Gunung Bromo setinggi 2.392 meter dari permukaan laut disebut CNNGO sebagai tempat menakjubkan karena pemandangan lembah dan kaldera seluas 10 kilometer yang bertautan.
”Mempunyai kawah dengan garis tengah 800 meter (utara-selatan) dan 600 meter (timur-barat),gunung ini juga memiliki daerah bahaya berupa lingkaran dengan jari-ari 4 kilometer dari pusat kawah Bromo,” sebut CNNGO. Dalam situs yang sama, Bromo sebelumnya masuk dalam daftar 10 gunung yang dapat didaki semua tipe pendaki gunung. Gunung yang juga menjadi ikon wisata Jawa Timur ini sempat mengalami erupsi beberapa waktu lalu.
Aktivitas vulkanik tersebut sempat membuat kunjungan wisatawan melorot tajam. Seiring pulihnya situasi, kunjungan wisatawan juga perlahan membaik. Kepala Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Kabupaten Probolinggo Tutug Edi Utomo menyatakan, angka kenaikan wisatawan mulai normal pada April hingga Agustus 2011.
”Arus kunjungan wisatawan ini diharapkan terus membaik hingga akhir tahun nanti,” kata Tutug. Trisno Sudigdo, seorang pelaku usaha wisata, menyatakan bahwa kawasan Gunung Bromo telah siap menyambut wisatawan. ”Bromo menawarkan keindahan yang tak tertandingi,” sebut dia.
48. Cueva de los Cristales/Cave of Crystals, Mexico
With crystals, big is best.
In 2000, a group of miners tunneling in the Naica mine, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, found an underground cavern containing giant selenite crystals -- some as long as 11 meters. The size and beauty of these gypsum crystals brought the Cave of Crystals instant fame.
But the future of the cave is uncertain. While access is currently possible for short periods, the cave may be closed and flooded in the future to stop the crystals from disintegrating.
The Naica mine is 135 kilometers southeast of the city of Chihuahua. naica.com.mx
49. The Bay of Fundy, Canada
Climbs and falls more than the NYSE.
One of four places on earth with extreme tidal highs and lows, the Bay of Fundy sees a vertical rise in sea level of as much as 17 meters twice a day. More than 100 billion tons of seawater rush in and out of the bay daily, sculpting unique basalt shapes out of the rocks along the coast.
Travel between the bay's islands and coastal towns is possible by small car ferry. bayoffundy.com
50. Halong Bay, Vietnam
Turning every visitor into a photographer.
Thousands of small islands and standing stacks, or karsts, overgrown with green shrubbery, protrude from this peaceful bay. The popular way to explore is in a traditional Chinese trading ship -- the brown-paneled sails of the junks have become as much a part of the landscape as the towering rocks.
Most visitors to Halong Bay come via Hanoi -- 170 kilometers away, or five to six hours on a public bus. Private cars can be hired. Even rented helicopters make the journey. whc.unesco.org/en/list/672
Also on CNNGo: 15 unusual places to spend the night
51. Punkaharju Esker Nature Reserve, Finland
Land of toadstools and fairies.
This seven-kilometer esker, or sand ridge, was formed during the Ice Age and has been an important trade route in eastern Finland for millennia. Calm lakes lie on either side and tall pines provide shade for moss, toadstools and blueberries -- easy to see how fairy tales are born. You expect a frog with a crown to hop off the nearest giant mushroom, or a mystical hand to reach out of the lake.
Take a train from Helsinki to Punkaharju or drive the 350 kilometers northeast of Helsinki. www.outdoors.fi
52. Frozen Sea in Luleå, Sweden
Signs in Sweden leave it to you to decide what they mean.
This isn't the only place in the world where the sea freezes over, but the town's location -- jutting out into the sea -- makes the frozen water a welcome extension of the town's streets in the depths of winter. From December to February, locals skate, snow-trek and sled across the bay, while some roads -- across the sea -- are passable only in winter.
Signs advise you to remove your seatbelt for a quicker exit should your car come across thin ice.
There are several daily flights to Luleå from Stockholm, which is easier than driving the 900 kilometers. www.lulea.se
53. Trango Towers, Pakistan
When you leave a deposit for a chopper rescue you know it's serious climbing.
Some of the highest cliffs in the world are in northeastern Pakistan in the Karakoram mountain range. Trango Tower, for instance, rises a kilometer above the other granite spires in its ridge and has an elevation of more than 6,200 meters above sea level. It's a sight that's just too tempting for intrepid climbers and base-jumpers.
Fee: A trekking fee (US$50) and environmental fee (US$200) are imposed on visitors. Climbers may have to put down a US$6,000 deposit (refundable) for helicopter rescue.
Take a local bus or taxi from Islamabad to Skardu. www.summitpost.org
54. Fox Glacier, South Island, New Zealand
A beautiful scene, but don't get too close.
Along with the 12-kilometer Franz Josef Glacier (a short distance up the coast), the 13-kilometer Fox Glacier on New Zealand's South Island is one of the most easily accessible ice masses in the world. Fox Glacier reaches almost to the coast, just 250 meters above sea level. Large chucks of ice breaking off the face make it dangerous to get too close.
Fox Glacier is in Westland National Park, 200 kilometers west of Christchurch. Get information on guided tours at www.newzealand.com
55. The Shilin Stone Forest, China
Sometimes women are even more beautiful when they're mad.
Spread over 350 square kilometers in Yunnan province, these stone needles look like an ancient petrified forest -- the rock formations stand tall and emerge vertically from the ground. The karst rocks are more than 270 million years old. Local legend says the forest was created when a young woman was forbidden to marry her love -- she rebelled by turning herself into stone.
Shilin Stone Forest can be reached by road 96 kilometers southeast of Kunming in Yunnan province. www.chinatourguide.com
Also on CNNGo: World's most expensive hotel suites
56. Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
The best of a spectacular bunch.
Whether sandy beaches, giant waves or volcanic craters, Hawaii has plenty of breathtaking landscapes. But the drama and scale of the Na Pali coast of Kauai, along the 17-kilometer Kalalau trail, may top them all. The lush green mountains ripple with scree slopes and ridges for more than 1,300 meters before dipping into the Pacific.
Fee: No entrance fee to the Na Pali coastal trail, but US$20 for camping for non-residents.
Accessible only by 17-kilometer hike from Ke`e Beach to Kalalau Valley, or by boat. www.napali.com. For hiking tours visit www.kauaiexplorer.com
57. Lake Baikal, Russia
A lake so big it has its own monster.
Lake Baikal in southern Siberia is not only the deepest and oldest lake in the world (more than 1,600 meters deep and more than 25 million years old), it holds almost 20 percent of the world's freshwater supply. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is a unique ecosystem that supports more than 2,600 species of plant and animals. There have even been reports of a “Baikal Monster,” likely to be a giant sturgeon.
The nearest city is Irkutsk, about 120 kilometers north of the Mongolian border. www.irkutsk.org
