Holly Hughes - Frommers 500 Places to See Before They Disappear

500 Places to See Before They Disappear

2nd Edition

by Holly Hughes & Julie Duchaine

Published by:

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

111 River St.

Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774

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ISBN 978-1-118-04600-5 (paper); 978-1-118-16031-2 (ebk); 978-1-118-15981-1 (ebk); 978-1-118-16032-9 (ebk)

Editor: Jennifer Reilly

Production Editor: Michael Brumitt

Photo Editors: Alden Gewirtz, Ashley Skibicki, and Jennifer Reilly; Richard Fox (cover)

Interior book design: Melissa Auciello-Brogan

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Front cover photo: Emperor penguin on Antarctica Fritz Poelking AGE Fotostock, Inc.

Back cover photo: A panda cub in China Heather Angel / Natural Visions / Alamy Images; Angkor Wat Darryl Villaret / Alamy Images; Venice David Askham / Alamy Images; Elephant Car Wash Eric James / Alamy Images

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About the Authors

Julie Duchaine has been a freelance writer for the past 25 years. Most recently, she contributed to Frommers 500 Extraordinary Islands, Frommers 500 Places for Food & Wine Lovers, and Frommers 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up. She lives in Milwaukee.

Holly Hughes has traveled the globe as an editor and a writershes the former executive editor of Fodors Travel Publications, the series editor of Frommers Irreverent Guides, and author of Frommers New York City with Kids. Shes also written fiction for middle graders and edits the annual Best Food Writing anthology. New York City makes a convenient jumping-off place for her travels with her three children and husband.

About the Consultant

Larry West is a professional writer who covers environmental issues for About.com (http://environment.about.com), which is part of The New York Times Company and one of the worlds leading online sources of news and consumer information. During his previous career as a newspaper journalist, he was part of an investigative team whose work was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and received the Edward J. Meeman Award for environmental reporting from the Scripps Howard Foundation. An avid and experienced traveler, he currently divides his time between Oregon and Panama.

An Invitation to the Reader

In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places. Were sure youll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, wed love to know that, too. Please write to:

Frommers 500 Places to See Before They Disappear, 2nd Edition

John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774

Advisory & Disclaimer

Travel information can change quickly and unexpectedly, and we strongly advise you to confirm important details locally before traveling, including information on visas, health and safety, traffic and transport, accommodations, shopping, and eating out. We also encourage you to stay alert while traveling and to remain aware of your surroundings. Avoid civil disturbances, and keep a close eye on cameras, purses, wallets, and other valuables.

While we have endeavored to ensure that the information contained within this guide is accurate and up-to-date at the time of publication, we make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. We accept no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or errors or omissions, or for any inconvenience, loss, damage, costs, or expenses of any nature whatsoever incurred or suffered by anyone as a result of any advice or information contained in this guide.

The inclusion of a company, organization, or website in this guide as a service provider and/or potential source of further information does not mean that we endorse them or the information they provide. Be aware that information provided through some websites may be unreliable and can change without notice. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any damages arising herefrom.

Frommers Icons

We use four feature icons to help you quickly find the information youre looking for. At the end of each review, look for:

Where to get more information

Nearest airport

Nearest train station

Nearest boat service/port

Recommended hotels

Travel Resources at Frommers.com

Frommers travel resources dont end with this guide. Frommers website, www.frommers.com, has travel information on more than 4,000 destinations. We update features regularly, giving you access to the most current trip-planning information and the best airfare, lodging, and car-rental bargains. You can also listen to podcasts, connect with other Frommers.com members through our active-reader forums, share your travel photos, read blogs from guidebook editors and fellow travelers, and much more.

A Letter from the Authors

Why These 500 Places?

Lets be honestyou cant call a book 500 Places to See Before They Disappear without assuming that your subjects are on the brink of extinction. Over the months we spent researching this book, we became afraid to open the newspaper in the morning, afraid of more dire headlines. Some were natural disasters, beyond anybodys controlearthquakes in Haiti, New Zealand, and Chile; Mississippi River floods; tornadoes ripping across Americas heartland. Then of course there were the man-made disasters, like the BP oil spill that ravaged the Gulf of Mexico. In Japan we witnessed a triple-whammy of both natural and man-made disasters: earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown. The fate of our planet seems perilous indeed these days.