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Petra - Jordan

I wanted to go to Petra ever since watching the Indiana Jones films as a kid! I went in June 2016 and crossed the border from Israel in the south and travelled north about 2 hours to get to Petra. You have to walk a short distance from the entrance before you get to the main site of the city of Petra. 

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You walk through large canyons either side of you with various rock formations and carvings to look at on the way. There is lots of shade as you walk through the winding passageway which is a welcome relief from the heat. I can see why Petra is known as the 'Rose City' as the rock is a golden sandstone colour. The best time to visit is late afternoon as when the sun comes around and hits the rock in the main sites, it turns it into an amazing golden red colour, which you can see from two of the pictures below. It was pretty amazing up close!

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The killer view for me was when the canyon finally opened up and you see the iconic 'Treasury' building in front of you that most people will recognise as one of the main sites in Petra. Luckily on the day I went, it was relatively quiet so this was perfect to get some great photo opportunities and a few selfies with this funny camel who you can see in my blog below! The other great sites to see in this stunning landscape is the Monastery, Amphitheatre and the Royal Tombs.

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This definitely should be on your bucket list being one of the seven worlds of the world!

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Read my Blog on Petra here. See my Vlog here.

Sigiriya - Sri Lanka

Also known as the 'Lion Rock Fortress', Sigiriya is a large rock plateau formed from magma of an extinct volcano, that sits 200 metres higher than the surrounding jungles and landscape beneath it. When I first approached it, it's actually quite bizarre as this huge rock can be seen from miles around, you can't miss it! What makes this place even more cool is that you can climb to the top of the rock and see the remnants of the ruined fortress, palace, gardens, ponds and alleys, not to mention the stunning views of the landscape all around. I really didn't realise Sri Lanka was so green!

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Climbing to the top is pretty hard going as there are a lot of steps, some quite steep! If you don't have the energy, you can climb halfway to the point of the 'Lions Paws'. This is a carving in to the rock before the final ascent to the top. We had to be really quiet on the final bit to the top due to a cluster of huge hornet nests we had to walk past so not to disturb them! You can also see religious carvings and other paintings on the way up.

 

On the day I climbed to the top, there was a Buddhist wedding being prepared. I saw several of the wedding party all done up in traditional make-up and dress, they must of been knackered as it was hot that day! A big tip would be to go to Sigiriya early in the morning to avoid the heat and crowds.

 

Read my Blog on Sri Lanka here. See Sigiriya towards the beginning of my Vlog here.

The Great Wall - China

I've always wanted to see and walk along the Great Wall of China and I really wasn't disappointed! To see this through your own eyes as the wall weaves in and out of the rolling hills and valleys is pretty spectacular. Most people fly in to Beijing and then get a taxi, bus or train to the section of the wall closest which is about an hour away. 

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I did two parts of the wall; the Badaling section and the Juyongguan Pass. Both are equally stunning. The Badaling section has vast view of the sweeping landscape and luckily for me we had a clear day with blue skies so you could see for miles around. The Juyongguan Pass was equally impressive as the wall crosses the highway and goes from one valley to another. 

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What the pics don't really show is how steep the wall was in parts to climb, or the fact is was -6 degrees with the wind chill!! It was in November though, coming in their winter so you could definitely feel the Siberian winds!

Pacific Coast Highway - California, USA

This has to be my favourite road trip ever! The Pacific Coast Highway is well known as one of the most scenic drives in the world. I did the stretch from San Francisco the LA which i did over a leisurely couple of days, so I could stop off along the way. You are totally spoilt for choice between stunning coastal views, beaches, vineyards, seaside towns, and lots of unspoilt forests.

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My favourite stop off points were Monterey, Carmel, Santa Barbara and Big Sur. Monterey is a lovely little town in the bay where you can check out the Aquarium (it's actually very good!) or the Point Lobos Natural Reserve. You can also do a number of activities here such as whale watching, sailing or kayaking. Carmel is a quaint little seaside town with shops, boutiques and cafes, perfect for a lunch stop or coffee break.

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On entering Big Sur, you go over the Bixby Bridge and then onto loads of beautiful sites such as McWay Falls, Ragged Point and Pfeiffer Beach. Big Sur itself is a rural mountain community where you can also visit the natural hot spring baths. I loved my stop off in Santa Barbara with it's lovely marina to walk around. This was my last proper stop before Malibu and the hustle and bustle of LA. I also came off the main highway at San Simeon and visited Hearst Castle which is a must do and in my Top 5 buildings list!

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A big tip: wherever you decide to drive from and to, make sure you do it North to South so you get the coastal views on your right side as the US drives on the right. If you can hire a convertible, even better!

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You can see a short clip on my Vlog here:

The Grand Canyon & Hoover Dam - Neveda/Arizona, USA

This is more two landscapes in one. I flew from Vegas with Sundance Helicopters over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam which was incredible to see from the air! It's amazing to think this huge structure controls and regulates the Colorado River. Lake mead is the largest reservoir in the US and created by the Hoover Dam. 

 

We then flew onto the Grand Canyon where the helicopter landed and we were able to walk about. It's pretty impressive to also see the size of the Colorado river from the air and on foot as it winds it's way in and out of the canyon. The part of the canyon where we landed is up to several miles wide in parts and is home to the Hualapai Tribe. The helicopter company have a good relationship with these people so we had permission to land and explore the landscape from the ground, followed by a local BBQ which was pretty tasty!

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You can hire a car and drive to the Canyon from Vegas or do a land tour but this does take several hours each way so it's a full on day just to get here and back again. If you can afford it, I would suggest spending the money on the half day helicopter tour as you get to see everything from the air and ground, amazing views of the landscape and the exhilaration of flying back over the Vegas strip on your way home. Win win!

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www.sundancehelicopters.com

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