We’re travelling around the world and virtually visiting 10 national parks that we’d love to see in person one day.
Why not travel with us and improve your English?
Voice message from Carolina from Argentina
Pronunciation of ‘entrepreneurs’
10 National parks we’d like to visit
Yellowstone National Park – western US in Wyoming and also in Montana and Idaho. First in the US (and maybe in the world) national park. Founded in 1872. Old Faithful geyser – erupts every 90 minutes up to 56 metres.
The park is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera (dormant volcano), the largest supervolcano on the continent. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Grizzly bears, wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk live in this park. In the winter, you can travel around by snowmobile.
Kruger National Park – the north-eastern part of South Africa, bordering Mozambique and Zimbabwe. One of the few places on earth to have the Big Five in their natural habitat: elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and buffalos. 14 different ecozones, each with its own distinct wildlife. An excellent place for a safari and wildlife spotting in general. The more adventurous may even drive themselves through the park or hike through it.
Yosemite National Park – northern California. World Heritage Site. granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is wilderness. Sierra Nevada mountain range. Not far from Yosemite is the Sequoia national park with the General Sherman Tree. By volume, it is the largest known living tree on Earth. It is estimated to be around 2,300 to 2,700 years old (700 BC – 300 BC). 84 metres high and 11 metres wide.
Doñana National Park – located on the right bank of the River Guadalquiver around the estuary on the Atlantic Ocean in Andalusia, Spain, very near north Africa. World Heritage Centre. One of Europe’s most important wetlands reserves and a major site for migrating birds. It’s known for its variety of habitats – lagoons, marshlands, dunes and woodland – that provide shelter for a range of endangered bird species.
Komodo National Park, Indonesia – founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard. The islands of Komodo, Padar and Rinca are the driest parts of Indonesia.
Komodo dragons can grow up to 3 metres long and weigh up to 70 kilograms. They have a poisonous bite with toxic proteins with an anticoagulant. They hunt in groups and occasionally attack humans.
The Lake District National Park – situated in the north-west of England, it is home to the country’s principal lakes, including Windermere, the largest.
England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike is also found here in this rural, isolated area. Scenic views, valleys, fells (barren, high-altitude areas), moors (tracts of remote uncultivated land) and lakes dominate the area. Romantic poet William Wordsworth, who lived in the area, often featured it in his lyrical poetry.
Galapagos National Park – Located off the coast of Ecuador (Ecuador – https://inglespodcast.com/254). Established in 1959. In 1831, British naturalist Charles Darwin set off for the islands aboard HMS Beagle.
97% of the islands are a national park and the surrounding sea is a marine reserve. You can see the only ocean-swimming lizard, the Galapagos marine iguana.
Most of the animals are fearless and allow visitors to get up close.
Iguazu National Park – located on the border of Argentina and Brazil and home to Iguazu (“Great Water”) Falls, the huge semi-circular waterfall that pours into both countries.
Some 2,000 plant and 400 bird species can be found in its Atlantic forest. Wild cats, including jaguars and ocelots, as well as howler monkeys, rare broad-snouted caimans and giant anteaters, live in the area. The park can be visited on foot.
Ao Phang Nga National Park, Thailand – in the Phang Nga Province in southern Thailand, not far from Malaysia. It’s popular for its numerous limestone tower islands (see the James Bond movie, The Man With the Golden Gun – 1974)
Ao Phang Nga National Park is mostly explored by kayak. Other highlights include pristine beaches, luminous caves and reptiles. The largest area of native mangrove forest remaining in Thailand.
Fiordland National Park – at the southern tip of South Island in New Zealand.
One of the largest national parks in the world, renowned for its incredible natural beauty, made up of 14 fjords.
A fjord/fiord is a U-shaped glacier-carved valley that has been flooded by the sea.
However, Maoari folklore explains this geographical feature as the handiwork of giant stonemason Tute Rakiwhanoa. As well as rare flightless birds and other wildlife, breathtaking waterfalls, underwater caves and ominous mountains abound.
Of course, there are many other national parks we’d like to visit, but can’t go into detail about them all now.
They include: Serengeti (Tanzania), Canaima (Venezuela), Banff (Canada), Torres del Paine (Chile), Corcovado (Costa Rica), Plitvice (Croatia), Wadi Rum (Jordan),
Kaziranga (India), Kakadu (Australia), and many more.
What have you learned in this episode?…..
…and now it’s your turn to practise your English.
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Edgar Velandia
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On next week’s episode: 8 common colloquial expressions – Part 4
The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’
Photo by Samuel Bordo on Unsplash
Thank you so much for this wonderful podcast. I learned a lot and the way you teach is easy, funny and very interesting. By the way I love your accent, your pronunciation. Blessings!
Thank you for your kind words, Marylin. We’re really pleased that you enjoy the podcast and find it useful. 🙂