From the World Heritage inscription: In a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia, some 645 km from Addis Ababa, eleven medieval monolithic churches were carved out of rock. Their building is attributed to King Lalibela who set out to construct in the 12th century a ‘New Jerusalem’ after Muslim conquests halted Christian pilgrimages to …
From the World Heritage inscription for the La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site: The main elements of the massive fortification of San Juan are La Fortaleza, the three forts of San Felipe del Morro, San Cristóbal and San Juan de la Cruz (El Cañuelo), and a large portion of the City Wall, built …
Most people associate Jamaica with reggae music, white sandy beaches, or the fact that it is the home of the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt. Few people, however, know that in 2015 the Blue and John Crow Mountain National Park in the southeastern region of Jamaica became the first site in the Caribbean …
It’s hard to truly grasp the size Great Barrier Reef from the surface of the Earth. Unless you’re in a jumbo jet flying over the reef at 30,000 feet, you can’t see how big it is, and even in a jet, you can only see a fraction of it. The reef stretches a massive amount …
Prior to the communist takeover in Laos, Luang Prabang was the royal capital of the country. These days, it’s a sleepy town (well, all of Laos is pretty sleepy) on the Mekong River that has become a popular attraction on the tourist and backpacker circuit in Southeast Asia precisely because of that sleepy charm and …
From the Heritage of Mercury: Almadén and Idrija World Heritage inscription: The property includes the mining sites of Almadén (Spain), where mercury (quicksilver) has been extracted since antiquity, and Idrija (Slovenia), where mercury was first found in AD1490. The Spanish property includes buildings relating to its mining history, including Retamar Castle, religious buildings and traditional …
What to say about Meteora, Greece … This is one of the most photogenic places I’ve ever visited—and I’ve visited a lot of places. The monasteries of Meteora—and those imposing rock formations peeking through the mist—are incredible. When you visit Meteora, you have the chance to see something unlike anything else in the world and …
The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces begin on the eastern outskirts of Lausanne, Switzerland and cover a roughly 30 km along the stretch of Lake Geneva’s northern shore in the canton (similar to a state) of Vaud. This is a stunning area and a wine route through the Lavaux vineyards is a popular activity for travelers hoping …
About 350 km away from the tech-city of Bengaluru lies the hippie land of Hampi. The underdeveloped villages leading to the ruins at Hampi makes it difficult to believe that once upon a time this used to be one of the most prosperous cities in the world. A trip to Hampi is like stepping into …