The main island has three geographical terrains: the narrow coastal plains, a limestone plateau permeated with karstic caves, and the Haghier Mountains. The mountains rise to 1,503 metres (4,931 ft).[17] The island is about 125 kilometres (78 mi) long and 45 kilometres (28 mi) north to south.

The following set of pictures are by professional photographer Michail Vorobyev.

 Photo Credit: Soqotra (Yemen)

 Photo Credit: Kate b. Dixon

 Photo Credit: Soqotra (Yemen)

AbdulRehman Al-Sirhan got this amazing bird collection on his website BirdsOfKuwait which he took while on a trip there with his friends.

 Raven of Socotra

Socotra only has a handful of paved roads and they were put in just over two years ago. Most of the tourists who visit the island are French. When this amazing island was only reachable by boat it saw 140 tourists a year. With the new airport it has seen an increase to 2,500. So if you are looking for the unusual this summer and want the luxury of a pristine beach without the crowds, book a flight to the strangest place on earth – the island known as Socotra.There are dragon blood trees, its called dragon blood because their fluid or blood is red in color. Also there are many caves in Socotra Island which go real deep.

Socotra has become a booming tourist attraction. An airport was built in 1999; before that the island was only accessible by boat. The island has hotels as well.

(images credit: Jan Vandorpe)

Fifty engineers and designers produced 5,300 drawings, and over 100 workers built more than 18,000 different parts of the tower in a workshop. Another 132 workers assembed them on site.

The  four  pillars  of  the  Eiffel Tower  stand  in  a  square  that measures  125 meters  on  each  side. They  are  oriented  in  line with the 4 cardinal points.
• The metal structure weighs 7,300 tons.
• Total weight: 10,100 tons.
• Number of rivets used: 2,500,000.
• Number of iron parts: 18,038.
• Cost of construction: 7,799,401.31 French gold francs of 1889.

The monument was inaugurated on March 31, 1889. On that day, Gustave Eiffel climbed the 1,710 steps of the Tower to  plant the French lag at its peak. He was followed by the members of the Council of Paris, including Emile Chautemps, President of the Paris City Council. The Eiffel Tower was the highest building in the world until 1929, when the Chrysler Building in New York topped it at 319 metres.

1- Aurora (Northern Lights)

Aurora Borealis/U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Strang

An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere (thermosphere). The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind and, on Earth, are directed by the Earth’s magnetic field into the atmosphere.

Aurora

2- Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is located in the northwest part of Arizona. The Grand Canyon was made by the cut of running water. The Colorado River flows through the canyon. Some people think the Colorado River was there to start with and that over the years it cut through the rock, and now it is still there. If you look in the canyon, you can see many layers of rock. Geologists believe these rocks are at least two billion years old, which is almost certainly true, but no one can be exact.

Grand_Canyon_USA

3- The Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is actually a series of smaller reefs. Reefs form under water and can be made of coral, sand, or rock. The top of the reef sits about two to three feet below sea level. Coral reefs are found in warm, shallow, clean water. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef of all, stretching an amazing 1,250 miles, or 2,000 kilometers, across the blue of the ocean. It forms a natural break water between the strong waves of the Pacific and the coast of Australia. It’s location is in the Coral Sea, the area of the Pacific close to Australia’s northeastern coast. The waters around it cover roughly 80,000 square miles, or 208,000 kilometers, an area slightly smaller than the state of Minnesota. Reefs may be found as deep as 250 feet below the surface. Corals that grow below 150 feet don’t make very good reef builders.

great barrier reef australia

4- Mount Everest

mount everest nepal

Mount Everest is the Earth’s highest mountain, with a peak at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international border between China and Nepal runs across the precise summit point.

Mount-Everest-Panoramic-View

5- Paricutin Volcano

paricutin

On Feb. 20, 1943, a cinder cone started growing in a corn field near the village of Paricutin, Mexico. The volcano buried the town of San Juan Parangaricutiro and the village of Paricutin. Paricutin gave volcanologists the chance to see the birth, growth and death of a volcano. It was greatly studied by them. Over the first year, the cone grew 1,100 feet (336 meters), the cone grew for another 8 years but only added on 290 feet (88 meters) to it’s current height.

paricutin_volcano

6- The Harbor at Rio de Janeiro

rio-de-janeiro_sightseeing

The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro is a natural beauty surrounded by the city of Rio and formed by the Atlantic Ocean which wore out the soil and rocks along the coast. Rio de Janeiro Harbor is located on the south-western shore of Guanabara Bay, which is surrounded by the city of Rio along a strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains: Sugar Loaf Mt, Corcovado Peak, and the hills of Tijuca. The harbor was formed by the Atlantic Ocean which wore out the soil and rocks along the coast.

The-Harbor-at-Rio-de-Janeiro

7- Victoria Falls

victoria_falls

Victoria falls is one of the greatest waterfalls in the whole world lies on the Zimbezi River, which forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Some people think it is one of the most beautiful sights in the world! Upstream, the river flows through a wide valley. You could probably see Victoria Falls from 25 to 40 miles away, and see its spray rising 1,000 feet into the air from seven miles away! Long before you even see the waterfalls you can hear the roaring of the water! The native people call it “mosi-oa-tunya” which means “smoke that thunders.” The falls were formed by a deep rift in the rock that lies directly across the path of the Zimbezi River. The rift was caused by movement of the earth about 150 million years ago. At the broadest point, the falls are 5,545 feet across. The height of the falls varies from 256 feet to about 354 feet in the center. Victoria falls was discovered by David Livingstone in 1855. The falls were named in honor of Queen Victoria.

victoria falls

You have seen the Natural 7 Wonders of the World, man also made some marvelous wonders which are normally known as 7 wonders of the world.

A very famous and photogenic beach, it is one of the best tourists attractions the world can offer, it is at the bottom of an arc of pale cliff that seem to have the clean lines of something designed by an architect rather than a natural wonder. It rises out of the water like a wedge, narrow at the center of the bay where there are only a few stairs to the sand, and then towering upwards at either end. As well as the white lines of the cliffs, the water is bright, bright blue and the cliffs have grassy topped fringes. source (wikipedia)

Porto Katsiki has parking lots and canteens, but you will not find anywhere to stay. Some people camp on the beach, but free camping is prohibited. There is a stairwell down to the actual beach from the cliff parking but the beach in general is well organized.

Porto Katsiki, the best known beach, is today considered one of the most outstanding in the whole of Europe. This is a beach of exceptional beauty, famed the world over.

This unique landscape is so spectacular that it will be inscribed forever in the memory of whoever visits this beach, whether he approaches it from the land or by boat from the sea.

The last 5 km of the road are not wide enough and especially in August you may experience difficulties visiting Porto Katsiki at noon. In order to avoid this situation, you can go early in the morning (before 10:00) or at the afternoon (after 18:00). You may also visit Porto Katsiki with the cruise boats from Nydri or Vasiliki.

It is 35 km away from Lefkada town, near Athani village. The unique view of the white cliff over the beach combined with the surrounding green of the area and the cyan water of the sea make this beach a “must visit” place for tourists. It is consistently rated Top European Beach of the Year.

cano cristales river

This river is also known as the most beautiful river in the world, and it’s not easy to get there too, just to take a look at this beauty. You need to take a flight from Vilvisensio to Macarena (Columbia), then by the boat, and afterwards by feet until you reach this river. Cristales is 100 kilometers long and 20 meters wide, and it’s not that large comparing to Amazon. But it’s unusual color spectrum makes it so unique among the other rivers…

cano cristales river1

cano_cristales_2

Cano Cristales transparent water, It’s colors become most saturate during the hot season, that’s why this river is open for tourists from June to November. During the winter and spring seasons you can’t get to this river, it’s closed from visiting and is guarded by UNESCO, which gave it a status of the natural heritage of mankind.

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cano_cristales_10

cano_cristales beautiful river

cano_cristales

river

amazing river

cano_cristales

cano_cristales river

cano cristales

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cano_cristales

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cano_cristales river

cano_cristales upper view

Feel the abundance that the Nature shares with us, the whole Universe shows us the miriads of colors, plenty of space, infinite beauty and the flourishing life. The Life is everywhere and it goes on with ease and joy. Enjoy these beautiful photos, and be grateful to the Mother Earth for such amazing places as this river.

Source: http://www.positiveonly.info/en/pictures/65-cano-cristales-the-worlds-most-beautiful-river.html

Oahu_ Hawaii

Hawaii, almost always called the Big Island to avoid confusion – is the largest of the islands and home to Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa (the largest and one of the most active volcanoes on Earth)

Hawaii

hawaii

Hawaii has many colorful ways of life. Some of these customs come from Pacific Islanders called Polynesians, who were the original settlers of Hawaii. Many of the people of Hawaii are of Polynesian descent. The people’s great friendliness toward tourists gives Hawaii its nickname of the Aloha State – Aloha means love in the Hawaiian Language.

hawaii beach

Hawaii is made up of seven main islands, stretching from the majestic Big Island of Hawaii to the garden isle of Kauai. Waterfalls abound on each of the islands, as well as other beautiful sites. The entire chain of islands was formed by a single hot spot in the earth’s crust, which is currently busy building a new island off the coast of the Big Island.

hawaii island

Hawaii Hanauma Bay

Hawaii bay

Hawaii after sunset

Hawaii-ocean

Lanikai-Beach-Oahu-Hawaii

Hawaii is the birthplace of big wave surfing. In the 1950’s surfers began to ride the powerful winter waves of Makaha on Oahu’s west shore and Waimea Bay on the North Shore. Big wave season in Hawaii happens roughly between November and February on Hawaii’s north shores. Some of the best surfing competitions in the world are held on Oahu’s North Shore in November and December including the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (the Super Bowl of surfing). If you’re planning to watch the pros in action, get to the North Shore early because traffic can be heavy.

Tunnels-Beach-Kauai-hawaii

view from diamond head oahu hawaii

hawai_selale

Giza’s most famous archaeological site, the Giza Plateau, holds some of the most astonishing monuments in Egyptian history. Once thriving with the Nile that flowed right into the Giza Plateau, the Pyramids of Giza were built overlooking the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, which was near modern day Cairo.
The Giza Plateau is also home to many other Ancient Egyptian monuments, including the tomb of Pharaoh Djet of the First dynasty, as well as that of Pharaoh Ninetjer of the Second dynasty.

The city itself has seen some changes over time. Changes in infrastructure during the different occupations of Egypt by various rulers, including the British in the 19th and early 20th century, focused on the construction of roads, streets, and buildings in the area. It is commonly misunderstood that the Giza area is a complete desert area; however, Giza has become a thriving centre of Egyptian culture and is quite heavily populated,many facilities and buildings in the current area.

Giza saw much attention in particular to its vast amount of ancient Egyptian monuments found on the Giza Plateau, and has astonished thousands of visitors and tourists over the years. Giza’s infrastructure saw much attention from both the British government prior to the 1952 coup d’etat, as well as the current Egyptian government due to the city’s importance in tourism.

Location: Giza or Gizah is a town in Egypt on the west bank of the Nile river, some 20 km southwest of central Cairo and now part of the greater Cairo metropolis. It is the capital of the Al Jizah Governorate, and is located near the northeast border of this governorate in coordinates.
It is located right on the banks of the Nile River. Its population is 2,681,863 in the 2006 national census, the governate has 4,779,000 (1998). Its large population makes it the 2nd largest suburb in the world, tied with Incheon, Korea and Quezon City, Philippines, second only to Yokohama, Japan.
The Great Pyramid of Giza was once advocated (1884) as the location for the Prime Meridian, a reference point used for determining a base longitude.
Giza is most famous as the location of the Giza Plateau: the site of some of the most impressive ancient monuments in the world, including a complex of ancient Egyptian royal mortuary and sacred structures, including the Great Sphinx, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and a number of other large pyramids and temples.

The Yivli Minare Mosque (Ulu camii). The mosque’s fluted minaret, which is decorated with dark blue tiles, is a landmark and symbol of the city. The minaret was built in 1230 and is 38 metres high, built on a square stone base, with eight fluted sections and has 90 steps to the top.

The history of the city walls surrounding Kaleici,the ancient nucleus of the city of Antalya,a district which cannot fail to remind the visitor of a cultural garden of a thousand flowers adorned with the choicest buildings from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman and Republican periods, is in effect, identical with the history of the city itself.

Perge is situated 18 km east of Antalya, Perge is in the city limits of Aksu Bucagi. Because of its location on the Cilicia – Pisidia road, it was a vital part of the province of Pamphylia, and was founded around the same time as the other cities in the area (7th century BC). It was an important city for Christians of Perge who had worshipped the mother goddess Artemis. St. Paul and Barnabas visited the city and wealthy benefactors like Magna Plancia had a number of important memorials built here.

Myra was one of the earliest Lycian city.At the same time of the Lycian Federation,Myra was one of the most important city with tree voices in the Federation’s council.Although the history of Myra’s first foundation is not known from some Lycian ruins,rock-tombs and inscriptions found in the area.

Kaleici is the center of the city. It has been restored with a lot of hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants and shopping centers to serve the visitors again. The restoration work did not change the historical structure of the place which made place to win the Golden Apple Award being assumed the Nobel of the Tourism.

Hasan Subasi Cultural Park,located in the heart of Antalya’s cultural and touristic area of the Konyaalti district,houses the Antalya Cultural Center,the Glass Pyramid Sabanci Congress and Exhibition Center,semi-covered and open air exhibition areas,an Amphitheatre for seating capacity 1000 persons and recreational areas.The park is 12 km from the airport and walking distance of the three 5 star hotel(Falez-Sheraton-Hillside Su)

Hadrian’s Gate, dating from Roman times, was built to honor the emperor who visited the city in the year 130. The glass bridge under Hadrian’s Gate and over the walkway into Antalya’s Old Town reveals fragments of the Roman city.

The beaches of Antalya are famous for the blue flag lined shores. These beaches provide a picturesque view of the sea and the pine filled mountain of Taurus. Other nature highlights are also to be enjoyed in Antalya. There’s the Lower Düden Waterfalls that goes straight into the sea. The National Park provides camping grounds and a nature and wildlife museum.

Divan Hotel Antalya Talya, tastefully and spaciously set out and built right on the cliff top with a most superb sea view across Antalya Bay. It is the first and the only 5 STAR hotel in region which is located in the center of town providing a lovely beach privileges.

Antalya Museum: A prize winning museum and one of the most notable archaeology museums, of the world. It is also the only museum in Turkey with a children’s department exhibiting ancient monuments appealing to children.

Kesik Minare (Broken Minaret): Once a Byzantine Panaglia church, later converted into a mosque.

Provinces of Antalya
Serik, Aksu, Muratpasa, Akseki, Demre, Manavgat, Elmali, Kumluca, Dosemealti, Korkuteli, Finike, Konyaalti,Kepez,Gazipasa,Kemer,Gundogmus,Kas,Ibradi.

Barcelona, Spain

If you’ve ever been to Barcelona, you’d know it has an energy and style unlike any other, and its New Year’s celebrations dip into that uniqueness that is Barcelona.  If dancing and partying until the first sunrise of the New Year sounds like it’s right up your alley, then you may want to celebrate with some of the greatest partiers in the world.  The Spanish culture of late meals and even later nights out don’t change just because it’s New Year’s Eve.  Unlike most other cultures around the world, the party in Barcelona doesn’t even begin until close to midnight, with the traditional eating of the twelve grapes during the twelve chimes of midnight.  It’s typically family time when the clock strikes twelve, then it’s off to the clubs to celebrate in style until the sun comes up on the New Year.

Boston, USA

Boston’s First Night celebrations are very famous for its fireworks and ice sculptures. The fireworks take place around midnight over the river, but festivities begin days before. First Night Boston is the country’s oldest and largest New Year’s arts celebration. From 1pm to midnight, First Night presents a day-long festival of art, music, dance, ice sculpture, and fireworks. First Night is an alcohol-free event that welcomes children, families, and revelers of all ages.

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is the opposite of “Drink and Dance” concept. Japanese spend the ending days of the year while praying, cooking and cleaning. Japanese clean their houses to the last stains, from the inside and outside. They believe all the stains and everything bad should be removed in the passing year and the new one should be spent with only the good things and good thoughts. On the new year eve, a special kind of noodle dish is made called Toshikoshi Soba (New Years Eve Noodle). This is only made on 31st December, so make sure you don’t miss these.

Koh Phangan, Thailand

Over twenty thousand young people cram on Haat Rin beach in Thailand to celebrate the new year. People from around the world dance, paint themselves up, and drink buckets of alcohol until the sun rises. It may not be as large as New York or Sydney or Tokyo, but for those who want to spend their new year on the beach, this place in Thailand is the only destination that should be on your mind.

Las Vegas, USA

New Years Eve in Vegas! A huge party on the Las Vegas Strip, tremendous fireworks over the hotels, light and sound shows at the Fremont Experience, best entertainers in the showrooms and great parties in the clubs – on New Years Eve Las Vegas is even more alive than you’ve ever seen it.

London, England

London is another popular place to party on New Year’s Eve and the UK capital offers a wide range of clubs, bars and restaurants to choose from. London has astonishing fireworks launched into the sky from the London Eye. The fireworks can be seen from rooftops and balconies all across London, but best views are from Westminster Bridge and the north embankment of the River Thames, opposite the London Eye.

Paris, France

Paris has great festivities – from high class dining to clubbing to fantastic fireworks to Champagne on the Champs-Elysees. The place to be is the Champs-Elysees. Around 9pm, people gather at the famous street and start to count down to the new year. Around midnight here, you can watch the Eiffel Tower’s light show. Montmartre is another fantastic place to ring in the New Year as its elevated and has spectacular views of the entire Paris skyline. While Paris doesn’t typically have a fireworks show, there are till great parties and many people light them off from the Champs-Elysees.

Toronto, Canada

Traditional Toronto New Years Eve Bash at Nathan Phillips Square attracts many visitors to watch and listen to some of the hottest pop artists performing live. There are hundreds of performers and a lot of shows that are taken place around the city during New Years celebration.

NYtimesquare, USA

A New York tradition since 1906, an estimated one million will people gather in Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The highlight of the evening is seeing the legendary crystal and electric light ball drop from the top of One Times Square. The event is free and apparently the fantastic atmosphere is definitely worth waiting around in the cold for. If you are thinking of going, arrive early and be prepared to be barricaded into areas where you’ll have to stay for the duration of the evening.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro holds one of the biggest New Year parties in the world. It’s estimated that around 2 million party-goers will meet on Copacabana beach this new year’s eve. The ‘Revellion’ event is held every year and here you can eat, drink, watch fireworks and dance into the early hours of the morning. Rio is famous for its partying and many visitors talk of the great atmosphere, weather, scenery and of course the beautiful people.

Sydney, Australia

Sydney Harbour is the place to be if you find yourself down under for the New Year’s celebration.  The massive fireworks display is one of the main reasons people from all over the world come to Sydney to celebrate, so be sure to check out the vantage point map.  The more popular viewing places fill up early, so planning ahead and arriving as early as afternoon is essential.  There are plenty of restaurants and bars in the area hosting their own parties; check those out if you aren’t interested in battling the one million plus people that will be in and around the Harbour area.

Venice, Italy

Venice holds a very youthful celebrations of the New Year. Naples and Florence also arrange good parties but Venice takes the crown with its concerts and romantic environment. The whole city becomes a party rather than just one place. All the restaurants arrange special feasts, all the buildings are decorated with lights, and the fireworks become the icing on the cake.

Lake Zurich, Switzerland

If you don’t hate cold, how about going to the Alps, the most beautiful mountain range in the world. Switzerland arranges a big party on the new year’s eve at Lake Zurich. Over 200,000 visitors celebrate their new year at this lake watching a spectacular fireworks being launched from boats in the lake.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavik is a very trendy travel destination and New Year’s Eve would be a great time to experience this unique and happening city. Iceland has a reputation for having excellent night life, which might have something to do with their long dark nights. The celebrations on New Year’s Eve start with revellers gathering around a large bonfire in each quarter of the city then at midnight everyone watches a display of beautiful fireworks. Most then head down town to party until the early morning and many of the bars and clubs offer live music until at least 5am the next day.