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Marc Atchison’s Top 7 Natural Wonders in the world

Halong Bay in Vietnam is one of the most beautiful spots in the world.

With all the excitement surrounding the voting for the “Seven Natural Wonders of the World”, I thought I’d give you the Top 7 Wonders I’ve seen while travelling around the globe. One of my selections, the Canadian Rockies, didn’t even make the official final list of 28, which just goes to show you that you shouldn’t take the “official” list too seriously. Here’s my “unofficial” list of winners:
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1- Amazon Rainforest: Any place that provides us with the major supply oxygen we need to exist is a natural wonder to me. But South America’s Amazon Rainforest is so much more than that – it’s a living, breathing organism of exotic plants and animals and even a few lost tribes. Even a look at the Rainforest from the deck of a cruise ship was pretty convincing to me that this is the No. 1 natural wonder in the world. The fact the Rainforest is being cut down at a record pace should be of paramount concern to every one of us.
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2- Halong Bay, Vietnam: My visit to this dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands just outside Hanoi was one of my most enjoyable moments as a traveller. The lush jungle vegetation that sits atop these wonders that jut out of the peaceful bay like dragons are remarkable and the caves you can explore there are simply breathtaking. Many of the caves have grottos with lots of stalactites and stalagmites hanging from their ceilings. The floating fishing villages are another highlight of this spectacular place.
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3- Maldives: This Indian Ocean nation made up of 1,192 coral islands is my heaven on earth. A visit there in 2009 convinced me that I should place this on my “Wonders” list ahead of every other wonder I’ve seen except to Rainforest and Halong Bay. The only thing that disturbed me on my visit there was to hear that many of the Maldives’ islands are sinking into the ocean thanks to climate change. In fact, in 100 years scientists fear the whole nation may be under water. So get their soon if you want to see the tourguoise-ringed islands flush with tropical flora and fauna – especially if you fear you might not get to heaven.
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4- The Canadian Rockies: Beathtaking. That’s the only word needed to describe the majestic rocky mountains that snake through Mexico, the United States and Canada. But the mightiest and most dramatic of these natural wonders pushed to the surface on the northern side of the NAFTA trio. The glacier lakes that have formed at the base of the Rockies just adds to the excitement one gets when looking out on this natural beauty that stretches 4,800 kilometres from strat to finish.
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5- Grand Canyon, United States: Gambling lured me to Nevada but it’s the Grand Canyonn in Arizona that keeps bringing me back. The steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River in Arizona – a Grand Canyon tour is a must when visiting nearby Las Vegas — is one of the most spectacular sites these aging eyes has ever seen. It took over six million years for this wonder to be completed and getting down to the floor of the canyon on horseback ranks among the scariest things I’ve ever attempted. The canyon’s red rock walls are a delight, especially when sunset paints the whole area a deep orange.
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6- Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina: Legend has it that a god planend to marry a beautiful woman named Naipi, who spoiled the plans by running off to marry her lover Taroban in a canoe. This so enraged the god that he sliced the Iguazu River in half, thus creating the falls. Thank god he did, because Iguazu Falls puts all others to shame, and that includes Niagara Falls, which didn’t even put its name forward for consideration — probably because it knows it’s not even in the same league. The falls stand 82 metres high and attracts one million visitors a year – if not for its remote location, that number would be far greater because they have to be seen to be appreciated.
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7- Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan: There’s a lot of life in these waters — which are always filled with fun-loving tourists and those seeking the healing powers of its oily, salty waters. This is officially the lowest point on earth, but the highs this dead body of water supplies visitors is truly remarkable. I’ve soaked on both sides of the sea, which sits 422 metres below sea level and at 37 per cent is the world’s saliest bodies of water. The view one gets of Israel from the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea is truly remarkable. The Dead Sea is 67kilometres long and just 18kilometres wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River. There’s lots of water in the world, but nothing like you’ll find here.
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INFORMATION: You can cast your vote for your favourite among the official 28 finalists (listed below) at http://www.new7wonders.com
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The official 28 finalists for the 7 Natural Wonders of the World
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Amazon Rainforest
Angel Falls, Venezuela
Bay of Fundy, Canada
Black Forest, Germany
Bu Tinah Shoals, UAE
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan
El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Grand Canyon, United States
Great Barrier Reef, Australia/Papua New Guinea
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina
Jeita Grotto, Lebanon
Jeju Island, South Korea
Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Komodo National Park, Indonesia
Maldives, Maldives
Masurian Lake District, Poland
Matterhorn/Cervino, Switz./Italy
Milford Sound, New Zealand
Mud Volcanoes, Azerbaijan
Puerto Princesa Underground River, Philippines
Sundarbans, India/Bangladesh
Table Mountain, South Africa
Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia
Mt. Vesuvius, Italy
Yushan, Taiwan

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