I thought of departing from the tradition of discovering and featuring hidden places and thought of discussing the popular ones, which in it’s popularity is now being dreaded to disappear in a few years or so. They are either ruined by natural disasters, which are not so natural anymore due to global warming and by man slaughtering.

1. The Great Barrier reef in Australia

Due to warming of sea temperatures, the corals here are losing their color and fade. Now, the culprit here is global warming. This destination is home to the madrepore coral, which are essential to the formation of reefs in the island. In a span of ten years, the reef has suffered two of its worst ever coral bleaching events. There has also been an ongoing four-fold increase in the harvest of sharks and manta rays and a decline in the number of nesting loggerhead turtles by 80%.

2. The Amazon Rainforest in Brazil

More than 20% of the Amazon Rainforest has already been destroyed as large tracts of the forest have been parceled out to various private groups engaged in logging, coffee production, and hydroelectrics. As the result, the wildlife and plant life are under the threat of extinction.

3. Goa in India

This place is best known for its ayurvedic centers which attract wellness lovers. However, as if typhoons that destroy the coasts of the Indian continent weren’t enough , this small ex-Portuguese enclave is at risk of ending up like Macau, where millions of tourists arrive, attracted by glitzy casinos. The Indian government has approved the opening of 10 new casinos ( some floating).

4. The Himalayas

The home to Mt. Everest, which I don’t have to describe, is on its way to being snow-deprived if global warming continues. It has bear the brunt of deforestation, population growth, and the onslaught of tourists during springtime. At first glance, there’s nothing wrong with that right? But the climbing expeditions overcrowd the mountain and worsen the environmental problems.

5. The Babuyan islands in the Philippines

It’s not a tourist destination but our airborne friends go here during their yearly migration to the south. Two snake species and 13 sub species are found in its biggest island, Calayan. This place is seen as a future breeding ground for humping whales. But, rampant use of dynamite to salvage shipwrecks and unchecked slash-and-burn farming are already threatening their habitat.

6. Toliara in Madagascar

This country is an island nation off the southern coast of Africa. It is home to 5% of the world’s animal and plant species. The Isalo National Park which is about 80,000 hectares is only one of the over 40 protected areas in this country. But illegal and unregulated mining of sapphires in nearby Ilakaka has been a threat to the park for years now. Further expansions of illicit mining activities may permanently deface the landscape and drive away its inhabitants.

These paradises cannot wait any longer for the more environment cautious tourists. The destruction they are suffering are either due to climate change or man-made damaging acts. But then again, climate change has something to do with human acts, as strongly emphasized by numerous global warming documentaries.