Since 1975, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has named more than 900 sites forming part of the cultural and natural heritageand considered as "having outstanding universal value." From the wild of East Africa's Serengeti to the archaeologicalsites of Angkor, the World Heritage List spotlights the planet's most beautiful places. In a conference in Qatar, which began on June 15, UNESCO named new World Heritage Sites around the world, including one in the United States — the Monumental...

'Divine Makeover.' Kaveripattinam, Tamilnadu, India. (Mahesh Balasubramanian/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) From the spectacular Northern Lights in Southern Iceland to San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge shrouded in fog, entries from the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest features incredible images from around the world. National Geographic Traveler’s annual photo contest offers photographers the chance to win an eight-day National Geographic Expedition to Alaska for two. (MORE: Dusk to Dawn: Amazing Photos of Cities at Night) Photographers’ submissions are aimed to...

European ruins in an unknown location. Photographer refuses to disclose locations of the images she takes. (Pati Makoska/Caters News Agency) Europe is dotted with majestic buildings with intricate architecture and interiors that recall a time of grandeur. Many of these buildings still attract tourists from all over, but some have been abandoned, exposed to the elements and left to crumble in ruins. Pati Makoska, a history teacher from Warsaw, Poland, decided to capture the beauty in decay with her photographs...

'Lenticular Sunset in Iceland' (Eric Hines) When photographer Eric Hines first delved into camerawork it wasn’t until he discovered timelapse that his interest in photography “skyrocketed.” Hines, who is from Indiana, shot his first timelapse piece out in Wyoming and from there he began to explore more parts of the country through the technique. A majority of the photos featured in the slideshow above are single frames from Hines’ timelapses. Finding interesting and rare locations is very important to Hines,...

Tropical Islands Resort, Germany Visitors swim in the lagoon at the Tropical Islands Resort, Feb. 15, 2013, in Krausnick, Brandenburg, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) In the middle of a searing summer, indoor water parks can serve as oases to those looking for a refreshing, water-filled getaway. At these amazing indoor water parks around the world, guests can splash, surf, slide and spa all-year round, and enjoy everything from wave pools and super loops to tipping buckets and thermal baths. Opened...

1. Northern Lights, North America The Northern Lights was named the best sight to see from a plane. Captain Dave Willsher of British Airways says the northern lights (here seen in Alaska), which can be seen on North American flights, is 'well worth staying up for.' (Greg A. Syverson/Getty Images) From above, you can get a different perspective of the world — a new way at seeing a natural wonder or a sprawling city. Pilots, not surprisingly, get the most...

The Dead Sea A picture taken on Feb. 8, 2014 near Ein Gedi, in Israel shows the Dead Sea shoreline shaped by the decline in water levels as a result of the drying up. (THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images) The Greek philosopher Heraclitusonce said, "Nothing is permanent except change," and from a look at societies around the world, this adage seems to be true. The world around us is changing all the time, from climate change transforming the natural landscape, to growing...

MV Panagiotis, Zakynthos, Greece Once considered majestic vessels of the sea, these shipwrecks — some beached on land, others sunken to the bottom of the ocean — provide a ghostly glimpse into history. Many of these haunting ruins are also luring tourists and serving as unique snorkeling and diving spots. Genuine shipwreck or tourist bait? There's some controversy about the origins of the MV Panagiotis, which lies in a cove on the coast of Zakynthos in the Ionaian Islands of...

It's a mystery dating back almost a hundred years, a state of the art submarine — lost. But why? Well researchers finally have the answer. Its name was Akula which stood for "The Shark." Launched in 1911, it was at the time, a revolutionary vessel. With a crew of 35, this 400 ton ship was believed to be one of Russia’s first battle submarines. However, in 1915, at the height of the first world war, The Shark simply disappeared somewhere...

Alcatraz - San Francisco, USA Most of us take it for granted that we can go outside as we choose, dress in clothes appropriate to the weather, and revel in or complain about the temperature. But for prisoners of the past, being outdoors when they chose to be was an unimaginable luxury. Some, such as prisoners on the French penal colony the Devil's Island, were forced to do hard labor under the scorching equatorial sun. Others, in places like the...

As Americans hit the road for summer holidays, a familiar question arises: Why don't Americans travel overseas more? Of the 308 million-plus citizens in the United States, only 30 percent have passports, CNN reported in 2011. Most Americans spend their leisure time somewhere in the country rather than setting off across the seas that border the country on both sides. And a survey in 2006 revealed young Americans evenhad trouble locating Iraq and states within their country, says CBS News....

Early in the morning of January 23, 1973, the residents of the Icelandic Heimaey Island woke up to the sound of fire engine horns warning them that a huge fissure had opened up across the island, spewing red-hot lava. They evacuated that night. The volcanic eruption went on for five months, burying one third of the island’s buildings in 200 million tons of ash and lava, according to The Daily Mail. A 656-foot volcanic cone - the Eldfell volcano –...