Popular Sights

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

NEW FOR 2010! Israel and Jordan

Tauck’s comprehensive 14-day journey explores both the ancient world and contemporary lifestyles in this culturally diverse part of the world. From thoroughly modern Tel Aviv to ancient Jerusalem’s Western Wall, Dome of the Rock and Garden of Gethsemane to Bethlehem’s Manger Square to mountaintop Masada to Mount Nebo to amazing Petra and more, there is so much to discover. Explore it all in-depth with knowledgeable Tauck Directors, experienced local guides, and insightful experts in their fields. Special experiences provide cultural connections, glimpses of daily life and true tastes of the region, such as a unique “Prophet Sharing” panel discussion.

Cultural Exploration with Tauck's Small Ship Cruising

Constanta… Sevastopol… Tunis… Cadaqués… Palamós… Palermo… and more…

Visiting such off-the-beaten-path ports as these on a Tauck cruise vacation is transformational. Istanbul & the Black Sea and Cruising Mediterranean Shores aboard the yacht Le Levant and Mediterranean Discovery aboard Le Ponant transform dreams into reality. And remember – on many other cruises, the price you pay for the cruise itself is just the beginning of what you’ll spend. But when you cruise with Tauck, just about everything – even port taxes, airport transfers, a daily cocktail hour, soft drinks and snacks all day, award-winning included shore excursions for Tauck guests only in European ports where the big ships can’t go, wine with dinner aboard ship and more – is included in our upfront price, offering you tremendous value as well as an enriching cruising experience!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

For those that are new to travel, you may be wondering when reading through an itinerary what is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that holds a list of outstanding cultural or natural universal value such as, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It could be a monument, building, mountain, forest, lake, desert, complex or city.

So how is a site selected?

Only countries that have signed the World Heritage Convention, pledging to protect their natural & cultural heritage can submit nominations for properties on their territory to be considered for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

A nominated property is independently evaluated by several Advisory Boards. Once a site has been nominated & evaluated, the intergovernmental World Heritage Committee makes the final decision. One per year, the Committee meets to decide which sites will be inscribed on the World Heritage list.

The program aims to catalogue & preserve sites of outstanding importance, either cultural or natural, to the common heritage of humankind.

There are currently 878 World Heritage Sites in 145 countries. These include 679 cultural, 174 natural and 25 mixed properties.

You may have visited a place in the U.S. already, not realizing it was a UNESCO site such as the Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon, Yosemite Yellowstone or Olympic National Park.

Click here for a full list of site.

I have seen 20 sites in 9 countries, so only 858 to go, but I have to say that certain countries do not interest me AT ALL, so my goal would be to see at least half of the UNESCO sites while traveling the world.

How many UNESCO sites have you visited?