Before I Die…

Living in modern cities with high-rise buildings and fast-paced lives, we tend to miss out on the beautiful things that Mother Nature has to offer. We forget that we live in a world blessed with sights that are beautiful beyond words. In a span of 70 years of life, if we can visit at least 10 most amazing destinations in the world, I feel “Life as a Journey” would be complete. I have tried to make such a list of the most wonderful places on Earth, that I would like to visit before I die.

Hope you enjoy this tour of beautiful places that take us into a different world –

1. Portals into the Past

Walk the timeless streets and byways of this ancient city

PETRA, Jordan

Petra, an archaeological site located in western Jordan, is one of the new wonders of the world. It is one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage, famous for its rock-cut architecture. Tourists frequent the place to get a glimpse of the ruins of this beautiful city, which was once destructed by a massive earthquake. It was said to have been prepared by God for the Jewish people. Tourists began flocking this place in greater numbers after it was featured in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

2. Feats of Engineering

The world's surviving architectural wonders hewed from stone and mortar beckon as ever

PYRAMIDS of Giza

The most well-known (and the largest) pyramids of Egypt are the Pyramids at Giza which are said to be the largest ever built. It’s said that workforce of around 30,000 people took 23 years to complete this amazing work of art. There are three main pyramids in Giza:

1. The Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops)
2. The Pyramid of Kafhre
3. The smaller Pyramid of Menkaura

Each Pyramid is a tomb to a different King of Egypt. In front of the pyramids lies the Sphinx (or Abu al-Hol in Arabic, “Father of Terror”). Carved out of a single block of stone, this enormous cat-like sculpture has mesmerized millions of visitors.

TAJ MAHAL, India

Every year, more than three million travellers visit Taj Mahal. The white marble monument, that took around 15 years to complete, was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

THE GREAT WALL of China

The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is the travel icon of China and is one of the most popular travel vacation destinations in the world. It took hundreds of years for its construction. When you have decided to travel to China, don’t forget to see the wall.

3. A Matter of Timing
Choosing the right year, month or even moment can make all the difference

MACHU PICCHU, Peru

This is mystical place and a great spot to divinity. It is the Peru’s most popular place, located at 2300 meters above the sea level. People of Machu Picchu feel that they are the creators of god. This place offers you strange forces of nature that permit the individual to attain a contrary cosmic state. These ruins consist of baths, temples, palaces, and about 150 houses, all very well preserved. These gray granite structures, some of which weigh more than 50 tons, are so perfectly sculpted that they are nothing less than works of architectural genius.

SCOTLAND

Scotland is generally seen as clean, unspoilt destination with beautiful scenery which has a long and complex history, combined with thousands of historic sites and attractions. Some of the most popular tourist destinations are Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Aberdeen.

4. Scaling New Heights
Don't just see nature's most spectacular sites—experience them

The GRAND CANYON, Arizona

Grand Canyon is the steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River in Arizona State of United States. Nearly 5 million people visit the 1 mile deep Grand Canyon every year. One can plan a vacation to the Grand Canyon national park as there are various camp grounds both on the top and floor of the Grand Canyon. The best time to visit Grand Canyon is during the summer, fall and mild spring, but most locals agree that winter is the great time to visit.

The NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario, Canada and New York, United States

Massive and beautiful waterfalls on the Niagara River, they are also famous for being a source of hydroelectric power. These falls are divided into three drops; Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls on the American side. These falls are said to have been formed at the end of the last ice age. These waterfalls may not be the highest but are certainly wide and the most powerful in North America

5. In the blues and whites

FIJI ISLANDS

They are 20 islands in total. These beautiful islands of Mamanuca are varied; while some are small and can be walked around in a few minutes, others may take days to explore. For those who love nature and water bodies, these islands are a paradise with miles and miles of snow white sand and beautiful turquoise blue beaches.

MALDIVES ISLANDS

Maldives is synonymous with scenic splendors, unsullied beaches, reinvigorating freshness, unperturbed ambiance, popular tourist attractions - simply a paradise for globetrotters.

THE SOUTH ISLAND

The South Island of New Zealand is characterized by grand open landscapes. The island is well known for spectacular fiords, large beach forests, golden sand beaches and broad plains. Everybody can enjoy the travel to south island. The south island has ten national parks. These parks incorporate world heritage sites, lakes, glaciers, fiords, native forest, coastline, and world class hiking tracks. The fabulous scenery across the south land attracts many people to plan vacation.

6. The Sunny Side of Life

SAHARA DESERT

While the Sahara Desert is a wonderful place to see for the wide expanse of sand dunes, the sunset there is sure to take your breath away. A night spent camping on the sand dunes of this three-million year old desert, watching the sky change colours at dusk, is a dream come true for any nature lover.

7. A Belonging to the World – Most Amazing Cities

NEW YORK

CAPE TOWN, South Africa

ITALY

PARIS

Well, the list does not end here.. I am sure that, being the travel lover that I am, I can add 50 more places to this list. But, let me restrict to these many for the time being, and till I finish my tour to all these places, I’ll keep looking to add many more here.

Ciao !!