51 Natural Wonders

Tiger’s Nest Monastery

2008-10-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

What is it? ................... The most famous of monasteries in Bhutan.
How to get there: ...... Take a flight to Paro which is the only city with an airport in Bhutan.
Nearest town: ............. Paro 10 km.

Taktshang, also called the Tiger’s Nest monastery is in the middle of the Bhutanese mountains, several hours outside of Paro (the only city with an airport). Taktshang is the most famous of monasteries in Bhutan. It hangs on a cliff at 3,120 metres (10,200 feet), some 700 meters (2,300 feet) above the bottom of Paro valley. A place of pilgrimage for Buddhists.
The name means "Tiger's nest", the legend being that Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) flew there on the back of a tiger. The monastery includes seven temples which can all be visited. The monastery suffered several blazes and is a recent restoration. Climbing to the monastery is on foot or mule. It is interesting that a special permission is required for non-Bhutanese to visit the monastery.

Bracken Cave Bat Roost

2008-10-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

What is it? ................. Home to the largest know bat colony in the world.

How to get there: ...... By road from San Antonio.

When to go: ................. May to September

Nearest Town: ............ San Antonio 32 km

Don't Miss: .................... The emergence of the colony at dusk.

You should know: ....... Bracken Cave is only open to BCI members, and only on certain nights at present. However, there will be a viewing platform and other viewing areas in due course.

Bracken Cave in central Texas is summer home to some 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis). Located less than 20 miles from downtown San Antonio, the cave has come under increasing threat of urbanization.
The bats of Bracken Cave comprise the largest known bat maternity colony in the world, producing millions of young each year. In March and April, expectant females return to Bracken after overwintering in Mexico. Most males roost elsewhere in smaller groups. In the latter part of June, females give birth to a single pup, nearly doubling the cave's population.

The Grand Canyon

2008-10-24T20:33:00.001-07:00

What is it? ..................... A 322 km (200 ml) chasm in the Earth's surface.
How to get there: ....... Highway 64 or rail from Williams
When to go: ................... The south rim is open all year, but is busy in summer. The north rim is shut from mid- October to mid- May. The lower reaches of the canyon are extremely hot in summer.
Nearest Town: ................ Williams 95 km.
Don't Miss: A mule ride into the canyon.
You should know: ....... The Sky walk viewing platform is over a side canyon off the north side of the river, and is accessible only by a shuttle bus trip from Grand Canyon west of as part of a tour package.

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River in the United States state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park — one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

Dinosaur Provincial Park

2008-10-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

What is it? ..................... A natural world heritage site.
How to get there: .......... Two hours drive east from Calgary.
When to go: .................. Open all year except for weekends and holidays from October to May.
Nearest Town: ............... Brooks 48 km
Don't Miss: ..................... The Badlands bus tour and the guided Centrousaurus bone bed hiki.
You should know: ........... The park cover an area of 7,493 hectares including the largest badlands in Canada.

The park is located in the valley of the Red Deer River, which is known for its striking badland topography. The park is well known for being one of the greatest dinosaur fossil beds in the world. Thirty-nine dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums across the globe. Its significance justified it becoming a World Heritage Site in 1979.

Angel Falls

2008-10-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

What is it? ..................Plunge Waterfall
How to get there: .......Fly to Caracas or Ciudad Bolivar. Daily flights via Puerto Ordaz to Canaima. From here go by plane or boat.
When to go: ................Best in the wet season, June to October. In dry season the river level can become low, reducing the waterfall to a dribble.
Nearest town: .............Canaima 50 km

The "Salto Angel" (Angel Falls) on the Rio Churun, is the world's highest waterfall, 16 times the height of Niagara, three times the size of the Eiffel Tower.

The waterfall was not known to the Western world until it was visited in 1935 by the American aviator, James Crawford Angel, on a flight whilst searching for a valuable ore bed. In 1936, he returned and landed his plane at the top of the waterfall. The falls are currently named "Angel Falls" after him. The waterfall drops from the plateau of Auyan-Tepui (means "Roaring Mountain") from the top of Auyan tepui freefalling 807 m (2,648 ft) into the impenetrable jungle of the Canon del Diablo (Devils Canyon), which is located in the highland area known as La Gran Sabana. The height of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is buffeted by the strong winds and turned into mist. The base of the falls feeds into the Kerep river (alternately known as the Rio Gauya) which flows into the Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River. In the indigenous Pemon language Angel Falls is called Kerepakupai merú meaning "waterfall of the deepest place". The region in which Angel Falls is located is covered with mesas, tropical rain forests, and grasslands. The fall is 979 meters high (3212 ft.), and is the higher waterfall in the world.

Niagara Falls

2008-10-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

What is it?..............The world’s Most Famous waterfall
How to get there:...By Road or Rail from Toronto
When to go:............Late Spring to early autumn
Nearest Town:........Niagara Falls, Ontario 4km
Don’t Miss:.............A boat trip to the base of the falls
You should know:...Wet weather gear is must

The Niagara Falls are massive waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border separating the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York.

Although they are not the highest or broadest falls in the world, Niagara are the best known. Lying across the border between Canada and the Unites States, they were formed towards the end of the last ice age, when the glacier of the Laurentide ice sheet retreated creating the Great Lakes. Water flowing from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario carved a gorge past the Niagara escarpment and over the millennia since, it has eroded the shale below the hard dolomitic rock at the top. The falls are currently retreating at a rate of about 1 m (3 ft) a year.

The falls are 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York, 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.