Interesting Places To Go
Our world is full of wonderful places. Those of us who have the wherewithall to travel the globe are privileged to see many breathtaking landscapes. We can visit people of many different colors and cultures. From the wonders of the Far East to the Rocky Mountains in the Far West, our planet certainly has a great deal to offer.
Here we will explore some of the to go. If you can find it within you, pick up and just go. See the seven wonders of the World in all her glory.
Hawaii – South Pacific
See the most active volcano in the World: Kilauea. It started its current eruption in January, 1983. The site is spectacular. You can watch the lava flow from the volcano, like a fire pit, to the ocean where it flows into the sea, about 7 miles away.
Hawaii of course is known for its great snorkeling and scuba diving. You can dive many different sites off Hawaii, ‘the big island’ or you can dive many of the sites that are on any of the smaller islands. The coral reefs and fish of Hawaii are colorful and spectacular.
You can of course just relax on one or more of the many beaches of Hawaii. Perhaps you’d like to play mayball a ‘black sand’ beach.
Surfing is also an activity that Hawaii is famous for. You can surf at one of the many beaches where the waves are ‘friendly’. If you have a lot of experience and guts you might try surfing the North Shore or Pipeline.
Key West – Florida, USA
Key West is located at the very southern tip of a string of small islands making up the southern tip of Florida. Key West is surrounded by a beautiful reef system known as the Great Florida Reef. Key West vacations are perfect for anyone who loves a vacation in the surf and sun. You can go big game fishing, snorkeling and diving on the 3rd largest barrier reef in the World. You can go sailing on a catamaran or sail surfing. Parasailing is popular as well as renting jet skis or taking tours. You can even schedule a tour in an aerobatic biplane or even go sky diving.
You must be a certified and experienced diver to dive with any of the charters on Key West. You can dive on the reefs or the many ship wrecks and ships that were sunk intentionally to create artificial reefs.
If you are not a certified scuba diver you can go ‘snuba’ diving which is close to scuba diving. The diver breathes from a hose that supplies air from compressed tanks on a raft, floating on the surface.
Hong Kong – China
Hong Kong is a bright, colorful city, dense with people of many cultures, predominantly Asian. Hong Kong is located on the south coast of China, enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and the South China Sea.
With a population of over 7 million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the World. Hong Kong has well over 7,000 sky scrapers including the 3rd tallest building in the World: the International Commerce Center. Easily recognizable from a distance is the Central Plaza which towers above the city. It has an unmistakable pyramid shaped spire, high above the buildings surrounding it. You don’t want to miss the multi-colored light show put on at the Central Plaza at night.
Victoria Falls – Africa
Located in Mosi-oa-Tuny, Africa is the largest waterfall known to man. Victoria Falls, also known by its African name: Mosi-oa-Tunya flows from the Zambezi river. It is approximately one mile wide and it plummets some 360 feet into what is called the First Gorge.
Over 300,000 people visit the falls annually. The Zambezi river flows between 2 countries, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The countries allow tourists to travel between them, even if they hadn’t obtained a visa in advance. Of course a tourist would pay a considereble fee to obtain a visa on location.
Grand Canyon – USA
The Grand Canyon is one of the most amazing sites on the planet Earth. Though not the widest canyon in the World, nor the deepest, it is overall, the largest. The North Rim of the canyon is about 8,000 feet above sea level on average. The South Rim, averaging about 7,000 feet above sea level, isn’t quite as high.
You can run the river in a raft to see the canyon from the bottom. You can charter an airplane or a helicopter to view it from the sky. The main attraction however, seems to be the challenge of hiking it from the rim to the river and back. The trip generally takes 2 days and hikers are discouraged from attempting to accomplish it in one. You can take a guide. You can camp at one of the managed campgrounds or you can obtain a backcountry permit and camp along the river.
Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
One of the hotest vacation spots in the World is Rio de Janeiro. Not only does Rio have some of the greatest night clubs in the World but you can visit Corcovado Mountain or the Tijuca Forest. Be sure to spend some time in Copacabana and enjoy the beach culture. Also, don’t miss out on some of the greatest night clubs in the World.
On the north edge of Brazil you can find the Amazon Jungle. This is where about 20% of the Earth’s oxygen comes from. You might want to see what a real rain forest looks like.
Great Barrier Reef- Australia
Unfortunately, the Great Barrier Reef is being destroyed at an alarming rate. Some attribute it to Global Warming, others to different changes in our World that are affecting the reef.
The ‘reef’ is actually comprised of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. It is located in the Coral Sea, just off the coast of northeast Australia. It covers over 133,000 square miles. It is made up of literally billions of living organisms called coral polyps. The colors are brilliant and the coral formations and the brightly colored fish are unforgettable.
Paris- France
Located in northern France, Paris is the largest city in France and it is also the capital of France. Over 2 million people live in this city. It has been, for the most part, unchanged since the mid to late 1800′s.
Paris is one of the richest and most influential cities in the World. It is known for its contributions in politics, education, entertainment, fashion, science, healthcare and of course art. Rich in culture and art, Paris could be construed as the creativity test capital of the World. The earliest known archaeological signs of civilization in what is now called ‘Paris’ are from around 6,200 years ago.
Petra- Jordan
A city that was literally carved out of the side of a rock mountain, Petra (meaning Rock) was established around 600 BC with archaeological evidence of civilization dating back as far as 1,500 BC. It is known as the Rose Red City and wasn’t known to people of Western culture until Johann Ludwig Burckhardt discovered it in 1812.
Though it wouldn’t be a place you might want to spend a week or more, there are affordable hotels nearby. If you find yourself anywhere around Jordan, the site of these carved out edifices are definitely a wonder to see.
Venice- Italy
Venice is also known as the ‘Floating City’ because it sits atop the Venetian Lagoon and is comprised of 117 small islands. Known as one of the most beautiful cities in the World and also known for its art, Venice is visited by over 50,000 tourists per day.
Venice is a beautiful little city in North Italy. It is known as the ‘City of Water’ or the ‘City of Canals’ because the main form of transportation is by small boat, through its many canals. When you visit Venice you want to be sure to see St Mark’s Basilica, the Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco.
The Great Pyramids- Egypt
The pyramids of Egypt are known to be the oldest monumental structures of dressed masonry known to man. They are also among the largest structures ever built. The oldest, the Pyramid of Djoser of them dates back as far as 2630 BC and was built during the third dynasty of Egypt. 138 pyramids have been discovered so far.
The Pyramid of Khufu also known as the Great Pyramid is located in Giza on the outskirts of Cairo. Giza is the location where the greatest concentration of pyramids may be found. If you want to see the pyramids, be sure to go to Cairo and visit Giza.
Many Wonders The World Over
Here we have listed a few of perhaps the most memorable locations in the World. There are however hundreds, even thousands of places to go that can take your breath away. Visit the Hotel Ancarano or natural wonders like the Northern Lights in Alaska and man made structures like the Taj Mahal are just a glimpse into the wonderful things you might find while traveling the globe.
