Arizona

The mind-blowing landscape of Arizona with amazing rock formations, spectacular canyons and mysterious wild deserts deserves to be a runner-up on the list of the most beautiful places in North America. With such jewels as the sites of Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Glen Canyon, or Lake Powell (shared with Utah) it can rival the world's most amazing destinations. The only small crack in this glorious natural masterpiece is the crowd that can sometimes spoil the magnificent views.

Yoho National Park - Canada

Yoho National Park, which lies in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, has an area of 1,313 sq km (507 sq mi), and it is the smallest of the four national parks in the Rockies, but its beauty is grand. The site of marvelous mountains, rivers, waterfalls, clear lakes and wide meadows was declared a World Heritage Site in 1984.

Tulum-Mexico

Tulum sits on the exotic Yucatan Peninsula surrounded by the dazzling waters of the Caribbean Sea. This Mexican city of heavenly tropical landscapes houses the Pre-Columbian Maya city. The vistas of dramatically located ruins mixed with the balmy surroundings create a one-of-a-kind destination. The Caribbean laid-back atmosphere, white sands, slender palm trees and the turquoise ocean combine with the Mayan site to give the city its exceptional beauty.

Vancouver- Canada

Vancouver, the harbour city beautifully located on the Burrard Peninsula between Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River in British Colombia, Canada, is a mecca for virtually all enthusiasts of museums, excellent restaurants, cafes, clubs, and in general, for fans of vibrant urban life. A large number of various rankings and surveys have proved that Vancouver is the best city in the world to live in. Besides its cultural, architectural, and infrastructural advantages, the city's natural beauty of nearby beaches, mountains, and forests makes it one of the world's most stunning metropolises.

The Kalalau Valley-Hawaii

7. The Kalalau Valley. Hawaii

The Kalalau Valley is one of the most beautiful sites on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. The lush tropical valley is located in the Na Pali Coast and it is accessible only by kayak or along the Kalalau Trail.
The magnificent Kalalau is surrounded by high green cliffs of more than 2,000 feet (610m) and the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean. The glorious landscape, isolation and wild nature make the place an excellent getaway for hikers, kayakers, and other outdoor addicts.

Vellayani

vellayani is a picturesque village situated on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram. Vellayani Lake, the only fresh water lake in Thiruvananthapuram District, is in this village. The village has vast paddy fields which add to its beauty.
Vellayani Devi Temple is situated on the banks of Vellayani Lake. Kaliyoottu Mahotsavam, a 40- day-long festival, is the major festival celebrated in this temple. College of Agriculture, situated here, is one of the main agricultural colleges of Kerala. The village also takes the pride of possessing a big agricultural ground which belongs to this college.
Nemom Sree Mahadev Temple is easily accessible from here.

College of Agriculture Vellayani

College of Agriculture was founded in 1955 at Vellayani, a village on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram. The college is housed in the palace building belonging to the royal family of erstwhile Travancore. It is under the faculty of agriculture of the Kerala Agricultural University.
A pioneering institution of its kind in Kerala, the college offers undergraduate and post graduate programs in the field of agriculture. A well-maintained farm helps in field facilities for giving adequate work experience for the BSc course and for conducting researches of MSc and PhD students.
The college has departments for agronomy, soil science, horticulture, agricultural botany and plant breeding, entomology, plant pathology, plantation crops, agricultural extension and agricultural economics. It houses a soil museum under the supervision of the department of soil science. The college also operates a sales counter cum information center for the benefit of the public.
Seminars, symposia, workshops, field days and farmers' fairs are usually organized. On-campus and off-campus trainings are imparted to various categories of officers of the Department of Agriculture, Co-operation, Forest and Nationalized Banks by the concerned specialists of the college

Vellayani Lake

Vellayani Lake, the only fresh water lake in Thiruvananthapuram District, is located at Vellayani, a picturesque village on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city. The lake water is extensively used for drinking and irrigational purposes.
The origin of this lake is related to a saint, who used to meditate under a banyan tree at this place. One day, a beggar came up to him and asked for some water to drink. When saint found that his pot was nearly empty, he poured the last few drops in the pot into his palm and with a prayer, threw the drops as far as he could. It is believed that the land till the point where the drops touched the earth turned into a big lake.
Vellayani Vishnu Temple and Vellayani Devi Temple are two famous shrines situated on the banks of this lake

Vellayani Devi Temple

Vellayani Devi Temple is a highly revered shrine located at Vellayani, in Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala. This 700-year old shrine, situated near the picturesque Vellayani Lake, is one of the renowned historic temples in Kerala. The temple enshrines Goddess Kali as the presiding deity.
Other deities worshipped here include Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh and Nagaraja. The temple also has a separate shrine dedicated to Madan Thampuran.
Vellayani Devi Temple is renowned for celebrating the longest (50 days) non pilgrimage festival of South India. This festival held once in 3 years is known as the ‘Kaliyoottu Mahotsavam’ – which literally means ‘the festival of feeding the Devi’. During the festive occasion thousands of people from all over the district visit the temple to pay respect to the deity.
Vellayani Vishnu Temple, an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, situated nearby is worth visiting.
Vellayani Devi Temple can be reached easily from Thiruvananthapuram Central Bus Station (9 km). Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station is the nearest railhead.

Vellayani Vishnu Temple

Vellayani Temple is situated in Thiruvananthapuram. It is an ancient temple. The temple faces west, which is rare for Vishnu temples. The deity of the temple is in a standing posture and has four hands. The hands at the back hold the conch and the Sudarshanachakra, while one hand in the front holds the gada [club], and the other is on varada mudra form. Vellayani Lake is situated near the temple. It is said that a sage used to meditate under this banyan tree. One day, a beggar came up to him and asked for some water to drink. The pot was empty. The sage poured the last few drops in the pot into his palm and with a prayer, threw the drops as far as he could. To the beggar's astonishment, a lake appeared, growing bigger and bigger. Out of the depths of the lake, arose an idol. The sage picks up it and placed under the banyan tree. The Travancore Devaswom is in charge of the temple.

Lake Saiful Muluk – Pakistan

Lake Saiful Muluk is a lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley near Naran. A fairy tale called Saiful Muluk, written by the famous sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, is associated with the lake. It is the story of prince of Persia who fell in love with a fairy princess at the lake. The impact of the lake beauty is of such extent that people believe that fairies come down to lake in full moon.
 

Skardu Valley

Skardu Valley – Pakistan

Photo by bogavanterojo

Photo by NotMicroButSoft

Skardu Valley is part of the Baltistan. Baltistan is spread over an area of 26,000 square kilometres – just right below the jagged and glaciated ramparts of the Karakoram. Once part of Laddakh, it was known as Tibet-i-Khurd – Little Tibet. Archaeological exploration has proven that it was encompassed by the Silk Trade Route.