Top 5 new places to see

With five new countries added to the Bales Worldwide collection, discover our top 5 fascinating places to see within these awe inspiring destinations. 

Lalibela, Ethiopia

The small town of Lalibela is situated high in the Lasta Mountains and is arguably one of the most important religious and historical sites in all of Africa. Ethiopia was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion, and the Ethiopian Orthodox religious practices root lies in Judaism and areas of the country practiced. There are no less than 200 churches in the Lasta Region of Lalibela, these brilliant feats of engineering and architecture are often referred to as the "Eighth wonder of the world". The churches are said to have been constructed during King Lalibela’s reign during the 12th and 13th centuries. Many theories exist on how they were built and by whom, including angels and the Knights Templar’s.

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Heads of King Antiochus Mount Nemrut, Turkey

A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987, Mount Nemrut, in the south east of Turkey, is strewn with the scattered remains of giant statues and heads that date back to the reign of King Antiochus of Commagene in the 1st century BC. These mysterious statues have become a symbol of Turkey, and when combined with the stunning scenery, make for a mystical visit. Little was known about Mount Nemrut until 1881, when Karl Sester, an engineer from Germany discovered the statues when assessing the mountain for possible new transport routes. In 62 BC Antiochus ordered the building of these temples and funerary mound on top of Mount Nemrut, which was filled with statues of gods and himself. The statues included; two lions, two eagles and various Greek, Armenian and Persian gods, unfortunately, a combination of earthquakes and deliberate damage has left most of the heads detached from the bodies, lying on the ground, around 2 metres in height. Three superb reliefs show Antiochos exchanging a handshake with Apollo-Mithras-Helios-Hermes, with Zeus-Oromasdes and Heracles-Artagnes-Ares. These colossal heads are believed to guard the hidden tomb of the king himself.

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The Arctic

Home to wildlife such as polar bears, walruses and seals the Arctic is a vast ice covered ocean and in the midst of it is the islands of Svalbard, glacier covered lands of mountains and fjords. Spitsbergen is the largest of the islands and is filled with striking scenery, diverse wildlife and has the most northerly human population on the planet. 60% of the islands are covered in glaciers that cascade down the mountains through valleys and fjords making the Arctic a place not to be missed.

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Trans-Siberian Railway

One of the world’s great train journeys, the Trans-Siberian Railway is still one of the classic adventures. Travelling from the Russian Capital, this epic journey crosses the Ural Mountains and the Mongolian steppes, taking in Lake Baikal and the Gobi Desert en route to the imperial treasures of Beijing. From Moscow’s Red Square to the Great Wall of China, via Ekaterinburg, Siberia and Ulaan Baatar, each day brings something different as you travel across three of the world’s largest countries, sampling the different cultures and the dramatic changes of scenery, in some of Europe and Asia’s most fascinating landscapes!

Journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway >>

Mount Bromo, Indonesia

At 2392 m, Mount Bromo is certainly one of Indonesia's tallest mountains but where it excels is in the beauty of its setting and stunning vistas over the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, best appreciated at sunrise. Take an early morning jeep ride to the viewpoint at Mount Penanjakan, which provides a bird’s eye view of the whole national park with Mount Semeru standing in its grandeur in the background. After sunrise, enjoy a walk or ride on horseback to the crater of Mount Bromo.

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