Angkor Wat: A Journey Through Time and Spiritual Grandeur When you think of Cambodia, the first thing that comes to mind is the majestic Angkor Wat. It’s no secret that the majestic temple complex is an engineering phenomenon and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Angkor Wat has beaten Pompeii in Italy to become the eighth…
It is easy to see why Mount Fuji is one of the most popular destinations for locals and tourists alike. This stunningly iconic mountain with its snow-capped peaks is a cultural and spiritual symbol of Japan. The country’s tallest mountain, it attracts climbers, hikers, and those who just want to relax and admire its beauty….
Huangguoshu Waterfall, situated in the province of Anshun in China, is the tallest waterfall in Asia at 255ft (77.8m) high and 331ft (101m) wide. It’s name, ‘Huangguoshu’, literally translates to ‘yellow fruit tree’. The falls and the surrounding area form ‘Huangguoshu Waterfall National Park’, which is rated by the Chinese Tourism board as AAAAA, the…
Bali is a famous Indonesian island located in western Indonesia just a few miles east of Java. Bali covers approximately 2160 square miles (5600 sq. km), with a mountainous interior of lush forests and clear lakes that complement the gorgeous beaches, which ring the island. Bali is known for its distinctive and unique culture that…
Koh Lipe is a tiny island about 43.5 miles (70km) southwest of Thailand in the Andaman Sea near the Malaysian border. The island is within the Tarutao National Marine Park and is known for its pristine beaches, unspoiled landscapes and laid-back atmosphere. It is a premier scuba diving and snorkelling destination as 25 percent of…
Dhaulagiri, the seventh highest mountain in the world, is situated in Nepal and forms part of the Dhaulagiri mountain range. Its name is derived from Sanskrit, where it means ‘white beautiful mountain’. First ascended in 1960, the mountain has since been climbed successfully hundreds of times. Interesting facts about Dhaulagiri Dhaulagiri is the highest mountain…
Situated close to the bustling city of Kunming in China’s Lunan Yi Autonomous province, Stone Forest National Park is a scenic area boasting an array of captivating limestone formations. Bewitching, dove grey stones, shaped like trees, animals and even fungi, rise up from the earth and point into the heavens, casting eerie shadows. Unsurprisingly, the…
Japanese alps facts Where are the Japanese alps? The Japanese Alps (Japanese Nihon/Nippon or Arupusu) are three geographically distinct mountain ranges all on the largest island of Honshu; Northern Alps / Hida Sanmyaku. Their area: 1,740 sq. km (671 sq mi). Mount Hotaka is the highest peak at 3,190 m (10,470 ft). Central Alps /…
Where is Komodo National Park? Komodo National Park, situated in the heart of the Indonesian archipelago, is composed of three large islands (Komodo, Rinca and Padar), and numerous smaller ones, all of volcanic origin. Perhaps the most dramatic of all Indonesian landscapes, the park features rough hillsides of dry savannah, green thorny vegetation, perfect sandy…
Turquoise seas lapping up on soft white beaches fringed with palm trees set against a backdrop of mangrove and tropical rain forests certainly fits many people’s idea of a holiday paradise especially when coupled with a tropical island climate. The Andaman Islands, set in the Indian Ocean certainly have much to offer but they have…
This beautiful string of coral islands in the Indian Ocean must surely qualify as being an earthly paradise and most visitors to the Maldive islands enjoy a warm welcome and experience a true feeling of peace and tranquillity. These islands, however, are noted for their stormy past both physically and politically and even in recent…
Tibet is a remote and forbidding land sometimes referred to as “the roof of the world” due to its extreme altitude high in the Himalayas. Despite its inaccessibility and history of tumultuous political unrest, the area has, for thousands of years, attracted visitors who come not only to enjoy the incredible mountain scenery but also…
Palawan Island is the largest island in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is a long island, the fifth largest in the Philippines, running in a north-east to south-west direction with the South China Sea to the north-west and the Sulu Sea to the south east. It is around 450 kilometres long and…
On a clear day, the snow-covered peak of Mount Damavand can be seen in the distance from the Iranian capital Tehran. This snow covered peak is as famous and well loved by the people of Iran as is Fujiyama by the Japanese. It is immediately obvious from its steep-sided conical shape that this is not…
Sagarmatha National Park covers 443 square miles (1148 sq. km) in Nepal’s Khumbu region, and features the tallest peak in the world, Mount Everest, along with several other renowned peaks such as Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Pumori, Ama Dablam, Thamerku, Kwangde, Kangtaiga and Gyachyung Kang. Declared a national park in 1976, Sagarmatha is famed not just…
The very name Arabian Desert evokes a sense of mystery and romance. It is often portrayed as a forbidding wasteland devoid of life but throughout history it has retained a sense of fascination for travellers and is of course the backdrop for the fabulous Arabian Nights stories featuring such characters as Ali Baba, Aladdin and…
The Taklamakan Desert, also known as the “Place of Ruins” or the “Sea of Death”, is the largest desert in China, at over 620mi (1000km) long and 250mi (400km) wide. Lying between the Tien Shan and Kunlun mountain ranges, the Taklamakan Desert is a waterless death trap, experiencing an average annual rainfall of just 0.4in…
The Thar Desert is the largest desert in India which is why it is also called the Great Indian Desert. The desert covers more than 77,000 square miles (200,000 sq. km). Where is the Thar desert located? The Thar desert is located in Asia and sits on the border between India and Pakistan. The map…
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world with a peak that soars 29,028ft (8847m) above sea level. Situated on the border of Nepal and Tibet in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayan Mountains, the natural beauty of Everest is unrivaled. Incredibly, all 14 of the world’s peaks measuring over 8000 meters can be…
The Gobi Desert spans portions of both Northern China and Southern Mongolia, covering a total area of 0.5 million square miles (1.29 million sq. km). A cold desert; Gobi has one of the world’s most extreme climates, featuring rapid temperature changes, both seasonally and daily. Summer months bring temperatures of up to 122°F (50°C) whilst…
Kathmandu, Nepal Perched high in the Himalayas on the roof of the world, Nepal has long been regarded as a mysterious country steeped in history and legend. For many years it remained cut off from the rest of the world adding to its attraction for many would-be visitors. It has even been suggested that Nepal’s…
Fans of Bollywood movies may wonder just where the film-makers find such incredible backdrops and the sight of primitive boats traversing a mirror-like lake complete with the reflections of immense snow-covered mountains seems to be a million miles away from most people’s idea of modern India but Dal Lake is unlike any other place on…
Valleys can be formed in various ways such as by erosion from the passage of water or ice but the world’s largest valleys are created by tectonic movements where the land mass is literally torn apart by immense forces leading eventually to the formation of new seas and continents. Such a “rift valley” has been…
The underground caves stretch for more than 24km and they contain the last 9km of the Cabayugan River before it spills out into the Philippine Sea. The caves are a breathtaking combination of stalactites, stalagmites, caverns, waterfalls, domes and rivers. Major new discoveries have been made as recently as 2010. The best way to see…
The Wadi Rum consists of 278 square miles (720 sq. km) of desert wilderness. Commonly called ‘The Valley of the Moon’, Wadi Rum is a protected southern Jordan valley featuring sand varying in color from light tan to brick red and narrow canyons that cut deep into the huge granite and sandstone mountains, many concealing…
Reed Flute Cave is a natural limestone cave in the Guangxi province of China. Its name is derived from a variety of naturally abundant reed that grows throughout the area, which can be used to make flutes. The Reed Flute Cave boasts bodies of water, extraordinary stalagmite and stalactite formations, as well as a number…
Majlis al Jinn, which translates to “Meeting Place of the Spirits”, is one of the world’s ten largest cave chambers. It is situated in Oman, southeast of Muscat, and is notable for its isolated and relatively inaccessible location. The only entrances to Majlis al Jinn are small openings formed by rainwater erosion atop the remote…
The Mulu Caves are part of the remote Gunung Mulu National Park in the State of Sarawak, Malaysia. Situated in the heart of Borneo, the Gunung Mulu National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to some of the most diverse species of birds, plants, animals and marine life in the world. Gunung…
Tiger Leaping Gorge, set to the backdrop of the majestic Jade Dragon and Haba Snow Mountains of China, is one of the deepest gorges in the world. The Jingsha River flows through its beautiful 10mi (16km) length, nestled between towering cliffs of up to 12,795ft (3900m). At its narrowest point near the mouth of the…
Laila Peak is a 20,000ft (6096m) high mountain, part of the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan. Well known for it’s beautiful, distinctive spear-like shape, Laila Peak has only been climbed a few times. Unsurprising given that it’s dramatic northwest face features a 45-degree slope for more than 4900 vertical feet (1500m). Only the most experienced…
Ha Long Bay is an area of extraordinary natural beauty, situated in Vietnam’s Quang Ninh Province, close to the Chinese border. Thousands of islands and islets are scattered in the region, surrounded by pristine, crystal-clear waters. Whilst comparisons are sometimes made with Guilin in China, or Krabi in Thailand, in reality, Ha Long Bay is…
Jeita Grotto, the longest cave in the Middle East, is situated approximately 11 miles (18km) north of Beirut. It consists of two separate, but interconnected, limestone caves, and boasts a length of 5.6 miles (9km). One of the worlds most amazing agglomerations of stalactites and stalagmites, Jeita Grotto is widely considered to be the pride…
The Arctic is one of the Earth’s great un-spoilt wildernesses and everyone knows that at its centre is the North Pole. It is bounded by an imaginary line known as the Arctic Circle. Rather than simply being defined as a simple line of latitude, the position of the Arctic Circle is dependent on the degree of…
K2 is the second highest mountain in the world, with a peak rising 28,251 feet (8611m) above sea level. Situated on the border of Pakistan and China, it is commonly known as the ‘Savage Mountain’ due to its difficult ascent and high fatality rate. The first successful ascent was by an Italian expedition in 1954,…