To travel genuinely off the beaten path and discover places that not many travelers have, one must be extremely passionate about travel
To travel genuinely off the beaten path and discover places that not many travelers have, one must be extremely passionate about travel. This year is your chance to break away from everything normal and come back bragging about a wondrous adventure. Our favourite lost cities of the world include...
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu or Old Peak is a pre-Columbian Inca city located at an altitude of 2,430 m on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru. Probably the most known symbol of the Inca Empire, the “Lost City of the Incas” is completely intact and surrounded by beautiful architectural terraces. The complex of palaces, plazas, temples, and homes was built in 1450 and was abandoned less than a hundred years later, as the Inca Empire collapsed under the Spanish conquest. At Machu Picchu, you can truly appreciate great landscape architecture. The site’s buildings, walls, terraces, and ramps blend magnificently with the steep mountainous terrain. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
Angkor, Cambodia
Angkor served as the seat of the Khmer Empire which prospered approximately from the 9th century to the 15th century A.D. The Angkorian period came to an end in 1431 A.D., when Thai invaders sacked the Khmer capital, causing a lot of migrations to the south. The stunning ruins of the lost city that range from nondescript piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, said to be the world’s largest single religious monument. This iconic destination has also been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Pompeii, Italy
Located near Naples, the city of Pompeii is branded with tragic stories around the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, which spanned over a period of two days. The remains of Pompeii, along with many nearby villages, were once buried under approximately 20 feet of volcanic ash, but have since been unearthed. Today you can explore the entire place, along with Vesuvius National Park.
Ki Monastery, India
Ki Monastery or Key Gompa is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery that beautifully stands atop a hill overlooking the small Indian village of Kibar, close to the Spiti River. Ki stands at 13,668 feet with the village just below believed to be the highest in India. The monastery has been attacked many times, which resulted in it being reconstructed many times. Today, its architecture is built in a sort of box-like fashion and is truly fascinating to explore.
Tikal, Guatemala
The Mayan city of Tikal was the capital of a Mayan kingdom and was considered a major city of the New World. Tikal is believed to have been occupied from 200 to 900 AD, but research shows that the land could not support a large number of people. The city was gradually abandoned and the jungles grew over it until it was rediscovered in 1848. It is one of the largest surviving New World archaeological sites. You will find pyramids up to 70m high, royal palaces, and a large playing arena.