Travel
CNN’s Travel: Ha Long Bay among top 50 natural wonders you must see
Ha Long Bay has been listed among top 50 natural wonders in the world by CNN Travel.
Ha Long Bay.
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The popular way to explore is a traditional Chinese trading ship -- the brown-panelled sails of the junks have become as much a part of the landscape as the towering rocks.
Most visitors to Halong Bay come via Hanoi -- 170 kilometres away, or five to six hours on a public bus. Private cars can be hired. Even rented helicopters make the journey.
Meanwhile, the first place belongs to Pulpit Rock, Preikestolen, Norway. With a 604-meter drop from a flat plateau down to Lysefjord with no safety railings, this is not a place for vertigo sufferers.
Keep well back from the edge and you can still enjoy the fantastic scenery over Kjerag peak, which itself drops 984 meters. Preikestolen is south of Jorpeland. From the designated car park it's a 90-minute hike to the viewpoint.
The 2nd place is Gran Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. The Gran Salar de Uyuni in southern Bolivia takes in more than 10 square kilometers of salt. It feels more like a desert than a lake.
The flat, white landscape causes optical illusions and reflects colors. There's even a hotel made almost entirely of salt and an island where giant cacti grow in the middle of the salt lake. Gran Salar de Uyuni is 533 kilometers south of La Paz and 200 kilometers southwest of Potosi.
The 3rd place is Ngorogoro Crater, Tanzania. The Ngorogoro Crater is Africa's Eden. Created when a huge volcano exploded 2 to 3 million years ago, the 300 square kilometer caldera now offers the best chances of seeing Africa's wild animals.
Lions, rhino, leopards, elephant, and buffalo are the "big five" present among around 25,000 animals, and nearly every species present in East Africa, which call the area home.
Besides that, the crater itself offers dramatic vistas, especially at sunrise. From Kilimanjaro International Airport you can fly or drive the 55 kilometers to Arusha, from where you can organize tours and accommodation inside and outside the crater.
