1 . Best U. S. National Parks for 2023

Today, 63 national parks in the U. S. draw millions of visitors a year to witness jaw-dropping natural wonders. To determine the best national parks, we considered the opinions of both travel experts and recent visitors. Do you have a favorite park? Cast your vote below.

Glacier National Park is called the “Crown of the Continent” for its breathtaking beauty. A favorite spot among hikers, it features a variety of trails for all levels, ranging from the easy Trail of the Cedars to the challenging Grinnell Glacier. Besides, the park boasts numerous lakes and two mountain ranges, sheltering a variety of wildlife.

Measuring approximately 277 river miles in length, up to 18 miles wide and a mile deep, this canyon is truly a natural wonder. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Grand Canyon always leaves its visitors impressed. But if you’re seeking an escape to Mother Nature, be prepared: The Grand Canyon can be very crowded.

With dramatic peaks and pure lakes, Yellowstone National Park is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Multicolored pools, hot springs, stretching meadows, and steaming geysers (间歇泉). While you cross its 3,000-plus square miles of mountains, geysers and waterfalls, be prepared to share the trails with residents like buffalo (水牛).

Enjoying extraordinary landscapes, Yosemite National Park features towering waterfalls, millennia-old sequoia trees (红杉树), striking cliffs and unique rock formations. Most tourist activities take place within the Yosemite Valley. Here you’ll find the park’s most famous landmarks—Half Dome and El Capitan—as well as excellent hiking trails.

2 . Hot holidays that won’t break the bank in 2024

Summer is on the horizon. If you’re planning your next getaway, consider these attractive destinations.

Spain: Costa del Sol

Whether you’re looking for lively beach parties or peaceful bay, you’ll find your perfect spot in Costa del Sol. Not only is Spain a treasure collection of culture, but it is also a perfect spot for the thrill-seekers. Costa del Sol offers water sports like windsurfing and jet-skiing, as well as hiking trails in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains.

Italy: Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is blessed with jaw-dropping scenery. Exploring charming towns like Positano, Ravello, and Amalfi, you will find each with its own history and charm. The region is famous for its sweet lemon trees. Try the local Limoncello, a refreshing lemon wine suitable for summer.

Turkey: Bodrum

Bodrum has some of the most attractive blue waters in the Mediterranean. Visiting the Bodrum Castle, you can totally expose yourself to history and have fun in the beautiful markets of Bodrum, where you can buy local food, spices, and handmade crafts. It’s a delight for shopping enthusiasts. Bodrum has a bohemian atmosphere with a lively nightlife. From beachfront clubs to cosy bars, the town comes alive after dark.

Cyprus: Paphos

Filled with mythology (神话), Paphos is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with archaeological wonders like the Paphos Archaeological Park. The town combines the old and the new. Depending on the time of your visit, you might catch one of Paphos’ lively festivals, celebrating everything from music and arts to the yearly Carnival.

Book today with £0 deposit (定金) and you will also get a discount.

A TV series named “Blossoms Shanghai” has become one of the most talked-about topics in China. Released in both Mandarin and the Shanghai dialect in late December 2023, it     1     (show) on different platforms these days.

The series,     2     popularity is growing, is set in Shanghai in the 1990s, a period filled with opportunity and hope. It centers around a young man named A Bao who rode the wave of     3     (economy) reforms. With the development of the story, not only     4     the play attract many viewers, but also visiting the locations featured in it     5     (immediate) becomes a trend. A Bao’s long-term private room at the Peace Hotel,     6     (price) at $80 per night in the series, has become a hot-ticket item.

The ZhiZhen Yuan restaurant in the TV series gets     7     (it) inspiration from Tai Sheng Yuan, a restaurant located on Huanghe Road, which has appeared as a new hot spot for residents and tourists alike. Certain place names in the story also catch people’s imagination. “Blossoms” city-walk routes, which allow visitors     8     (check) in at locations such as Huanghe Road and the Peace Hotel, pass through places that remind people     9     old Shanghai. This unique mixture of on-screen attractiveness and real-world exploration has created a new cultural phenomenon (现象),     10     (leave) a long-lasting mark on the city’s landscape.

Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park in Gansu is the best representative of China’s colorful Danxia landform. With a wide     1     (various) of landforms, this enormous park covers     2     area of 510 square kilometres.     3     (extend) along the northern part of Qilian Mountain in west China, it was said to be part of The Great Silk Road. At one time, Marco Polo arrived in China through this area.     4     (former) a provincial park and scenic area, it     5     (become) a national geopark in November 2011.

The site is characterized by amazing landforms, including     6     (drama) natural towers, deep valleys and impressive waterfalls. These landscapes have helped to conserve broad-leaved evergreen forests, and host many flowers and plants, about 400 of     7     are considered to be rare or     8     (threaten).

The most representative spots in the park such as the Seven-color Screen and the Colorful Sunset look like a rainbow hanging in the distance. However, scenes are totally different on the edge of the hills. The colors there turn into yellow and grey like shells in the sun. Scenes are even more breathtaking     9     sunrise and sunset when lights and shadows     10     (cast) on the hills paint this region with unique beauty.

6 . Standing on a hill at Cliveden Gardens on a sunny winter day, its dark-green lake surrounded by centuries-old trees took my breath away.     1     It’s just a local park near London that I’d never heard of during my eight years living in the UK. As I admired the serene garden, it taught me a lesson about the British culture of understatement.

“The English landscape is more beautiful because its beauty is understated,” my friend Will said to me later as we walked through an exhibition at Tate Britain. He pointed to a painting of a peaceful countryside. “This is the landscape I grew up with”, he said. Unlike grand waterfalls or wild forests, this scenery doesn’t shout about its beauty.     2    

I wonder if Chinese tourists will explore beyond London.     3     Indeed, Oxford and Cambridge and the beloved Lake District National Park are some iconic symbols of Britain. But it would be a pity if they miss out on the lesser-known parts of the English landscape.

    4     I remember a straight-A classmate once telling me he “survived exams” and another friend from Oxford introducing himself as “studying in the countryside”. This modesty also has its mirror in Chinese culture. I remember my parents’ telling me to work hard but not to brag about my achievements. Chinese culture is full of proverbs such as “real gold will shine sooner or later”, to encourage long-term dedication to one’s chosen area of expertise.

Experiencing both cultures, I’ve realized that the English and Chinese both express achievements with understatement.     5     It reflects the unspoken charm in both British and Chinese traditions. And it’s an off-the-beaten-path attraction well worth exploration.

7 . Discover polar adventure and exploration on your doorstep. From penguins to paintings, Inuit art to explorers’ diaries and sleeping bags – come find out about exploration, science and survival at the extreme ends of Earth.

Collection Highlights

- Fossil ferns (化石蕨类) from about 140 million years ago.

- Snow goggles (护目镜) used by Ernest Shackleton on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1914-16 (Endurance) - given to him by Harald Nilsen.

- An unopened tin of pemmican (干肉饼) taken from the hut (小屋) of the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09 (Nimrod).

- A folding camera, created by A.E. Staley & Co. and used by Robert

Falcon Scott at the South Pole, 1912, on the British Antarctic                                                

Expedition 1910-13 (Terra Nova).

Free Entry

Contact Us

Website: www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum Call: 01223 336540

Email: museum@spri.cam.ac.uk

Family Visits

Visiting with a baby carriage

Baby carriages are welcome, but cannot be left unattended. Please contact the museum before your visit with any questions.

Activities

Audio guides are available at the information desk, with one tour aimed at adults and one at younger visitors. A small charge applies.

Gallery routes: Discover the polar regions with a pack-a-polar suitcase route, an explorer route and other activities for children.

Research Inquiries and Image Approval

Researchers wishing to learn about the museum’s collections should email museum@spri.cam.ac.uk to make an appointment.

To request approval to use images of the museum’s collection, please contact the Picture Library at the Scott Polar Research Institute.

10 . New Zealand’s towering mountains, temperate rainforests and remote river valleys all fueled Sir Peter Jackson’s creative spirit when he was crafting (精心制作) the well-known films The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. Let’s explore New Zealand, the real Middle-earth.

Start in Hobbiton

The journey starts from the exciting urban center of Auckland to Matamata—the home of the Hobbiton Movie Set. Your knowledgeable guide will help you fully understand the history and the on-location filming processes around The Shire.

Journey to Mordor

Experience wilderness in Tongariro National Park—an area known for its mountainous, desolate (荒凉的) beauty. This region was used as the location for some of the filming of Mordor in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Stand among the greenest of forests

Dewy (带露水的) scenery and natural spectacles (壮观的景象) are New Zealand’s biggest draw-cards and a sure reason why the country was chosen as the home of Middle-earth. Explore this magical world of tall trees, clear rivers and sweet bird songs on a short walk or famous multi-day hike. From Cape Reinga all the way down to Bluff there are national parks covering the country.

Discover Earnslaw Burn and the Misty Mountains Pathway

One of the most magical locations in The Hobbit trilogy is Earnslaw Burn. Here you will find sheer (陡峭的) walls of granite (花岗岩) rising 800 meters from the basin floor, and a glacier (冰川) creating a number of waterfalls from its meltwater that spill down from the cliff-tops.