Huacachina

Just 8 km away from the city of Ica, in southern Peru, lies the picturesque desert oasis of Huacachina. Built around a small natural lake and surrounded by enormous sand dunes that stretch several hundred feet high, Huacachina has the looks and feel of a remote Saharan outpost, but in reality is only an hour’s drive away from the Pacific coast. Huacachina has long been a tourist destination for wealthy local families from the nearby city of Ica, and lately a major destination for sandborders who travel from all around the world to ride the peaks.

The oasis is basically a collection of resorts and restaurants around a blue-green lagoon surrounded by huge sand dunes, with a permanent population of around 100, who depend entirely on tourism.

Zhangye Danxia Landform

These colourful rock formations are the result of red sandstone and mineral deposits laid down over 24 million years. Wind and rain then carved amazing shapes into the rock, forming natural pillars, towers, ravines, valleys and waterfalls.

Tianzi Mountains

These uniquely tall and thin mountains are so alien that they were used in James Cameron’s “Avatar.” Formed underwater 380 million years ago, the flow destroyed surrounding sandstone, leaving only resilient stone pillars. Some of the columns have reached over 4,000 feet above sea level.

Salar De Uyuni

During the rainy season, the world’s largest salt flat becomes the world's largest mirror. The Salar was born when several prehistoric lakes joined into one. The salt flat is so reflective, it’s used to calibrate satellites.

Rosewood Mayakoba

Surrounded by emerald jungle and pristine white beaches, Rosewood Mayakoba is a Riviera Maya resort that defines a private world of rare luxury and refined beauty.

Magdalen Island Cave Swimming

Technically, this wet activity on Quebec’s gorgeous Magdalen Islands is called Cave Swimming. Don a thick wet suit, jump into the crashing waves of the freezing Atlantic, and allow them to smash you against the red cliffs that surround the archipelago. Remarkably, the waves buttress your impact, washing you in and out of crevices and sea caves. It looks, and feels, like you shouldn’t survive such an onslaught, and yet this commercially operated adventure is mostly harmless.

Los Roques Archipelago National Park

Los Roques archipelago is composed of 350 islands, cays, and islets. Some islands are large enough to use communities while some islets are so small, you can only fit a chair. Talk about a private beach!

Los Roques Archipelago National Park was created in 1972 to protect a marine ecosystem of exceptional beauty and ecological value dominated by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful natural areas of Venezuela. The park, located about 80 miles (128 km) north of the port of "La Guaira" in Caracas, covers 221,120 hectares (546 acres), making it the largest marine park in the Caribbean Sea.

The coral reefs host some of the most beautiful underwater fauna and flora of the Caribbean. The park has exceptionally beautiful beaches of white sand and multicolor, crystalline warm waters which make it a diving, sailing and fishing paradise.

Winchester Mystery House

Winchester Mystery House is an extravagant maze of Victorian craftsmanship – marvelous, baffling, and eerily eccentric, to say the least. Tour guides must warn people not to stray from the group or they could be lost for hours! Countless questions come to mind as you wander through the mansion – such as, what was Mrs. Winchester thinking when she had a staircase built that descends seven steps and then rises eleven?

Some of the architectural oddities may have practical explanations. For example, the Switchback Staircase, which has seven flights with forty four steps, rises only about nine feet, since each step is just two inches high. Mrs. Winchester's arthritis was quite severe in her later years, and the stairway may have been designed to accommodate her disability.

The miles of twisting hallways are made even more intriguing by secret passageways in the walls. Mrs. Winchester traveled through her house in a roundabout fashion, supposedly to confuse any mischievous ghosts that might be following her.

Castle Combe, England

Castle Combe has been called 'The Prettiest Village in England' and with good reason; visitors have been coming to enjoy its charms for at least a century and the small street leading from the Market Cross down to the By Brook is as picturesque today as it ever was.

Castle Combe’s history goes back much further than this though. The site of the castle is above today’s village, but little other than earthworks now mark its one time presence. Originally it was a British hill fort which became occupied by the Romans due to its proximity to The Fosse Way. After the Romans, came the Normans, who built the fort up into a Castle.

By the Middle Ages the village in the valley had become an important centre for the wool industry. The spinsters and weavers lived in the cottages (hence names such as "Weaver’s House") and the river, still known as By Brook, provided the power to run the mills.

In more recent times the village has played host to many filming activities, the most famous of these being ‘Doctor Doolittle’ filmed in and around the village in 1966. More recently the village has had a major role in 'War Horse', 'Stardust' and 'The Wolf Man'. The village is also a sanctuary to wildlife as it is a conservation area and enjoys the beauty of nature at its very best.

The village houses are all of typical Cotswold type, constructed in stone with thick walls and roofs made from split natural stone tiles. The properties are many hundreds of years old and are listed as ancient monuments. Strict rules apply to preserve the beauty and character of Castle Combe for later generations to admire.

Ledbury, England

A Herefordshire town and its nearby villages and attractions, this attractive town has much for the visitor to see , with its black and white timber framed buildings it has a charm that has attracted tourists from the world over, with its many small individual shops shopping can be done at a leisurely pace.

Ledbury is steeped in history, in 1645  the Royalists fought with Oliver Cromwell's troops in the main street a battle which was won by the Royalists.

A  much photographed landmark in the town is the Market House, this dates back to 1653. Ledbury Market House and was erected by John Abel who was known as the ‘Kings Carpenter', this impressive structure is built in brick and timber and stands on sixteen massive wooden posts, originally built as a grain store the building is now used as the Town Council chamber, a twice weekly market is held here.

Each July Ledbury plays hosts to a poetry festival and attracts many persons of fame in the literary world.

The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

This great little award-winning and family-friendly Museum contains two fun and fact-packed biographical galleries, the fantabulous interactive Story Centre and a sunny courtyard. Look out for a range of whizzbanging workshops and extra-usual events. Situated in the village where Roald Dahl lived and wrote for 36 years, the Museum was created as a home for the author's unique archive and to inspire a love of stories and creative writing in all our visitors.

Colmar, France

With a charming country-town atmosphere and a strong historical heritage, Colmar is not only “the most Alsatian town in Alsace”, and the wine capital of the region, but also a place for the fairytale believers.

This dreamy place has a very privileged location near Germany and Switzerland, between the Vosges mountains and the Rhine, between Strasburg and Mulhouse. There is also a special TGV route between Colmar and Paris. The best way to explore the Colmar is by taking long walks through the old city center and admiring its well preserved architecture.

Landmarks include the Dominican Church, Maison des Tetes, Unterlinden Museum (featuring historic artifacts and paintings by Renoir and Picasso) , the Bartholdi Museum (dedicated to the sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi, who designed the Statue of Liberty and who was born here). Little Venice is a part of the city built on picturesque canals and also a great place to taste the Alsatian cuisine.

Alberobello, Italy

Unesco World Heritage Site Alberobello resembles a mini urban sprawl – for gnomes. The Zona dei Trulli on the western hill of town is a dense mass of 1500 beehive-shaped houses, white-tipped as if dusted by snow. These dry-stone buildings are made from local limestone; none are older than the 14th century. Inhabitants do not wear pointy hats, but they do sell anything a visitor might want, from miniature trulli to woollen shawls.

The town is named after the primitive oak forest Arboris Belli (beautiful trees) that once covered this area.

Burano, Italy

Burano is Italy’s technicolor town, located in the same lagoon as Venice. According to When On Earth, fishermen decided to paint their houses with bright colors so that they would be easily distinguishable through the thick fog. Today, residents can’t paint their houses just any shade — if they want to repaint, they have to send a letter to the government, and officials will reply with a list of acceptable colors.

Bibury, England

Bibury is situated in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds on the River Coln 9 miles from the market town of Burford.

The village was once described by William Morris as 'the most beautiful village in the Cotswolds'.

The village centre clusters around a square near St. Mary's, a Saxon church. Some of the Saxon remains inside the church are replicas as the originals are housed in the British Museum.

One of the village's main tourist spots and overlooking a water meadow and the river is Arlington Row, a group of ancient cottages with steeply pitched roofs dating back to the 16th Century.

Henry Ford thought Arlington Row was an icon of England. On a trip to the Cotswolds he tried to buy the entire row of houses to ship back to Michigan so that he could include them in Greenfield Village.

Bibury has provided the backdrop for blockbuster films including Stardust and Bridget Jones's Diary.

Sandals Grande St. Lucian

Ideally located on its very own peninsula, Sandals Grande St. Lucian is often described as the "closest vacation to a picture-perfect postcard." Cradled to the west by Rodney Bay - boasting the calmest waters in all of Saint Lucia - and to the east by the majestic Atlantic Ocean, this magnificent resort showcases awe-inspiring panoramic views that will linger in your heart forever. Volcanic mountains draped in blankets of green rise majestically from an impossibly clear blue sea. A sheltered mile-long beach extends an open invitation for days of endless water play. This is paradise as it was meant to be, full of natural beauty, rich in history, and resplendent in pure romance.

For a secluded, tranquil hideaway with unparalleled proximity to the beach, immerse yourself in the luxury of a beachfront Rondoval suite. Comprised of spacious, exquisite interiors with natural stone flooring and Roman soaking bathtubs perfect for two, these circular suites also offer unique outdoor opportunities on a private veranda, including alfresco dining, sunbathing and stargazing from your very own hammock, outdoor showers, and access to a private, refreshing pool and whirlpool. Secluded by lush, tropical greenery, these clandestine suites are the ultimate in luxury with extraordinary vistas of the famous Rodney Bay.

Cooper Island Beach Club

Just steps from the beach, our newly renovated guest cottages are nestled amongst palm trees, cactus gardens and tropical flowers. All rooms enjoy fabulous views of The Sir Francis Drake Channel and the islands beyond. A connecting door between balconies can be opened when friends are travelling together. Each open-plan room is bright and airy, featuring recycled teak furniture in driftwood tones.

Shanghai Tunnels

The "Portland Underground" tunnels, more popularly known as the "Shanghai Tunnels", were basements of buildings that connected to other buildings through brick and stone archways that were intersected with tunnels that connected under the streets, linking block to block. These "catacombs" or "tombs", as they were sometimes called, created a unique network of passages and thoroughfares that were used by unscrupulous individuals called "shanghaiiers" or "crimps", in addition to "white slavers" who grabbed women and sold them into prostitution.

These are educational tours of the infamous "Portland Underground" that focuses on the shanghai trade in the City of Portland that survived from 1850-1941, as well as "white slavery", prohibition, and even the turn-of-the-century history of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) labor movement in the Northwest. In addition, the early history of the Chinese is covered, along with the Japanese and the Gypsies. These tours are operated by the Cascade Geographic Society (CGS) and provide a unique glimpse back into the hidden (or buried) past of the "City of Roses".

The tour takes approximately an hour and a half, and participants are with a guide at all times. The tour-goers receive an above-ground orientation, and then the guide will lead participants into the "Portland Underground", where they will receive the majority of the historical and oral history about this infamous maritime practice that gave Portland a notorious reputation throughout the world. Tour participants must be able to handle stairs that lead to and from this hidden world. In addition, there will be dust, dirt, musty smells, and anything else that would be associated with this type of environment, so if you need a dust mask, please bring one. Also, at each station people will be required to stand for at least 15 minutes at a time in order to receive the necessary information. Also, the "Portland Underground" is constantly in transition as more and more sections are opened or restored, which is why some people have taken this tour several times.

Old Faithful Inn

This historic cabin facility is located near Old Faithful Inn and includes a one-story main lodge built in the 1920's featuring massive logs and stone pillars.

Tremendous views of the Old Faithful Geyser can be seen from the bakery and cafeteria-style food court. The large gift store is also located in the lodge. Basic cabins are equipped with or without bath and grouped nearby.The lobby of the hotel features a 65-foot ceiling, a massive rhyolite fireplace, and railings made of contorted lodgepole pine. Its incredibly large space can be experienced on many different levels and from many different vantage points. The visitor can stand in the middle of the lobby and look up at the exposed structure, or climb up a gnarled log staircase to one of the balconies and look up, down, or across. Wings were added to the hotel in 1915 and 1927, and today there are 327 rooms available to guests in this National Historic Landmark.

The rustic-style lodge, with log and wood shingle exterior is located adjacent to the world famous Old Faithful Geyser. The original part of the Inn, known as the "Old House" was completed in 1904 and includes an immense lobby with a huge stone fireplace.

The East and West Wings were added in the teens and the twenties, with many rooms having been remodeled in recent years. Guest accommodations include rooms with private and shared baths. Additionally, a full service restaurant, deli, gift store and interpretive tours are available at the Inn.

Kalaloch Creek Nature Trail

Tree Root Cave - This incredible tree is easily accessible on the beach at Kalaloch campground.  In fact there are quite a few amazing natural features in this area.

Kalaloch, meaning "a good place to land" in the Quinault language, has no shortage of natural areas to explore. The Pacific shoreline just below provides ample habitat for marine life: tide pools reveal crabs and sea urchins at low tide; sea otters float on the surface of submerged kelp beds; shorebirds nest on beaches; and whales and dolphins occasionally emerge offshore. Beyond the national park's 73 miles of coastline lie three national wildlife refuges and one marine sanctuary.

Near the campground and lodge, trails and steps descend about 40 ft. to the beach. There are several beaches, tide pools, scenic overlooks and trails to explore. The Kalaloch Creek Nature Trail is a mile-long walk through the forest along Kalaloch Creek, which drains into the ocean. There are accessible lookout points at Ruby Beach and Beach Trail 4.

Olympic National Park has much to explore, including temperate rain forests, ocean shores, sub-alpine mountains, lakes and more. The lush Hoh Rain Forest, as well as the towns of Queets, Quinault and Forks are within a 45-minute drive.

Cummins Falls State Park

Cummins Falls State Park is a 211 acre park located nine miles north of Cookeville on the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River. In the rolling hills of Jackson County where Putnam and Jackson counties meet, the stream gives way to a 75 foot drop.

This park is located in the Cordell Hull Watershed. The forest that borders the river includes a variety of oaks, beech, buckeye, sycamore and hemlock. Woodland plants include October’s lady tresses, star chickweed, liverleaf and Allegheny spurge. The property’s long forested streamside protects turkey, quail, eagles and other birds; soft-shell and other turtles; fox, mink, and myriad insects including damselflies and dragonflies.

Cummins Falls was named one of the top 10 best swimming holes in the United States in the “America’s Best Swimming Holes” article in Travel and Leisure magazine.  The article reads “It’s a hard-earned scramble to the bottom that involves hiking to the overlook, wading across the ankle-deep stream, climbing up to the ridge, and using a rope guide to walk yourself down to the water. This is not a swimming hole for lightweights. Translation: expect a younger crowd. But if you’re agile (and sure-footed), the descent into the cavernous pool is worth the effort."

Hallstatt

In midst the mystical Salzkammergut Lake Region lies Hallstatt, Austria’s oldest village, who’s culture dates back to the 8th century B.C. Quite possibly the most photographed Austrian village, Hallstatt is visually framed by the Hallstaettersee and the massive Dachstein mountain range.


Arriving in Hallstatt is quite the experience in itself. With the train station on one side of lake and the village itself on the other, you need to take a ferry across the lake to get there and are thus awarded with a spectacular first impression of this famous Alpine village.

Once there, the local museum shows artifacts found in burial grounds around the area spanning the last 7000 years. A short walk to St. Michael’s chapel reveals one of the more unique objects on display in Hallstatt: hand-painted skulls – neatly arranged in the bone house / ossuary – and yes you read that correctly. Due to its limited available space Hallstatt is the only village in Austria where long buried skulls and bones are often eventually hand painted, stacked neatly, and put on display.

Another local treasure: Salt, over centuries the source of Hallstatt’s wealth. We urge you to visit and to literally slide down deep into the world’s oldest salt mines. Once inside at “Hörnerwerk" cavern you will discover a subterranean salt lake and become acquainted with the tragic fate of the prehistoric miner who became world-famous as the "Man preserved in the salt”

Miskolctapolca

The Cave Bath is a thermal bath in a natural cave in Miskolctapolca, which is part of the city of Miskolc, Hungary, another cave bath is only at Sklene Teplice, Slovakia.

The thermal water (temperature: 30°C/86°F) is reputed to reduce joint pain, and since it has a lower salt content than most thermal waters (around 1000 mg/liter), people can bathe in it for much longer, practically an unlimited amount of time. The Cave Bath can be visited all year long, except for January.

The cave and the thermal spring have been known since ancient times, but Tapolca became a popular bathing place only after the Ottoman occupation of Hungary (16th-17th century). During this time the area belonged to the Greek Orthodox abbey of Görömböly; the development of Tapolca into a bathing place was the idea of the abbot in 1711. He also brought doctors from Kassa, today Košice, Slovakia to examine the beneficial effects of the water. Three pools and an inn were constructed in 1723. The cave itself was not used yet, as the pools were outside. The water was colder than it is now, because the cold water springs of Tapolca (which now play an important role in providing Miskolc with drinking water) were used too. By the mid-18th century, after a short period of popularity, the bath was neglected and by the 19th century the buildings were in ruins.

Ramona Falls

The dazzling, picturesque Ramona Falls stands like a fountain centerpiece at the front of a wooded cathedral. The water appears as if from nowhere a hundred feet above you and fans out like a wedding veil to the creek bed below. As it trickles and ricochets off the basaltic rock-face, it gives it a glowing, almost phosphorescent appearance. This illusion is especially noticeable when the alder canopy allows the evening sun rays to pass through, like a spotlight on a great work of art. Its wooded setting provides a cool escape from the summer heat and is an obvious resting spot before turning around or heading to points beyond.

This is a popular location however. Not only do day-hikers from Portland visit the area, but backpackers traversing the Timberline Trail (or up nearby Bald Mountain or Yocum Ridge) will pass through here, often taking up camp in a nearby site. But don't let the crowds deter you.

On the one hand you wouldn't think to camp here because it's fairly close to the trailhead and is very popular, but there are a lot of places to camp in the vicinity.From Ramona Falls there are two trails - one goes West and the other Northwest. The Northwest immediately splits into two trails that are both going approximately Northwest.The West trail, within about 0.1 miles of the falls has several side trails going to campsites. These are probably the most used. You can get drinking water from below Ramona Falls.Keep going on the West trail about 0.4 miles to a junction, and then take the PCT South down to the river. In about 0.1 mile is a large flat area with a couple campsites. Go uphill on steep trail a short distance to Sandy Guard station and places to camp up there. Or, on the other side of the PCT there's a side trail that leads to some other campsites. Maybe this used to be a main trail? If you keep going a short distance more on the PCT there's a nice clear stream for drinking water.

Tunnel Falls

Tunnel Falls is the traditional turnaround spot for many on the Eagle Creek Trail, and it is indeed a splendid climax. Over the last thousand years, the falls have carved a majestic basin here, plunging 160 feet from towering basalt cliffs to the rushing creek-bed below. While this scene is impressive enough, the most bewildering aspect of the falls in the passageway behind them. Trail builders from the early 1900s blasted a tunnel behind the falls and then across the sheer rock face on their far side, making this area the slickest and perhaps, most precarious section of trail in the Columbia River Gorge. Looking downstream from the falls, you can see were the two forks of Eagle Creek converge, meeting at Grand Union Falls.

Please avoid the temptation to descend to the creek via the large slide on the near side, as so many have done before. Putting aside the obvious danger, the area is eroding before it's time, accelerating mother nature's intentions for the area.

Visitors to this area may choose to continue less than a half-mile ahead to the two-tiered, 200 foot Twister Falls (some guidebooks call it "Eagle Creek Falls"). It is well worth the minimal additional effort if time affords. It is difficult to see the full span of the cataract, but more impressive is the trail to it. Many have referred to this stretch as the "Vertigo Mile".

The Eagle Creek to Tunnel Falls Hike is one of the most popular and magnificent trails in the Columbia River Gorge, and for good reason. You will literally lose count as you pass dozens of spectacular waterfalls through the lush temperate rain forests and tall basalt cliffs. You'll traverse passageways blasted out of the bedrock with dynamite, footbridges over bubbling streams, talus slopes, and unique geologic formations along your journey -- and that's just in the first 2 miles!