Jaisalmer makes it to over-exploited travel picks list

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Travellers yearning to explore prehistoric Stonehenge or Machu Piccu's Inca ruins better start packing, as both are on a list of endangered destinations, according to a British travel magazine.

Wanderlust Magazine's (www.wanderlust.co.uk) second annual "Threatened Wonders List" has identified eight top travel picks that have been over-exploited.

Most, including the haunting Jordan desert valley of Wadi Rum, made famous in the cinema classic Lawrence of Arabia, are plagued by tourists, poor planning and shoddy security, the magazine said.

Travellers should avoid Stonehenge -- perhaps the world's most famous prehistoric site and a centre for British pagan celebration -- unless they wish to see a carpark and glimpse the stone monoliths from a disappointingly remote viewing area, the magazine said.

Avid trekkers should also rethink a trip to Peru's Machu Piccu, which is plagued by trash and encroaching minibus routes. Up to 2,500 tourists a day trample the mountainside ruins, making it impossible to protect against wear and tear.

Timbuktu in northern Mali also gets a mention, with British diplomats last year issuing security warnings for the area after the execution of a British traveller by militant group al Qaeda.

The river town of Yangshuo in China, beachside Tulum in Mexico and Jaisalmer of India also made the list, along with Australia's evocatively-named Bay of Fires, in south Tasmania state.

The bay was Tasmania's "best-kept secret", but was threatened by a massive, recent influx of visitors, to the dismay of Aboriginal elders who claim the 30 km (19 mile) stretch of coast is dotted with sacred burial grounds.

Wanderlust offered several alternatives to well-worn tourist tracks for 2010.

Zimbabwe's newfound stability was encouraging and wildlife sightings a massive drawcard for the country, it said.

Khmer ruins in northeastern Thailand and Madagascar, off Africa's eastern coast, were also hot tips for ecotourists looking for value-for-money, the magazine said.