Penguin.
Conclusion
Some of the world’s beauties are indescribable. The only good ways for you to give the admiration they deserve is by visiting them and make your memories with them. It is hard to tell whether a lifetime is enough to explore all wonders of the world, but at least the aforementioned places help you cover the basics before you kick away that bucket list.