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The stunning Plitvice Lakes National Park lies in the Lika region of Croatia. The park is surrounded by the mountains Plješevica, Mala Kapela, and Medveđak, which are part of the Dinaric Alps. The 16 blue-green Plitvice Lakes, which are separated by natural dams of travertine, are situated on the Plitvice plateau. Waterfalls connect the lakes, and the tallest waterfall is Veliki Slap at 70 meters (230 feet) tall. The Plitvice lakes area boasts a large variety of interesting and colorful flora and fauna. Visitors can enjoy walking and hiking the many pathways and trails, or exploring the lakes by boat. The park itself has 3 hotels and a campsite, otherwise visitors can find accommodation at any of the number of villages and cities nearby.

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Popularly know as the Pink City, Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan in Northwest India. The Pink City nickname dates to 1876 when the entire city was painted pink to to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales. Jaipur has a myriad of attractions, including the Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), the Jal Mahal (Water Palace), the City Palace, the Rambagh Palace, the Nahargarh Fort, the Amber Fort, the Jantar Mantar observatory, Mansagar Lake, and a large variety of temples and gardens. Once the capital for the Indian Royalty, the Pink City is now a bustling metropolis with over 4 million residents. The city has an international airport and accommodations for any budget.

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The Dolomites are a section of the Alps mountain range in Italy. Besides the spectacular views, visitors to the Dolomites can enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, ice skating and sledding in the winter months, and hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking, base jumping, paragliding and hang-gliding in the summer. The Dolomites were recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in August, 2009. Marmolada, the Dolomites’ largest peak, stands 3,344 meters (10,972 feet) tall. The Dolomites span three Northeastern Italian provinces: Belluno, Bolzano-Bozen and Trento. Accommodation can be found in any of the many cities and villages in the area.

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Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island off the Eastern coast of Australia is said to be the whitest beach in the world. The sand is made almost entirely of silica which provides the incredibly white color. The sand is so pure, NASA has used it to make special telescope lenses. Whitehaven beach stretches for over 7 km (4 miles) along the largest of the Whitsunday Islands. Trips leaving from mainland Australia to visit the beach leave multiple times a day, and there is a variety of accommodation on Whitsunday Island. Visitors shouldn’t miss a trip to the nearby outer Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

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On the Havasupai Indian Reservation within Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona you will find the gorgeous Havasu Falls. The picture perfect falls features a blue-green pool below which is excellent for swimming. Havasu Falls is fairly difficult to reach by foot, requiring a drive to Hualapai Hilltop and then a 16 km (10 mile) hike to the Falls via the tiny village of Supai which is 3 km (2 miles) from the falls. For those not up to the long hike, a helicopter ride to Supai can be had, followed up by a horseback ride to the falls. Visitors can camp near the falls, and the village of Supai has one lodge and one cafe. Otherwise the best options for accommodation can be found 177 km (110 miles) away in the town of Seligman. The area also features four other waterfalls: Navajo Falls, Supai Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls.

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On the edges of Cairo, Egypt lie the three ancient Pyramids of Giza. The largest of the three, the Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, or Pyramid of Cheops) is the only surviving monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. For over 3,800 years the Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest structure in the world. It was built over a period of 20 years starting in 2551 BCE from over 2.3 million limestone blocks, and its original purpose was to be the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Khufu. The two smaller pyramids are the Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren), and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The alignment of the three pyramids is very similar to that of the constellation Orion. The Great Sphinx is also nearby. Visitors to the pyramids can choose from a variety of accommodations in Cairo.

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A short distance from Antigua, Guatemala, lies Lake Atitlan (known locally as Lago de Atitlán). The large lake is surrounded by three volcanoes: Volcán Atitlán, Volcán San Pedro and Volcán Tolimán. Lake Atitlan is an endorheic lake, meaning it doesn’t flow into a sea. The area surrounding Lake Atitlan is home to many small villages, the people of which practice Mayan culture and wear traditional Mayan dress to this day. There are also a number of Mayan archeological sites in and around the lake. For tourists, the best places to stay are in Antigua, or the town of Panajachel which is on the lake’s shore. A variety of accommodations can be found in either town. Visitors can trek up the volcanoes, enjoy a boat trip on the lake, and visit the nearby Atitlan Butterfly Sanctuary.

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Once a backpacker’s secret, Thailand’s Phi Phi islands exploded onto the tourist map after the release of The Beach, a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio that was filmed on one of the islands. Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Lee are located between the island of Phuket and mainland Thailand off the West coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Ko Phi Phi Don is the larger of the two islands and is home to permanent residents and a myriad of accommodations for tourists. Ko Phi Phi Lee has spectacular white sand beaches and can be visited by boat only, with trips leaving from the larger island throughout the day. Visitors can enjoy diving, snorkeling and kayaking in the waters off both islands.

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On the bank of the Yangtze River and the shores of Lake Taihu in China you will find the city of Suzhou, known for its many gardens, stone bridges, and pagodas. Once called “The Eastern Venice” by Marco Polo, Suzhou is historically and currently a center for the silk trade. Suzhou is located West of Shanghai in the province of Jiangsu. Visitors to the city can enjoy a view of the many stone bridges while taking a boat trip on the canals. Some of Suzhou’s gardens are so magnificent they have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With a population of just over 6 million, Suzhou has every kind of accommodation a traveler might want.

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The towering red sand dunes of Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert are one of the most spectacular sights to be seen in Namibia. Sossusvlei itself is a clay pan fed by the Tsauchab River. In addition to the sea of red sand dunes, Sossusvlei is also home to the Dead Vlei, meaning “dead marsh”, an eerie white clay pan filled with dead Camelthorn trees. This area is contained within the Namib-Naukluft Park which is in turn a part of the Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world. The best time to visit Sossusvlei is at sunrise or sunset when the colors are the most vivid and the sun is not too hot. Accommodation near the area ranges from luxury resorts, to mid-range lodges, to numerous campgrounds.

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