Time to round out the final 28 Wonders of Nature. Again, our purpose is to inform, not act as a shill for New Open World Corporation, the Swiss group in charge of the competition. The drama will play out until 2011. Until then, we can certainly debate what the top seven should and should not be.
So we realize that Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes is Korea’s crown jewel UNESCO World Heritage Site. And the island contains Hallasan, a shield volcano and tallest mountain in the country. But somehow, we feel like any place that has a FIFA World Cup stadium and international airport should not be on a list of best Wonders of Nature.
Three (inactive) volcanic cones, 5,892 m high, unique microclimates and ridiculous views from a famous, snowy (for now at least) peak. Sure, Kilimanjaro deserves it.
This is a tough one. After all, do we need to draw more attention to Komodo National Park? Yes, all in all, a superb UNESCO World Heritage Site in Indonesia but still, Komodo dragons get angry – and hungry – when intrepid ecotourists lurk with their high-tech cameras and such. Maybe this is one remote gem that should stay relatively distant from the mainstream public.
The Maldives need all the help they can get. The Indian Ocean archipelago, or group of atolls, could be under water, gone forever, within the next century, if sea levels rise at the current pace. Over 300,000 people live in the island chain nation.
The Masurian Lake District may not be altogether familiar with most fairweather tourists to Europe but hey, give Poland some props. You think Minnesota has a lot of lakes? Please. Try more than 2,000 in the Masurian District. Real lakes, not ponds, so save your letters Minneapolis. At any rate, Central Europe is all OVER this place come summertime.
The Matterhorn, or Cervino, or Cervin – ok, everyone calls it Matterhorn – is not the most prolific summit in the Swiss Alps. That would be Mont Blanc. Yet there’s a mystical quality about the Zermatt area mountain. Not to mention insane views from the best alpine observation deck in Europe.
Rudyard Kipling was all over Milford Sound and certainly thought it was a genuine Wonder of the World. New Zealand’s South Island fjord consistently wins raves as one of the most beautiful places on Earth and is part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site. Works for us!
Nice to see Azerbaijan get some international love. Gobustan Reserve, otherwise known as Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape in UNESCO World Heritage lingo, is quite accessible from the capital of Baku. The park’s mud dome gas secretions are unreal.
Puerto Princesa Underground River
A disclaimer. UNESCO is not a party to the New Seven Wonders of Nature. It just so happens that many World Heritage Sites made the final list. And here’s another one. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, on gorgeous Palawan Island, is one of the most popular attractions in the Philippines.
Another area of spectacular natural beauty and importance that could benefit from solid international PR is the Sundarbans. The massive tidal halophytic mangrove forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of course and is incredibly vital to both Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.
Cape Town is a phenomenal city and Table Mountain provides it with a brilliant backdrop, almost without peer. But one of the top Seven Wonders of Nature? Don’t think so.
Politically-correct Aussies hate when you call it Ayers Rock but hey, what’s in a name? Whatever you call it, Uluru, the centerpiece of Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park and indeed, Australia, is magnificent. Especially at sunset. A very strong contender indeed. But with the Great Barrier Reef a Down Under entry as well, is there room for two from one country?
A gorgeous spot in the Bay of Naples, associations with Pompeii and the constant threat of eruption over a regional population that runs well over 3 million provide Mount Vesuvius with some good arguments. Not quite good enough in our mind though. Come on, it’s only 1,281 m high! Italy could have done better. Monica Bellucci’s booty is a much better Wonder of Nature.
Go Taiwan! You just have to root for the island “nation” under the shadow of big bully China. Right? And Yushan, or Jade Mountain, is a serious contender. At 3,952 m high, the summit has no obstructions and affords some of the most dramatic sunrise and sunset scenery on the planet.
Check out superb hotel deals all over Taiwan.
Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
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