Trips of a Lifetime
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Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia
Why travel so far to look at a large red rock? Because it will send a shiver up your spine. Because it may move you to tears. Up close, Uluru is more magnificent than you can imagine. Immense and overwhelming, this area has what's described as a "spirit of place" here.
In photos (which never do it justice), "The Rock" looks smooth and even, but the reality is much more interesting -- dappled with holes and overhangs, with curtains of stone draping its sides, creating little coves hiding water holes and Aboriginal rock art. Depending on the angle and intensity of the sun, the color changes from pink to a deep wine red. And if you are lucky enough to be visiting when it rains, you will see a sight like no other. Here, rain brings everyone outside to see the spectacle of waterfalls created off the massive rock.
But don't think a visit to Uluru is just about snapping a few photos. You can walk around the Rock, climb it (although we say don't; even the local Anangu people consider it too dangerous), fly over it, ride a camel to it, circle it on a Harley-Davidson, trek through the nearby Olgas, and dine under the stars while you learn about them. Of the many ways to explore it, one of the best is to join Aboriginal people on guided walks. Just do yourself one favor: Plan to spend at least two days here, if not three. -- Lee Mylne
Photo Caption: In 1985, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was returned to its Aboriginal owners, known as the Anangu, who manage the property jointly with the Australian government.
In photos (which never do it justice), "The Rock" looks smooth and even, but the reality is much more interesting -- dappled with holes and overhangs, with curtains of stone draping its sides, creating little coves hiding water holes and Aboriginal rock art. Depending on the angle and intensity of the sun, the color changes from pink to a deep wine red. And if you are lucky enough to be visiting when it rains, you will see a sight like no other. Here, rain brings everyone outside to see the spectacle of waterfalls created off the massive rock.
But don't think a visit to Uluru is just about snapping a few photos. You can walk around the Rock, climb it (although we say don't; even the local Anangu people consider it too dangerous), fly over it, ride a camel to it, circle it on a Harley-Davidson, trek through the nearby Olgas, and dine under the stars while you learn about them. Of the many ways to explore it, one of the best is to join Aboriginal people on guided walks. Just do yourself one favor: Plan to spend at least two days here, if not three. -- Lee Mylne
Photo Caption: In 1985, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was returned to its Aboriginal owners, known as the Anangu, who manage the property jointly with the Australian government.
Trips of a Lifetime
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Angkor Wat, Cambodia
In 1861, it was just a mysterious hulk of laterite and sandstone blocks, shrouded in roots and vines, in the Cambodian jungle. Today, the ancient city of Angkor -- capital of the Khmer kingdom from the 9th to the 15th century -- is Cambodia's chief tourism attraction, a breathtaking sprawl of temples and shrines that covers 400 sq. km (154 sq. miles).
Part of the complex is Angkor Thom -- or great city in Khmer -- dotted with many temples. The centerpiece is a fantastical Buddhist temple called Bayon, with four huge enigmatic stone faces, each cosmologically aligned with a compass point, as are each of its 51 small towers.
Angkor's primary attraction, however, is the main temple, Angkor Wat, whose four-spired profile has virtually become the symbol of Cambodia. Dating from the 12th century, it stands 213m (700 ft.) high from its base to the tip of its highest lotus-shaped tower, the largest religious monument ever built. Scholars believe its symmetry mirrors the timeline of the Hindu ages, like a map or calendar of the universe. Approaching from the main road over a baray, or reservoir, you climb up three steep levels to the inner sanctum, where you'll be high up for an awe-inspiring view.
Photo Caption: A tree overgrowing the ruins of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Part of the complex is Angkor Thom -- or great city in Khmer -- dotted with many temples. The centerpiece is a fantastical Buddhist temple called Bayon, with four huge enigmatic stone faces, each cosmologically aligned with a compass point, as are each of its 51 small towers.
Angkor's primary attraction, however, is the main temple, Angkor Wat, whose four-spired profile has virtually become the symbol of Cambodia. Dating from the 12th century, it stands 213m (700 ft.) high from its base to the tip of its highest lotus-shaped tower, the largest religious monument ever built. Scholars believe its symmetry mirrors the timeline of the Hindu ages, like a map or calendar of the universe. Approaching from the main road over a baray, or reservoir, you climb up three steep levels to the inner sanctum, where you'll be high up for an awe-inspiring view.
Photo Caption: A tree overgrowing the ruins of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Trips of a Lifetime
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Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Most vacations aren't exactly life-altering, but a surprising number of people who trek the Camino de Santiago come away from the experience feeling fundamentally changed. While it is physically a long and arduous walk over a 500-mile course, most of the labor is more … metaphysical. It's a spiritual journey that emulates the path walked in the year 950 by a French monk to visit the remains of the Apostle St. James in remote Santiago de Compostela. He described his journey in what is considered to be the first travel guide, the Codex Calixtinus.
One thousand years later, pilgrims are still tracing his footsteps, starting in Navarre and ending in Galicia, usually after a solid month of walking, for the full effect. But it's also possible to undertake only sections of the journey, depending on your time allowances. You choose your own path.
Photo Caption: The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
One thousand years later, pilgrims are still tracing his footsteps, starting in Navarre and ending in Galicia, usually after a solid month of walking, for the full effect. But it's also possible to undertake only sections of the journey, depending on your time allowances. You choose your own path.
Photo Caption: The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Trips of a Lifetime
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North Vietnam
The Vietnamese capital Hanoi is the home base for exploring northern Vietnam. Book an overnight train to the high mountains and rice terraces of Sapa, an old French colonial hill station that you can use as a base for easy hikes of nearby villages. The diverse ethnic hill tribes gather in town under the gaze of the old Mission Church to trade goods (to other Vietnamese) and souvenirs (to tourists). Or head 62 miles out to Bac Ha on Sundays for another bustling market. If you miss that one, hire a guide to take you to Coc Ly, which holds a colorful market on Tuesdays -- you get the picture.
Head due east from Hanoi to catch the light playing on the arching rock formations of Halong Bay -- it's never the same, painting rich colors on a stunning landscape, and the bay attracts many artists and photographers.
Photo Caption: Rice paddies in Sapa, Vietnam
Head due east from Hanoi to catch the light playing on the arching rock formations of Halong Bay -- it's never the same, painting rich colors on a stunning landscape, and the bay attracts many artists and photographers.
Photo Caption: Rice paddies in Sapa, Vietnam
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