Category Amazing Places

               The Sossusvlei is best known for its sand dunes, which are believed to be the highest in the world. It is located in the southern part of the Namib Desert.

                Geologically, Sossusvlei is a claypan that holds rain water to form a lake. In other words, it is a circular shaped depression filled with water in the heart of the Namib. Due to its high clay content, this pan retains water for a long time, making it a rare sight. There are many animals that live in the Sossusvlei. These include those which can survive with little water, like the anthropods, rodents, jackals, reptiles, antelopes etc.

              As a matter of fact, sand dunes are present in various parts of the world. But what makes the dunes in Sossusvlei special is their colour composition.

               The varying shades of red, depending on the age of the dunes, define the stark beauty of the Namib Desert. 

          Located in Aswan, in Southern Egypt, the Abu Simbel is yet another work of wonder that fascinates travellers across the world. It is a complex of two massive rock temples, carved into a mountainside on the west bank of the Nile River. There are many debates regarding the construction of this epic complex. But what remains universally accepted is that the structures were built by Pharaoh Ramses II, sometimes in the 13th century. It is said to have taken twenty long years for the completion of work.

          However, despite its grand size, the Abu Simbel complex was covered by desert sand for hundreds of years. It remained forgotten until a Swiss scholar named Jean-Louis Burckhardt rediscovered it in 1813. But he couldn’t dig out an entry to the temple. In 1817, an Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni managed to enter the temple complex, and reintroduced it to the world.

          In 1968, the complex was relocated in its entirety on an artificial hill made from a domed structure above the Aswan High Dam reservoir.

            Bagamoyo is a famous town in Tanzania that is at once beautiful and disturbing. It is beautiful for its cultural heritage, but disturbing for its history of slavery.

            Founded at the end of the 18th century, Bagamoyo is situated 72 kilometres north of Dar es Salaam. Under German rule, it was the first capital of Tanzania. This place was also famous for the ivory trade, besides slavery.

            Presently, the Bagamoyo town is the capital of the Bagamoyo district. The name of the place has been derived from the Swahili words ‘bwagamoyo’, meaning ‘throw down your heart’.

            There are many important sites in the town, like the ‘Bagamoyo Church’ which was perhaps the first on the East Coast of Africa, the ‘Bagamoyo Museum’ that preserves old photos and remains of the slave trade and the Kaole ruins of the 12th century. Another important place is the Ruvu River Delta, a paradise for birds.

            In addition to these, the Bagamoyo white sand beaches are something known to leave visitors fascinated. They are among the finest beaches on the whole of the East African coast. 

          There are numerous reasons why South Africa remains a traveller’s favourite. One of it is the famous Table Mountain that overlooks the capital city of Cape Town. In fact, it is one of the few natural wonders that are located in the middle of a major city.

          Geographically, the Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain. The major attraction here is the national park with the same name, situated close by. The region is known to be one of the richest areas for plants in the world, with numerous unique species. The most important ones among them are the 1460 varieties of fynbos, a unique kind of vegetation and the rare amphibian Table Mountain Ghost Frogs.

          Adding to the attractions of the mountain is the enchanting cableway that takes visitors to the plateau at its top. The upper cable station offers a breathtaking sight of the Cape Town, Table Bay and Robben Island to the north, and the Atlantic seaboard to the west and south. The mountain is also a popular destination among hikers and para-gliders across the globe. 

Seychelles, officially, the Republic of Seychelles, is one of the most attractive tropical islands in the world. It is an archipelago located 1600 kilometres east of the African coast in the Indian Ocean, consisting of 115 islands. The capital city is Victoria on the Mahe Island, which is the largest of all.

The most fascinating feature of the island includes the beaches. It also has to its credit six marine national parks and a wide variety of marine life. Specifically, the island is home to a large number of Aldabra tortoises, and the hawksbill sea turtles.

Cousin Island on the archipelago is the best place to see these turtles as the nesting population here is very high. Besides, Seychelles is considered to be the best destination for scuba divers. 

          Fez is best known to the world as the cultural centre of Morocco. It was founded in 789 by Idris I. Until 1925, Fez was the capital city of the country. Even today it remains the best-conserved city of the Arab world, and is an international destination.

          The most attractive features of the city include its splendid architecture, and historical remains. Fez is divided into three zones. Among these, the most popular is the Fez el Bali Medina. The historical quarter and traditional houses make it an altogether interesting place for travellers. It is also one of the world’s largest urban pedestrian zones.

          According to some historians, the Medina of Fez is among the best conserved historic towns of the Arab world.

          Another prominent place in the city is the University of Al Quaraouiyine, founded in AD 859. It is the oldest continuously functioning university in the world today. Fez is known by different names across the world, popularly as the ‘Athens of Africa’.

           If you are one who has seen a huge mountain in real life, there is little chance that you went away without appreciating its grandeur. Such is the glory that structures like mountains have. And if it is something like Mount Kenya, it cannot but leave a spectator spellbound.

           Located in Kenya, Mount Kenya is the second highest peak in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. It stands at a height of 5199 metres above sea level, making it one of the most beautiful sights in the world.

           Mount Kenya is an ancient extinct volcano which was active thousands of years ago. Currently, there are eleven small, shrinking glaciers on the mountain.

           There are three major peaks on the mountain- Batian, Nelion and Lenana. The first persons to climb Batian were Sir Halford John Mackinder, Josef Brocherel, and Cesar Oilier.

          Located in North Africa, the Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world.

           Geographically, the Sahara Desert covers as many as eleven different countries including Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, and Sudan, with an area of around 9.4 million square kilometres.

          The term ‘Sahara’ has its origin in the Arabic language, meaning ‘desert’. Predictably, it is one of the most consistently hottest places in the world.

          On the other hand, it can drop below freezing point rapidly at nights. In general, the climate is hot, dry, and windy. While it rarely rains in some parts, there are regions which do not see a drop of rain in years!

          All this makes Sahara an inhospitable place to live. It is estimated that only less than 2.5 million people live in the region, despite its vastness.

          The highest point in the desert is the volcano named Emi Koussi in Chad. Historians note that thousands of years ago, the Sahara Desert had enough water to let people live well.

          The Pyramids of Giza are something most of us are familiar with.

          The Great Pyramid is one of the oldest structures in the world today. The magnificent structure was built for the Pharaoh Khufu, around 2560 BC. In fact, it is part of a complex of three large pyramids in the Giza Necropolis located in modern Cairo, Egypt. The other two are the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. Along with these, the complex also consists of a majestic Sphinx statue.

          There are various stories regarding the construction and completion of the pyramids and it is believed to have taken around 20 years to complete the works.

          Inside the Great Pyramid, there are three major rooms – the King’s Chamber, the Queen’s Chamber, and the Grand Gallery. There are also small tunnels and air shafts that lead to the chambers from outside. Incidentally, the Great Pyramid remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3800 years.

          The island nation of Madagascar is a place unique for its ecosystem and extraordinary wildlife. It is the fourth largest island in the world, and is located in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa.

          Experts have found out that approximately around 90 per cent of the reptiles, plants and mammals seen in the country exist nowhere else in the world! Due to its ecological diversity, Madagascar is sometimes referred to as the ‘eighth continent’ by ecologists.

          One of the unique animals found in the country is a lemur known as the silky sifaka, which is a critically threatened species. The island is also home to the rare ploughshare tortoise whose population today is just less than 1000. Similarly, there are more than 11000 endemic plant species, and a variety of mammals, and amphibians present on the island. Therefore, Madagascar is thought to be one of the most amazing places to visit across the world.