10 vacation destinations

The+Freedom+Tower+is+just+one+of+the+many+sites+you+can+visit+in+New+York+City.

Courtesy photo

The Freedom Tower is just one of the many sites you can visit in New York City.

Beau Potter, Staff Writer

10 Maui The most adored of all the Hawaiian Islands is one of the best vacation spots in the world. If you love lush beaches, exotic wildlife, exquisite resorts, and dancing with hula girls then this is your ideal summer vacation spot.

New York City This concrete jungle holds a plethora of metropolitan activities, anything from taking a stroll through Central Park to gazing upon some of the world’s most beautiful skyscrapers, including the Freedom Tower and the Empire State Building.

8 Tokyo Another massive and beautiful city with infinite things to do or see. Japan’s biggest city has a large abundance of historical sites from temples to museums to cherry blossom trees, and even more skyscrapers!

7 Rome With some of the most elegant and oldest monuments, the “Eternal City” has plenty to offer. You could gaze upon the gigantic Colosseum or walk around the beautiful Vatican City and even enjoy a mile high plate of spaghetti and meatballs at a trattoria.

6 London A famous English writer once said, “You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is London all that life can afford”. Samuel Johnson once said this over two centuries ago but the words still render truth.

5 Cusco What was once the heart of the Incan Empire is now a lavish city with gorgeous examples of Andean and Spanish style masonry. While you are there you can walk the Incan trails of Machu Picchu and enjoy a churro at the Qorikancha.

4 Florence This small city flourishing in the Tuscan hills is jam packed with history. As a major key to the Renaissance, Florence has unbeatable romantic charm and scrumptious Italian cuisine. Also, it has a wealth of extravagant clothing stores for all you shopaholics.

3 Bora Bora With dormant volcanoes, lush jungles, and relaxing lagoons, the “pearl of the sea” can only be described as spectacular! You can hike up Mount Otemanu and through the jungles and even visit the small town Vaitape.

2 Paris Probably the most graceful city in the world, Paris has an unlimited amount of things to do. You can take a relaxing river ride on La Seine right through the heart of the city or see some of the most famous art in history at La Louvre. If you don’t mind heights you can enjoy the majestic view of the entire city from the peak of the Eiffel Tower.

1 Great Barrier Reef This natural wonder of the world is the largest coral reef on the planet and is teeming with beautiful aquatic life. You’re going to need more than a couple hours to scuba through this extensive 1,250 miles of natural beauty. It is home to about 3,000 coral reefs and 1,625 different species of fish.