Sigiriya

   Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress also known as Lion’s rock found in the Matale district in Sri Lanka. Worldwide famous for its most intriguing irrigation systems and gardens plus its very own Sigiri frescoes, this large monument is a popular tourist attraction today. Because of its uniqueness and handy craftsmanship depicting the capabilities and advanced technology prevailed at that time, it was declared the 8th wonder in the world by UNESCO.

According to the chronicle Mahavamsa, Sigiriya was a castle complex built by king Kashyapa (AD 477 – 495) who seized the throne from his father King Dathusena with the help from Migara the royal army commander. Kashyapa was a son from a non royal consort and he fought with the rightful heir Prince Mugalan who fled to South India in seek of help. Fearing attack from Mugalan, King Kashyapa moved the capital from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya which was formerly a Buddhist monastery. He build a well planned and well secured castle inside this rock and surrounded by it is 3 moats one with hidden spikes it is said.

Kashyapa was defeated in 495 AD by Moggallana, who moved the capital again to Anuradhapura. Sigiriya was then turned back into a Buddhist monastery, which lasted until the thirteenth or fourteenth century. After this period, no records are found on Sigiriya until the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when it was used as an outpost of the Kingdom of Kandy. When the kingdom ended, it was abandoned again.

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Inca city of Machu Picchu

Situated on a mountain ridge above Urubamba Valley in Peru of South America, which is 80km northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows is the great Inca Temple of Sun. Build around 1450, at the height of the Inca Empire this great piece of craftsmanship was abandoned 100 years or so later. It is now one of the Seven Wonders of the World and it truly does amaze everyone who not only pays a visit but also the ones who have heard about it. The origins of the Inca are shrouded in mystery and mythology. According to their own mythology, the Inca began when Manco Capac and his sister, Mama Occlo, rose out of Lake Titicaca, having been created by the Sun and the Moon as divine founders of a chosen people. Manco Capac and his sister then went off with a golden rod to find a suitable location to found a great city. Through a series of adventures, geomantic resonances, and astronomical correspondences, the site of Cuzco was chosen.

The Incas started building the "estate" around AD 1400, but abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed lately. By 1976, thirty percent of Machu Picchu had been restored. The restoration work continues to this day. Since the site was never known to the Spanish during their conquest, it is highly significant as a relatively intact cultural site. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

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Amazon Rainforest

Spreading far and wide over the soils of Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana and Suriname, sheltering an area of 5,500,000 km² (2,123,562 sq mi) is the world’s largest tropical rain forest with many species of wildlife and some of them are undiscovered up to date. It was even listed to be voted in the new seven wonder of Nature in 2009. Not only as a rainforest untouched but because of its variation in flora and fauna plus the climate and its vastness, it beholds a very important place among most beautiful places found on Earth. Not to forget though this is a living laboratory, a rich reserve of Carbon and a store house of Oxygen and it’s our top priority to protect it.

It is believed that the name Amazon is said to arise from a war Francisco de Orellana fought with a tribe of Tapuyas and other tribes from South America. The women of the tribe fought alongside the men, as was the custom among the entire tribe. Orellana derived the name Amazonas from the ancient Amazons of Asia and Africa described by Herodotus and Diodorus in Greek legends.

Rainforest must have been formed during the Eocene. It must have formed following a global reduction of tropical temperatures when Atlantic Ocean expanded sufficiently to provide warm and moist climate to the Amazon basin. Since its formation it must have been existed the way it is for about 55 million years mostly free of Savannah type biomes. When the climate became drier the Savannah spread widely.

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Abu Simbel Temples

Part of the Nubian monuments, this twin temple of massive rocks found in Nubia, Southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 230 km southwest of Aswan, is known to be a great artwork depicting the pride and ego of King Ramesses  II. With the passage of time, the temples were lost in sight and forgotten until its rediscovery in 1817. The name “Abu Simbel” was given to the place after a boy who guided the re discovers to the buried temples he has seen from time to time in shifting sands. Thus many Egyptian artifacts, Abu Simbel is special in its own way.

Also known as the “Temple of Ramesses beloved by Amun”, it was originally carved during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramesses II in 13th century BC near mountain side as lasting monuments of himself and his queen Nefetari in the aim of celebrating victory at the battle of Kadesh and impressing his Nubian neighbours. Construction lasted nearly about 20 years. The temple was forgotten until 1813, when Swiss orientalist JL Burckhardt found the top frieze of the main temple. Burckhardt talked about his discovery with Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni, who travelled to the site, but was unable to dig out an entry to the temple. Belzoni returned in 1817, this time succeeding in his attempt to enter the complex. He took everything valuable and portable with him. Later in 1968 it was relocated high above the Aswan high dam to avoid the temple being submerged from the waters of Lake Nasser created recently.

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Ha Long Bay

   “The Bay of descending dragons” alias Ha Long Bay found in Quang Ninh province in Vietnam, 170 km east of Hanoi features thousands of limestone karsts and isles with dashing beauty. Thanks to its natural limestone ecosystems and rich bio diversity, Ha Long Bay is home to 14 endemic floral species and 60 endemic faunal species and has become a hot spot for many tourists and travelers through the years.

This rock wonder in the sky stretches from Yên Hung district, past Ha Long city, town to Van Don district, bordered on the south and southeast by the Gulf of Tonkin, on the north by China, and on the west and southwest by Cát Bà island. The bay has a 120 km long coastline and is approximately 1,553 km² in size with about 2000 islets. The area designated by UNESCO as the World Natural Heritage Site incorporates 434 km² with 775 islets, of which the core zone is delimited by 69 points: Đau Go island on the west, Ba Ham lake on the south and Cong Tây island on the east. The protected area is from the Cái Dăm petrol store to Quang Hanh commune, Cam Pha town and the surrounding zone.

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Bora Bora Island

Known to be a gift of God and incredibly famous for its romantic and mystique sceneries, this volcanic island alone stands apart from the Leeward Islands found in French Polynesia in Southern Pacific waters. Comprised of its Mont Otemanu (Temanu) and Mot Pahia; two peaks of an extinct basaltic volcano that descend dramatically into the ocean and several other volcanic islets rise offshore encircled by a coral barrier reef and its lagoon proliferating the unique beauty of Bore Bora. Certainly its vista of verdant twin peaks and the sea ringed by coral islets sets the mood for memorable honeymoons and get-aways.

   Given the original name “Pora Pora” found in Tahitian language or as found in early transcriptions in 18th and 19th centuries as “Bolabolla” or “Bollabolla”, the meaning however is said to be “first born”.
Bora-Bora lies 260 km (160 mi) northwest of the largest island, Tahiti. Vaitape, on the western coast, is Bora-Bora’s main settlement. The island is relatively small; it covers an area of 39 sq km (15 sq mi) and its highest peak is Mont Otemanu; 727 metres (2,385 ft). It was formed 7 million years ago by two volcanoes

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