Central and South America will whet any traveller’s appetite for real adventure with its jungle-clad ruins, steamy rainforests and wildly rugged landscapes. It’s the ultimate destination for the curious and daring, so we’ve tracked down the most intriguing lost cities of this legend-fuelled land…
5. The City of Caesars
Thousands of kilometers of uncharted plains, lonely lakes and ancient forests that were once roamed by dinosaurs – if you were looking to hide a lost city, Patagonia would be the place to do it. But if you’re lucky enough to find yourself exploring this pristine wilderness, chances are you’ve heard the words ‘City of Caesars’ echoing through Patagonia’s glacier filled passes. Typically, the legend speaks of a remote fort filled with unimaginable treasures hidden deep within the Andes.
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Could Egypt’s Queen Hatshepsut have been an explorer at heart and a tourism trailblazer? In 1493 BC she commissioned an expedition to the ancient land of Punt, known today as Somalia, and this first female pharaoh commissioned public buildings and temples that continue to attract visitors to Egypt. Even her own temple adds wonder to the Valley of the Kings, as Intrepid’s Sameh Tawfik discovers…
“Plodding up the undulating hills on the back of a placid donkey has a tendency to become monotonous. However, glancing over the cliff to my right, I have a reminder of where I am and where I am heading. At the base of the steep cliff lies the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut and I know just over the next ridge is something even more spectacular.
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Stepping foot on a site that’s well over 1000 years old might be motivation enough, or maybe you want to play out your own scenes from Tomb Raider? Either way the remarkable temples of Angkor have inspired many adventures and Trish Shaw, former Intrepid group leader, never tired of seeing a special sunrise in Cambodia…
“The alarm sounded at 4:30 am, still dark outside, but not cold. No matter how many times my job as an Intrepid leader made me awaken early for this occasion, it never became a chore. This morning we were going out to the breathtaking sight that is Angkor Wat, to watch the sun rise. At 5 am, the entire group was gathered at the bus, and after a quick head count and entrance pass check, we were on our way.
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Universally admired, the World Heritage-listed Taj Mahal is India’s finest example of Mughal architecture. Built in the 17th century by grief-stricken Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, not only is this building a masterpiece of Muslim art, but a monument to love. Standing before the stunning white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, like Andre van Staden you’ll be swept up in its immeasurable beauty…
“I have been to India a couple of times now and have always been in awe of the people and the culture. Wherever you look you can see ancient historic buildings. One feels that you are experiencing a living history when you visit India.
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Whoever said “no pain, no gain” could have been talking about trying to spot the elusive mountain gorillas of Rwanda. There was no way that Roberta Leung was going to let the rugged conditions get the better of her, and thankfully she was rewarded ten times over for her efforts…
“I had been climbing the steep slopes of the Rwandan jungle for over 3 hours in damp, slippery and muddy conditions when word came that my group was only another 30 minutes away from the gorilla family. It was the hardest trek I had undertaken in my life, yet none of that mattered when I caught my first sighting of these majestic creatures.
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It’s hard to top the experience of wandering along a wall that stretches for 6000 km (3700 miles) and has sections over 2500 years old. Standing tall atop this magnificent structure was Shelley Seale, who enjoyed getting well off the regular tourist route in China…
“I hiked slowly through the fall foliage in the woods surrounding the Shuiguan Mountains, about an hour outside Beijing. Vivid orange and yellow leaves swayed with the breeze in the branches around me as I picked my way carefully along the rocky path. My footsteps were the only sound I could hear. Suddenly, there it was. Emerging through the trees was a rock wall just in front of me. I peered up at the top of it, 30 feet (9 metres) above my head.
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We know that without museums we risk losing vital information about the culture, traditions and lifestyles of our ancestors. This is especially true in places like Peru, where Silvia Rodrigues discovered that natural history museums are piecing together the lives of those who no longer have a voice…
“Included in the many highlights of my Intrepid Peru trip were visits to the obscure museums that you find around the country. Fascinating keepers of precious artefacts of Inca and pre-Inca cultures, such as the Paracas, Tiwanaku and Nazcas.
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From the bewildering Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an to the astounding stone petroglyphs of Cholpon Ata and beyond, a Silk Road Journey always piques the curiosity of adventurous travellers. Intrepid’s Tara Kennaway has long been intrigued by this fascinating region, and there are still many lingering questions about the legends of this vast land…
“Samarkand, one of the legendary cities of the Silk Road, is a place of many marvels and mysteries. Travellers are immediately drawn to the magnificent Registan – the immaculately decorated medressa and mosque complex that dominates the centre of the Old Town, and mesmerised by other glittering remnants of Samarkand’s golden past, such as Guri Amir – Tamerlane’s gilt-lined mausoleum. But on the dusty fringes of the town, surrounded by sloping hills and with a stream running by, is perhaps the most curious site of all: the Tomb of the Prophet Daniel.
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The Lost City of the Incas was an immediate best-seller upon publication in 1948 and its author, Hiram Bingham, is credited with bringing Machu Picchu to the attention of the world. He was absolutely thrilled to rediscover the Inca city on 24 July, 1911, and one hundred years on the marvelous Machu Picchu holds just as much fascination, as Susie Elwood explains…
“It was one of those take-your-breath-away travel moments – trudging along the Inca Trail for days, then reaching the Sun Gate in time to see the light of day illuminate Machu Picchu. I’ve seen pyramids, the Great Wall, Angkor Wat and other iconic sites, but there is something about this place that is much more riveting.
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