DoubleTree By Hilton Welcomes Travelers To The Wonders Of Niagara Falls #NiagaraFallsUSA

A towering addition to downtown, the $30 million, nine-story hotel offers contemporary, upscale lodging just moments from famed attractions

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.  Tourists enjoying one of the world’s great natural wonders may now also indulge in contemporary and upscale lodging, with the addition of a stunning, $30 million upscale hotel in downtown Niagara Falls - DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Niagara Falls New York.

DoubleTree by Hilton, one of Hilton’s (NYSE: HLT) 13 market-leading brands, announces the opening of this upscale hotel today, which is just a short walk from breathtaking Niagara Falls. The nine-story property offers 192 modern and luxurious rooms, many overlooking the Upper Niagara River.

“With its captivating waterfalls and scenic draws, Niagara Falls is a sought-after destination for tourists all over the world,” said Dianna Vaughan, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton. “Whether visitors are checking-off a travel bucket list or in town for a conference, our magnificent new hotel provides guests with the world-renowned services that define our brand -- starting with our warm DoubleTree Cookie welcome.”

Just 25 miles from Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and only a short jaunt from Seneca Niagara Casino and other tourist favorites, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Niagara Falls New York treats guests to an innovative blend of contemporary design and traditional hospitality.

Each stylish guest room blends modern design with regional touches, such as bedroom furniture hand built by Amish craftsmen. Modern features include an ergonomic work desk and chair, mini-refrigerator, complimentary Wi-Fi and premium DoubleTree Sweet Dreams® Sleep Experience beds. Some rooms also come with a whirlpool, for even more relaxing comfort.

Public or private dining options abound at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Niagara Falls New York. Parkway Prime Restaurant, in the main lobby area, boasts a casual environment with an open-style floor plan. Signature dishes include Dry Rub Flank Steak and Lemon Pepper Crusted Salmon, which guests may enjoy from the outdoor patio overlooking the river. Takeout and room service are also available; or, guests may pick up snacks, sandwiches, salads, beer and wine in the convenient onsite 24-hour Made Market Pantry.

The hotel is ready to host spectacular weddings, receptions and other gatherings for up to 450 guests, thanks to nearly 14,000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities – including the spacious Rivers Edge Ballroom. An onsite wedding coordinator is available, as are a state-of-the-art sound system, AV equipment and 24-hour business center.

In addition to the signature warm DoubleTree Cookie welcome, the hotel provides a full complement of services and DoubleTree by Hilton brand amenities, including the Wake Up DoubleTree Breakfast, an assortment of gourmet in-room tea and coffee offerings by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf^® and a refreshing array of the Crabtree & Evelyn natural skin and body care line.

Other conveniences are a 24-hour fitness center, featuring Life Fitness equipment, an indoor heated pool with hot tub, and easy access to nearby running and hiking trails along the area’s new “riverwalk”.

“With the opening of our spectacular new hotel, we are bolstering the recent business renaissance in downtown Niagara Falls,” said Joyce Lyle-Freeman, general manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Niagara Falls New York. “Guests are sure to appreciate and enjoy the high-quality facilities and world-renowned service that are emblematic of the DoubleTree by Hilton brand.”

As part of the Hilton portfolio of brands, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Niagara Falls New York encourages guests to participate in Hilton HHonors, Hilton’s free-to-join loyalty program. Hilton HHonors members who book directly with Hilton save time and money and gain instant access to the benefits they care about most, including:

·         An exclusive member discount at more than 4,500 hotels worldwide.

·         Instant benefits, such as free Wi-Fi, the ability to earn and redeem Points for free nights as well as access to digital check-in with room selection and Digital Key.

·         Unforgettable, exclusive experiences, available via Points at HHonors.com/auctions, such as access to private concerts or sought-after events.

To celebrate the hotel's re-opening, Hilton HHonors members will earn an additional 1,000 HHonors Points per night or an additional 5,000 points for a three-night minimum stay from December 20, 2016 through June 20, 2017, when booking directly with Hilton. Gold and Diamond members will also enjoy free premium Wi-Fi and space-available upgrades to the hotel's exclusive Hilton HHonors floor.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Niagara Falls New York is located at 401 Buffalo Avenue, Niagara Falls, New York 14303.

For more information, or to make a reservation, travelers may visit niagarafallsny.doubletreebyhilton.comor call 716-524-3333. The property is owned and managed by Merani Hotel Group.

Travelore Tips: 7 Travel Hacks You Need To Know Before You Go

Andrea Hornick: Unbounded Histories Marks First Sound Installation In The Barnes Collection

The Barnes Foundation presents Unbounded Histories, a new site-specific project by Philadelphia artist Andrea Hornick and the first “sound intervention” in the Collection Gallery.

From January 6 through February 19, 2017, visitors can listen to several dozen original poems written in response to specific works, including Seurat’s Models and Van Gogh’s The Postman, while they explore the Barnes collection (the recording can be streamed on any web-enabled phone). Filled with mysterious, dream-like imagery, Hornick’s poems spring from what she describes as a shamanistic practice: working directly in the collection, the artist puts herself in a trance-like state letting the art lead her toward the stories and images that the mind normally keeps buried. The resulting juxtaposition of sound and sight aims to encourage visitors to consider works in the Barnes collection in a new way—as portals to the unconscious as well as historical objects. To complement the audio portion, video footage showing Hornick’s creative practice will be screened in the collection’s classrooms. Information about the project, including the URL, and headphones will be available outside the collection gallery for the duration of the project.

Unbounded Histories is made possible with support from the William Penn Foundation.

“We wanted to try something new in the Collection Gallery,” says Dr. Martha Lucy, Barnes deputy director for education & public programs and curator, who is curating this project. “Sound art allows us to put living artists in dialogue with the collection without making any changes to the physical space.”

Hornick sees the piece as “a collaboration with the renegade Dr. Barnes.” Her strange, deeply personal poems reframe traditional narratives of art history. “The piece plays with authority and authorship,” Hornick says. “Through a meditative practice in connection with art history, I upend expected interpretations, inviting creative, personal connections to the collection." Hornick will do a brief performance at the Barnes on January 6 as part of First Friday.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Andrea Hornick received a BA from Oberlin College, and an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her painting practice extends into text-based sound, performance, and installation. Her work has been exhibited internationally, and extensively in New York and Los Angeles. Her most recent solo exhibition, Journeys, at Savery Gallery in Philadelphia, took place in March 2016. Hornick is included in several group museum exhibitions in fall 2016 and winter 2017, including Natural Philosophy at Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College, and Due South at The Delaware Contemporary. The catalogue Andrea Hornick Recent Work: 1460–1865 was published for her exhibition at David Krut Projects, New York, in 2009, and Andrea Hornick: works from 1779–1798 was published in 1999 for an installation and performance of the same name. Hornick currently teaches in the Fine Art Department at the University of Pennsylvania, including a graduate seminar entitled Museum as Site: Critique, Intervention, and Production and undergraduate courses in drawing and painting. Hornick has also taught at Barnard College, Oberlin College, and Auckland University, and been a museum teacher at The Jewish Museum, The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, The Morgan Library, and The Museum of Natural History. She was a visiting artist at Oberlin College and the University of California at Davis. Hornick divides her time between New York City and Philadelphia.

ABOUT THE BARNES FOUNDATION 
The Barnes Foundation (barnesfoundation.org) was established by Dr. Albert C. Barnes in 1922 to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture.” The Barnes holds one of the finest collections of post-impressionist and early modern paintings, with extensive works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Henri Rousseau, Amedeo Modigliani, Chaim Soutine, and Giorgio de Chirico; old master paintings; important examples of African sculpture; Native American ceramics, jewelry and textiles; American paintings and decorative arts; and antiquities from the Mediterranean region and Asia. The Barnes Foundation’s Art and Aesthetics programs engage diverse audiences. These programs, held at the Philadelphia campus, online, and in Philadelphia communities, advance the mission through progressive, experimental, and interdisciplinary teaching and learning. 

The Barnes Arboretum, at the Merion campus, contains more than 2,000 varieties of trees and woody plants, many of them rare. Founded in the 1880s by Joseph Lapsley Wilson and expanded under the direction of Mrs. Laura L. Barnes, the collection includes a fern-leaf beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Laciniata’), a dove tree (Davidia involucrata), a monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), and a redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). Other important plant collections include lilacs, peonies, Stewartias and magnolias. The Horticulture school at the Barnes Foundation in Merion has offered a comprehensive three-year certificate course in the botanical sciences, horticulture, garden aesthetics, and design since its establishment in 1940 by Mrs. Barnes.

Alaska Air Group Closes Acquisition Of Virgin America, Becomes The 5th Largest U.S. Airline

Customers get more flights, more low fares, more rewards and more to love; company to unveil
 co-branded Boeing 737-900ER today featuring a special, one-time livery

Highlights of the combination:

-- An expanded route network with nearly 1,200 daily flights to 118 destinations across the
United States, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and Cuba

-- More nonstop destinations served from the West Coast than any airline

-- A global network of partner airlines that, together with Alaska, fly to more than 800 destinations
 worldwide

-- New daily flights to Orlando, Florida; Minneapolis; and Orange County, California from its San
 Francisco hub starting summer 2017 – service will be available for sale Dec. 21.

-- Starting Dec. 19, Virgin America Elevate members and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members can
 earn rewards on each other's flights; elite members will receive priority check-in and priority boarding
 on each other's flights

-- Starting Dec. 19, customers can purchase Virgin America tickets at alaskaair.com

-- A fuel efficient fleet of 286 aircraft with an average age of 8.1 years, the youngest of the top five
 U.S. airlines

-- Corporate headquarters in Seattle

-- Hubs in Seattle, Portland, Anchorage, San Francisco and Los Angeles – the most West Coast hubs
 of any airline

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE: ALK) today announced
 it has closed its acquisition of Virgin America (NASDAQ: VA). The definitive merger agreement, which
 was signed in April and approved by Virgin America shareholders in July, brings together two of the
 country's favorite airlines into a unified force that will provide an attractive alternative to the "Big 4"
airlines that currently control 84 percent of the domestic market. Alaska Airlines and Virgin America
 will spend the next year working to secure Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification to allow
 the two airlines to operate as a single carrier (with regional sister carrier Horizon Air remaining on its
 own separate operating certificate).

"Alaska Airlines and Virgin America are different airlines, but we believe different works – and we're
 confident fliers will agree," said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group. "Together, we'll offer more flights,
 with low fares, more rewards and more for customers to love, as we continue to offer a distinctive travel
 experience. The two airlines may look different, but our core customer and employee focus is very much
 the same."

Today, Alaska Air Group boasts nearly 1,200 daily flights to 118 destinations, the most seats on flights
 from the West Coast and more than $7 billion annual revenues. Alaska Air Group will continue to
 provide customers the low fares, unmatched reliability and award-winning service they've come to
 enjoy, while offering a convenient schedule of flights to even more of the places they want to fly. Soon
 Virgin America customers will have access to a route network that offers six times more daily flights
 than before.

"This partnership is positive for California air travel consumers and demonstrates an investment in
 our state," said Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California. "Both airlines boast a strong history,
 and we look forward to seeing their innovative spirit magnified with their global international network
 of partner airlines."

The combination expands service and provides more frequent connections to international airline
 partners in thriving technology markets in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Seattle. Together, the airlines
 offer 289 daily flights to 52 destinations from California, including 113 daily nonstop flights to 32
 destinations from three Bay Area airports and 105 daily nonstop flights to 37 destinations from
 four Los Angeles area airports.

In addition, the combination opens up growth opportunities in important East Coast business markets
 by increasing Alaska Air Group's access to high-demand airports like Ronald Reagan Washington
 National Airport and the three primary New York City-area airports: John F. Kennedy International
Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

The company also announced new flights from its San Francisco hub to Orlando (daily), Minneapolis
 (twice daily) and Orange County, California (four times daily) beginning in the summer of 2017.
 Schedule and availability will be announced Dec. 21.

The customer experience

Alaska has long been an industry leader in both customer satisfaction and performance. Customers
 can expect operational and customer service excellence to continue throughout the integration with
 Virgin America. Alaska has ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in
 North America, Nine Years in a Row" in the J.D. Power 2016 North America Airline Satisfaction Study,
 the No. 1 spot in the Wall Street Journal's annual Middle Seat Scorecard for the past three years, and
 has been named the No. 1 on-time major North American carrier by FlightStats for six years in a row.

To celebrate the airlines' combined nearly 1,200 daily flights, the company will give away 1,200
 round-trip flights starting today. Customers may enter the contest at
twogether.differentworks.com.

For customers with future travel already booked on Alaska Airlines or Virgin America, business
 continues as usual. Learn more about what the merger means for customers at differentworks.com.

Expanded benefits with Alaska Mileage Plan

Starting Monday, December 19, Mileage Plan members will be able to earn miles on Virgin America
 flights, and Virgin America Elevate members will be able to earn points on Alaska Airlines flights.
Both airlines' elite members will receive priority check-in and priority boarding on each other's flights.

Additionally, starting Dec.19, customers will be able to purchase Virgin America tickets at alaskaair.com.
 Tickets will continue to be available for sale at virginamerica.com for the immediate future.

Beginning January 9, Virgin America Elevate members will be invited by Alaska Airlines to activate new
Mileage Plan accounts. This will allow them to also earn Mileage Plan miles when flying with Alaska and
 any of Alaska's Global Partners to over 800 destinations worldwide. Alaska Global Partners account for
 44 percent of all international airline seats flown to and from the U.S. – more than any of the big three
 airline alliances – and offer more than three times the worldwide destinations that Virgin America
 frequent fliers currently have access to.

"Beginning Monday, Virgin America Elevate members and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members
will enjoy reciprocal rewards earning across each other's networks," said Tilden. "We plan to make
 this the most customer-friendly merger ever, and we will have much more to announce over the
 coming weeks."

Members of Alaska's award-winning Mileage Plan program enjoy:

• The country's top-ranked airline loyalty program. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has been 
• named the No. 1 airline rewards program two years in a row by U.S. News & World Report,
•  and ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs, Three 
• Years in a Row" in the J.D. Power 2016 Airline Loyalty Rewards Program Satisfaction Report
• The ability to earn miles based on distance flown on Alaska, not just dollars spent
• Access to over 800 worldwide destinations with Alaska and Alaska's Global Partners
• Generous award travel availability
• A faster path to elite status compared to other airline loyalty programs, with benefits including:
  • Complimentary seat upgrades
  • Waived change fees for MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75K
  • Free checked bags
  • Priority check-in and boarding
  • Express security for MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75K
• The option to apply for a popular credit card that offers cardholders one mile earned for every
•  dollar spent on purchases, triple miles on Alaska Airlines purchases, a 30,000-mile new
•  cardholder bonus after qualifying spend, an annual companion fare offer from $121
•  ($99 plus taxes and fees starting from $22), a free checked bag on every flight and no
•  foreign transaction fees

The future of the Virgin America brand

No decisions regarding the Virgin America brand have been made. Alaska plans to continue to
 operate the Virgin America fleet with its current name and product for a period of time while it
 conducts extensive customer research to understand what fliers value the most. Virgin America
 will continue to fly under its brand with no immediate changes to the onboard product or experience.

"We appreciate that there is great interest in the future of the Virgin America brand among customers
 and employees alike," said Tilden. "This is a big decision and one that deserves months of thoughtful
 and thorough analysis. We plan to make a decision about the Virgin America brand early next year."

An employee-centered approach

"Culture has been a real challenge in many mergers, so we're working to do things differently," said
 Ben Minicucci, Alaska's president and COO who will also become CEO of Virgin America today. "We
 are being very thoughtful about culture and are working to create an environment that reflects who
 we are and where we've been, that also enables us to work together, be bold, and succeed in a
 rapidly evolving industry."

Learn more about Alaska's approach to merging two cultures at blog.alaskaair.com.

To celebrate the merger of two beloved West Coast airlines, Alaska leaders will join employees
 from Virgin America, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air later this morning at San Francisco International
 Airport for the unveiling of a co-branded Boeing 737 featuring a special, one-time livery painted in
 shimmering red, purple and blue. The aircraft features the slogan "More to love" and will fly
 throughout Alaska Airlines' route network starting today, in celebration of the increased customer
 benefits of the combination.

Leadership

The combined company will be led by Alaska Air Group CEO Tilden. Ben Minicucci will serve as
 chief executive officer of Virgin America in addition to his role as chief operating officer and president
 of Alaska Airlines. Peter Hunt, previously Virgin America senior vice president and chief financial officer,
 will serve as president of the Virgin America subsidiary, reporting to Minicucci. Hunt will be based in
 the company's Burlingame, California regional headquarters. Both Minicucci and Hunt's positions are
 effective today, and remain in effect until the airlines obtain a single operating certificate from the
 FAA, expected in early 2018.

	Alaska Airlines	Virgin America	Combined
Daily flights	990	197	1,187
Destinations	116	24	118*
Fleet	223	63	286
Employees	15,600	3,200	18,800
Customers	32 million	8 million	40 million
Revenue (LTM 3Q16)	$5.8 billion	$1.6 billion	$7.4 billion

*Some overlap exists between the two airlines

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines, together with its regional partners, flies 32 million customers a year to more than
 110 cities with an average of 970 daily flights throughout the United States, Canada, Costa Rica,
 Mexico and soon Cuba. With Alaska's global airline partners, customers can earn and redeem
 miles to more than 800 destinations worldwide. Onboard, customers are invited to make the
 most of their flight with amenities like power outlets at every seat, streaming entertainment direct
 to their device, Wi-Fi and an inspired food and beverage selection featured on most flights. Alaska
 Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America"
 in the J.D. Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study for nine consecutive years from 2008
 to 2016. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan also ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline
 Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report
 for the last three consecutive years. Alaska Airlines is a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK)
. Learn more on the airline's newsroom, blog, alaskaair.com,@AlaskaAir, facebook.com/alaskaairlines
 and linkedin.com/company/alaska-airlines.

About Virgin America

Known for its mood-lit cabins, three beautifully designed classes of service and innovative fleetwide
 amenities — like touch-screen personal entertainment, WiFi and power outlets at every seat, Virgin
 America has built a loyal following of flyers and earned a host of awards since launching in 2007 —
 including being named the "Best U.S. Airline" in Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards and
 "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards for the past nine consecutive years.
 For more: www.virginamerica.com

* Alaska Airlines received the highest numerical score in the J.D. Power 2014-2016 Airline Loyalty Rewards

 Program Satisfaction Report. 2016 Report based on 3,073 total responses evaluating 7 programs, an

d measures the experience and perceptions of members who were surveyed March 2015. Your experiences

 may vary. Visit jdpower.com

Travelore Report, Monthly In Print Since 1971: TRAVELORE DESTINATION REPORT: The Difference Is I...

Travelore Report, Monthly In Print Since 1971: TRAVELORE DESTINATION REPORT: The Difference Is I...: Photo of Bahia Akumal beach by Allen Barkus Typical accommodations at resort. Photo by Allen Barkus  The real The difference betw...

New Food Tour Takes Chocolate Lovers Inside the World of Swiss Chocolate

ZURICH, Dec. 12,  "Chocolate bliss," that exquisite moment where a cacao bean expresses its finest creamy dark essence on your tongue, is an elusive experience for the chocolate lover—but one that can easily become a global quest. Rhapsodic chocolate moments like these are loaded into the itinerary of a new culinary adventure: Tour de Chocolat.

Designed for those who hunger for the snap of a perfectly tempered piece of single-source dark chocolate, this food tour provides the opportunity to spend a week in the workshops and kitchens of artisan chocolatiers in Switzerland—the birthplace of chocolate as we know it.

Participants discover the fascinating backstory of chocolate and dive into the world of fine chocolate. It's a deluxe, small-group tour where guests learn time-honored traditional methods as well as cutting-edge techniques.

Tour de Chocolat, conceived as an insider's dream tour, gives guests hands-on opportunities to participate in the creation of delectable chocolate creations and work with top chocolatiers. Each day there are exclusive chocolate experiences—workshops, tastings, and demonstrations.

In addition to the daily dose of unforgettable chocolate, participants taste their way through Switzerland's other culinary treasures. While in Gruyere, they discover the 900-year-old techniques of making the region's signature cheese—followed by a dinner of bubbling fondue and freshly baked regional bread.

On the same day as tasting chocolate truffles, guests travel to the moist soil of the Jura forests to unearth fragrant and prized forest truffles—with the assistance of a truffle-hunting dog. Guests dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant and enjoy the depth and innovation of Swiss cuisine. 

Understandably, artisans who have built their career around a single ingredient like chocolate, are passionate and meticulous. Blaise Poyet of Läderach, hosts a custom workshop for Tour de Chocolat guests which allows them to work in his chocolate studio with top quality raw ingredients. Poyet is committed to his exotic chocolate artistry. "The flavors must take you on a journey. I work with the ingredients until the blend captures the feelings and memories you connect with a certain place—Thailand, Morocco, India, Tibet or Switzerland. It must be distinctive, memorable, and delicious."

Interspersed between the chocolate events and culinary experiences is guided touring in Luzern, Gruyeres, Montreux, and Zurich. Guests visit a medieval castle, take a cogwheel railway, and cruise on Lake Luzern at sunset. A special feature is a private guided vineyard walk and wine tasting at the ancient terraced vineyards of Lavaux. 

Greg Witt, owner of the tour operator Alpenwild, explains that, "Guests have been asking for a 'chocolate tour' for years. The itinerary was developed in consultation with local chocolatiers. It's the perfect balance of fine cuisine and fine chocolate in the shadow of the majestic Alps."

Tour de Chocolat is a deluxe culinary tour in Switzerland. Accommodations are in 4- and 5-star luxury hotels. Meals, transportation, excursions, and admissions are included. Cost: $3595pp for the 6-night/7-day tour. Weekly departures available from May-October 2017.

15 Stunning World Heritage Sites To Check Off Your Travel Bucket List

Not every tourist destination on the planet is legally protected by the United Nations, but there are plenty of reasons these made the cut.

By Rachel Kashdan

Dec 11, 2016 

No travel bucket list would be complete without a World Heritage Site or two. They're rife with photo ops, yes, but the beautiful landscapes aren't the only draw. To make the cut, a location must hold some cultural, historical or scientific significance as determined by the United Nations. In turn, the sites' timeless appeal is protected.

And while you may be familiar with Heritage Sites like the Grand Canyon, here are a few lesser-known locales — from a list of 1,052 — that you'll want to plan a visit to stat.

From: ELLE Decor

 Danxia Landform: Zhangye, China

Danxia landscapes are steep cliffs of red rock and they can be found in six areas around the country. Zhangye Danxia is known as the nation's most beautiful, though, with its uniquely shaped, multicolored rock face.

 Wadi El-Hitan: Western Desert of Egypt

Wadi El-Hitan, or Whale Valley, is located in the Western Desert of Egypt and was designated a World Heritage Site because it features impressive numbers of fossils of an early whale speciescalled Archaeoceti. These fossils are considered evidence that whales evolved from a land species to the ocean mammal we know today.

 Ellora Caves: Maharashtra, India

Ellora features more than 100 rock-cut caves, 34 of which you can visit today, that date back to 600 to 1000 A.D. and served as Buddhist, Hindu and Jainist temples and monasteries.

Cocos Island: Costa Rica

As the only island in the eastern Pacific with a dense tropical rainforest, the climate and ecology of Cocos Island is particularly unique. Plus, with plenty of sharks, rays, tuna and dolphins swimming around, Cocos Island is a diver's paradise.

 Studenica Monastery: Kraljevo, Serbia

This 12th-century monastery features two white marble monuments called the "Church of the Virgin" and the "Church of the King," and holds 13th- and 14th-century Byzantine-style fresco paintings.

 Svetitskhoveli Cathedral: Mtskheta, Georgia

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is the second largest church in the nation and one of its most honored. It features impressive 11th-century architecture and is also believed to be where Christ's robe is buried.

Butrint: Vlorë, Albania

Butrint is an impressive archeological site located on the southwest coast of Albania, where an ancient city dating back to 800 B.C. once stood. The city was eventually abandoned during the Middle Ages after it flooded, but excavations began in 1994, so you can visit the ruins of the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian civilizations that lived there over hundreds of years.

 St Kilda: Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Scotland's first UNESCO World Heritage Site is located off-shore from the Outer Hebrides (a chain of islands off the nation's west coast) and features unbelievable underwater caves and arches, making it a favorite spot for UK divers. The site is a natural wonder, with some of Europe's most dramatic cliffs and large numbers of rare birds like puffins.

 Maya Devi Temple: Lumbini, Nepal

Lumbini was designated a world heritage site in 1997 because it is believed to be where Buddha was born in 623 B.C. Due to its religious significance, it's an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists, and features many monuments, monasteries and temples like the Maya Devi.

Portuguese City Of Mazagan: El Jadida, Morocco

Mazagan was built and settled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and then taken over by the Moroccans in the 18th century. The influences of both of the two dissimilar cultures are evident in the design of the structures you'll see in the city today.

Tabbataha Reef Marine Park: Philippines

Tabbataha Reef spans 502 milesand features an incomparable 328-foot tall wall of coral. It also contains vast varieties of marine animals, including fish, dolphins, sea turtles and more. The reef is part of the Coral Triangle (an area that encompasses the waters surrounding Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste), which is currently threatened by overfishing and climate change, meaning its diverse marine population is at risk.

Preach Vihear Temple: Preach Vihear, Cambodia

This 9th-century Hindu temple features awe-inspiring ancient architecture atop a cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains. The site just became safer for tourists in 2015, after a seven-year dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over who owned the land came to an end.

Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region: Meroe, Sudan

The Gebel Barkal is a 324-foot flat-topped mountain that has been sacred since it was deemed holy by Egyptians in 1500 B.C., and its still holy to Muslims who continue to visit it today. Here you'll also find sacred tombs, pyramids, temples and palaces that date as far back as 900 B.C., and span over a 37-mile stretch on the bank of the Nile.

 Białowieża Forest: Belarus and Poland

Białowieża Forest contains nearly 548 miles of centuries-old wilderness that's been completely undisturbed by humans. The forest also holds a mystical landscape of meadows and river valleys, and is home to large populations of wolves, lynxes and otters.

 Shibam: Central Yemen

Shibam was built in the 16th century and is surrounded by a massive protective wall. It's known as "the Manhattan of the desert" because of its tall high-rise mud brick buildings and grid layout.

From www.HarpersBazaar.Com