A mausoleum commissioned for the wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal was built between 1632 and 1648. Considered the most perfect specimen of Muslim art in India, the white marble structure actually represents a number of architectural styles, including Persian, Islamic, Turkish and Indian. The Taj Mahal also encompassesContinue Reading
Machu Picchu, an Incan city of sparkling granite precariously perched between 2 towering Andean peaks, is thought by scholars to have been a sacred archaeological center for the nearby Incan capital of Cusco. Built at the peak of the Incan Empire in the mid-1400s, this mountain citadel was later abandonedContinue Reading
Rome’s, if not Italy’s, most enduring icon is undoubtedly its Colosseum. Built between A.D. 70 and 80 A.D., it was in use for some 500 years. The elliptical structure sat nearly 50,000 spectators, who gathered to watch the gladiatorial events as well as other public spectacles, including battle reenactments, animal hunts andContinue Reading
Take century upon century of empires jostling for supremacy at sea and ships sailing into exotic ports fringed by fortresses and temples of stone and set all this against the backdrop of a shimmering blue sea, and you may well start to fall under the eternal spell of the GreekContinue Reading
The Serengeti is the most renowned wildlife park in the entire world. Over 10,000 sq miles of pristine wilderness play host to the Great Migration and boast the highest density of large predators, including lions, leopards and cheetahs, in the world! Grass plains, woodlands, hills, and rivers abound. The variety andContinue Reading
Australia is an incredibly diverse island, continent, and country- both culturally and geographically speaking. The widely recognized “Outback” takes up the center of the giant island, but most other areas contain everything from rainforests, to mountains and canyons, to world-famous beaches. Nearly all of Australia’s population lives within 50 milesContinue Reading
The Grand Canyon is a mile-deep gorge in northern Arizona. Scientists estimate the canyon may have formed 5 to 6 million years ago when the Colorado River began to cut a channel through layers of rock. Humans have inhabited the area in and around the canyon since the last IceContinue Reading
What is a dude ranch? Dude ranches are the original Western vacation! Back in the late 19th century, ranches allowed visitors from the East Coast and Midwest to escape the crowds of their suburban lives to experience the unique rejuvenation of spirit that ranches had become known for. Ranches quicklyContinue Reading
Originally built in 1385, Bodiam Castle has spent centuries as one of the best loved and best known castles in England. Perhaps it is the design of the building, with an iconic moat and beautiful lush green scenery, or simply the amazing history of the building, which makes it soContinue Reading
The Acropolis of Athens is one of the most famous ancient archaeological sites in the world. Located on a limestone hill high above Athens, Greece, the Acropolis has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Over the centuries, the Acropolis was many things: a home to kings, a citadel, a mythical homeContinue Reading