Tanzania - Ngorongoro Conservation Area

"A large permanent concentration of wild animals can be found in the huge and perfect crater of Ngorongoro. Nearby, the crater of Empakaai, filled by a deep lake, and the active volcano of Oldonyo Lenga can be seen. Excavations carried out in the Olduvai Gorge, not far from there, have resulted in the discovery of one of our more distant ancestors, Homo habilis. Laitoli Site, which also lies within the area, is one of the main localities of early hominid footprints, dating back 3.6 million years." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard # 1
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is based on the largest crater (Inactive one). It is unique for the perfect combination of the crater, exclusive landscapes, diverse species of animals and plants, and the presence of Masai tribes in the area.
It is also called "8th Wonder of the World" or "Cradle of Mankind" as printed on the postcard as well.

Both the stamps used on the card are from the "Wild Life of Tanzania" Series issued on 31 Aug 2009. The complete series had 18 stamps in it.
The two stamps pasted on the cover show a Pensive Water Buck (1000 Tanzanian Shillings TZS) and Grant's Red Colobus Monkeys (600 Tanzanian Shillings TZS).

Posted from Dar es Salaam, it is an amazing postcard to have in my collection. Thanks a lot Yue.

Tanzania - Kilimanjaro National Park

"At 5,895 m, Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa. This volcanic massif stands in splendid isolation above the surrounding plains, with its snowy peak looming over the savannah. The mountain is encircled by mountain forest. Numerous mammals, many of them endangered species, live in the park." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

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Mount Kilimajaro National Park is one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in United Republic of Tanzania. It is also the highest mountain in the African continent with a height of 5,895 ms above sea level.  

Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the largest volcanoes in the world. Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira are its three volcanic peaks. With its snow-capped peak and glaciers, it is the highest mountain in Africa. The mountain has five main vegetation zones from the lowest to the highest point: Lower slopes, montane forest, heath and moorland, alpine desert and summit. The whole mountain including the montane forest belt is very rich in species, in particular mammals, many of them endangered species. For this combination of features but mostly its height, its physical form and snow cap and its isolation above the surrounding plains, Mount Kilimanjaro is considered an outstanding example of a superlative natural phenomenon.

The stamps used on the postcard were as follows:-

• The right-most stamp shows a beautiful Pensive Water Buck from the series: Wild Animals of Tanzania. It is one stamp from a set of 18 Wild Animals stamps issued on 31 August 2009.
• The stamp in the centre shows a cute bird named Gurney's Pitta.
• The left-most stamp shows a flower and insect. The names of both as mentioned on the stamp are Golden Ray Lily (Lilium Auratum) and South African Longhorn Beetle (Tragocephala Variegata).

Thanks a lot Yue for such a lovely addition in my UNESCO collection.

Ethiopia - Simien National Park

"Massive erosion over the years on the Ethiopian plateau has created one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, with jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys and sharp precipices dropping some 1,500 m. The park is home to some extremely rare animals such as the Gelada baboon, the Simien fox and the Walia ibex, a goat found nowhere else in the world." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

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What a surprise it was!
An official Postcrossing postcard from one of the rarest countries in Africa and that too with a lovely Postcrossing ID. Above all, it was a UNESCO postcard. Kate definitely made my day super bright.

The Simien National Park is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Ethiopia. The postcard shows a view of Chennek and Imet Gogo.

Kate also used some very beautiful stamps on the cover.

• The top two stamps showing Menelik's Bushbuck (Tragelaphus Scriptus Meneliki) are part of definitive stamps issued in 2000
• The stamp at left top shows the photo of a running Ethiopian athlete named Haile Gebrselassie. The stamp is part of a set of 4 stamps issued in 2000.
• The bottom stamp shows a "critically endangered" Black Rhinocerous (Diceros Bicornis) species. The stamp is part of a set of 10 definitive Black Rhino stamps issued in 2005, all showing the same photo of the rhino with different back ground colours.

By the way, the Postcrossing ID of the postcard is ET-1244. I simply loved the ID!

Thanks a lot Kate for this lovely postcard!

DR Congo - Salonga National Park

"Salonga National Park is Africa's largest tropical rainforest reserve. Situated at the heart of the central basin of the Congo river, the park is very isolated and accessible only by water. It is the habitat of many endemic endangered species, such as the dwarf chimpanzee, the Congo peacock, the forest elephant and the African slender-snouted or 'false' crocodile" 

Source: World Heritage Site List

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DR Congo - Virunga National Park

"Virunga National Park (covering an area of 790,000 ha) comprises an outstanding diversity of habitats, ranging from swamps and steppes to the snowfields of Rwenzori at an altitude of over 5,000 m, and from lava plains to the savannahs on the slopes of volcanoes. Mountain gorillas are found in the park, some 20,000 hippopotamuses live in the rivers and birds from Siberia spend the winter there." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard # 1

DR Congo - Garamba National Park

"The park's immense savannahs, grasslands and woodlands, interspersed with gallery forests along the river banks and the swampy depressions, are home to four large mammals: the elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus and above all the white rhinoceros. Though much larger than the black rhino, it is harmless; only some 30 individuals remain." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard # 1

DR Congo - Kahuzi-Biega National Park

"A vast area of primary tropical forest dominated by two spectacular extinct volcanoes, Kahuzi and Biega, the park has a diverse and abundant fauna. One of the last groups of eastern lowland (graueri) gorillas (consisting of only some 250 individuals) lives at between 2,100 and 2,400 m above sea-level." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard # 1

Here's an original postcard from Kahuzi-Biega National Park. It was bought directly from Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo.

(The postcard is 4" x 6" in size!)
I did buy some extra postcards for friends but due to high cost of postcards I may be able to sell only and not be able to swap them with ordinary postcards. If interested, please leave a message below. I also bought some more postcards showing the 3 other UNESCO sites from DR Congo named Garamba National Park, Salonga National Park and Virunga National Park.

Seychelles: Aldabra Atoll - UNESCO World Heritage Site

"The atoll is comprised of four large coral islands which enclose a shallow lagoon; the group of islands is itself surrounded by a coral reef. Due to difficulties of access and the atoll's isolation, Aldabra has been protected from human influence and thus retains some 152,000 giant tortoises, the world's largest population of this reptile."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage List

The least-disturbed large island in the Indian Ocean, Aldabra is of outstanding scientific interest. It is the only place in the world where a reptile is the dominant herbivore; some 150,000 giant tortoises (more than on the Galápagos Islands) feed on tie grasses and shrubbery, including plants that have evolved to take advantage of tortoise grazing patterns. The tortoises are the last survivors of a life form once found on many Indian Ocean islands; slow-moving and vulnerable, the giant land tortoises on all other Indian Ocean islands have been driven to extinction by human exploitation, leaving Aldabra as their only remaining stronghold. The island's isolation has allowed the evolution of a distinct fauna, with two endemic birds (Aldabra arush warbler and Aldabra drongo) and another 11 birds that have distinct subspecies (showing evolution in action); among the most interesting is the Aldabran white-throated rail, the last representative of the western Indian Ocean flightless birds - all others have gone the way of the dodo.
Aldabra is a classic coral atoll which has been built up from the seabed. It consists of four main islands of coral limestone separated by narrow passes and enclosing a large shallow lagoon. Most of the land surface consists of ancient coral reef (about 125,000 years old) now raised above sea level, the rest being even older reef limestones. The lagoon contains many smaller islands and the entire atoll is surrounded by an outer reef. Geomorphological processes have produced a varied topography, generally rugged, which supports a variety of habitats with a relatively rich biota for an oceanic island, and a high degree of endemism. Over much of the surface of the islands, weathering has led to dissection of the limestones into holes and pits, although at the eastern end the surface is more continuous on upraised lagoonal sediments. Along the coast are undercut limestone cliffs, with a perched beach and sand dunes on the southern (windward) coast. Marine habitats range from coral reefs to mangrove mudflats with minimal human impact. Tidal range is more than 3 m, which can lead to strong channel currents.

Democratic Republic of Congo - Okapi Wildlife Reserve

"The Okapi Wildlife Reserve occupies about one-fifth of the Ituri forest in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Congo river basin, of which the reserve and forest are a part, is one of the largest drainage systems in Africa. The reserve contains threatened species of primates and birds and about 5,000 of the estimated 30,000 okapi surviving in the wild. It also has some dramatic scenery, including waterfalls on the Ituri and Epulu rivers. The reserve is inhabited by traditional nomadic pygmy Mbuti and Efe hunters."
Source: UNESCO World Heritage List

This beautiful postcard showing an Okapi in Democratic Republic of Congo was sent to me by Postcard Interactive Company of Sydney. The store specialises in UNESCO World Heritage Site Postcards. You can also find many nice postcards there.
It is inscribed as a Natural Heritage Site in Danger.

Russia: Volcanoes of Kamchatka

"This is one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world, with a high density of active volcanoes, a variety of types, and a wide range of related features. The six sites included in the serial designation group together the majority of volcanic features of the Kamchatka peninsula. The interplay of active volcanoes and glaciers forms a dynamic landscape of great beauty. The sites contain great species diversity, including the world's largest known variety of salmonoid fish and exceptional concentrations of sea otter, brown bear and Stellar's sea eagle."
Source: Volcanoes of Kamchatka - UNESCO WHS List

 Here's an official postcrossing postcard to add to my UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is always nice to receive an official postcard featuring a UNESCO site and helping my project. It is the 2nd postcard in my collection from Russian Federation or Russia. The postcard features "Volcanoes of Kamchatka" in Northern Russia, which is a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site.
More than 300 volcanoes are found in Kamchatka, 29 being currently active, including caldera, strata-volcano, somma-volcano and mixed types, the largest included in the World Heritage site being Kronotskaya Sopka (3,528 m). In addition there is a multitude of thermal and mineral springs, geysers and other phenomena of active vulcanism.
If I am not wrong, then the postcard shows a view of Koryaksky Volcano. If you have any knowledge, then please feel free to share with us.

Anna sent this beautiful postcard to me and pasted 4 beautiful stamps at the back of the card and an amazingly lovely heart sticker too. Anna has  a 10 years old daughter, who is also a postcrosser. I am sure that she must be enjoying this fun activity already.

Thanks a lot Anna for this lovely postcard from Siberia.
If you have any question or any details to share, please feel free to leave a comment below.