WGM#38 NOV/DEC 2015

风 尚
My top 5...
Natural Wonders!
We all recognize the world’s major tourist attractions, with millions swarming to
see iconic sights such as Paris’ Eiffel Tower, New York’s Empire State Building and
the Great Wall of China each year.
But there is no building or man-made structure on the planet that can
compare to the awe inspiring wonders of the natural world. Be it their epic scale,
unrivalled beauty or seemingly supernatural qualities, these are the phenomenon
that provide a glimpse into the infinite universe around us.
There is no shortage of spectacular natural scenery to be found among
Earth’s deserts, mountains, forests and oceans but there are a special few dotted
around the globe that The Eagle considers the most mind-blowing of all. Here are
his Top 5 natural wonders!
1. The Northern Lights. All the spectacular stage shows in all the casinos
around the world pale into insignificance compared to the incredible natural
wonder that is the Northern Lights. A natural light display that dances across the
sky above the north pole in a breathtaking display of color, the Northern Lights –
officially called Aurora Borealis – are caused by electrically charged particles from
the sun colliding with atoms in the earth’s atmosphere.
Although they occur year round, the best months to witness them are
January through March with their long, dark nights. Greenland, Alaska, northern
Canada and Siberia are among the places sitting inside the so-called “auroral zone”
where the Northern Lights can be spotted but for a truly unforgettable experience
we recommend either Norway’s Svalbard or Kakslauttanen in Finland.
Svalbard – a group of islands midway between Norway and the North Pole
– is a little tricky to get to but has the advantage of being about as far north as
civilization gets with zero daylight between November and January. For a more
luxurious experience, Kakslauttanen is renowned for its heated “igloos” – small
domed huts with clear glass ceilings from which to watch the Northern Lights
throughout the night!
2. Mount Everest. Arguably the most famous natural landmark on the planet,
Mt Everest is the world’s tallest mountain at 8,848 metres above sea level.
One of just 14 peaks in the world rising above 8,000 metres, it is the
star attraction of the Himalayan mountain range which lures two-and-ahalf
million visitors across the region annually. Incredibly, around 40,000
people make the trip to Everest Base Camp each year with around 600 of
them attempting to summit.
The good news is that you don’t need to go anywhere near the mountain
itself to take in Everest’s grandeur with all sorts of Himalayan trekking tours
available for those who want to witness its grandeur without having to do any
actual climbing.
3. Great Blue Hole. Some of the world’s most incredible features can be
found underwater and among the most peculiar is the Great Blue Hole off
the coast of Belize in Central America.
Part of the Belize Barrier Reef, it is basically a sinkhole that formed thousands
of years ago and was then flooded as ocean levels around the world began to rise.
Its shallowest edge now lies 21 metres below the surface.
The Great Blue Hole is the world’s largest submarine sinkhole in terms
of diameter – measuring 300 metres across – and is a favorite destination for
WGM#38 2015 年 11 月 /12 月 | WGM#38 nov/dec 2015
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