Each list of wonders comes with its own set of criteria and standards. In addition, some of the lists have been voted on by the public, to allow travelers themselves some input. Because of these factors, there are many ?wonders? that have not made any well-known list, that I think still deserve credit. I?m not setting up any specific criteria, just sites that perhaps were up for consideration, or maybe were not, and that I feel are traveler must-sees. These are based on personal travel experiences, since for something like this, I only like to include those places I have seen and experienced myself. There are entirely too many to write about here, but below is a sample of some of my personal top wonders of the world that have not been included on the New or Natural Wonders lists.
Igua?u (Iguazu) Falls: At 269 feet and a total length of 1.7 miles, the falls of Igua?u are some of most revered in the world. They can be seen from you Paraguay, Brazil, or Argentina, though Argentina is often considered the best side from which to view them.
The Twelve Apostles/Great Ocean Road: Stretching from Torquay to Warnambool, Australia?s Great Ocean Road is 151 miles long and one of the most magnificent driving routes in the world. Most notable are the Twelve Apostles ? twelve limestone formations that jut out of the water along the coastline.
Dubrovnik?s walled city: While not on a ?wonders? list, the walled city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is believed to have been built in the 7th century, and though it?s been damaged by earthquakes and conflict, has managed to preserve it?s Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance Architecture ? namely, it?s churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. Visitors who walk along the city walls not only experience a taste of the past, but are rewarded with expansive view of the city within the walls, the harbor at the edge of the city, and the hills that sprawl behind it.
Milford Sound: Located within Fiordland Naitonal Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site in the South Island of New Zealand, it?s no surprise that Milford Sound makes our list of wonders. Rainforests cling to the sheer cliffs of 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) that surround the waterway, and the sound itself is home to seals, penguins and dolphins. With an annual rainfall average of 268 inches a year, over 182 days, it is considered one of the wettest places on earth.
Pompeii: I want to clarify that I don?t like to consider a tragedy, such as eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD that buried the city of Pompeii under up to 20 feet of ash, a ?wonder?. (Nor can it really be classified into natural or man-made). It?s the restoration work done on this city-turned-mausoleum that is so incredible. The city lay under the ash virtually undiscovered for almost 1700 years until excavation efforts began in 1749, and they continue to this day. The history, the emotion, and the stories told as you wander through this once-lost city are captured in such a way as to transport you to life as it was in that time, moments before the incident occurred, as people went about their daily lives, completely unaware of the peril that awaited them.
