Greetings to all in TheExpeditioner nation! I’m excited to dive in here. Let’s wish Matt safe travels and kudos to him for the Hollywood-ready headshots of Hal and I in his last post.

Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to see two of the twenty-eight finalists (Jeju Island, Korea and Halong Bay, Vietnam) which are currently being voted on for the seven avaliable slots, as the “New 7 Natural Wonders of the World.” Riding the coattails of the success of the 2007 campaign distinguishing the new “7 Man Made Wonders of the World,” the site expects to have up to a billion votes creating a deeper appreciation for the sites found all over the globe.

Whittled down from seventy-seven original possibilities, the remaining still contain the usual suspects, Grand Canyon, Mt. Kilimanjaro (pictured above), Angel Falls, Great Barrier Reef. Joining these are some lesser known, yet equally stunning places such as India’s Sundarbans, Lebanon’s Jeita Grotto, Germany’s Black Forest, and several others. A full list and information on each can be found here.

It must have been quite an undertaking narrowing down everything on earth to a clear and concise list; I’ve had many a discussion regarding some glaring omissions (Mt. Everest or Niagara Falls rings a bell). When all debates are said and done, it’s great to see this kind of excitement surround so many of the world’s wonderful destinations. 

Since I’ve only visited three of these to date, I can’t help but see myself in twenty-five more cheezy jump pictures, with each of the possible winners as my background (did someone say “round the world ticket?”).