Page 45 - Off the Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 1 of 2)

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ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL SIGHTS

MAIN IMAGE Visitors scaling the steps of Temple II, Tikal
BELOW (left to right) Tree roots growing around a ruin, Tikal; scarlet
macaw in the nearby jungle; reenactment of a Mayan ceremony, Tikal

4 MORE MAYAN SITES TO
RIVAL CHICHÉN ITZÁ

BONAMPAK, CHIAPAS, MEXICO Size isn’t everything and
Bonampak doesn’t win prizes for scale. It is, however, famous
for its fine murals and frescoes, which offer fascinating and
unique insights into the lives of the ancient Maya.
LAMANAI, ORANGE WALK DISTRICT, BELIZE A remote
and only partly uncovered site, Lamanai isn’t easy to get to,
but that only adds to its romance. That and the fact that its
name means “submerged crocodile” in Maya.
COPÁN, COPÁN DEPARTMENT, HONDURAS Experts love
Copán for its remarkably well-preserved hieroglyphic stairway,
elaborate sculptures, and fine stelae (inscribed stone columns),
as well as its wide plazas, underground tunnels, and ball court.
EDZNÁ, YUCATÁN, MEXICO The ruins of Edzná are located in
the rain forest, an hour south of Campeche. This relative
newcomer was only rediscovered in the mid-20th century, so
you might just have its five-floored pyramid to yourself.

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