travel-7-natural-wonders-of-the-world.pdf

8/14/2019 travel-7-natural-wonders-of-the-world.pdf

1/22

Travel 7 Natural Wonders of the World

Written by Daniel Hardie

Copyright 2013

Published at Smashwords


2/22

Table of Contents

Introdution

!rand Canyon

!reat "arrier #ee$

Harbor o$ #io de %aneiro

&ount '(erest

)urora "orealis

Pariutin *olano

*itoria +alls

+inal ,ote

&ore e"oo-s )bout .ra(el


3/22


4/22

Grand Canyon

Starting o$$ our / ,atural o$ Wonders o$ the World is ,orth )meria8s !rand

Canyon

Created and ar(ed to the mar(el that stands be$ore us now by the Colorado #i(er

o(er the years and situated in the state o$ )ri9ona

.he Colorado #i(er started $lowing through the modern day anyon area around 1/

million years ago shaping and $orming the anyon to its modern day state

.his $orming o(er so many millions o$ years has e(en helped sientist diso(er more

into the 'arths $ormation $rom these early times

.he anyon itsel$ is not the longest and it isn8t e(en the steepest in the world but whatdoes ma-e the !rand Canyon one o$ the / Wonders is due to its o(erall si9e sale and

being world renowned $or its natural beauty

.he !rand Canyon has a length o$ 557-m :2// mi; and its depth is a staggering

1i-e most o$ the / ,atural Wonders wildli$e too $lo-s to the !rand Canyon

)lthough it may loo- bare the anyon surprisingly ontains many di$$erent speies

throughout

.he mammals inlude the oyote bats mule deer raoons bobats mountain lions

gray $o sheep and rabbits among a $ew others howe(er the anyon is mostly ta-en

up by the rodent speies


5/22

"irdwathers will also en4oy ta-ing a (isit to this natural wonder as bird li$e an be

seen throughout the entire anyon region

.he "ald 'agles are probably the most popular to spot being suh a worthy symbol o$

the )merian nations but $ound here are also golden eagles red=tailed haw-s blue

4ays wild tur-eys tur-ey (ultures and my personal $a(ourite the Cali$ornian ondor

#eptiles o$ ourse may also be $ound within the anyon with (arious rattle sna-es

li9ards salamanders $rogs and toads

.he !rand Canyon is impressi(e no matter what you are there $or and this is why it is

onstantly (isited by about ? million tourists eah year +or this reason alone I suggest

that you boo- your trip here well and truly ahead o$ time

"oo-ing so early an ha(e issues too due to the weather etremities that the anyon isprone too throughout the entire year It is not unommon $or hi-ing tra-s to lose

down ri(ers $lowing too $ast $or ri(er ati(ities et

Summer would be your best bet as all roads are usually opened unli-e the winter

months .his will gi(e you the best hane and a lot more options o$ what you an do

in the anyon

@ne day might be a beauti$ul day but the net may be rainy and windy so another tip

would be not to boo- 4ust a day trip )llow a ouple o$ days in ase tours are

anelled or postponed )$ter all the tour operators do not ontrol the weather

.here are so many di$$erent ati(ities to do in and around the !rand Canyon that

pretty muh all wal-s o$ li$e are atered $or

Hi-ing trails are $ound throughout and lead to astonishing loo-outs o(er the !rand

Canyon but there is so muh more you ould do than your standard hi-e +or instane

why wal- when you ould ride through the anyon on a ba- o$ a muleA

#eently a s-ywal- has also been installed ) s-ywal- is basially a see through glass

sheet that you an wal- on gi(ing you the illusion o$ wal-ing on air a mile abo(e the

ground

Heliopter or seni plane tours probably o$$er the best panorami (iews o$ the

anyon $or those you who are interested in the omplete (astness o$ the anyons

range

@ut o$ heliopter or seni $light I personally pre$er the heliopter option as the (iew

is generally unobstruted and it $lies at a slower pae


6/22

&aybe you8d rather ride the rapids with one o$ the white water ra$ting tours $ound

within the anyon $or something a little more etreme

.he ma4ority o$ tours an be boo-ed as day trips $rom >as *egas or alternati(ely you

ould amp o(ernight somewhere within the anyon or boo- at one o$ the lodges

around the South and ,orth #ims

Dri(ers also need to pay a par- entrane $ee or may obtain an annual (isitors pass

howe(er most organised tours will ater $or this and all osts o$ the tour


7/22

Great Barrier Reef

@n the other side o$ the world in a land ni-named as the land Down Bnder is where

you will $ind our net ama9ing destination )ustralia8s !reat "arrier #ee$

.his is 4ust about e(ery wildli$e enthusiasts suba di(ers snor-elers swimmers and

sun lo(er8s top destination and is on many tourists bu-et lists

.he !reat "arrier #ee$ is in atual $at the largest oral ree$ system in the entire world

whih o(ers a range o$ around 2700-m :1700 mi; and 355000-m s :133000 mi

s;

.he ree$ is so big that belie(e or not it an be seen $rom outer spae Within the ree$8s

range you will $ind around 600 islands and o(er 2600 ree$s throughout

ueensland is the most north=eastern state o$ )ustralia and due to mo(ement o$

)ustralia eah year it has beome the new site o$ the !reat "arrier #ee$ in the last $ew

million years

)n interesting $at that many do not realise is that it is an anient ree$ that one was

the !reat "arrier #ee$ an atually be $ound in the dried up outba- area o$ the

EimberleyF right on the other side o$ )ustralia in the state o$ Western )ustralia

.he ree$ itsel$ is (irtually made up o$ billions o$ oral whih help bring in many o$ the

other marine speies and o$ ourse their predators .he 500 or so speies o$ oral are

(ery muh ali(e and ompeting $or spae is always on the minds o$ suh organisms

During the night hours neighbouring oral may attempt to ta-e o(er the spot o$ their

ri(als and will atually shoot out and outstreth in the attempt to ta-e the spae

@ne will win and ta-e the most spae while the other will retrat .his goes on eah

and e(ery night and hanges the landsape :or seasape rather; o$ the ree$

Within the inner ree$ a spetaular e(ent ours a$ter @tober8s $ull moon eah year

when the oral ta-es part in mass spawning .he outer parts o$ the ree$ are generally a

month or two behind with this e(ent

&ost tourists to the ree$ ome $or the abundant wildli$e and there are some speies

that are (isitors to the ree$ the shorelines and the islands themsel(es as well as many

that ha(e made the ree$ their permanent homes

.he biggest attration o$ wildli$e usually inludes some o$ the thirty speies o$ whales

dolphin and porpoises suh as dwar$ &in-e Whales Humpba- Whales and Indo=

Pai$i Humpba- Dolphin


8/22

.here are also si di$$erent speies o$ sea turtle whih ome to breed on the islands

.hese speies inlude the !reen Sea .urtle >eatherba- >oggerhead >eatherba-

+latba- .urtle and the @li(e #idley

Saltwater Croodiles an also be $ound in or around the ree$ mostly $ar up north in the

mangro(e and salt marsh areas

In the shar- and sting ray $amilies there are around 12? di$$erent speies around 56

speies o$ pipe$ish and 6 speies o$ the intriguing sea horse $amily

"irds also lo(e the ree$ muh li-e the marine speies with around 21? di$$erent

speies oming to nest on the islands or shoreline &ost notieable birds are the

White="ellied Sea 'agle and the #oseate .ern

.ourists do need to be wary o$ something ommonly -nown as stinger season whihours eah year between @tober and )pril along the ree$ and the northern oastlines

o$ )ustralia

.he in$amous bo 4elly$ish is an etremely deadly speies as well as the Iru-and4i and

a sting by either ould pro(e $atal or at least ause some serious damage

Stinger suits will help pre(ent this mishap happening so do where them during this

season and when direted to do so

.ourism is etremely busy here and the ree$ brings in around 2 million tourists eahyear It8s a popular spot $or suba di(ers and snor-elers ali-e partiularly in Port

Douglas and Cairns whih allows the best aess to the ree$s and ruising tours

.he Whitsundays Islands o$$ the mainlands oast is also (ery popular boasting many ?

star resorts that usually own the entire island

Snor-elling or suba di(ing is by $ar the best way to see the many di$$erent olours

and li$e $orms that li(e or (isit the ree$ eah year &a-e sure you bring an underwater

amera beause no matter whih diretion you loo- the (iew will be teaming with sea

li$e

+or those who don8t en4oy being in the water with suh reatures then ta-e a glass

bottomed boat tour whih are $reuent $rom any o$ the tourist areas along the ree$

.his allows many to stay on the boat without missing the top (iew loo-ing down at

the ree$ and what wonders it has to o$$er

.o witness the $ull sale o$ the !reat "arrier #ee$ howe(er one idea would be to ta-e

a heliopter or seni $light !etting up abo(e the ree$ will show you 4ust how (ast

and how ama9ing this natural wonder truly is


9/22

Possibly one o$ the best tours in my mind is getting the hane to get in the water with

the $riendly Dwar$ &in-e Whales .he whales get urious oming right up to the line

and o$ten put on a little show

,ot all tours need to be on the ree$ itsel$ $rom the mainland either .he Daintree

#ain$orest o$$ers nature wal-s outdoor dining eperienes and bird wathing andGor

wildli$e tours as well whih is another nature beauty within its sel$

ou may also head to "arron #i(er $or -aya-ing or the more etreme white water

ra$ting tours down the rapids .hese inland tours are $reuent $rom both Cairns and

Port Douglas

.he weather is moderate all year round and has uite a tropial $eel to it you may

eperiene some rain during the summer months but is o$ten a nie relie$ $rom the hot

and humid temperatures


10/22


11/22

ou may e(en simply 4ust ta-e a ruise or go sailing aross the bay to gain aess to

some o$ the islands and inlets suh as !o(ernors Island Sna-e Island and +undao

.he best time o$ year seems to be around September and @tober where the

temperature is warm but is not the hot sti-y humidity that the months $ollowing

usually pro(ide #io itsel$ howe(er is $ine to tra(el year round

In 1632 the $amous naturalist Charles Darwin ame to "ra9il and witnessed the

beauti$ul senery here and it was the e(olutionists himsel$ that named the harbor as

one o$ the / ,atural Wonders o$ the World


12/22

Mount Everest

uite possibly one o$ the most ob(ious o$ the / ,atural Wonders is &ount '(erest

.he summit o$ &ount '(erest reahes a staggering 26026 $eet :


13/22

.rips to the summit need to be planned well in ad(ane and may be alled o$$ at any

point during bad weather ma-ing the need $or additional time a possibility as well

+or most tourists howe(er you an ma-e the limb to the '(erest "ase Camp It8s a

popular limb that is muh easier to ahie(e and is as the name suggest the base amp

$or the summit limbers

.re--ing up to and around the surrounding area o$ the massi(e mountain is still a

$antasti eperiene ,ot many other tra(ellers an say they ha(e stood in the shadow

o$ '(erest

) simpler way o$ eploring the brilliant Himalayan &ountain #ange inludes seni

$lights or heliopter tours that ta-e you high up into the air and eploring the (arious

parts o$ the range

.he absolute best time o$ year to (isit '(erest is in the months o$ @tober and

,o(ember when the dry season begins "ut do note that as its well and truly abo(e sea

le(el the high altitude an reate its own unpreditable en(ironment

@tober and ,o(ember is a good guideline as the rains slow down eah year around

the time meaning it8s your best bet $or limbing and aerial tours howe(er +ebruary to

)pril ha(e also been noted as almer months to (isit the mountain

,ot all o$ '(erest is 4ust about the mountain asent little is -nown about many o$ the

(arious wildli$e as well as $lora and $auna that li(e on the mountain too

) minute bla- 4umping spider an be $ound as high up as 7/00 metres $eeding on the

$ro9en blown in insets .his possibly ma-es the speies the highest permanent animal

in the world

"ar=headed geese may also be $lying around the mountain at high altitudes as well as

the Chough whih sa(enges around .he Chough has also been -nown to inlude

those who sadly ha(e not returned $rom their epeditions

@ne thing is $or sure and that limbing '(erest will gi(e you the sense o$

aomplishment and will heighten your reality as well as gi(ing you the $eeling o$

being on top o$ the world

.o sale the mountain or to (isit the popular tourist spot at '(erest "ase Camp then

ta-e a $light into ,epal8s ity o$ Eathmandu and ta-e an organised group tour $rom

the ity


14/22


15/22

+or tra(ellers who wish to witness this great spetale in the s-y they should head to

either )las-a or ,orway $or the absolute best hane o$ (iewing the )urora "orealis

In )las-a head to +airban- whih $alls within the )urora belt and by being so is one

o$ the best destinations in the world to (iew the ,orthern >ights

.here is ne(er a 100L guarantee o$ seeing the lights howe(er but your hanes are

greatly inreased in this loation and the best time o$ year to see the lights is shortly

a$ter autumn :or $all; to winter '(ery now and then in the season o$ spring the lights

may also be present

When (iewing the lights $rom +airban- you will be dri(en out o$ the town about 30 to

5? minutes .he street lights dim the $ull a$$et o$ the )urora "orealis so e(en though

you may spot the lights $rom the town it would not be as impressi(e in olour and its

glow as it would be outside o$ brightly lit town

In ,orway also high up in the )rti Cirle is another great plae $or (iewing the

)urora "orealis but it is also a great destination to ombine the many di$$erent

ad(enture ati(ities along with the light display

ou ould e(en ta-e a ship out to sea and witness the lights $rom the de- ombing

the ruise and the lights Ships also ha(e the added ad(antage o$ ha(ing no lights out

at sea whih would help magni$y the natural beauty and illuminations o$ the lights

.he ships lea(e $rom "ergen on a ship alled Hurtigruten whih will ta-e you out to

Eir-enes in +innmar- where the ,orthern >ights are uite $reuent

Something I would lo(e to try and espeially under the starry s-y at the time o$

)urora "orealis is to go on a snow mobile sa$ari .hese tours are uite prominent in

,orthern ,orway whih inludes plaes suh as Sorrisni(a and Eir-enes

)lso in the +innmar- region you ould also try a dog sledding tour under the lights

.his will gi(e you the impression and $eeling that the anient ,orse and +innish

would ha(e eperiened as they used sleds to ross the lands under the bright,orthern >ights

.he )urora "orealis is an astonishing site but is not the easiest out o$ the / natural

Wonders in the World to $ind and tra(el to

our best hanes are when the nights are long during the winter months and by

spending a $ew days :at least; in the region !roup tours o$$er a good hoie by ta-ing

the guess wor- out o$ $inding the ,orthern >ights and organising all the transport and

in$ormation you need


16/22

!aricutin "olcano

.he Pariutin *olano is a (ery speial (olano indeed and has had a signi$iant

impat to the sienti$i ommunity

.he Pariutin *olano is loated in the &eian state o$ &ihoaMn and $orms part o$

the &ihoaMn=!uana4uato *olano #ange whih is better -nown as the #ing o$ +ire

It an be $ound around 320-ms :200 mi; west o$ &eio City

.his (olano is -nown as a inder one (olano whih basially 4ust means it has a

steep hillside due to the downwind $rom the (olani (ent "ut what ma-es the

Pariutin so speial is its age

.he Pariutin *olano grew out o$ a $ormer orn$ield and now stands at around 6200

$eet abo(e sea le(el It is the youngest (olano in the )merias and its birth was

witnessed studied and doumented by humans

.he (olano has now been dormant $or around 70 years howe(er the eruption that

too- plae between 1653 and 16?2 was some o$ the worst de(astation seen in the

modern world

.he most de(astating out o$ these years was 1656 whih sadly -illed o(er 1000

people in the surrounding (illages .he type o$ eruption was -nown as a strombolian

eruption whih means a gushing burst o$ la(a out o$ one o$ the (ents

.he (illages are now o(ered in ash and hardened la(a as well as (olani bla-

sands on the beahes whih are now the reminders o$ that period o$ time when

Pariutin was at its worst During this eruption ash e(en $ell on &eio City 320-ms

:200 mi; away

&eio is a tropial region and an be $airly humid year round howe(er Pariutin is

aessible all year round .he rainy season does start in &ay and lasts until September

so may be best to a(oid these months i$ you intend to atually limb the (olano

.he best way to see the Pariutin *olano is to ta-e a hi-ing tour up to the top whih

is about a 16-m hi-e :12 mi; so note that some $itness will be reuired

.han-$ully the tourism o$ &eio deided to add a horseba- tour whih now allows

aess $or anyone who doesn8t want to ta-e the long wal-

'ither way hi-ing or by horse it will be a long day to ma-e it to the top but it is well

worth the (iew plus the added eperiene o$ standing on top one o$ the world8s most

$amous (olanos


17/22

ou will also not want to miss the $ormer surrounding (illages that were de(astated

by the la(a bursting years $rom only 70 years ago .he hardened ash that surrounds

the areas o(ers around 2? s -m :10 s mi; and is uite surreal to see

Here you will $ind the la(a $ields burnt and buried (illages and a hurh whih had

also beome sourged during the eruptions

"eing that the hi-e to the top o$ Pariutin *olano is 16-ms and is (irtually a $ull day

e(ent you may want to spend a ouple o$ days in the area to really eplore the (olano

but also to eplore the surrounding (illages

)ess to the (olani area is best through a town named )ngahuan whih is the only

sur(i(ing (illage o$ the blast as it was situated on the mountain side too high $or the

la(a to reah

ou may also get to the region by bus $rom Brupan whih will drop you on the

highway within wal-ing distane to the Pariutin (illage

)s an alternati(e I would suggest loo-ing into an organised group tour as many o$

them o$$er the Pariutin *olano in their itineraries

.he ad(antage here is that the tour ompany will most li-ely start in &eio City or

other ma4or ities lose by .hey organise all your transport osts aommodation

and some meals as an added bonus

)lthough the Pariutin *olano has been de(astating at times it still remains as an

important part o$ the 'arth8s omple system and the $at that its birth was witnessed

and studied by humans ma-e this plae a (ery speial natural wonder to witness


18/22

"ictoria #alls

>ast but not least in the / ,atural Wonders o$ the World is )$ria8s most spetaular

water$allF *itoria +alls

While it may not be the longest or the widest water$all in the world it does ha(e the

largest $alling sheet o$ water *itoria +alls is 10< metres :3?0 $eet; high and around

1/0< metres wide :?705 $eet;

.he $alls di(ide two ountries and both allow aess to the $alls >i(ingstone is the

town on the Kambia side and the town is simply named *itoria +alls on the

Kimbabwe side .he $alls are reated by the $lowing Kambe9i #i(er

.he name *itoria +alls was deided upon by a Sottish eplorer Dr Da(id

>i(ingstone who named the $alls a$ter the reigning ueen at the time .he loals

howe(er name the $alls &osi=oa=.unya whih translates ba- to smo-e that

thunders8

Humans are not e(en the only speies that lo(es to ta-e in the $alls 'lephants bu$$alo

gira$$e 9ebra antelope mon-eys and baboons are $reuently sighted throughout the

area #arely will one o$ the big ats will be seen here but seeing the gra9ing animals

should enhane your natural wonder trip

.he $alls are easily aessible $rom %ohannesburg whih is the ma4or gateway to)$ria $or many international tra(ellers +lights depart daily $rom here to both

>i(ingstone in Kambia and the *itoria +alls town in Kimbabwe

@ther parts o$ )$ria an o$ ourse still reah either o$ these destinations howe(er they

are less $reuent and may reuire a stopo(er elsewhere in )$ria $irst

Kambia and Kimbabwe o$$er many tours within the area some o$ whih are more

ad(enturous than others so either side o$ *itoria +alls is great to (isit It would really

depend on what you there to do and see

Photographers who spei$ially want to ta-e one o$ the more $amiliar and $amous

sides o$ the $alls should head to the Kimbabwe side

+rom this side you will ha(e a more panorami (iew o$ the entire $alls where as in

Kambia you may only see 20 to 2?L o$ the entire sheet o$ water

.hat said howe(er the Kambian side attrats more tourists eah year simply due to the

abundane o$ ad(enture tours $rom >i(ingstone

White water ra$ting bungee 4umping and miro=light $lights are (ery popular here aswell as swimming in something -nown as the De(il8s Pool


19/22

.he De(il8s Pool is a body o$ water where swimmers an swim right up to the

water$alls edge i$ you are bra(e enough Here there are underwater ro-s that slow

and stop the $ast pull o$ the urrent and there$ore stopping people tumbling down the

$alls

Possibly the most stunning and pituresue (iew o$ the $alls is by ta-ing a seni

$light heliopter or miro=light $light Bp in the air you will get to witness not only

the immense $alls but also the plains and surrounding areas that )$ria is $amous $or

Partiularly i$ you deide to (isit the Kambian side where you may only see a small

portion o$ the $lowing sheet o$ water a $light may be the best hane o$ you snapping

those ama9ing photographs o$ *itoria +alls

>i-e most parts o$ )$ria the seasonality is determined by the wet and dry seasons

.he wet season begins $rom around ,o(ember and will last until )pril

.he wet season brings in additional water and the $alls are at their $ullest While this is

still a great eperiene you would be lu-y to e(en see the base o$ the water$all as it8s

o(ered in mist $rom the sheer amount o$ water that is tumbling o(er the water$all

.he absolute best time to see *itoria +alls is around %une and %uly when the $alls are

still uite $ull but are not $alling as hea(ily as it would be during the wet season

)ugust through to @tober is when the $alls will begin to dry up and the sheet o$ water

will not be as impressi(e howe(er this does open up to other ad(entures suh as

wal-ing aross the $alls edge

@ne o$ my $a(ourite things about *itoria +alls is that it is nie and lose to many o$

the game reser(es $ound in southern )$ria In this way you ould see the "ig ?8

sa$ari animals as well as ta-e in this natural wonder o$ the world within the one trip


20/22

#inal Note

.hat onludes .ra(el / ,atural Wonders o$ the World I hope you en4oyed this

e"oo- as muh as I lo(ed writing and learning e(en more about these wondrous

plaes

.hose who lo(e nature and wildli$e would absolutely lo(e tra(elling and diso(ering

eah and e(ery one o$ these destinations whate(er that reason may be

'ah o$ the / ,atural Wonders has something di$$erent and uniue to o$$er as well as

all sorts o$ tours sightseeing and in$ormati(e trips

,o matter where it is in the world you wish to tra(el whether one or more o$ the /

,atural Wonders ma-e sure you try get out o$ the ities at least $or one day and spend

some time getting ba- to nature

I$ you an8t lea(e the ities at the (ery least he- out the loal 9oos auariums or

e(en the national par-s mountain tops or loo-out points

We all need to get out o$ the hustle and bustle that e(ery ity arries with it and

unwind .here is no better way to unwind than getting out to nature

.o reap on the / ,atural Wonders o$ the World we ha(e the !rand Canyon in ,orth

)meria !reat "arrier #ee$ in )ustralia the Harbor o$ #io de %aneiro in "ra9il

&ount '(erest di(iding ,epal and .ibet the )urora "orealis whih is best seen in

,orway and )las-a Pariutin *olano in &eio and $inishing up in *itoria +alls

whih di(ides both Kambia and Kimbabwe

.hese are not the only naturally beauti$ul plaes in the world howe(er I hallenge you

to e(en $ind and hoose your own / natural wonders where(er that may be

@ut o$ all the plaes I8(e tra(elled to personally I8d ha(e to say some o$ my $a(ourite

natural loations inlude the &ele Casade Water$alls in *anuatu high up in a plae

alled "raemar within the Sottish Highlands .able .op &ountain in Cape .own the%enolan Ca(es $ound in )ustralia and Diamond Head *olano in Honolulu

"ut again I hallenge you to $ind your own bu-et list destinations that in(ol(e

nature wildli$e and o$ ourse tra(el

Whate(er your net ad(enture may be I wish you all the best and hope that it has the

desired impat on your li$e

It8s time to tra(el eplore and witness the 'arth8s natural beauty and wonders


21/22


22/22

travel-7-natural-wonders-of-the-world.pdf

Documents