<\/p>\n

Stonehenge: A “national disgrace.” Did I miss something?<\/p>\n

I’ve never thought of\u00a0the remarkable prehistoric wonder as such, but a\u00a0committee\u00a0involved with the globally-known monument recently described it that way (as well as the Guardian<\/a> and the Telegraph<\/a>). The reason is that the million or so people who travel there each year are now forced to pay a fee and walk from their spot to a remote viewing platform near the noisy junction of two\u00a0highways. Throwing elbows to catch a glimpse of the the circle doesn’t really appeal to me, either.<\/p>\n

There are seven other\u00a0destinations highlighted by\u00a0Wanderlust<\/a> that are threatened by too many people, bad planning, and poor security. The kicker? This is their second list. Are we\u00a0beginning to\u00a0lose too many places?<\/p>\n

Picture this. Tulum, Mexico. The 1970’s peaceful Mayan fishing villages\u00a0versus the “Girls Gone Wild”-Cancun ridiculousness. Nuff said.<\/p>\n

The desert outside of Wadi Rum, Jordan, is being pummeled by the hodgepodge of\u00a0tours seemingly playing by their own sets of rules.\u00a0Yangsao, now a fixture on the Chinese tour group itineraries, is being run over by\u00a0the\u00a0over 3 million people\u00a0visiting a year.\u00a0Although biking is still a\u00a0way to find some quiet, locals have sold out to entrepreneurs\u00a0selling hordes of trinkets, and much of the cities charm in the meantime.<\/p>\n

Despite surviving wars and\u00a0earthquakes,\u00a0Machu Pichu wasn’t designed to handle 2,500 people a day. The damage has led to\u00a0its listing on the World Monument Fund’s<\/a> endangered 2010 Watch list. Timbuktu\u00a0is nearly off limits due to security concerns. The increased water usage at the golden fort in Jaisalmer, India, is literally dissolving the city’s sandstone foundations. Rough Guides describes the Bay\u00a0of Fires in\u00a0Tasmania, Australia, as a, “free\u00a0for all.” Need I continue?<\/p>\n

There is a silver lining, though. (Come on, I couldn’t leave you with too negative of a post.) The other side of the coin, destinations on the up-and-up, are on the rise. So,\u00a0until the others get straightened out a bit, I would recommend the following.<\/p>\n

With increasing economic and political stability, and paired with incredible safaris that have weathered the hard times, Zimbabwe is back. Northeast Thailand is still the biggest bang for your buck, and you can take full advantage of the\u00a015% drop in visitors the region has recently experienced. Lastly, Madagascar’s increasing eco-tours are providing money for the\u00a0locals as well as informally policing the wilds.<\/p>\n

There’s still hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stonehenge: A “national disgrace.” Did I miss something? I’ve never thought of\u00a0the remarkable prehistoric wonder as such, but a\u00a0committee\u00a0involved with the globally-known monument recently described it that way (as well as the Guardian and the Telegraph). The reason is that the million or so people who travel there each year are now forced to pay […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,2561],"tags":[38,515,738,440,1181,1183,1184,451,1182],"yoast_head":"\n