Vacation, Trips & Exotic Places Around The World

Tikal (or Tik???al, according to the more current orthography) is the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization. It is located in the El Pet?©n department of Guatemala at 17?°13??²19??³N, 89?°37??²22??³W. Now part of Guatemala’s Tikal National Park, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist spot.

The ruins lay on lowland rainforest. Conspicuous trees at the Tikal park include gigantic ceiba (Ceiba pentandra) the sacred tree of the Maya; tropical cedar (Cedrela odorata), and mahogany (Swietenia). Regarding the fauna, agouti, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, ocellated turkeys, guans, toucans, green parrots and leaf-cutting ants can be seen there regularly. Jaguars and coatis are said to roam in the park.

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The park is the second largest in Thailand. It covers an area of 2,168 square kilometers, including evergreen forests and grasslands. Its altitude mostly ranges from 400 to 1000 m above sea level. There are 3,000 species of plants, 320 species of birds and 67 species of mammals, including Asiatic black bears, Asian elephants, gaur, tigers, gibbons, Indian sambar deer, Indian muntjac, dholes, and wild pigs. Its waterfalls include the 80 metre Haew Narok. Namtok Sarika is popular with the Thais.
Recent wildlife studies show that animal ranges, particularly the few resident tigers, are impacted by human activity near the center of the park. This study has not impacted the government’s call for private lodging concessions within the park itself.

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Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa. It is roughly the same size and shape as Wales. It covers 18,989? square? km (7,332? sq? mi) and extends 350? km (217? mi) from north to south and 60? km (37? mi) from east to west.

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, an area designated by the United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the “Biosphere”).

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Waterberg National Park is a national park in central Namibia on the Waterberg Plateau, 68 km east of Otjiwarongo.

It was the site of one of the major turning points in Namibia’s History. It was at Waterberg, in the foothills, that the Herero people lost their last and greatest battle against German Colonial forces at the beginning of the 20th century. The Herero were forced to retreat from the Waterberg and headed eastward to British Bechuanaland (now Botswana). Thousands were killed by the pursuing Germans and many lost their lives in the Kalahari Desert due to lack of food and water. Estimates are that nearly two thirds of the Herero population lost their lives during this period. The graves of German soldiers who lost their lives at Waterberg can still be viewed near the Bernabe De La Bat rest camp at the base of the park.

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Gorongosa is a peak and national park in central Mozambique. The 1862-meter peak rises sharply from low-altitude surroundings. The 5,000 square kilometer National Park is located at the southern end of the Great East African Rift Valley. The Park includes the valley floor and parts of surrounding plateaus. Rivers originating on the nearby Mount Gorongosa water the plain. There are hot springs on Morrumbala Mountain in the park.

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