60 Romantic Getaways Of The World
Here is another list of Romantic Getaways for you to spend your lovely days with your loved one. Those are wonderful places from around the world.
For Romantic Getaways in Europe, see my previous post: 45 Romantic Getaways In Europe
North America
Smelt Brook, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. [ Photo by Tango7174 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Cape Breton Island (French: île du Cap-Breton—formerly île Royale, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatainn, Míkmaq: Únamakika, simply: Cape Breton) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, which is French for Brittany. During the first half of the 19th century, Cape Breton Island experienced an influx of Highland Scots numbering approximately 50,000 as a result of the Highland Clearances. Today, the descendants of the Highland Scots dominate Cape Breton Island's culture, particularly in rural communities. To this day Gaelic is still the first language of a number of elderly Cape Bretoners. A campaign of violence and intimidation by the provincial school board led to the near extermination of Gaelic culture. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Haida Gwaii in winter [ Photo by Rick McCharles / CC BY 2.0 ]
Haida Gwaii ("Islands of the People"), or more commonly, the Queen Charlotte Islands, and oldest in Haida, Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai ("islands at the Boundary of the World"), are an archipelago in northern British Columbia, Canada. They consist of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of 10,180 km2 (3,931 sq mi). Other major islands include Langara, Louise, Lyell, Burnaby, and Kunghit Islands. The islands are separated from the British Columbia mainland to the east by Hecate Strait. Vancouver Island lies to the south, across Queen Charlotte Sound, while the U.S. state of Alaska is to the north, across the disputed Dixon Entrance. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Quebec City or Québec City (French: Ville de Québec) is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec – after Montreal, about 233 kilometres (145 mi) to the southwest. As of the 2006 Canadian Census, the city has a population of 491,142, and the metropolitan area has a population of 715,515. Quebec City is internationally known for its Summer Festival, Winter Carnival, and the Château Frontenac, a hotel which dominates the city skyline. The National Assembly of Quebec, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec), and the Musée de la civilisation (Museum of Civilization) are found within or near Vieux-Québec. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
X-Games! [ Photo by Zach Dischner / CC BY 2.0 ]
The City of Aspen is an affluent Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005. Founded as a mining camp in the Colorado Silver Boom and named because of the abundance of aspen trees in the area, the city is now a ski resort and an upscale tourist center. In the late 20th century the city developed as a popular destination for celebrities, attracting people like Charlie Sheen, Hunter S. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage. It is the principal city of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and is the northernmost Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States. Since 1949 Fairbanks's average winter temperature has risen by 7.7 °F (4.3 °C), average spring temperature by 3.8 °F (2.1 °C), and its average summer temperature by 2.3 °F (1.3 °C). During the same period, Fairbanks' average autumn temperature has fallen by 0.4 °F (0.2 °C). If only the years 1977–2008 are considered, Fairbanks' average annual temperature has dropped by 1.3 °F (0.7 °C) degrees. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia) in full bloom in the Florida Keys [ Photo by Averette / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
The Florida Keys are a chain-like cluster of about 1700 islands in the southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and defining one edge of Florida Bay. At the nearest point, the southern tip of Key West is just 90 miles (140 km) from Cuba. The Florida Keys are between about 23.5 and 25.5 degrees North latitude, in the subtropics. The climate of the Keys however, is defined as tropical according to Köppen climate classification. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe [ Photo by Neil Li / free for use ]
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. At a surface elevation of 6,225 ft (1,897 m), it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is 1,645 feet (501 metres) making it America's second-deepest (the deepest is Crater Lake in Oregon, being 300 ft deeper, at 1,945 feet (594 m) deep). The lake was formed about 2 million years ago and is a part of the Lake Tahoe Basin with the modern lake being shaped during the ice ages. It is known for the clarity of its water and the panorama of surrounding mountains on all sides. The area surrounding the lake is also referred to as Lake Tahoe, or simply Tahoe. Soils of the basin come primarily from andesitic volcanic rocks and granodiorite, with minor areas of metamorphic rock. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Sunrise Kaho'olawe Hawaii [ Photo by ornellaswouldgo / CC BY 2.0 ]
Molokaʻi or Molokaiis an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) in size with a land area of 260 square miles (673.40 km2), making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oʻahu across the 25-mile (40 km) wide Kaiwi Channel and north of Lānaʻi, separated from it by the Kalohi Channel. The lights of Honolulu are visible at night from the west end of Molokaʻi, while nearby Lānaʻi and Maui are clearly visible from anywhere along the south shore of the island. Molokaʻi is known as the long time residence of Father Damien de Veuster, a Belgian priest and canonized Roman Catholic saint who cared for sufferers of Hansen's Disease, also known as leprosy. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,609. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is a popular tourist destination. It is a departure point for the Maine State Ferry Service to the islands of Penobscot Bay: Vinalhaven, North Haven and Matinicus. Abenaki Indians called it Catawamteak, meaning "great landing place." In 1767, John Lermond and his 2 brothers from Warren built a camp to produce oak staves and pine lumber. Thereafter known as Lermond's Cove, it was first settled about 1769. When in 1777 Thomaston was incorporated, Lermond's Cove became a district called Shore village. On July 28, 1848, it was set off as the town of East Thomaston. Renamed Rockland in 1850, it was chartered as a city in 1854. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
bay bridge across troubled waters [ Photo by Darwin Bell / CC BY 2.0 ]
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth most populous city in California and the 12th most populous city in the United States, with a 2008 estimated population of 808,977. The only consolidated city-county in California, it encompasses a land area of 46.7 square miles (121 km2) on the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, giving it a density of 17,323 people/mi² (6,688.4 people/km²). It is the most densely-settled large city (population greater than 200,000) in the state of California and the second-most densely populated large city in the United States. San Francisco is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
A view from Burrard Bridge to English Bay in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. [ Photo by Dimbeko / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Vancouveris a coastal city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is named for British Captain George Vancouver, who explored the area in the 1790s. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch "van Coevorden", denoting somebody from Coevorden, a city in the Netherlands. Vancouver merchants outfitted prospectors bound for the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898. One of those merchants, Charles Woodward, had opened the first Woodward's store at what is now Georgia and Main Streets in 1892 and, along with Spencer's and the Hudson's Bay department stores, formed the core of the city's retail sector for decades. Vancouver has one of the largest urban parks in North America, Stanley Park, which covers 404.9 hectares (1001 acres). (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
The roof of the w:British Columbia Parliament Buildings in w:Victoria, BC [ Photo by Ryan Bushby / CC BY 2.5 ]
Victoriais the capital city of British Columbia, Canada, and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from BC's largest, Canada's third largest city of Vancouver on the mainland. Victoria is close to the United States, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Seattle by airplane or ferry and 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Port Angeles, Washington by ferry. Erected in 1843 as a Hudson's Bay Company trading post on a site originally called Camosun (the native word was "camosack", meaning "rush of water") known briefly as "Forts Albert", the settlement was renamed Fort Victoria in 1846, in honour of Queen Victoria. The Songhees established a village across the harbour from the fort. The Songhees' village was later moved north of Esquimalt. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
South America
Iguazu Falls, Iguassu Falls, or Iguaçu Falls (Portuguese: Cataratas do Iguaçu ; Spanish: Cataratas del Iguazú ) are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River starts at the city of Curitiba and runs for the most part of the course in Brazil and at the end at the border of Brazil and Argentina. Their name comes from the Guarani or Tupi words y (water) and ûasú (big). Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful aborigine named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river creating the waterfalls, condemning the lovers to an eternal fall. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Desert Lake and, in the background, the emblematic Mt. Fitz Roy, Santa Cruz Province. [ Photo by Adroar / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Patagonia is a geographic region containing the southernmost portion of South America. Patagonia is located in Argentina and Chile; it comprises the southernmost portion of the Andes mountains to the west and south, and plateaux and low plains to the east. It excludes those portions of Antarctica claimed by both countries. East of the Andes, it lies south of the Colorado River. Westwards, it includes the territories south of Relocancaví Sound except for the Chiloé Archipelago.[dubious – discuss] The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón used by Magellan to describe the native people whom his expedition thought to be giants. It is now believed the Patagons were actually Tehuelches with an average height of 1.80 m (~5′11″) compared to the 1.55 m (~5′1″) average for Spaniards of the time. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Armação dos Búzios, often referred to as just Búzios, is a resort town and a municipality located in the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Its population was 24,500 in 2007 and its area is 69 km². Once the preserve of pirates and slave traders, the peninsula of Búzios, 105 miles (169 km) northeast of Rio de Janeiro, has become a tourist destination with over 20 beaches in the vicinity. The peninsula was popularized by legendary movie star Brigitte Bardot in the 1960s, and her statue sits along the main street of Búzios, the Rua das Pedras (Street of stones). Bardot had come to Rio de Janeiro with her Brazilian boyfriend but could not leave his apartment without being hounded by the paparazzi. The couple concocted a plan to keep the press away, and escaped to Buzios with the one photographer who was allowed to document their vacation. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
A panorama of Rio de Janeiro City taken from Corcovado. [ Photo by jens_hausherr / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]
Rio de Janeiro, commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, 6th largest in the Americas. Romantic and realist modes both flourished through the late nineteenth century and often overlapped within works. The most famous author of Rio de Janeiro, however, was Machado de Assis, that is also widely regarded as the greatest writer of Brazilian literature and considered the introducer of Realism in Brazil, with the publication of The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas (1881); he had commented and criticized the political and social events of the city and country such as the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the transition from Empire to Republic with his numerous chronicles published in newspapers of the time. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Central America & Caribbean
Glass Window Bidge [ Photo by mfrascella / CC BY-ND 2.0 ]
Eleuthera is an island in The Bahamas, lying 50 miles (80 km) east of Nassau. It is very long and thin—110 miles (180 km) long and in places little more than a mile wide. According to the 2000 Census, the population of Eleuthera is approximately 8,000. The name "Eleuthera" is derived from the feminine form of the Greek word ελεύθερος (eleutheros), "free". The topography of the island varies from wide rolling pink sand beaches to large outcrops of ancient coral reefs. The eastern side of the island faces the Atlantic Ocean while the western side faces the Great Bahama Bank, one of the two Bahama Banks. The original population of Taino, or Arawaks, was mostly deported by the Spanish to work in the mines of Hispaniola, where they died out by 1550. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
A panoramic view of Prince George Wharf, the facility serving passenger cruise ships in Nassau Harbour, off the island of New Providence in the Bahamas. [ Photo by TampAGS / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The city has a population of 260,000 (2008 census), nearly 80 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas (330,000). Lynden Pindling International Airport, the major airport for The Bahamas, is located about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west of Nassau city centre, and has daily flights to major cities in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and the Caribbean. The city is located on the island of New Providence, which functions much like a federal district. While there is no local government, it is governed directly as an administrative division of the national government. Nassau is considered a historical stronghold of pirates. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Panorama of Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman from in front of the Westin Hotel. The left of the picture is north and the right (direction of the cruise ships) is south. [ Photo by Burtonpe / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Seven Mile Beach (SMB) is a long crescent of coral-sand beach on the western shore of Grand Cayman island. The beach is world renowned for its beauty, recently receiving the honor of "The Caribbean's Best Beach" from Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine. SMB is the most popular and in turn, the most developed area of Grand Cayman and is home to the majority of the island's luxury resorts and hotels. Despite the name, the beach is only about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) long and falls victim to annual erosion, which has reduced its size in some areas. Like the rest of Grand Cayman, the development around SMB was severely damaged in Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 but many condominiums & hotels are now running at full capacity. Seven Mile Beach is public property, and it is possible to walk the full length past many hotels and villas. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
The crater of the volcano Poás in Costa Rica. Poás Volcano Crater is one of the country's main tourist attractions. [ Photo by Peter Andersen / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Costa Rica), officially the Republic of Costa Ricais a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica's membership in the newly formed Federal Republic of Central America, free of Spanish rule, was short-lived; in 1838, long after the Central American Federation ceased to function in practice, Costa Rica formally withdrew and proclaimed itself sovereign. The distance from Guatemala City to the Central Valley of Costa Rica, where most of the population lived and still lives, was great. The local population had little allegiance to the government in Guatemala City, in part because of the history of isolation during Colonial times. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Paseo de Prado from Parque Central [ Photo by SchneiderSvan / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Havana, officially Ciudad de La Habana,) is the capital city, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city is one of the 14 Cuban provinces. The city/province has 2.1 million inhabitants, the largest city in Cuba and the second largest in the Caribbean region. The city extends mostly westward and southward from the bay, which is entered through a narrow inlet and which divides into three main harbours: Marimelena, Guanabacoa, and Atarés. The sluggish Almendares River traverses the city from south to north, entering the Straits of Florida a few miles west of the bay. Shortly after the founding of Cuba's first cities, the island served as little more than a base for the Conquista of other lands. Hernán Cortés organized his expedition to Mexico from the island. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Panoramic view of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. [ Photo by Ruiz / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]
San Miguel de Allende is the seat of the municipality of Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico, a historic town founded in 1542 that has become an attractive tourist destination for wealthy Mexico City residents and has a large American and Canadian expatriate community composed primarily of retirees. San Miguel de Allende is located in the eastern part of Guanajuato in Mexico's mountainous bajío region. The bajío (low place) is a relatively flat region about 2,000 m (7,000 ft) above sea level surrounded by mountains; it is a part of the Mexican altiplano. San Miguel serves as the administrative seat for the surrounding municipality of Allende, Guanajuato. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Picnic Table at Macaroni Beach [ Photo by Jason Pratt / CC BY 2.0 ]
Mustique is a small private island in the West Indies. The island is one of a group of islands called the Grenadines, most of which form part of the country of St Vincent and the Grenadines. The island covers 1,400 acres (5.7 km² or 2.2 sq. miles) and it has several coral reefs. The land fauna includes tortoises, herons and many other species. Its year-round population of about 500 mostly live in the villages of Lovell, Britannia Bay and Dover. The island of Mustique is owned by the Mustique Company, which in turn is owned by the island's home owners. The island has approximately 100 private villas, many of which are rented out through the Mustique Company. In addition there is one hotel called the Cotton House, owned by the Mustique Company, and one privately-owned four bedroom hotel called Firefly, which is owned by Stan and Liz Clayton. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
The Turks and Caicos Islandsare a British Overseas Territory consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the West Indies, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre. For several decades around the turn of the 18th century they became popular pirate hideouts. Bermudian salt collectors settled the Turk Islands around 1680. In 1765–1783 they were under French occupation. After the American Revolution (1775–1783) many loyalists fled to Caribbean colonies, including (in 1783) the first settlers on the Caicos Islands; cotton became an important crop briefly. In 1799, both the Turks and the Caicos island groups were annexed by Britain as part of the Bahamas. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Pacific & Antarctica
Lake McKenzie Beach, Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia [ Photo by Sensenmann / public domain ]
Fraser Island, is an island located along the southern coast of Queensland, Australia, approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) north of Brisbane. Its length is about 120 kilometres (75 mi) and its width is approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi). It was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1992. The island is considered to be the largest sand island in the world at 1840 km². It is also Queensland's largest island, Australia's sixth largest island and the largest island on the East Coast of Australia. Fraser Island has been inhabited by humans for as much as 5,000 years. Explorer James Cook sailed by the island in May of 1770. Matthew Flinders landed near the northern most point of the island in 1802. For a short period the island was known as Great Sandy Island. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
A variety of corals form an outcrop on Flynn Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef near Cairns, Queensland, Australia. [ Photo by Toby Hudson / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is a distinct feature of the East Australian Cordillera division. It includes the smaller Murray Islands. It reaches from Torres Strait (between Bramble Cay, its northernmost island, and the south coast of Papua New Guinea) in the north to the unnamed passage between Lady Elliot Island (its southernmost island) and Fraser Island in the south. Lady Elliot Island is located 1,915 km (1,190 mi) southeast of Bramble Cay as the crow flies. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
The Whitsunday Islands are a collection of continental islands of various sizes off the central coast of Queensland, Australia, situated between just south of Bowen and to the north of Mackay, some 900 kilometres (560 mi) north of Brisbane. The island group is centred on Whitsunday Island, while the group's commercial centre is Hamilton Island. The term is a mis-nomer, based as it is on Captain Cook’s naming of what is now known as the Whitsunday Passage (in Cook’s Journal, Whitsunday’s Passage) in the belief that the passage was discovered on Whitsunday whereas, because of an error in time-keeping, it was actually Whit-Monday. Contention has existed as to exactly what islands are within the informally-named Whitsunday Islands, in particular as to the southern extremity and the inclusions to the west. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Playa Pointe Raititi en Bora Bora [ Photo by ReservasdeCoches.com / CC BY 2.0 ]
Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island, located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft). The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th century accounts, is Bolabolla or Bollabolla. The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of the island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Rangiroa (meaning Vast Sky in Tuamotuan) or Te Kokōta (Hyades in Māori), is the largest atoll in the Tuamotus, and one of the largest in the world (although it is smaller than Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands and Huvadhu in the Maldives). It is part of the Palliser group. The nearest atoll is Tikehau, located only 12 km to the West. It is about 355 km Northeast of Tahiti. The atoll consists of about 415 motus, islets and sandbars comprising a total land area of about 170 km². There are approximately one hundred narrow passages (passes), called r'oa, in the fringing reef. The atoll has a flattened elliptic shape, with 80 km in length and a width ranging from 5 to 32 km wide. The width of land reaches 300 to 500 meters wide and its circumference totals up to 200 km. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Big Wave Surfing in Tahiti at Teahupoo [ Photo by thelastminute / CC BY 2.0 ]
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous with surrounding coral reefs. The population is 178,133 (2007 census), making it the most populous island of French Polynesia and accounting for 68.6% of the group's total population. The capital, Papeete, is located on the northwest coast with the only international airport in the region, Faa'a International Airport, situated 5 km (3.11 mi) from the town centre. Tahiti was originally settled by Polynesians between AD 300 and 800. They comprise about 70% of the island's population with the rest made up of Europeans, Chinese and those of mixed heritage. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
View of the ocean from the top of a small island in the Bay of Islands, Northland, North Island, New Zealand. [ Photo by Kaiwhakahaere / public domain ]
The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its big-game fishing since American author Zane Grey publicised it in the 1930s. The bay itself is an irregular 16 km-wide inlet in the north-eastern coast of the island. A natural harbour, it has several arms which extend into the land, notably Waikare Inlet in the south and Kerikeri and Te Puna (Mangonui) inlets in the north-west. The small town of Russell is located at the end of a short peninsula that extends into the bay from the southeast. Several islands lie to the north of this peninsula, notably Urupukapuka Island to the east and Moturoa Island to the north. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Milford Sound (Piopiotahi in Māori) is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey (the 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards by TripAdvisor) and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Rudyard Kipling had previously called it the eighth Wonder of the World. Milford Sound is named after Milford Haven in Wales, while the Cleddau River which flows into the sound is also named for its Welsh namesake. The Māori named the sound Piopiotahi after the thrush-like piopio bird, now extinct. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Africa
Typical region in the Okavango Delta, with free canals and lakes, swamps and islands [ Photo by Teo Gómez / public domain ]
The Okavango Delta (or Okavango Swamp), in Botswana, is the world's largest inland delta. It is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in an endorheic basin in the Kalahari Desert, where most of the water is lost to evaporation and transpiration instead of draining into the sea. Each year approximately 11 cubic kilometres of water irrigate the 15,000 km² area and some flood-waters drain into Lake Ngami. The Moremi Game Reserve, a National Park, spreads across the eastern side of the delta. The Okavango Delta is produced by seasonal flooding. The Okavango river drains the summer (January-February) rainfall from the Angola highlands and the surge flows 1,200 kilometres in approximately one month. The waters then spread over the 250 km by 150 km area of the delta over the next four months (March-June). (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Kalahari in Namibia [ Photo by Elmar Thiel / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
The Kalahari Desert (Dorsland in Afrikaans) is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in Southern Africa extending 900,000 square kilometres (350,000 sq mi), covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari Desert is the southern part of Africa, and the geography is a portion of desert and a plateau. The Kalahari supports some animals and plants because most of it is not a true desert. There are small amounts of rainfall and the summer temperature is very high. It usually receives 3–7.5 inches (76–190 mm) of rain per year. The surrounding Kalahari Basin covers over 2,500,000 square kilometres (970,000 sq mi) extending farther into Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and encroaching into parts of Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Uizicht over Lake Nakuru. [ Photo by Jasper1976 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Lake Nakuru is one of the Rift Valley soda lakes. It lies to the south of Nakuru, in central Kenya and is protected by a small Lake Nakuru National Park. The lake's abundance of algae attracts the vast quantity of flamingos that famously lines the shore. Other birds also flourish in the area, as do warthogs, baboons and other large mammals. Black and white rhinos have also been introduced. Nakuru means "Dust or Dusty Place" in the Maasai language. Lake Nakuru National Park, close to Nakuru town, was established in 1961. It started off small, only encompassing the famous lake and the surrounding mountainous vicinity, but has since been extended to include a large part of the savannahs. Lake Nakuru National Park (188 km²), created in 1961 around Lake Nakuru, near Nakuru Town. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
A beach of Rodrigues island : the Anse Ali [ Photo by B.navez / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Mauritiusofficially the Republic of Mauritius (Mauritian Creole: Republik Moris; French: République de Maurice) is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 kilometres (560 mi) east of Madagascar. In addition to the island of Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands. Mauritius Island is part of the Mascarene Islands, with the French island of Réunion 200 km (120 mi) to the southwest and the island of Rodrigues 570 km (350 mi) to the northeast. The island of Mauritius is renowned for having been the only known home of the dodo. First sighted by Europeans around 1600 on Mauritius, this bird was an easy prey to settlers due to its weight and inability to fly. It became extinct less than eighty years later. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Rabat (Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ, literally "Fortified Place"), population 650 000 hab. (2010 estimate), is the capital and second largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé, Rabat's bedroom community. Together the two cities with Temara account for a population of 1.8 million. Silting problems have diminished the city's role as a port; however, Rabat and Salé still maintain relatively important textile, food processing and construction industries; some are from sweatshop labor by major multinational corporations (see Salé). (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Defensive walls in Taroudant, Morocco [ Photo by Jerzy Strzelecki / CC BY 3.0 ]
Taroudant (Arabic: تارودانت) is a Moroccan city located in the Sous Valley in the southern part of the country. It is situated east from Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south from Marrakech. It can be easily visited as a day trip from Agadir en route to the Sahara Desert. It has the feel of a small fortified market town on some caravan route. It is also known for its local crafts like jewelry and carpets. It is called the "Grandmother of Marrakech" because it is a scaled down, slowed down town that resembles Marrakech with its surrounding ramparts. Unlike Marrakech, Taroudant contains almost the whole city within its walls. The town was occupied by the Almoravids in 1056. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
The Namib Desert is a desert in Namibia and southwest Angola that forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The name "Namib" is of Nama origin and means vast. The desert occupies an area of around 80,900 km² (31,200 square miles), stretching about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Namibia. Its east-west width varies from 30 to 100 miles (50-160 km). The Namib Desert also reaches into southwest Angola. It is one of the 500 distinct physiographic provinces of the South African Platform physiographic division. Having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for at least 55 million years, it is considered to be the oldest desert in the world. The Namib's aridity is caused by the descent of dry air of the Hadley Cell, cooled by the cold Benguela current along the coast. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Whale Shark Watching [ Photo by sky#walker / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]
Mahé is the largest island (155 km²/59.8 sq. mi.) of the Seychelles, lying in the north east of the nation. The population of Mahé is 80,000. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 90% of the country's total population. The island was named after Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a French governor of Mauritius. Mahé's tallest peak is Morne Seychellois at 905 m, which lies in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The northern and eastern parts of the island are home to much of the population and the Seychelles International Airport which opened in 1971. The southern and western parts have Baie Ternay Marine National Park and Port Launay Marine National Park. The Ste Anne Marine National Park lies offshore, as do Conception Island, Thérèse Island, Anonyme Island and Silhouette Island. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
A waterfall situated a few miles north of Nieuwoudtville on the road to Loeriesfontein, in the Northern Cape (Namaqualand region), South Africa. The river plunges through an opening in the rock down a precipice of approximately 90 metres. [ Photo by coda / CC BY 2.0 ]
Namaqualand (Afrikaans: Namakwaland) is an arid region of South Africa, extending along the west coast over 600 miles (970 km) and covering a total area of 170,000 square miles/440,000 km². It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two portions – Little Namaqualand to the south and Great Namaqualand to the north. Little Namaqualand fulls under the Namakwa District Municipality and forms part of Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Great Namaqualand is in the Karas Region of Namibia. Great Namaqualand is sparsely populated by the Namaqua, a Khoikhoi people who traditionally inhabited the Namaqualand region. A typical municipality is Kamiesberg Local Municipality. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Zanzibaris a semi-autonomous part of the United Republic of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, informally referred to as Zanzibar), and Pemba. Other nearby island countries and territories include Comoros and Mayotte to the south, Mauritius and Réunion to the far southeast, and the Seychelles Islands about 1,500 km to the east. Zanzibar was once a separate state with a long trading history within the Arab world; it united with Tanganyika to form Tanzania in 1964 and still enjoys a high degree of autonomy within the union. The capital of Zanzibar, located on the island of Unguja, is Zanzibar City, and its historic centre, known as Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Victoria Falls Zambia side [ Photo by M0Rt3s / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]
The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are some of the largest in the world. The falls are formed as the full width of the river plummets in a single vertical drop into a transverse chasm 1708 meters (5604 ft) wide, carved by its waters along a fracture zone in the basalt plateau. The depth of the chasm, called the First Gorge, varies from 80 metres (262 ft) at its western end to 108 metres (360 ft) in the centre. The only outlet to the First Gorge is a 110-metre-wide (360 ft) gap about two-thirds of the way across the width of the falls from the western end, through which the whole volume of the river pours into the Victoria Falls gorges. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Asia
Angkor Wat (Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត) is a Hindu temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and part of his capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation — first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. Mouhot, like other early Western visitors, found it difficult to believe that the Khmers could have built the temple, and mistakenly dated it to around the same era as Rome. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Hangzhouis a major city located in the Yangtze River Delta region of the People's Republic of China, and the capital of Zhejiang (浙江) province. It is governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2004, its entire administrative division ("shì", 杭州市) or Prefecture-level city had a registered population of 6.4 million people. The Urban agglomeration of the Hangzhou metropolitan area (杭州市区) has a resident population of 3.9319 million as of 2003, of which 2.6367 million are permanent residents. There are 1.91 million residents in the six urban core districts. The city of Hangzhou was founded about 2,200 years ago during the Qin Dynasty, but the city wall was not constructed until the Sui Dynasty (591). It is listed as one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Decorative boats on a Canal at the edge of downtown, Suzhou, China [ Photo by Peripitus / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Suzhou (simplified Chinese: 苏州; traditional Chinese: 蘇州; pinyin: Sūzhōu; Suzhou dialect: ; ancient name: 吳) is a prefecture-level city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Suzhou has also been an important centre for China's silk industry and continues to hold that prominent position today. The city is part of the Yangtze River Delta region. Previously the name of the city has been transliterated in English in various ways, including Su-chou (Wade-Giles system), Suchow, and Soochow. It is occasionally nicknamed the "Venice of the East" or "Venice of China". (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
The Three Gorges (simplified Chinese: 三峡; traditional Chinese: 三峽; pinyin: Sānxiá [ listen now ]) region is a scenic area along the Yangtze River in the Hubei(湖北)province of the People's Republic of China with a total length of approximately 200 km. The Three Gorges occupy approximately 120 km within this region. Although it is primarily famous for its scenery, the Three Gorges region is historically and culturally an important region in China. A representation of the westernmost gorge appears on China's currency in the back of the paper 10 yuan note. The Three Gorges region is located along the Yangtze River between the cities of Fengjie (奉节) and Yichang in Chongqing municipality and Hubei province. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Dal Lake [ Photo by shahbasharat / CC BY 2.0 ]
Srinagar (Kashmiri: سری نگر; Urdu: شرینگر);Dogri: श्रीनगर;, is the capital of the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir that is situated in India. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is the largest city in India without a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its lakes and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dry fruits. It is also the headquarters of Srinagar district. Etymologically Srinagar is composed of two Sanskrit words, namely, Sri (meaning abundance and wealth) and Nagar, which means a city. Thus, the word Srinagar signifies a place of wealth and abundance. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Taj Mahal, Agra, India, south face. [ Photo by Yann / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. It is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal is considered to be the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Islamic and Indian architectural styles. The central focus of the complex is the tomb. This large, white marble structure stands on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
City palace from the Pichola lake. [ Photo by Honzasoukup / public domain ]
Udaipur (उदयपुर), also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar in Rajputana Agency. Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar and Swaroop Sagar in this city are considered some of the most beautiful lakes in the state. Udaipur was the capital of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar, ruled by the Sisodia clan with jhala's loyalty. The founder of Udaipur was Rana Udai Singh, father of Maharana Pratap. The ancient capital of Mewar was Nagda, located on the Banas River northeast of Udaipur. Legend has it that Maharana Udai Singh came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. The 1963 eruption of Mount Agung killed thousands, created economic havoc and forced many displaced Balinese to be transmigrated to other parts of Indonesia. Mirroring the widening of social divisions across Indonesia in the 1950s and early 1960s, Bali saw conflict between supporters of the traditional caste system, and those rejecting these traditional values. Politically, this was represented by opposing supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI), with tensions and ill-feeling further increased by the PKI's land reform programs. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Tenryū-ji is an important Buddhism temple located in Sogano area, west of Kyoto, Japan. It was registered as an UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. [ Photo by SElefant / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Kyoto) is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area. In late 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi restructured the city by building new streets to double the number of north-south streets in central Kyoto, creating rectangle blocks superseding ancient square blocks. Hideyoshi also built earthwork walls called Odoi (御土居?) circulating the city. Teramachi Street in central Kyoto is a Buddhist temple quarter where Hideyoshi gathered temples in the city. Throughout the Edo period, the economy of the city flourished as one of three major cities in Japan, the others being Osaka and Edo. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Nikko, Tochigi prefecture, Japan [ Photo by Bernard Gagnon / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Nikkō (日光市, Nikkō-shi?, literally "sunlight" or "sunshine") is a city located in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Located approximately 140 km north of Tokyo and approximately 35 km west of Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi, it is a popular destination for Japanese and international tourists, housing the mausoleum of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (Nikkō Tōshō-gū) and that of his grandson Iemitsu (Iemitsu-byō Taiyū-in), as well as the Futarasan Shrine, which dates to the year 767. There are also many famous hot springs (onsen) in the area. Elevations range from 200 to 2,000 m. The mountains west of the main city are part of Nikkō National Park and contain some of the country's most spectacular waterfalls and scenic trails. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Langkawi,(Jawi:لانكاوي ) officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah (Malay: Langkawi Permata Kedah) is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border. On July 15, 2008, Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah had consented to the change of name to Langkawi Permata Kedah in conjunction with his Golden Jubilee Celebration. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 64,792, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. Langkawi is also an administrative district with the town of Kuah as the capital and largest town. Langkawi is a duty-free island. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
the best mode of transport here in maldives [ Photo by notsogoodphotography / CC BY 2.0 ]
The Maldives ( or ), (Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ Dhivehi Raa'je) or Maldive Islands, officially Republic of Maldives, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls stretching in a north-south direction off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and Chagos Archipelago. It stands in the Laccadive Sea, about seven hundred kilometers (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka. Philostorgius, an Arian Greek historian who relates (circa AD 354) about a Divoeis (the Divaeans) hostage after fulfilling his mission to the Homerites, sailed to his island home known as Divus (Maldives). (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Crystal Cove, one of the island-hopping destinations in Boracay. [ Photo by Anthony Alger / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately 315 km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. In 1990, it was voted by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook as one of the best beaches in the world and again in 1996 by British publication TV Quick as the world's number one tropical beach. Boracay's two primary tourism beaches, White Beach and Bulabog Beach, are located on opposite sides of the island's narrow central area. White Beach faces westward and Bulabog Beach faces eastward. The island also has several other beaches. Weather in Boracay is generally divided into two seasonal weather patterns known locally as the Amihan and Habagat seasons. In the Tagalog language, Amihan means a cool northeast wind, and Habagat means west or southwest wind; south-west monsoon. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Church of the Saviour was built on the place where emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded on March 1 1881. It was originally a chapel designed by architect N. Benois, later a temple of architect A. Parland was erected. The walls are covered with marble and glazed brick. The interior is decorated with Italian multi-colored marble and colored ornamental stones. [ Photo by Dionysus / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Saint Petersburg (Russian: Са́нкт-Петербу́рг, tr. Sankt-Peterburg, IPA ) is a city and a federal subject (a federal city) of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd (Russian: Петроград, IPA, 1914–1924) and Leningrad (Russian: Ленинград, IPA, 1924–1991). It is often called just Petersburg (Russian: Петербург) and is informally known as Piter (Russian: Питер, IPA ). (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Lipa Noi Beach on Ko Samui, Thailand, shortly after sunset. The islands of the Ang Thong Marine National Park (Mu Koh Angthong) are visible at the horizon. [ Photo by Manfred Werner / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Ko Samui island of Surat Thani Province, or often, simply Samui as it is referred to by locals, is an island off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand, close to the mainland Surat Thani town. It is Thailand's third largest island, with an area of 228.7 km2 and a population of over 50,000 (2008). It is rich with natural resources, white sandy beaches, coral reefs and coconut trees. The island was probably first inhabited about 15 centuries ago, settled by fishermen from the Malay Peninsula and Southern China. It appears on Chinese maps dating back to 1687, under the name Pulo Cornam. The name Samui is mysterious in itself. Perhaps it is an extension of the name of one of the native trees, mui, or from the Chinese word Saboey, meaning "safe haven". (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Registan mosques in Samarkand. [ Photo by Steve Evans (babasteve) / CC BY 2.0 ]
Samarkand (Uzbek: Samarqand; Tajik: Самарқанд; Persian: سمرقند; Russian: Самарканд; literally "Stone Fort" or "Rock Town", in Sogdian)) is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Samarqand Province. The city is most noted for its central position on the Silk Road between China and the West, and for being an Islamic centre for scholarly study. In the 14th century, it became the capital of the empire of Timur (Tamerlane), and is the site of his mausoleum (the Gur-e Amir). The Bibi-Khanym Mosque remains one of the city's most notable landmarks. The Registan was the ancient centre of the city. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
Middle East
Levent financial district in Istanbul, as seen from the Isbank Towers, with the Bosphorus Bridge in the background. [ Photo by Geia sou Levendi / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul, historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople; see the names of Istanbul) is the largest city in Turkey and 5th largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.8 million, also making it the second largest metropolitan area in Europe by population, and the largest metropolitan city proper. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural, economic, and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province. It is located on the Bosphorus Strait and encompasses the natural harbour known as the Golden Horn, in the northwest of the country. It extends both on the European (Thrace) and on the Asian (Anatolia) sides of the Bosphorus, and is thereby the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents. Istanbul is a designated alpha world city. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)
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Sarah says:
In the North American section the author has both Vancouver and Victoria, BC listed as being in the USA when they are definately Canadian cities! The USA has some lovely cities, but those two are definately ours!
Philip Ze says:
Ha! that was an honest mistake during my list compilation, sorry about that. Now, it has been rectified.
andrew twohey says:
My bucket list.
What Even says:
HAHAHA. I laughed when I read Haida Gwaii. I was NOT expecting that. It’s funny because I live there, and it’s not romantic at all. As long as you stay out of the towns, I guess. Mostly for those that think of fishing, hiking, or hunting is romantic.