Best Tourist Destinatons

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor is a complex of religious temples at the various capitals of the Khmer Empire, covering about 400 square kilometers and making up the most important archaeological site in the entire region. The most famous of these temples is Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple built under the rule of King Suryavarman II in the Temple Mountain architectural style. Angkor Wat, which means Ctiy of Temples in Khmer, was the state temple and capital city, and later became a mausoleum for Suryavarman II.

Angkor Wat differs from many other temples because it is oriented to the west rather than the east. This could have been because the king wanted it to be a burial temple for himself, or it may have been because it was dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu, who has associations with the west. The temple is surrounded by a rectangular moat with entrances on the west and east. A statue of Vishnu, called Ta Reach is among the artwork and many decorations around Angkor Wat.

After the King’s death in around 1150, construction on the temple ended. It was conquered and later restored by King Jayavarman VII, who built a new temple, Bayon, and moved the new state capital to Angkor Thom. Angkor Wat became a Theravada Buddhist site in around the 13th century.

Angkor Wat is the biggest tourist attraction in the country, and has become an important part of Cambodian history and culture, and is even featured on the nation’s flag.

Taj Mahal, India

Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh , India

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal is a symbol of enduring love, built by Emperor Shah Jahan to memorialize his late wife, Mumtaz. It is a mausoleum made of white marble, in which the Emperor had his wife entombed, and after his own death, Emperor Shah Jahan was entombed next to his wife.

Designed in the Mughal Empire style with touches of Persian influence and delicate designs, which is an entire complex that surrounds the mausoleum. The complex includes gardens, fountains, and a reflecting pool, which reflects the image of the TajMahal and its name means Crown Palace.

Sea World in Australia

Sea World is a marine animal theme park, oceanarium and resort. The park offers roller coasters (including Sea Viper and Jet Rescue) exhibits like Dinosaur Island, and live shows such as Imagine – the dolphin show. The park also features marine life attractions with dolphins, penguins, polar bears, rays, seals, sharks, and seabirds.

Several Animal Adventures are offered at Sea World that allow visitors to the park to interact with the marine life, including dolphin encounters (with an extra fee).

The Sea World Resort contains hotels, spas, shopping, and the Wet ‘n’ Wild Water Park.

Ajanta Caves in India

The Ajanta caves were once used as a Buddhist monastery, with hundreds of teachers and students. The caves were constructed in two phases, the first beginning around the second century BC. The second phase took place in the fifth century AD, and saw some modernization of the existing caves as well as the creation of temples and many of the paintings and carvings, as decoration became more popular. After this, the caves were abandoned and mostly forgotten until in 1819, when British hunters found them.

Tourists visit these thirty remaining caves and the nearby Ellora caves to view the religious art and wall murals inside the caves. The caves house living areas, stupas, carvings and paintings.

Iguazu Falls in Argentina

The impressive Iguazu Falls, which separate the Iguazu River into the upper and lower sections, are situated along the border between Argentina and Brazil. The number and height of the falls varies throughout the year depending on rainfall. The largest waterfall is the Devil’s Throat, which is about 82 meters (269 feet) high. Union Fall is the largest cataract at Iguazu Falls.

Local legends have it that a Naipi, a beautiful woman, was expected to marry one of the gods. Instead, she escaped from the wedding with her love, Taroba, in a canoe. The angry god left at the altar responded by cutting the river and creating the waterfall, so the two lovers would fall to their doom.

Boyana Church

Boyana Church at Sofia, Bulgaria

Boyana Church in Sofia, Bulgaria’s Boyana quarter, is a Bulgarian Orthodox church, famous for the frescoes housed within its inconspicuous medieval walls. The majority of these well-preserved frescoes were painted in 1259, with 89 scenes including 240 people, and are fine examples of Eastern European art from the medieval era.The frescoes are painted on top of another layer of paintings from an earlier period.

The church itself was built beginning in the 10^th century, with expansions extending all the way into the middle of the 19^th century. The church is constructed in a medieval style, and includes the oldest wing on the east end, which is a simple one-apse church, the two-story section was then built with a sepulcher and vault, and the final church was added much later.

Aachen Cathedral, Germany

Aachen Cathedral, Germany – Also known as ‘Imperial Cathedral’ or Kaiserdom is Oldest Roman Catholic Church in Northern Europe.

Aachen Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church, known as the Imperial Cathedral or the Royal Church of St. Mary at Aachen . Built in the Middle Ages, it is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe. Constructed by Charles the Great, known also as Charlemagne, the cathedral was built beginning around 792, and was later was consecrated by Pope Leo III. The cathedral was renovated and expanded at a few points during the Middle Ages to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. The remains of Charlemagne rest inside a vault within the cathedral.

The cathedral is noted for its ornate mosaic ceilings and décor, stained glass windows, and architecturally complex exterior with various architectural styles from different periods. The palatine chapel has an octagonal basilica, a cupola, and vaulted ceilings, inspired by the style of the eastern Holy Roman Empire.

Inside the cathedral is the golden shrine of the Virgin Mary, which contains the relics of Mary’s cloak, baby Jesus’ swaddling clothes, St. John the Baptists beheading cloth, and Christ’s loincloth. Every seven years, these relics are displayed during the Great Aachen Pilgrimage.

The massive door to the Aachen Cathedral is called Wolf’s Door. Legend has it that the people of Aachen tricked the devil by giving the soul of a wolf instead of a human as repayment for the funds to build the cathedral. The angered devil then slammed the door so hard that his thumb got caught and ripped off.