7 natural wonders of the world: Lonely Planet readers’ picks

Nov 22, 2011 11:43:21 PM

Anita Isalska
Lonely Planet Author

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The New7Wonders Foundation caused no end of controversy and outrage with their shortlist of the world’s natural wonders, and it wasn’t long before alternative lists like the one from the G Adventures crew began to sprout up. At Lonely Planet, we wanted to know your opinion, and we certainly got it: from classic sights to unsung splendours, more than a hundred sights were put forward by intrepid readers (including a few we had to look up).

The final tally of votes is now in and while you backed some of New7Wonders’ choices, you also returned the crown to a few classic attractions missing from their list. Here’s Lonely Planet readers’ countdown of astonishing natural sights.

1. Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil

Photograph: Judy Bellah

South America’s gushing spectacle washes away the competition as Lonely Planet readers’ top natural wonder. From the dizzying walkways to the spray from Devil’s Throat, the sight of this colossal waterfall is seared into traveller’s brains.

2. Grand Canyon, USA

Photograph: Mark Newman

The rocky wonder favoured by the New7Wonders list was Table Mountain, but the Grand Canyon, with its vermillion cliffs and river-carved rock faces, takes the number two spot among Lonely Planet readers.

3. Komodo, Indonesia

Photograph: Kraig Leeb

Teeming mangrove swamps and basking lizards hurtled Indonesia’s Komodo National Park into third place.

4. The Amazon

Photograph: John Borthwick

Finally, something we can all agree on. The rich jungles of the Amazon’s river basin are big hitters for Lonely Planet readers, as well as New7Wonders and the G Adventures bloggers. Check out our tips for Amazon riverboat trips.

5. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Photograph: Leonard Zell

Another firm favourite, this azure expanse of Queensland coastline is a magnet to snorkellers, scuba divers and beach hoppers.

6. Puerto Princesa Underground River, Philippines

Photograph: Tom Cockrem

This subterrannean river captured your imaginations, but it seems the whole country is dear to your hearts. Our survey showed an incredible 8 destinations from the Philippines were put forward, from the Banaue Rice Terraces to the Chocolate Hills of Bohol.

7. Uluru, Australia

Photograph: Richard l’Anson

The second Aussie highlight on our top 7, the sacred site of Uluru remains an unmissable icon for Lonely Planet readers.

Dare to disagree? Tell us about your most memorable natural sight in the comments section.

For all your travel inspiration and tips for the coming year from Lonely Planet’s experts, get Best in Travel 2012 now!

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Comments

24 November 2011 5:33AM alexgirl82 Report this comment
Much better list from the LP readers than the New7Wonders Foundation!
24 November 2011 6:28AM abhijitiitr Report this comment
Have all the readers of Lonely Planet gone insane.No mention about any mountain range.The Himalayas, Andes etc are some rare natural wonders and far better than the list shown. How can Lonely Planet ignore it?Appaling
24 November 2011 7:35PM sugarcanenomads Report this comment
Us Filipinos from SugarcaneNomads.com appreciate you mentioning the beauty and awesomeness of the Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines but, please, it's not natural but rather purely man-made. Let's not bypass the engineering feat of the natives from hundreds of years ago that is still in use up to this day. And will provide rice to the world most especially after the Thailand floods. http://sugarcanenomads.com
25 November 2011 1:02AM nowornever Report this comment
except komodo everything is very mainstream, but this is good so
25 November 2011 5:19AM fieldgate Report this comment
New seven wonders again? They come recently more than once a year. It's a big world full of wonders.
25 November 2011 1:29PM justin23 Report this comment
I'd replace Komodo with somewhere else. My personal choice would be maybe Plitvice NP in Croatia or something else. The problem with the list is what is a natural wonder? If komodo is there for the dragons, then surely galapagos beats it for its wildlife or Madagascar?
Of course those 3 would make a 7 wonders of the animal world :-) maybe....
26 November 2011 12:37AM stepanoya Report this comment
JEJU Island??
27 December 2011 1:59PM xxxriainxxx Report this comment
I totally agree with this list.
27 December 2011 2:00PM xxxriainxxx Report this comment
JEJU Island can be replaced by any island in the Philippines more specifically Camiguin- the most heavily volcanic island in the world. Glad Jeju isn't on this list.
27 December 2011 3:33PM kathmanduo Report this comment
This list is just not complete without mentioning a peek at the world's tallest mountains. My wife and I recently trekked to Everest Base Camp and around the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal -- breathtaking. We took lots of pictures and recorded our experiences on our blog. Judge for yourself: http://thekathmanduo.blogspot.com/p/trekking.html
27 December 2011 7:54PM prettytraveler Report this comment
I'd have chosen the Angel falls in Venezuela rather than the Iguazu Falls...The Angel Falls are 1 km high, the most amazing thing a human being can ever see.
27 December 2011 11:05PM shankaho Report this comment
I miss the Angel falls too. The Auyantepui. I compare the Angel falls with the Uluru and I can't understand anything. Maybe in Australia there is a lot of people sending SMS's and Venezuela, thanks to Chavez, has no money to promote. The Angel falls is sacred to Pemon indians.
27 December 2011 11:40PM regularjohan Report this comment
Love the list but I could've done with the Na'Pali coast on Kaua'i instead of Komodo and Karajini NP i W.A instead of Uluru. But still lightyears ahead of the other new "wonders".
27 December 2011 11:47PM carltgraham Report this comment
No Ha Long Bay? Seriously?
27 December 2011 11:55PM walkaway34 Report this comment
yeah, it's a good list but..... The Andes and or The Himalayas definately need to be on there and what about the most spectacular natural beauty of the Inside Passage in Alaska or the incredible Bryce Canyon USA and then there's Sthn Chile & Argentina, my absolute highlight The Moreno Glacier & also Torres Del Paine National Park......
28 December 2011 2:28AM trotam Report this comment
I'd replace komodo, underground river in philipines and uluru by Dallol in the Danakil desert Ethiopia,Ruwenzori national park Uganda and Uyuni salar in Bolivia....
28 December 2011 3:10AM maxleon Report this comment
the Andes (range of Volcanos), the Himalayas; in particular the Tibetan plateau and the North Face of the mighty Chomolangma....forever in my mind and soul.
28 December 2011 3:49AM racharach Report this comment
Still amazes me that the Galapagos didn't make the list. And though I haven't been, it would make sense for Everest to have a place as well...
28 December 2011 4:43AM jamalchechua Report this comment
Lonely Planet members are not travelling enough. Other than Grand Canyon, Barrier Reef and Amazon rest should not make the list. Serengeti anyone!!also no mention about any mountain range Himalayas. Need more input from travellers to the good sites.
28 December 2011 5:17AM rthomas Report this comment
Seems to be a lot of questions about Komodo Island; we've been there, and have to agree that while fascinating, the islands and/or dragons certainly aren't Top 7 material. Haven't been to Angel Falls (yet!), but of the 3 biggest waterfalls by volume (Niagara, Victoria, and Iguazu) we'd certainly rank Victoria Falls at the top by a wide margin. I like the fact that these lists keep coming out and changing; keeps my destination list expanding!
28 December 2011 5:49AM tommy6289 Report this comment
No mention of either auraurae (North or South) - not that i have been there personally, but it is next on my list of travel places. I have however been to monument valley and that was superb, breathtaking! As well as Bryce Canyon, which is the most stunning place I've ever walked through! (Yes Arizona/Utah was my last big trip!. More subtly, an icy Danube on a clear day after a lot of snow in the Hungarian Mountains (I stayed in Visegrad)is a sight I will never forget!
28 December 2011 6:36AM henrics Report this comment
I can't believe neither the Galapagos nor Antarctica made the list.
28 December 2011 7:14AM catmcshaw Report this comment
I find it hard to believe that the Redwood and Giant Sequoia trees of California weren't on this list. Walking among these ancient trees is like taking a step back in time. These trees are alive and continue to grow and with our protection, should be here for future generations to enjoy.
28 December 2011 7:51AM hznfrst Report this comment
Komodo Island over Victoria Falls or Ngorongoro Crater - are you guys NUTS?? This is an absurd list, obvious winners combined with others completely out of their league. Limiting the list to seven, ten or any other arbitrary number is lame to begin with as there are countless wonders out there, and you do a disservice by leaving any of them out. If you must rank them how about doing it by broad category (undisputably top-notch, second-tier but still spectacular, etc) instead of ranking them individually?
28 December 2011 8:32AM csmeeth Report this comment
I may be biased, but I'd go with the geysirs of Iceland
28 December 2011 1:43PM sherylrj Report this comment
I've been to 4 of the 7 and definitely agree these are all Natural Wonders
28 December 2011 1:43PM sherylrj Report this comment
I've been to 4 of the 7 and definitely agree these are all Natural Wonders
28 December 2011 5:40PM traveler60 Report this comment
I can't believe that Macchu Picchu isn't on this list! For anyone who loves to travel, this has got to be one of the top five on your bucket list!!
28 December 2011 6:10PM evehudz Report this comment
i cant believe...where is Peru,. is not Peru one of the best destinations in south america,.coast mountains(andean)and jungle...thats crazy...
29 December 2011 12:14AM jdubyu Report this comment
These ranked lists are becoming increasingly pointless, unless of course the point is to get people disagreeing with each other. If you want a proper list of wonders I would suggest going to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list and perusing that. There are 936 sites listed, a considerable number of them being natural. As you can imagine it's pretty much the definitive list.
29 December 2011 5:53AM mister_d Report this comment
I realize that Uluru is of great cultural significance to Australians, native or otherwise, but I've never understood why it would be a big deal to anyone else? It's just a big rock in the middle of scrub land, no? So what. You can see those in many parts of the world. Remove it from the list.
29 December 2011 8:28AM travel_everywhere Report this comment
I've been to 5 of the 7 mentioned above and I agree on Iguazu as top of the list. But where is Galapagos? And where are the natural wonders of Africa? Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti or Mount Kenya. The Rock Islands of Palau are also in my personal Top 7. All destinations of your list are in hot places. Where is the Arctic, Antarctica or any of the big mountains?
29 December 2011 8:28PM sangay10 Report this comment
Unbdoubtly - Grand canyon - The Great Barrier Reef - The Amazonas
but remaining could easily be replaced by:
- Dallol (Danakil desert in Ethiopia) - a sight out of this world - Galapagos Island - i wonder what put in Komodo in the list (close to Australia?) - Greenland - the outstanding Discos Bay on the west coast or generally just the fantastic glacier landscapes calving in to the Atlantic everywhere - Mountain landscapes (Everest, Manaslu (Himalayas) Matterhorn (schwitzerland), Carstenz Pyramids (Irian Jaya), Torres del Paine (Chile), High Atlas (marokko) - just to mention few - Wadi Rum - fabolous desert scenery in Jordan - The magnificient fjords in Norway (a coastline of several thousand kilometers containing a fairy tale landscape only to dream of) - Serengeti in tanzania or Okavango Delta in Botswana - Ngorongoro Crater in congo (or one of the four other permanent lava lakes in the world)
The list is endless but the 7 in the list does not do the world justice!
30 December 2011 9:48PM cymrumj Report this comment
It is great to see this healthy debate. The ranking of 1-7 is meangingless, but the individual memories and comments are priceless.
In my case I've visited Igauzu and it was one place that took my breath away. Not from the scale of the falls, but from the beauty.
1 January 2012 6:45AM norskgutten Report this comment
Preikestolen, Lyse Fjord, Stavanger area of norway This is the most amazing place that I have seen. Bar none, and it is not even on the list!
As for the grand Canyon ... the Copper Canyon of Mexico is even deeper, and very amazing. Underground river in the Phillipines, there are many in the Yucatan of Mexico, though may not be as spectacular. As for Iguassu Falls ..this is spectacular and deserving of a spot. Bay of Fundy in Canada is worth a spot on this List Tides that are the highest in the world bar none...Up to 53' high. And no mention, but a Red Rock in the desert rates?? It is nice but not a wonder!!
1 January 2012 7:05AM norskgutten Report this comment
Mount Everest I have heard that with the technology of today, Everest may not be the highest? Tallest mountain (that is the greatest rise of a mountain): 'Ojos del Salado', it is 44,029 foot rise from the bottom to the peak (though part of the base is some disstance away). Then there are mountains of greater Volume ... to many categories. But Everest is the most famous, do not get me wrong, and should be worthy of a note. Or is all of these changes in the "7th's" just to generate tourism??