Seasoned or occasional travelers, we all have trips that we dream of taking, places praised by friends on their return from vacation, or discovered according to our readings. Some even list them.
How did we establish this ranking of the best destinations in the world?
We started by making a list of all the essentials mentioned in travexcell.com, that is to say thousands of sites and monuments cited by our authors for years. After establishing a pre selection, we then asked all members of the travexcell.com Here is, for the first time, the ranking of the best destinations in the world by travexcell.com. We hope it will inspire you to make a list of your own desires. And while waiting to discover this top 500,
Here are the top The 10 most beautiful places in the world!
1. Temples of Angkor, the Hindu paradise on Earth (Cambodia)
The site that won at the top of the table won an overwhelming victory, with a difference of 36% from the next site, while for second place, the results were very close. What is the secret of the success of the archaeological site of Angkor?
The largest temple in the world dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, dating from the 12th century, Angkor Wat is a little out of place in a predominantly Buddhist Cambodia. Huge representation of Mount Meru, the stay of the Hindu gods, it is the undisputed centerpiece of the site. It is made up of thousands of sandstone blocks decorated with bas-reliefs so delicate and graceful that they seem to be sculpted by the gods; they illustrate the legends of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. This magnificent monument is the most precious vestige of a Hindu kingdom that once extended to Burma, Laos and southern China.
Even in Southeast Asia, so rich in temples, Angkor is out of the ordinary. This complex contains more than 1,000 temples, shrines and tombs whose towers rise like those of a city lost in the jungle of northern Cambodia.
Since the neighboring city of Siem Reap is served by international flights, it cannot be said that Angkor is secret, and yet the visitor who ventures among the roots piercing through ancient walls and the effigies of deities covered with climbing plants will have l feeling like an adventurer discovering virgin land behind a curtain of greenery.
Over the centuries, the inhabitants of this heavenly city abandoned Hinduism for Buddhism. In the temples, the two mythologies mingle. Arriving at dawn in the ruins of the Temple of Bayon is a unique experience: the benevolent faces of the Avalokiteshvara, bodhisattva of Compassion, then emerge gently in the mist, like celestial apparitions. The traveler is also seized with emotion in front of the overgrown ruins of Ta Prohm, a 12th century temple almost entirely engulfed by the jungle, which has changed little since the arrival of the first European explorers in Angkor in the 17th century. Angkor offers such unique experiences that travelers often spend several weeks there to soak up the splendor of these temples and remains.
Scattered over more than 400 km2 around are sacred pools and stone bridges with ramps depicting demons brandishing monstrous snakes, as well as vestiges of temples. Some have become unavoidable, such as the temple of Banteay Srei, whose stone sculptures are among the most delicate in Angkor, and Kbal Spean, nearby, with its river bed carved with innumerable linga (symbols of Shiva).
Angkor is a powerful testimony to the ambitions of human creativity and the fundamental need of man to leave a lasting mark. The place generates an awareness dear to Buddhism: nothing material is eternal; over time, nature always takes back its rights. More than a simple ruin worthy of interest, Angkor is an epiphany carved in stone.
2. Great Barrier Reef, an underwater eldorado (Australia)
Second place in our ranking is occupied by a natural wonder that stretches more than 3,000 km off the northeast coast of Australia. No need to present the Great Barrier Reef. Let’s just remember that it is the largest coral reef in the world, populated by 400 species of coral and 1,500 species of fish. Some 30 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises have been identified, as well as 6 species of sea turtles and 17 varieties of sea snakes.
The reef risks disappearing or at least losing its splendor. The warming of the oceans is responsible for the bleaching and death of corals and there is nothing to suggest that the phenomenon can be stopped. For the moment, the reef remains an underwater paradise for divers and snorkelers. Even on the surface and around the Queensland coast, this essential ecosystem captivates visitors, with its abundant feathered fauna and its countless tropical islands and beaches.
3. Machu Picchu, the Inca enigma (Peru)
Only a few voices separated the second winner from the third. However, they differ in every way. The blissful contemplation of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate after four days of trying trekking on the Inca Trail has become a rite of passage during any trip to Peru. The city, dating from the 15th century, is surrounded by a spectacular Andean landscape and suspended above the void, but its main attraction lies in the mystery that surrounds it. It’s a real conundrum. There is no shortage of hypotheses – a royal retreat, a temple of the Virgins of the Sun, an airstrip for extraterrestrials – but none could be confirmed. Even Hiram Bingham, the American amateur archaeologist who discovered the ruins in 1911 and excavated there for years, did not really know what he was looking for (he died mistakenly believing he had discovered Vilcabamba, the legendary lost city of the Incas .) Today, you can stroll through the mysterious hilltop city, giving free rein to your imagination. Do not miss the ascent of Huayna Picchu, the steep Andean peak that overlooks the ruins, along the vertiginous path leading to the Temple of the Moon.
4. Great Wall of China, Imperial Wall (China)
Every country has its flagship monument; in China, this monument crosses almost the whole country. The Great Wall is not a wall like the others, but an imposing maze of fortifications extending over 8,850 km across the rugged terrain of the north of the country. Built in successive phases over more than a millennium, the Great Wall finally failed in its mission – the fight against the Mongol invasions – but became the emblem of the Ming dynasty, the greatest power having reigned in the Far East until the advent of Mao Zedong.
Contrary to what they say, the Great Wall is not visible from space, but facing this building which seems to extend as far as the eye can see, one could be convinced. A few fierce walkers walk the whole wall, but even if you settle for just one section, you will be impressed by its indestructible aura. You will have the choice between imperial grandeur (near Beijing), military precision (Gansu) or desolate ageless landscapes (Inner Mongolia).
5. Taj Mahal, the Mughal pearl (India)
How to achieve architectural perfection? Start with a few hectares of sparkling white marble, and add a few thousand chiseled semi-precious stones set in elaborate Islamic patterns. Choose a sublime setting on the edge of a sacred river, in a sumptuous garden with perfect symmetry. Cover it all with an intriguing love story. You get the Taj Mahal.
Built in the 17th century in India by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to serve as a mausoleum for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj has attracted travelers for centuries. Ironically, at the end of his life, the emperor was imprisoned by his son at the fort of Agra, hence the direct view of the Taj was the only memory of his lost fortune.
Despite the flow of visitors it drains, the Taj Mahal continues to open the doors of a bygone era. Ghosts of Mughal India skirt the glittering marble of the courtyards, slipping under the arches and behind the trellises. No other Indian monument so perfectly reflects the customs and atmosphere of that time.
6. Grand Canyon National Park, an exceptional natural spectacle (United States)
Grand canyon, a mythical park in the USA
When you though and contemplate this deep fault in the earth’s crust, it’s two billion years that stretch before your eyes. The figures do not leave indifferent. Set ablaze by the setting sun, topped with oceans of mist or sprinkled with snow crystals, this corridor, 450 km long and almost 2 km deep, is to nature what cathedrals are to architecture. Facing the Grand Canyon, you will feel at the same time tiny and grown up, moved and serene, poet and mute. As explorer John Wesley Powell said, “The wonders of the Grand Canyon are indescribable and cannot be given up by speech.” We had to try anyway. Come hike, go rafting on the fiery Colorado, watch condors and black bears, or just be amazed.
7. Colosseum, theater of Roman cruelties (Italy)
Nothing like a Roman battle arena to wake up the historian who sleeps in you. The symbol of ruthless power, this massive 50,000-seat amphitheater is the most fascinating of Roman remains. Gladiators clashed here and the condemned fought against the big cats in front of the beleaguered crowd. Two thousand years later, the visitor’s hold has remained intact.
The “Colosseo” first impresses with its size (however, the amphitheater was so named, not because of its dimensions, but of the Colossus of Nero, a statue erected nearby). Fighting your way through the 80 arcades and sitting in a few minutes was no small task: slip into the shoes of a Roman and imagine having to elbow your fellow spectators. Magistrates and high dignitaries took their places in the lower stands, closest to the action; wealthy citizens occupied those in the middle; the plebs were sitting at the top. The women, considered as second-class citizens, were relegated to the top of the stands and forced to crane their necks to catch sight of a few scraps of the spectacle.
Despite the horror of the fighting, there is no denying the grace and majesty of the compound. The rather disturbing guided tour (not to be missed) will reveal the Colosseum in its dark light: all the horror, violence and filth of gladiator fights are revealed in the bowels of the arena. This underground labyrinth, the hypogeum, made up of corridors and ramps containing cages, is as vast as it is complex. Imagine the cries of animals, the stench, the chaos of wounded men and dead or dying animals, and you will understand how overwhelming and bloody these Roman spectacles could be.
8. Iguazú Falls, crash of waterfalls (Argentina – B)
The word guaraní for the place where the Iguazú flows from the plateau to reach Paraná is really weak: the Great Water. Indeed, the force of these waterfalls is extraordinary, and the boats posted on the foaming basins at the bottom resemble frail matches. Walkways allow you to approach the waterfalls, which are framed by a corner of humid subtropical forest forming a 55,000 ha national park inhabited by animals, especially jaguars.
9. The Alhambra, the Moorish masterpiece of Spain (Spain)
The word guaraní for the place where the Iguazú flows from the plateau to reach Paraná is really weak: the Great Water. Indeed, the force of these waterfalls is extraordinary, and the boats posted on the foaming basins at the bottom resemble frail matches. Walkways allow you to approach the waterfalls, which are framed by a corner of humid subtropical forest forming a 55,000 ha national park inhabited by animals, especially jaguars.
Inside, a network of sumptuous palaces and irrigated gardens have inspired many dreams and legends. The contrast between the meticulousness of the ornaments and the epic dimensions of the Alhambra gives it its charm. The perfectly proportioned Generalife Gardens are a striking reminder of Paradise, while the interior of the Alhambra shines in supernatural beauty. In the center, the Nasrid Palaces (Palacios Nazaríes), with innumerable rooms, are the most precious treasure of the Alhambra. Harmonious balance between space, light and shade, water and greenery, they must plunge the sovereign into the heart of an earthly paradise. The walls are covered with ceramic tiles, muqarnas (cantilevers), vaults and stucco ornaments, and the courtyard of the Lions (Patio de los Leones) is a masterpiece of Islamic geometric interlacing. In a word, the Alhambra is the most beautiful monument in Spain.
10. Hagia Sophia, the fusion of beliefs (Turkey)
At the same time basilica, mosque and museum, Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya), in Istanbul, looks like no other monument, defying categorizations as it had defied the laws of architecture during its construction 1,500 years ago . The Byzantine emperor Justinian I dreamed of a church capable of eclipsing the wonders of Rome, its rival, and whose majesty would also be that of an earthly paradise. His wish was granted. Hagia Sophia, which became the main Orthodox church, still dominates the city. It is a huge space, almost cosmic, creating an impression of incredible grandeur – all the more for the time. Inside, it reveals its treasures one by one: huge columns brought back from various cities of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, and vast galleries decorated with glittering mosaics. And then, awe-inspiring, rising above the smooth marble, the famous dome, which imitates the shape of the celestial vault – better to forget, however, that it has collapsed several times.
The history of Hagia Sophia is as extraordinary as the building: indeed, there are few monuments that have undergone as many metamorphoses. After being pillaged by the crusaders, it was transformed into a mosque after the capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, as evidenced by its four gigantic minarets – surprisingly, the new mosques of Istanbul (notably the famous Blue Mosque) took over this architectural feature. In 1935, it was desecrated and transformed into a museum. Entering it, however, remains a spiritual experience, whether to rave about a golden fresco sparkling in the evening light, or to embrace Christian masterpieces and Islamic calligraphy at the same time. Like Istanbul the Magnificent, Hagia Sophia stands at the crossroads of continents and beliefs.
