Lonely Planet's Wonders of the World

Book excerpt: Extraordinary? You bet. Elusive? Not quite. From Antarctica and the Amazon to Victoria Falls and the Great Wall of China, Lonely Planet reveals 101 spectacular sights and how to see them on any budget. Inspiring and practical, with expert advice on how and when to visit, where to stay and a range of itineraries, you'll discover how to visit the world's wonders in a way that suits you. This collection includes both natural and human-made sights across the world. We've selected locations that represent the best and most extraordinary 'places to be seen'. There are sights that most people have heard of: the Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat and the Great Wall of China. But also less famous sights that cannot fail to captivate: the entwined tree bridges of Meghalaya in India, the intricate Islamic architecture of Naqsh-e Jahan in Iran, and the massive Buddhist temple of Borobudur in central Java. We've added museums with remarkable collections of wonders too, such as the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. The planet's natural wonders are no less awesome: giant trees in California, cascading lakes in Croatia, multi-coloured hills in China, great waterfalls, and natural phenomena like the wave of cherry blossom that sweeps across Japan each spring, and the light show of the auroras across the planet's northern and southern extremities. The book also explains how you can visit each wonder, whatever your budget. We've compiled a guide to each one that recommends the best times to visit, how to get there, and where to stay and eat - however much you want to spend. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, on mobile, video and in 14 languages, 12 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.