On this day of International Day for Monuments and Sites or World Heritage Day (18th April 2018) look at some of the most amazing wonders on the World Heritage List. This could be a very long page as there are lots and lots of amazing places on the World Heritage List (over 1000). We have selected just 5…enjoy.
The Great Barrier Reef
Found on the North East Coast of Australia, The Great Barrier Reef is a stunning site of containing the world’s largest amalgamation of coral reefs. Home to over 1500 different types of fish, a multitude of molluscs and incredibly beautiful, this is a must see if you are taking a holiday in Australia and are anywhere near Queensland. The Great Barrier Reef is huge (covering 340,000 square kilometres) so there are lots of different islands and cities along the Queensland coast you can visit from but by far the most popular is Cairns.
Get There From the UK: Fly to Cairns and book a tour.
Machu Picchu
The historic Inca settlement of Machu Picchu stands majestically on the eastern Andes in Peru. The beautiful surroundings add to overall sense of WOW when you see Machu Picchu for the first time. Some 2500 metres above sea level between the Amazon basin and the Peruvian Andes at the heart of this collection of over 200 structures crisscrossing the side of the mountain is The Citadel which is often adorned on the front of magazines and travel brochures for this area of the world.
Get There from the UK: Fly to Lima, take a short flight to Cusco and then a train, bus or trek to Machu Picchu.
The Grand Canyon
The stunning Grand Canyon has been carved through the Arizona rock by the Colorado River over millions of years creating an incredible spectacle. The sheer scale of the Grand Canyon is one of the most impressive things which draws visitor’s year after year. At 1.5km deep and between half a kilometre and 30 kilometres wide it stretches nearly 450km and is most often visited from Las Vegas. A helicopter trip that takes in the Hoover Dam and Lake Meade on the way to the Grand Canyon is a great way to go – landing in the canyon itself as well as seeing it from above is an amazing experience.
Get There from the UK: Fly to Las Vegas and book one of the many trips and tours available.
The Great Wall of China
An incredible feat of human ingenuity and determination to build this colossus leaves most visitors in awe of an incredible man-made achievement. It must be the longest construction project in the history of the world and took maybe 2000 years to build (sections built and rebuilt and extended at different times). It is over 13,000 miles long and on average is 8 metres high with some sections as high as 14 metres. The most visited section of the wall is Badaling which is the easiest for international visitors to get to as it is just 40 miles north of Beijing.
Get There from the UK: Fly to Beijing and book a tour to the wall.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite makes the list simply because it is my favourite place on earth. The views on a sunny day are delightful and never get old. If you like greenery and the outdoors you will love Yosemite. The jaw dropping cliffs, domes, huge waterfalls, lakes, giant sequoia, alpine meadows and a host of sneaky squirrels trying to eat your lunch are reason enough to visit. But if you like hiking and climbing then you will be hard pressed to find anywhere better, Yosemite is a mecca for walkers and climbers eager to scale El Capitan and Half Dome. With miles upon miles of parkland to explore Yosemite is a fabulous place to visit if you are heading to California.
Get There from the UK: Fly to San Francisco, hire a car and drive (about 175 miles) to Yosemite. Check in to Tenaya Lodge for an unforgettable holiday.
