Why you should visit these eight natural wonders of the world
The world is full of countless awe-inspiring wonders that prove that there’s nothing more amazing in this world than nature. Here’s your guide to the eight most spectacular natural wonders to add to your bucket list!
1. Grand Canyon - Arizona, USA
One of the deepest gorges in the world is a spectacular sight to behold. A vast crevasse was carved into the Earth over a time span of six million years by the Colorado River, forming a canyon 16 kilometres wide with an average depth of over a kilometre. The Native American people who lived in the area for thousands of years regarded the canyon as a holy site and it’s easy to see why it inspired such reverential awe.
2. Amazon Rainforest
The world’s largest tropical rainforest, covering millions of square kilometres, is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, home to 40 000 plant species, over 2000 fish species, more than a thousand different birds, 427 mammals and 378 reptile species. It is truly a breathtaking wonder – immensely beautiful and full of adventures to do – canoeing on rivers, cruising on houseboats, trekking, wildlife spotting and bird watching.
3. Ngorongoro Crater – Tanzania
Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unflooded and unbroken crater in the world, the site of a massive once-active volcano that last erupted millions of years ago. Covering a massive area of three hundred square kilometres, the crater is home to some of the densest population of wildlife (particularly lions and other predators) found anywhere on the planet – it really is Africa’s Eden. The crater is a stunning visual spectacle: there’s not much to beat the view that greets you when you stand on the rim of the crater looking down into the lush emerald-green caldera, topped by a deep blue cloud-studded sky.
4. Salar de Uyuni – Bolivia
The world’s largest salt flat covers a vast 12 000 square kilometres and is made up of cracked puzzle pieces of salt stretching out in a surreal flat sea of white. It’s definitely one of South America’s most awe-inspiring natural sights – a lunar-like landscape that feels out of this world.
5. Mount Everest – Nepal/Tibet
Nearly 9000 metres above sea level, the breathtakingly beautiful Mount Everest, which sits on the border of Nepal and Tibet, is the world’s highest mountain. Every year experienced climbers attempt to reach the summit – a dangerous and daring feat – but many more people visit Base Camp, where you can stay and do short hikes to take in views of the majestic mountain.
6. Great Barrier Reef – Australia
The world’s largest coral reef system is made up of nearly 3000 reefs and 900 islands off the coast of Australia and is the planet’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. It contains a spectacular diversity of marine life – everything from thirty species of whales, dolphins and porpoises to six species of sea turtles, saltwater crocodiles and many species of sharks and rays. It’s a scuba diver’s mecca – undoubtedly one of the planet’s best underwater wonderlands.
7. Galapagos Islands – Ecuador
The Galapagos Islands are like nowhere else on the planet. Formed by volcanic eruptions in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador, the archipelago played host to some amazing animal and plant evolutions, becoming home to species only found there. The animals and birds evolved with no natural predators, so they display no fear at all to humans, meaning you can get close to baby birds or iguanas or sea lions without them batting an eyelid. The human-animal interactions here are unrivalled anywhere else.
8. Ha Long Bay – Vietnam
Soaring tree-covered limestone pillars and around 2000 green islets with sandy beaches dot the emerald-green waters of Vietnam’s Gulf of Tonkin, creating one of the world’s most beautiful seascapes. The best way to see “descending dragon bay” is on a cruise, where you’ll get to explore the many grottoes and islands by kayak.