A place of exceptional beauty, Band-e-Amir National Park lies at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters above sea level in the Hindu Kush mountains. The park is situated in Bamiyan Province of central Afghanistan, which is also famous for its giant Buddha statues and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley. At Band-e-Amir National Park, the flow of the Balkh River is delightfully interrupt

A nation of approximately 340 islands, Palau, locally called Belau, lies in the Micronesia region of the Western Pacific Ocean, halfway between Australia and Japan. Angaur, Babeldaob, Koror, and Peleliu islands are the most populous, with about two-thirds of the population living on Koror Island. Ngerulmud, the capital city, is on Babeldaob Island. Most of the population are ethnic Palauans, a mix

Victoria Falls was declared by UNESCO as the largest sheet of falling water on Earth. Over a breadth of 1,708 meters (5,604 feet), up to 500 million liters of water descend from a height between 61 and 98 meters (200 and 822 feet) over a time span of just one minute. The sheer force of the continuous flow of water acting upon the hard basalt rock over several million years has eroded eight distinc

Lord Howe Island is a relatively small Pacific island of just 14.55 square kilometers (5.6 square miles), with 75 percent of its terrestrial area inscribed as a Permanent Park Preserve under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention of 1982. Today, the island has a small permanent human population of about 360 people. Mother Nature’s hand has sculpted the spectacular Ball’s Pyramid, situated 23 kilomet

The Rwenzori Mountains are the highest mountain range in Africa and are home to the continent’s fifth-tallest peak, Mount Stanley. Mount Stanley is actually a collection of around 11 peaks. The tallest one is known as Margherita which, at 5,109 meters (16,762 feet) tall, is the highest of the Rwenzori peaks and supports several glaciers. Mount Speke is the second-highest mountain in this range, r

At the heart of incredible Africa lies a mountain range of incomparable beauty, rising from the sprawling wild of the equatorial continental interior. The Rwenzori Mountains are within the Albertine-Rift Valley and include the Rwenzori Mountains National Park in southwestern Uganda and Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are the highest range in Africa, and home

Living on Mount Everest are the Sherpa people, who mostly belong to the ancient Nyingma, or Red Hat, a religion of Tibetan Buddhism, the oldest Buddhist religion in Tibet, which combines Buddhism and animism. The Sherpas embrace the Himalayan mountains as sacred and offer their respects by constructing Buddhist monasteries at the base, placing prayer flags on the slopes, and creating wildlife sanc

In today’s program, we journey to the Great Himalayas of Southern Asia to explore one of Mother Earth’s magnificent creations, Mount Everest. Located on the border of Nepal and Tibet, Mount Everest has an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) and is Earth’s highest mountain above sea level. Although this goddess was addressed by various names in different languages, there was one common thread –

Colombia is officially the most ecologically rich nation on Earth, ranking number one for the most biodiversity per square kilometer. Today, we visit Chiribiquete National Park, which is a region of south-central Colombia and the cornerstone of four separate geographic regions: the Andes mountain range, the Orinoco savannah, the Guyana Shield, and the Amazon rainforest. A highly prized location, t

The iconic Grand Canyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is situated in the southwestern state of Arizona in the United States. Stretching across 277 miles (446 kilometers) in length, up to 18 miles (29 kilometers) in width, and as far as 6,000 feet (1.8 kilometers) in depth, this immense and astoundingly beautiful landmark is also visible from space. The raising of the Colorado Plateau to its prese

Sumatra is the largest island entirely in Indonesia and the sixth-largest island in the world. A place of extraordinary beauty, its tropical forests are among the richest and most diverse on the planet, boasting some 218 rare species of vascular plants found in the Tesso Nilo landscape, including Amorphophallus titanium, the tallest flower in the world. Located on the spine of the Bukit Barisan Mo

Today, we journey to Borneo Island, the largest island in Asia, to explore a spectacular site – “Malaysia’s Natural Treasure: Gunung Mulu National Park.” Situated at the northeastern corner of Borneo Island, Gunung Mulu National Park lies on Malaysian lands, adjacent to Brunei. An equatorial rainforest haven, Gunung Mulu National Park is a rare combination of magnificent geographical features and

The Swiss Alps are recognized as one of the most spectacular mountainous regions in the world. The Jungfrau-Aletsch region is the most glaciated part of the European Alps. Spanning over 82,000 hectares (316.6 square miles), it is located in the southwest of Switzerland. Jungfrau-Aletsch boasts many impressive peaks, nine of which stand at over 4,000 meters (2.5 miles) in altitude. The Jungfrau-Ale

The world’s largest tropical rainforest, the Amazon is one of Mother Nature’s most precious and impressive gems. The awe-inspiring Amazon rainforest is truly spectacular for its exquisite beauty and its humble service to the local native population. It is the ancestral home to around 400 tribes and provides much needed medicinal plants and food for these indigenous communities. The Amazon is also

The Amazon rainforest is believed to have been formed during the Eocene Era some 55 million years ago. The rainforest encompasses 40 percent of the South American continent, extending across eight countries. The Amazon includes the drainage basin of the Amazon River, the world’s largest river by volume, with over 1,100 tributaries. The biodiversity of plants in the Amazon is considered the greates

Today, we take you on an adventure to subtropical South America to visit one of the wonders of Argentina and Brazil in our program titled “The Astounding Falls of the Iguazu River.” The Iguazu River and its unmistakable cataract falls are the natural territorial boundary between Argentina and Brazil, making it one of the most spectacular international borders in the world. Visited by over a millio

With 1.03 million hectares of awe-inspiring views, spectacular sandstone plateaus, sheer cliffs, gorges, and swamps teeming with life, the Greater Blue Mountains Area provides a significant representation of Australia’s biodiversity. Situated 60 to 180 kilometers (37 to 111 miles) inland of Sydney in New South Wales, this natural wonder is a unique place for the study of the evolution of Australia

One of my favorite spots is Koekohe Beach, where we may see its magically impressive Moeraki Boulders. These outstanding boulders are an unusual geological phenomenon that have been millions and millions of years in the making. Now famous, they have entertained countless travelers and have been playfully dubbed the “Bowling Balls of the Giants,” “Alien’s Brains,” “Dinosaur Eggs,” and the “Stonehen

Norway is home to more than 1,000 fjords, each a unique, intricate network of winding crescent-shaped inlets that meander through towering sheer cliffs. Molded over thousands of years by the tremendous forces of melting glacial ice, these magnificent fjords must be one of Mother Earth’s most glorious works of art. On July 14, 2005, two fjords in Western Norway became inscribed on the UNESCO World

Tianshan, also known as the Heavenly Mountains, is touted as one of the world’s largest mountain ranges. The Tianshan Mountains span through four countries: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. From east to west, the mountain range is 1,553 miles long. Xinjiang Tianshan, spanning more than 600,000 hectares in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of northwest China, is a giant of exceptio