EXOTIC LOCATIONS TOVIST Be 209 J Petra idden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, the rock-carved rose-red city of Petra is full of mystery and charm. Approach through a lo asm (or Siq), whose steeply rising sides almost hide the light, suddenly opening into a 00 c natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, The Treasury (El-Khaznch), whose intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling sun, Over 800 individual monuments, carved from the kaleidoscopic sandstone, Petra sights are at their best in early morning and late afternoon, when the | tra is now a UNESCO world sun warms the multicoloured stones, Legacy of the | heritage site and one of The New 7 Nabstacans, an industrious Arab people who settled. | Wonders ofthe World e than 2000 years in southern Jordan mo uit 00 years around the ime of | Crowne Plaza Resort, Petra, Jordan Petra Mariott Hotel, Petra Jordan flourished for over Rome and Christ, until occupied by the Roman legions of the Emperor Trajan in 106 AD. Daintree Rainfore: Queensland's Daintree spanning approximately 1200 rainforest is over one hundred square kms. Dain and thirty-five million yea Rainforest has everything od, the oldest continually untouched tropical rainforest surviving rainforest in the golden beaches with Sronjum aporing spies wack hounds ot | TS WorHetoge sted ae ety treks thonsards OF {contains the highest number of Brapeape ere Sine on the Pecies of birds and | plant and animal species that planet and is one of the most other wildlife, remote | fre rae. or threatened with diverse and beautiful wilderness and, most_| einction, anywhere inthe examples of Mother Nature. It importantly worl eof Australia’s famous all are found within an area is home tothe largest ra Daintree Eco Lodge And Spa ‘Voyages Siky Oaks Lodge plans and animals on ea 48 oe 208Intercontinental Nairobi Kenya Karen Blnxen Camp, Masai ‘Mara, Kenya Machu Picchu sss...» Barbet and the Collared temples, storage rooms and some ‘The highlands of Machu Trogon, making ita premier | 150 houses, ina remarkable state of Picchu are also host to one of destination for birdwatchers. | preservation. These structures, the most diverse populations carved from the grey granite of the of bird species in the world. _Inkaterr, Machu Picchu, Peru | mountaintop are wonders of Over 420 species nesthere ‘Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel, | architectural and aesthetic genius. including the White-Tipped Cusco, Peru Swit, the Versicoloured Hawai Resort and Spafs TRAVEL Maldives The Republic of Maldives, 9 of 1,190 coral islands groupe coral atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts) tha are an archipela around the sides of towering P its extraordinary underwater historic voleanoes. Due 10 seenery and clean water Maldives is ranked among the best reereational diving destinations of the world. Fish Head is one of the world’s most famous dive sites. Its spectacular steep sides have ‘multi-level ledges, overhangs and caves supporting sea fans, ‘anemones and black corals, Banana Reef: The reef top is The shallow water enclosed by th excellent for snorkelli house reef also serves as a natural swimming pool and protects swimmers from the ocean waves and stron tidal currents, Water sports fans will also find plenty to do: jet skiing, wind surf and beach activities. You should kn The Maldives is the smallest Asian county in terms of both population and area. The 2004 tsunami caused flooding ‘on all but nine islands, while fifty-seven islands faced serious damage to critical infrastructure, fourteen islands had to be totally ‘evacuated, and six islands were decimated, The Maldives are also under threat from ising sea levels due to melting Arctic ice Where to say Four Seasons Resort Maldives Anantara Dhigu Maldives The Galapagos Islands Wh accredited park you visit the Galapagos Islands, an s with you at every ‘moment, ensuring that you leave no trace as you enjoy the natural beauty ofthe islands and the threatened wildlife that live there, The Galap: offer nature lovers a treat, Much of the same os Islands of the Enchanted Islands flora and fauna that inspired Darwin's The Origin of Species still thrives on the Galapagos today, Appropriately, 97 percent of the land is national park, The the Galapagos are among nature's most fantastic beings, Most ofthe animals are highly approachable, The Galapa of the worlds best scuba div 8 also offer some Devil's Crown, an atoll near Floreana Island, s a sunken foleano, bu ;eoning with an ineredible array of corals and fish. Giant tortoises hover over the reef like living balloons, and shi ks stay harmless and asleep on the sandy bottom Bonus This remote volcanic archipelago remains much | as it was millions of years ago, Many ofits species are found nowhere else on earth. The | surrounding 70,000 square kilometres of ocean is a marine reserve, second only in size to Australas Great Barier Reef. The archipelago is also whale sanctuary, UNESCO also recognises the islands and the marin reserve as a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve. Where to say: Finch Bay Eco Hotel, Santa Cruz sland Royal Palm Resort Hotel, Santa Cruz Islandme to five World Heritage Sites: Oadisha Valley varieties of and Cedars Forest orchids, an Lebanon sacsrnestonstsny tag afternoon of snorkeling or diving toa | (Byblos) ancient smultple-day trek through ancient cedar roads ofthe Despite a war, politcal erses and __foress and mountains, the compactness | Mediterranean, one of only flare-ups of violence, Lebanon is ofthe country makes it possible to zalbek Roman counties int lassfied among the 25 top countries in explore much of Lebanon's natural City ofthe Sun dle Eas rms of biodiversity Areas formerly auty and the cultural diversity ina _| Aaniar— comn you can sk. The sk hub ofthe Um and mer unl Apt (lye) - ancient Where ost Queen of the Seas. ravaged by hunters are now protected, _single trip. Zahlé, Lebanon's “City of harbouring birds, wildeats, river ott Wine and Poetry”, to enjoy local cuisine and other wildlife, Mediterranean in inthe ruins of the 8th century beaches, mountains, forests, Roman ‘Umayyad city of Anjar, and visit the ruins and gorges are all within a few mysterious and monumental 2,000-year- | Endangort pours drive or walk from the capital and old Hermel Pyramid, near the city 0 loggerhead and the Lebanon Mountain Trail project Hermel (green tures make Tow should Inows Beal BI : The Department of Bhutan has 770 tar Tarchaions sects Autan, ied (15 globally umber of vistors treatened) 165 | Blhulan—the Land ofthe Thunder Dragon ~is a unique blend of the old and m tothe county Al’ mammals (among | sloiepening up tothe moder world while balancing its ancient traditions. The tourists must go them 2 fulureand the traditional ifesyle are intact and permeate modem day life. Tho trough focal jour interatonaly (inatnouhto vst Bhutan describe it asa unique, deeply spiritual and my operators. Druk Air protected wild Gets Afseker's paradise and an environmentalist’ dream, 72 percent of the Scurenty te animal species) inde forest cover. This spiritual land iste last bastion ofthe Vajrayana only ain and 5,500 speci 5 y ‘school of Mahayana Buddhism, operating flights of plants (among BS into Bhutan’s only them 152 airport. mecicinal plant Where to stay: Taj Tashi “Thimphu, Bhutan Olathang Hote Paro, BhutanNorway’s Fjords on afford cruise or explore the shimmering sheets of ight across the villages and farms inthe ford areas enomenon only vsible_| The Geirangerjord and the In the cites, cultural idiosyncrasies ere. The area such asthe Holmenkollen ski jump _isalso known for the midnight sun, | Norw tract many visitors, aswell asthe Finnmark and polar | Word Hertage List historic and cultural buildings. Take a bears on the Svalbard Islands, There's | 17ers ic boat id, hike, ride a bicycle also skiing, hiking, biking, and musk _| Noflanda Hotels & Resorts over therugged train or vist the | ox safari | Vorsenasen Hot AS smal fishing villages that dot the l countryside. Between November and February you may catch a glimpse of the northern lights, aurora borealis 52 A209 |THE BANGALORE MONTHLY UPDATE‘The local ecosystem and izzy bears depend on. healthy salmon for survival Bears drag the carcasses of spawned out salmon into the forest, facilitating a major upslope nitrogen transfer into the forest soll King Pactc Lodge Great Bear Lodge ne. Loango National Park, Cabon Gabon is an unspoiled area of Africa, with 80 percent tree coverage and 11,000 square miles of national parks. Loango National Park also known as Africa's Last Eden — is where ‘elephants, gorillas, hippopotamus and forest buffilo roam freely through the lagoons. In fact, it's not unusual to se hippos venture out into the Atlantic Ocean for a swim, and humpback whales are also plentiful. Locals are trained as eco-guides forthe park, gathering scientific data and supporting research teams as well as leading tourists. Park officials hope that publicity from the 2008 season of reality television series Survivor, set in Gabon, will help bring tourists tothe region so the park will continue tobe protected from Great Bear Rainforest, i British Columbia British Columbia, surprisingly, hhouses three million acres of rainforest! The Great Bear Rainforest extends along 2 miles (402 kilometers) of rugged shoreline, making mother-ship sea kayaking one ofthe best ways to access it. It is home to rare and exotic species like the white Kermode ‘sprit’ bear, the marbled rmurrelet and salmon, eagles, fir. Plas Coast ‘wolves, black bears One can also see some of the oldest and largest tre 0 90 metre Sitka spruce, a 1,000- sar-old red cedar, western yemlock, amabilis and Douglas to see: Knight Inlet, Mount Waddington, Princess Royal Island and the Discovery After South Affica, the world’s largest concentration and variety of whales and dolphins can be found right off the Loango ‘coast. The animals area be ‘Chimpanzee, Forest buffalo, Red river hog, Sitatunga, Leopard, Hippopotamus, West African manatee, West African humpback dolphin, Humpback whale a whale, more than 300 bird sp different crocodile species, leatherback and Olive Ridley’s turtle. LLoango Lodge, Port Gentil, Gabon Omaii Lodge Luvury Hote! id grizzlies