Naturally, at the first sight of British winter, as a nation, we complained. As the cold, the rain and the late nights descended it seemed as if summer never happened, leaving many of us reluctant to close our closet doors on our summer wardrobes. Many of us still clinging on to our flip flops, sunglasses and suntans are thinking of next summer’s escapades already. But why leave it so long? Although it might not be here, the sun is shining somewhere. So leave your Ray-Ban sunglasses out for now and plan an adventure to get you through the winter months as we look at the best, most visited, long haul tourist attractions around the globe.
Sydney Opera House, Australia
Australia- where their summer is our winter. Going to see the Sydney Opera House on the Sydney Harbour would be the perfect chance to get a bit of sun during the winter months. The Sydney Opera House is an architectural wonder and can be recognised instantly making it a worthy candidate as one of the 20th Century’s most distinctive and well known buildings. To many peoples surprise the Opera House is actually a collection of buildings. The multi-venue is home to a variety of events making it one of the busiest arts centres in the world. Not just a cultural attraction for tourists, the Sydney Opera House plays its part in the fabulous views of the city standing alongside the Sydney Harbour bridge.
The Great Wall of China, China
To most people The Great Wall of China sounds to nothing more than brick and motor thrown together to make a big wall. But that’s where they are wrong, The Great Wall of China is one of the wonders of the medieval world stretching more than 4,000 miles across Northern China. This wonder is said to be the biggest ever man made structure, so big that it can be seen from space. Although the great scale of The Great Wall is enough to impress anyone, the reasons to visit do not stop there. Expand your knowledge and learn the history behind The Great Wall, stretch your legs and take a walk… a very long one at that and take irreplaceable photographs.
Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Christ the Redeemer, the statue that stands tall over Rio in Brazil is 38 metres high, the equivalent to a 13 story building. The statue can be found on the summit of the Corcovado Mountain, 2,326 metres above the ocean. This is the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world and as well as a symbol of peace it is an important representation of Brazilian Christianity. As well as taking in the historical and cultural importance of the statue you will be able to take in some fantastic views. If you make it to the peak of the Corcavado Mountain not only will you have the opportunity to look at the monuments beauty up close but you will also be able to take in a breath-taking panoramic view of Rio De Janerio below.
Time Square, New York
Time square is the ultimate embodiment of New York, ‘the city that never sleeps’. The cinematic epicentre is the big apples busiest attraction with its nonstop billboard ads, photo opportunities and the pick of the best Broadway shows. Never mind New York’s busiest attraction, Times Square draws in an estimated 50 million visitors on a yearly basis. Busy on a daily basis, the annual New York New Year’s Eve ball drop draws in more than double the usual daily number of visitors. It is safe to say that you cannot visit the Big apple without visiting ‘The Crossroad of the World’.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu in Peru is considered to be one of the most popular places to visit in the world. For both travellers and historians, it appears to be on most people’s travel bucket lists. As one of the best known attractions in South America, Machu Picchu (translating to “old mountain” in the Quechua language) has big expectations to live up to. A word often used to describe Machu Picchu by visitors is ‘impressive’ as they say that seeing it in pictures cannot compare to seeing the surroundings in person. With amazing views, history and the well-known ‘Inca trail’ leading to Machu Picchu it seems understandable as to why this South American wonder makes it onto most bucket lists.
Don’t let the winter blues get you down too much, take the opportunity to do something you’ll never forget, take the chance to make memories that last a lifetime and take your Ray-Ban sunglasses with you!