Beyond the wild side
These national parks aren’t just about landscapes and wildlife, but the abundant cultural and historical sights, too.
Ranthambore, India: Tigers are the top ticket, but this former royal hunting reserve has temples, pavilions and an impressive pink World Heritage fort from the 10th century, elaborate with pillars, domes and Mughal arches. See tourism.rajasthan.gov.in.
Kruger, South Africa: Wildlife is abundant, but so too are archaeological sites. Three are open to the public and showcase an early European settlement, BaPhalaborwa trading post and remnants of the Great Zimbabwe culture. See sanparks.org.
Lake District, UK: The region’s picturesque landscapes inspired romantic writers such as John Ruskin and William Wordsworth. You’ll also find stone circles, Roman ruins, Tudor manors, and industrial heritage. See lakedistrict.gov.uk.
Yellowstone, USA: America’s greatest national park has more than 400 cultural sites, from prehistoric remains to the 1891 Fort Yellowstone. Many of its early tourist buildings and engineering projects are on the National Register of Historic Places. See nps.gov. Serengeti, Tanzania: The world’s most famous wildlife sanctuary is home to the Maasai, a formerly nomadic cattle-farming tribe. A visit to a circular boma (village) provides an encounter with daily Maasai life and cultural traditions. See tanzaniaparks.go.tz.
Goreme, Turkey: The highly eroded valleys and rock chimneys of central Turkey provided shelter for early Christians. The region is riddled with rock-carved monasteries and chapels decorated in vivid religious frescoes. See goturkey.com.
Fuji-Hakone-Izu, Japan: The Japanese have been admiring Fuji’s volcanic cone for centuries. The area is scattered with ancient Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and is cut through by the historic Tokaido highway between Kyoto and Tokyo. See jnto.org.au. Triglav, Slovenia: The Julian Alps command attention and the Soca River lures whitewater rafters, but you’ll also find traditional life showcased at Pocar Farm, The Open House and Dairy Museum. There are also prehistoric and World War I relics. See tnp.si.
Torres del Paine, Chile: This remote land of stunning, jagged mountains has probably been inhabited since 6000BC. Milodon Cave National Monument provided shelter for prehistoric people, who left behind tools and skeletons. See parquetorresdelpaine.cl. Banff, Canada: Mountains and lakes might be the drawcard, but you’ll also find heritage refuge cabins, ski lodges, and even a cosmic ray station. Nearby, Rocky Mountain House preserves an important fur-trading fort. See pc.gc.ca.