1. See the great migration
2. Track mountain gorillas
3. Amazon rainforest
4. Meet orang-utans
5. Go whale-watching
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Top five historical wonders1: The temples of Angkor A hundred ancient temples, partly concealed by rich jungle, make up our number one historical wonder, Angkor. Built between the 9th and 13th centuries and covering an area of 200 acres in northern Cambodia, Angkor is the largest religious monument ever built and guaranteed to turn the most cynical backpacker into Indiana Jones / Lara Croft. The massive Angkor Wat is the most famous of the temples, but there are loads of other gems, including Bayon with its 37 towers and fascinating carvings, Banteay Kdei, entwined with tree-roots, and Ta Phrom with its maze of stone corridors. The temple complex is found close to the town of Siem Reap, which has hostels and backpacker facilities aplenty. A motorbike taxi is the best way to see the temples - hire one from town for around £4.50 a day, which includes transport to and around any shrines you wish to see. Entrance to the site is £11 for a day pass. To get the full experience you’ll need an early start. Arrive in time to view Angkor Wat at sunrise, as the sky changes colour and reflects on the moat. Then ride around the grounds, stopping to explore temples and ruins in your own time. Cambodia has a tragic history which has left its mark: expect to meet many beggars - most of them landmine victims - in Siem Reap and Angkor. Click here >> for backpacker tours which take in Angkor Wat Click here >> for more Cambodia info 2: The Great Wall of China First things first: you can’t see it from the moon. That’s just a myth. Now that we’ve shaken your belief system to its very foundations, we’d like to add that the Great Wall of China is nonetheless really cool. Built over 2,000 years ago to protect China from invasion, it winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching about 6,700 kilometres across this vast country. You can reach the Wall as part of a day-trip from Beijing, which is how most people visit it. It's impressively complete at Badaling, but very touristy. Try the Huanghuacheng or Jiankou sections (also near to Beijing) if you want to escape the crowds. In the sleepy town of Shanhaiguan, three hours from Beijing by train, the Wall juts out into the sea, which is worth a look. Or if you’re a stickler for authenticity, head to Simatai, 80 miles northeast of Beijing, where the Wall is of original construction. This is one of the most beautiful places to see it, though it’s a bit crumbly and not the safest section to walk along. Trains and buses will take you to all of these places from Beijing. Click here >> for backpacker tours which take you to China Click here >> for volunteer placements in China Click here >> for more China info 3: Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is an ancient Inca city, clinging to a high mountain ridge in Peru. It was built in the 15th century as a country retreat for Inca nobility and consists of 200 granite buildings surrounded by agricultural terraces that cascade down the steep mountainsides. You get there by hiking the 45km Inca Trail, which takes four days. Leave your crampons and ice-pick at home - this is a moderate trek, which any reasonably fit person should manage. If your calves are aching at the thought of it, the good news is that once you’ve finished the trek and explored the ancient city, you return to hot showers and soft beds by train. Your starting point is Cusco; spend a couple of days here to acclimatise yourself to the altitude before starting your trek. You can’t just turn up in Cusco and expect to hike the trail. You’ll need a trekking permit, and must trek as part of an organised group. Only a set number of people per day are allowed to enter the Inca Trail and during the high season especially (June to August) you’ll need to book several months in advance. Prices for the trek start at around £140. Why not hike the trail as part of a gap year placement, tour or expedition? A gap year organisation will sort out all of the paperwork for you, and you can trek in the company of other gappers. Click here >> for tours and gap year placements involving Machu Picchu Click here >> for more Peru info 4: The Pyramids of Giza The Pyramids at Giza, Egypt are the World’s oldest tourist attraction and the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the World, so it would’ve been churlish of us not to include them. The Giza plateau is home to three main Pyramids, built in the third millennium BC, each one the burial site of a pharaoh. They rise spectacularly from the golden sands, dwarfing the crowds of tourists. You’ll also find the Sphinx here... well, it’s hard to miss a 50-metre man-headed cat-god affectionately dubbed the Father of Terror, right? The Pyramids are close to Egypt’s capital, Cairo, where you’ll find cheap accommodation and the like. To get to them, catch a bus (route 355 / 357) near the Egyptian Museum or get a taxi (don’t forget to haggle). You’ll pay approximately £10 to visit the main pyramid - considerably less for the others. You can explore inside the pyramids - the passageways are hot and stuffy, but dead atmospheric. Don't climb any of the Pyramids - it damages them, it’s strictly forbidden... oh, and you could fall off and die. Click here >> for more Egypt information Click here >> for overland tours which will take you to the Pyramids 5: The Vatican City And coming in at number five, the pope-tastic Vatican City... This is the smallest independent country in the World - population 932 - and is located within Rome, Italy. Medieval walls form the boundary of the Vatican City. Walk through one of the six gates and you’ll find yourself in a veritable soup of art, architecture, history and general holiness. Dominating the Vatican City is St Peter's Square and St Peter's Basilica, the largest Catholic church in the world, stuffed with rich paintings, giant golden cherubs and flickering banks of candles. Pay £3 to climb to the top for great views of the city - and down into the Basilica itself. Don’t miss the Sistine Chapel - entry costs £8, which includes the Vatican Museum - for the famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo, which is well worth the hype. There are also enough museums to satisfy the greediest culture vulture. If you’re visiting the Vatican City, make sure you dress conservatively - you’ll be barred entry to its various holy buildings if your shoulders or legs are exposed. Click here >> for more Italy info Click here >> for inter-rail passes - the best way to explore Europe Click here >> for cultural tours of Italy |
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