Three Compelling Sites You Shouldn't Miss in Kakadu National Park

There's nothing like exploring the Australian outback, but we say there's truly nothing like exploring Kakadu National Park. Kakadu is a whole lot more than a national park. In just a few days you can cruise on billabongs bursting with wildlife, examine 25,000-year-old rock paintings with the help of an Indigenous guide, swim in pools at the foot of tumbling waterfalls and hike through ancient sandstone escarpment country. Download the Kakadu National Park Travel Guide and Offline Map and start exploring.

1. Ubirr

Ubirr is 39km north of the Arnhem Hwy via a sealed road. It'll take a lot more than the busloads of visitors to disturb Ubirr's inherent majesty and grace. Layers of rock-art paintings, in various styles and from various centuries, command a mesmerizing stillness. Part of the main gallery depicts images of kangaroos, tortoises, and fish. Predating these are the paintings of mimi spirits: cheeky, dynamic figures who, it's believed, were the first of the Creation Ancestors to paint on rock.

2. Cahill's Crossing

It may be small, but there can be few more dramatic frontiers in Australia. This shallow causeway, which is impassable when the tide's in, crosses the East Alligator River from Kakadu National Park on the west bank to Arnhem Land to the east. And watching you as you cross is the river's healthy and rather prolific population of saltwater crocs. If you're not going across, wander down to the slightly elevated lookout on the west bank, but go no further as crocs lie in wait right by the riverbank.

3. Injalak Arts & Crafts Centre

At this center, artists and craftspeople display traditional paintings on bark and paper, plus didgeridoos, pandanus weavings and baskets, and screen-printed fabrics; the shop is excellent and half of the sale price goes directly to the artists. Take the time to wander around and watch the artists at work. The women usually make baskets out in the shade of the trees on the center's west side, while the men paint on the verandah to the east. Some of the works come from remote outstations throughout Arnhem Land.

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What to See in London's Renowned Tate Modern

This modern and contemporary art gallery is known to be one of London's most amazing attractions. What used to be Bankside Power Station on the South of the Millenium Bridge was revamped into what is now known as Tate Modern. The mesmerizing synthesis of modern art and industrial brick design brings about an extraordinarily successful in bringing challenging work to the masses. Download the Tate Modern Travel Guide and Offline Map now and start exploring.

1. Marilyn Diptych

Andy Warhol is a household name in the world of art, and this piece on Marilyn Monroe is eerily more relevant in today’s picture and pop-obsessed culture than ever before. Made in the months following the star’s death, Warhol combines ideas of finitude and the cult of celebrity by repeating the same image of the starlet with a gradual fade out that hints at mortality as it is contrasted with the acid bright images on the left.

2. Nude Woman With Necklace

One of Picasso’s best-known works, this colorful portrait bursts with unbridled energy and life. It depicts Picasso’s second wife, Jacqueline Roque, and her enigmatic facial expression is full of enough mystery to rival the Mona Lisa – she is at once vulnerable and defiant. The complexity of her portrait and the chaotic figuring of the body as simultaneous landscape and natural energies encapsulate the turbulent nature of their marriage.

3. Spatial Concept ‘Waiting’

Modern art famously challenges traditional artwork, forcing the viewer to scratch the surface and consider the true nature of artistic representation. Perhaps no work does so more simply and effectively than Spatial Concept ‘Waiting’, which presents the viewer with a boldly slashed canvas and asks them to reflect on the nature of the image and the materiality of the painting.

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3 Compelling Reasons to Visit the National Gallery of Art in Washington

There are various reasons to visit the National Gallery of Art in Washington, its collection of paintings, prints, photos, sculpture, and decorative arts traces the development of Western Art from the Middle Ages up to the present. This includes the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas and the largest mobile created by Alexander Calder. Download the National Gallery of Art in Washington Travel Guide and Offline Map.

1. Ginevra de’ Benci

The portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci is the only Leonardo da Vinci painting on public display not just in the District, but in all the Americas. The late 15th-century oil is more austere than da Vinci’s best-known portrait, made about 25 years later. There’s no hint of a smile on the face of this young woman, probably 16 and newly engaged when she posed.

2. Electronic Superhighway

Approach the tiny screen that represents the District in “Electronic Superhighway,” and you’ll see yourself live on closed-circuit TV. That’s one of many playful touches in Nam June Paik’s 40-foot-wide assemblage, which represents the United States in images fed from 50 DVD players to 335 television sets, plus that D.C. one. The screens show sweeping landscapes, iconic products and clips from Hollywood movies, all hurtling by as if glimpsed from a car racing at the speed limit.

3. Adams Memorial

There are works by Augustus Saint-Gaudens in the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art (the plaster version of his famous memorial to Robert Gould Shaw), but one of the most evocative of his statues isn’t in a museum, but rather in Rock Creek Cemetery. Commissioned by the great American writer Henry Adams, the Adams Memorial is a haunting, shrouded figure, set alone in a peaceful copse, a powerful memorial to Adams’s wife, who died by her own hand in 1885.

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Exploring the Great Outdoors at Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is the epitome of the great outdoors. A 1,583-square mile wilderness area in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, with glacier-carved peaks and valleys running to the Canadian border. It has more than 700 miles of hiking trails where you will see a diverse wildlife ranging from mountain goats to grizzly bears. The park also offers a variety of activities like hiking, cycling, and camping. Explore the great outdoors with the Glacier National Park Travel Guide and Offline Map.

1.     Going-to-the-Sun Road

As one of the park's highlights driving through Going-to-the-Sun Road should definitely not be missed. The spectacular 50-mile road was completed in 1932 and spans with the width of the entire Glacier National Park and crossing the Continental Divide at 6,646-foot-high Logan Pass. It passes through almost every type of terrain in the park where there are scenic viewpoints and pullouts so motorists can stop for extended views and photo opportunities.

2.      Goat Haunt

One of the more tranquil locations in the park, Goat Haunt provides you with an escape from the stresses of life. Cut trees may mark the International Boundary between the United States and Canada, but it is a place where the plants and animals here do not; they cross freely, as this is one large ecosystem and peaceful political boundaries do not affect the native flora and fauna.

3.     Lake McDonald Valley

On the west end of Glacier National Park is Lake McDonald Valley. The valley presents a wide variety of activities for you to experience. Once occupied by massive glaciers that carved this area thousands of years ago, the valley is now filled with spectacular sights, hiking trails, diverse species of plants and animals, historic chalets, and the grand Lake McDonald Lodge. Ten miles long and nearly 500 feet deep, Lake McDonald is the largest lake in the park.

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Exploring the Great Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. There's plenty to do and see at the park; from feeling the cool spray of a waterfall, camping under the stars to exploring a historic mill and even viewing the great black bears. Plan your trip with the Great Smoky Mountains Travel Guide and Offline Map.

1.      Cades Cove

Cades Cove offers the widest variety of historic buildings of any area in the national park. Scattered along the loop road are three churches, a working gristmill, barns, log houses, and many other faithfully restored eighteenth and nineteenth century structures. The valley has a rich history. For hundreds of years, Cherokee Indians hunted in Cades Cove but archeologists have found no evidence of major settlements. The first Europeans settled in the cove sometime between 1818 and 1821.

2.      Rainbow Falls

If you're adventurous at heart then hiking the Rainbow Falls Trail may be for you. The first mile of this popular but strenuous trail follows LeConte Creek. Later on, a log footbridge crosses the creek about 2 miles from the trailhead, and and the trail then crosses a tributary of LeConte Creek without the help of a bridge. After another two bridges, you will finally be rewarded by your first view of the falls, named for the rainbows seen in the mist that is caused by the afternoon sun.

3.      Hike the Smokies with the Family

There are several family-friendly short nature trails that every member will enjoy. The trails are perfect for exploring with children or for those who need an easy hike. Be sure to keep track and record the mileage from each trail excursion, even if it is the same trail day after day and the park will award you with mileage stickers and pins.

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3 Towns you should visit in Cinque Terre

There are lots to see in Cinque Terre, after all, it is literally mean "five lands" for the five villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare along the Northern West coast of Italy on the Mediterranean Sea. Besides the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre is one of the most popular stretches of the Italian Riviera. The five towns are full of colorful houses and vineyards that sit on steep terraces, harbors are filled with fishing boats, and trattorias turn out seafood specialties along with the Liguria region’s famous pesto sauce. Enjoy your visit to Cinque Terre by downloading the Cinque Terre Travel Guide and Offline Map.

1.      Riomaggiore

You've probably seen pictures of it all over social media, the colorful tower houses overlooking a quaint, sheltered beach. Yes, that's Riomaggiore and is the second largest town in Cinque Terre. Some of the places to visit are the Port of Riomaggiore, Church of San Giovanni, the Guardiola, and the Centre for Environmental Education and Naturalistic Observation. It's also known for its locally-produced wine and is the hometown of the Wine Cooperative of the Cinque Terre region. A notable feature is also the Riomaggiore castle, it was once used as a lookout for Saracen incursions, but now offers lodging and is open for events.

2.      Manrola

Manrola might be one of the smallest towns, but it is rich in culture and is the oldest. This ancient Roman town is huddled atop a headland of dark rock. Asides from its picturesque beauty, it is known to attract visitors from all over Italy and the world for its Nativity scene with 300 life-sized statues made from recycled materials. The church that is dedicated to the Nativity was once used as a lookout tower.

3.      Monterosso

This town has one the of the more interesting architectures in the region. During the 11th century to protect the town from Saracen pirates and rival Pisans, fortifications were increased thus defending the people from attacks. Here' you'll find the Church of San Giovanni Battista and the Aurora Tower. The famous depiction of the Crucifixion by Van Dyck himself is housed in the monastery of Cappuccini, which is connected to the church of San Francesco.

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3 Reasons to Explore the Grand Canyon, Nature’s Work of Art

Yes, the Grand Canyon is what it is--GRAND. And it's not just its immense that astounds; this steep-sided canyon flanked by beautifully colored layers of red rock and is carved by the Colorado River. It is nature's masterpiece with nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history. Erosional forms decorate a canyon that is 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep. Prepare to be mesmerized with the Grand Canyon Travel Guide and Offline Map as your tour partner in this majestic place.

1.      Antelope Canyon

A trip to Arizona with not be complete without a visit to the stunning Antelope Canyon. Created by rushing and powerful water, Antelope Canyon was discovered many centuries ago by Najavo tribes and given the English name ‘Antelope’ due to the many antelope that grazed here during the winter season. Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of the Navajo Sandstone primarily due to flash floods. Rainwater runs into the basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form the magical characteristic "flowing" shapes in the rock.

2.      Horseshoe Bend

The Horseshoe Bend is absolutely stunning and if you’re into geology, it’s incredible that it even came to be. This place has become highly memorable and many people seek it out when they are in the Grand Canyon area. For years, many visitors were not aware that the Grand Canyon is surrounded by many small canyons, but today the Horseshoe Bend how become one of the most photographed geological attractions in the world.

3.      Havasu Falls

Havasu Falls is part of the Havasupai American Indian Reservation. Havasupai means “people of the blue-green water”, an apt description when you see the lustrous, natural water color. High calcium carbonate concentration in the water creates the vivid blue-green color and forms the natural travertine dams that occur in various places near the falls. Due to flash floods, the appearance of the falls and its plunge pools has changed multiple times. Prior to the flood of 1910, water flowed in a near continuous sheet, and was known as Bridal Veil Falls. Currently, water sprouts from one single shoot.

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