How To Take Travel Photos with Fantastic...
Top 5 Weirdest Foods from Around the Wor...
Egypt Opens Alcohol-Free Hotel in Red Se...
Top 5 Luxury Travel Trends
How would you like to take breathtaking special effects shots on your holidays with just your regular camera? Finally, you can learn how to create...
After researching on some of the weirdest foods around the world, here’s my take on the top 5. Enjoy! Hákarl or kæstur hákarl (Iceland) This...
Egypt opens an alcohol-free hotel at the popular beach resort of Hurghada recently. The Le Roi Hotel is one of the first alcohol-free hotels to open o...
According to various news reports, as travellers’ interest in environmentally friendly holidays continues to grow, so will the number of innovative an...
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Finally, a major piece of the mystery of Stonehenge, British...
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The Loch Ness Monster was captured on a mobile phone camera ...
According to AFP and Yahoo reports, demand for farmland may strip the Greater Mekong region of a thi...
Polish company Deep Ocean Technology, with the help of Swiss...
From 3 April this year, visitors can look forward to discove...
According to the latest report from China Daily, the ancient...
How would you like to take breathtaking special effects shots on your holidays with just your regular camera? Finally, you can learn how to create “light painting” images that are out of this world, create crazy special effects images that your friends cannot figure out and more even if you are just an amateur!
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After researching on some of the weirdest foods around the world, here’s my take on the top 5. Enjoy!
Hákarl or kæstur hákarl (Iceland)
This is a food from Iceland that is made up of a Greenland shark or sleeper shark which has been cured with a particular fermentation process and hung to dry for four to five months. Often referred to as an acquired taste with an ammonia-rich smell, Hákarl is served as part of a selection of traditional Icelandic food served at Icelandic winter festival. This was the food which chef Anthony Bourdain of the Travel Channel described as “the single worst, most disgusting tasting thing” he had ever eaten.
Beondegi (Korea)
Beondegi (번데기) is apparently a popular snack food in the Korean cuisine. Steamed or boiled silkworm pupae whic
h are seasoned, Beondegi are often served by roadside vendors, in restaurants and also sold in cans in grocery and convenience stores in Korea.
Basashi (馬刺し) (Japan)
Basashi, raw horse meat or horse sashimi, is a delicacy in many parts of Japan. Some of the locals referred to it as “cherry blossom meat” (桜肉)because of its bright pinkish colour. How appropriate in a country which is most famous for its spectacular cherry blossoms.
Basashi is often served on a bed of ice with condiments such as soy sauce, shiso leaves and daikon (Japanese radish). It is extremely chewy, and is said to be a healthy dish, low in calories with a high protein content.
Nopales (Mexico)
Nopales is a vegetable made from the young cladode segments of prickly pear, carefully peeled to remove the spines and is very popular in Mexico. They are most commonly used in Mexican cuisine in dishes like hueyos con nopales (eggs with nopales), came con nopales (meat with nopales) or simply on their own as a salad. In recent years, bottled or canned versions are also available in supermarkets or exported for sale.
Kiviak (Greenland)
A traditional winter food, Kiviak from Greenland is made of auks (birds of the family Alcidae that look something like the penguins), preserved in the hollowed out body of a seal. Usually, about 500 auks are put into the seal skin intact, including their beaks, feet and feathers, before as much air as possible is removed from the seal skin. It is then sewn up and sealed with grease, with a large rock placed on top to keep the air content low.
After seven months, the fermented birds are taken out and eaten during the Greenlandic winter, especially during birthdays and weddings.
Egypt opens an alcohol-free hotel at the popular beach resort of Hurghada recently. The Le Roi Hotel is one of the first alcohol-free hotels to open on the country’s Red Sea coast.
Recently, liberals have voiced concerns that Islamists who came to power last year were seeking to limit personal freedoms, but Yasser Kamal, the owner of the hotel, said: “The idea of launching a hotel without alcohol is not to adhere to any particular movement but rather to provide a new kind of tourism.” He hoped that his hotel would attract conservative Muslim tourists to a region popular with foreign and local visitors.
With 134 rooms and 35 suites, the top floor and a swimming pool on that floor has been designated for women, as Muslims believe that unrelated males and females should be segregated.
Around 14.5 million people visited Egypt in 2010, accounting for 10 percent of economic activity and earning the country $12.5 billion. However, the year after, visitor numbers fell to around 9.8 million due to political turmoil and it has yet to recover since. The new hotel has raised questions on whether such developments will deter foreign visitors to the country who do want to enjoy one drink or two on their holiday trips. The government said it would no longer issue licenses to sell alcohol in some urban areas, including the outskirts of major population centres.
And in a move to boost tourism, Egypt has also earlier announced plans to install live web cameras in all tourist hotspots in the country, after the recent political unrest. This initiative, they hoped, will instill confidence in tourists.
Egypt image credit: Middle Eastern Adventures
According to various news reports, as travellers’ interest in environmentally friendly holidays continues to grow, so will the number of innovative and luxurious travel experiences. Here are the top 5 luxury travel trends to watch out for in the coming years.
River Cruises
The fastest growing sector till now, and this is evident not only in Europe but in Asia as well. Nowadays, the clientele is getting younger. Companies such as AmaWaterways, Viking and Aqua Expeditions are building up their structures and facilities such as building dedicated storage facilities for bikes, improved their boats and increase their ships and more. Among the more popular cruises are Amazon River / Peru river experiences and Mekong River cruises in Cambodia and Vietnam.
Younger and More Affluent Travellers
Young, successful families in their early 30s and 40s are planning adventurous trips with young children and even babies, because they want their children to have these experiences young and they do not want to give up their own travel freedom.
Unique Destinations
Travellers are increasingly looking for exotic places to travel and explore, and places like Bhutan is high on the list for travelers searching for something new. And this unique destination is now experiencing incredible growth, with 50 more hotels being build and luxury brands like Aman and Taj have properties there. Other popular countries include Colombia, Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia and South America countries such as Peru, Ecuador and Argentina.
Space Travel
Virgin Galactic is one of the companies developing suborbital space flights and they are currently in the advanced stages of flight testing, with more than 500 people booked on their flights. Space tourism should bring in between US$600 million and US$1.6 billion in revenue in the first ten years. I have written one blog post about this before, and you can read more about space travel here.
All-Inclusive Options
Travel has been headed to more all-inclusive options for a while, due to the frustrations that travelers have with resort fees, airline fees and huge cruise line add-ons. And with more hotels and cruise lines delivering great options, this is becoming more and more popular. For example, on some cruises, all dining venues are complimentary, from room service to restaurants.
According to AFP and Yahoo reports, demand for farmland may strip the Greater Mekong region of a third of its remaining forest cover over the next two decades without swift government action, a leading conservation group warned Thursday.
Forests are being cleared for commodities such as rubber and rice while illegal logging is decimating many protected zones, WWF said in a report, adding a contentious dam on Mekong river will deepen already severe ecosystem damage.
Peter Cutter of the WFF said that Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar lost between 22-24 per cent of their forests from 1973 – the first point of available data – to 2009, while 43 per cent of woodland was stripped from Thailand and Vietnam. ”One path leads to further declines in biodiversity and livelihoods… but if natural resources are managed responsibly, this region can pursue a course that will secure a healthy and prosperous future for its people,” he said.
Myanmar, a nation expected to undergo rapid economic growth after the end of junta rule, is on a “deforestation front” – especially in its border areas – as are the southern Mekong sections of Vietnam and Cambodia, the study found.
The reform-minded government has banned the export of logs from next year in a bid to tackle rampant illegal logging of its precious woods.
The WWF said large undisrupted areas of “core forest” across the region have also been fragmented by plantations and rapid urbanisation, while swathes of mangroves have been converted into rice paddy and for shrimp farms.
If deforestation continues, the report warned that 34 per cent of remaining woodlands “will be lost and increasingly fragmented” by 2030 with only 14 per cent of core forest left, destroying the habitat of wildlife including tigers and elephants.
Laos’ Xayaburi dam was also highlighted as a “key threat” to the Mekong river ecosytem, saying it will have “devastating consequences” for 60 million people – blocking fish and vital sediment from reaching the lower areas of the water system.
The US$3.8 billion hydroelectric project, which is due to be completed in around five years, has sharply divided the four Mekong nations – Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
Impoverished Laos hopes the dam will help it become “the battery of Southeast Asia” and plans to sell most of the electricity to Thailand, but Cambodia and Vietnam say it could ruin their farming and fishing industries.
The report offers glimmers of hope saying Thailand has made great strides to protecting its forests – the kingdom has an extensive network of national parks – while the other nations have all backed policies to prevent deforestation.
There are some countries in the world that are overrated, and there are some that are way underrated, with spectacular scenery and unique offerings such as history, culture and leisure attractions that nobody knows about.
Here are ten countries which have been voted to be the most underrated in the world by the majority of people online.
Greece
The Greek Islands on the blue waters of the Aegean Sea are home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches.
There are also other attractions such as Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, Meteora, an attraction consisting of six monasteries that is “suspended in the air” and one of the largest complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos, Mystras, a breathtaking medieval ruins abandoned in 1832, Mykonos, a stunning town with a maze of tiny streets and whitewashed stepped lanes, the Parthenon, one of the most attractions in Greece, and of course, Santorini, a volcanic island famous for its dramatic views, stunning sunsets, white-washed houses, hotels and cafes, perched on the edge of some 400-metre high cliffs.
Brazil
Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world, has white-sand beaches, tropical islands, charming colonial towns, interesting wildlife and wilderness. Some of its top attractions include the statue of Christ the Redeemer, a 98-feet high sculpture at the peak of the Corcovado mountain, Sugarloaf Mountain, a landmark with spectacular views for navigators to identity Guanabara Bay, Iguazu Falls, one of the must-see sights of South America and of course, Amazon River, the second longest river in the world after River Niles, with more than 3,000 recognized species of fish.
South Africa
One of the most fascinating countries in the world, South Africa is known for its natural beauty, wildlife, plenty of sunshine and a rich diversity of animals, birds and plants. Unique attractions such as Cape Town, one of the most beautiful cities in the world with Edwardian and Victorian buildings that have been preserved, the famous Garden Route with ancient forests, rivers, wetlands and dunes, the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, the Wild Coast and more, have made South Africa a photographic venue and interesting place to visit for all.
Poland
Situated in central Europe, attractions in Poland are made up of both natural and artificial tourist spots, plus historical monuments besides modern architectural delights. The southern part of the country is made up of the Carpathian and Sudeten Mountains, the central part comprises of the lowlands and uplands while the northern parts is full of spectacular lakes such as the Masurian and Pomeranian Lakes. Unique attractions in Poland also include the sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea, and the numerous palaces and churches in its capital Warsaw.
Mongolia
Mongolia landlocked country located between China and Russia, is a vast emptiness that links land and sky, and is one of the last few places on the planet where nomadic life is still a living tradition. Besides riding the many horses and camels there to experience the nomadic lifestyle firsthand and feel the country’s unique heritage and history, there are also many attractions in Mongolia such as the Bogd Khaan Palace Museum, whose exhibits proceed right into the 13th century, and the Gandan Monastery, the only functioning Buddhist monastery that stood the test of time and was allowed to carry out services daily during the Communist years. One of the temples hosts the tallest standing Buddha statue in Central and East Asia – the Megjid Janraisag, the Buddha of Future.
Russia
Russia is the world’s largest country, spanning Eastern Europe and northern Asia. Central Russia, the richest side, is dominated by spectacular architecture and historical buildings, and houses Russia’s gateway to Europe and the capital city Moscow. The south of Russia is famous for its rich, deep, black soil, and this region also acted as an important battle ground during World War II.
Northwestern Russia is home to the former imperial capital Saint Petersburg, which has some of the most beautiful landscapes with large lakes and medieval forts. Highlights of this city include the river Neva, Decembrists’ Square with the monument of Peter the Great, St.Isaac’s Cathedral and Isaakievskaya Square, and the spacious and majestic Palace Square.
Egypt
Egypt, a transcontinental country that spans the northeast corner of Africa and the southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula, is the 15th most populated country in the world.
A world of wonder awaits in Egypt, most notably of them all being the Giza Plateau, where the Great Pyramids of Giza lies. Located outside the outskirts of Cairo, look out for the Khufu’s Pyramid, the greatest pyramid of the complex, and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the only one standing to this day. Also watch out for the Great Sphinx nearby.
Bhutan
The Kingdom of Bhutan, a country located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the north by China and to the south, east and west by India, is deemed the happiest nation in the world today. This hidden Himalayan country has many attractions to boast of, the most famous among them is the Taktsang Palphug, aka the Tiger’s Nest. Situated on the edge of a cliff some 900 metres above the rice fields of Paro, this 320-year-old monastery is considered one of the kingdom’s most sacred religious sites.
Iceland
Iceland, with a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 40,000 square metres, is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. It is a stunningly beautiful place with some of the most memorable sights such as Þingvellir National Park and Vatnajökull National Park, the Blue Lagoon, Mývatn lake and Gullfoss the Golden Falls. Other Iceland wonders include raw, dramatic landscapes from volcanic eruptions and carved out by glaciers, wilderness and wildlife, geothermally heated pools and more.
Israel
Israel, a parliamentary democracy in the Middle East on the south-eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, is the world’s only Jewish-majority state. It is considered part of the Holy Land, together with areas of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Territories. The three major monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – all have historical ties to the region. With diverse inhabitants returning from the Jewish Diaspora, it possesses a vibrant history and culture that makes it a fascinating destination for many travelers.
Points of attractions in Israel include the Sea of Galilee, or the Kineret, Israel’s largest fresh water reservoir, Mount Carmel, the evergreen mountain, the Jezreel Valley and of course the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on the face of the earth, where the quantity of water that evaporates from it is greater than that which flows into it, such that this body of water has the highest concentration of salt in the world. It is called the Dead Sea because its salinity prevents the existence of any life forms in the lake.
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Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, the largest single expansion project in the history of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Orlando, is set to open in May this year. The coldest theme park attraction in the world will be a state-of-the-art interactive ride that will take guests on an exciting journey through the dangers and wondrous beauty of the Antarctic as they follow and mimic a young penguin’s adventures.
Special ride vehicles will take guests on an adventure through the eyes of a penguin, sensing the beauty and drama of their often-dangerous habitat. Each car is a mobile simulator, with movements that allow the riders to become one with the storyline as they follow and mimic a young penguin’s adventures. The combination of experiences – mobile, moving simulators and a completely trackless ride – are theme park firsts. Guests will choose one of two levels of adventure. Designers say each level has multiple variations for a feeling of unpredictability, just like the continent of Antarctica.
“When our little hero penguin learns to waddle and slide, we’ll feel what it’s like as the car moves and reacts to the storyline. When he takes his first swim or barely escapes danger, our guests will feel as if they’re right there with him,” a spokesman said.
Highlights of this attraction include:
More details can be found here.
Polish company Deep Ocean Technology, with the help of Swiss firm BIG InvestConsult AG, plans to build the world’s largest underwater hotel, thus enabling guests to enjoy the depths of the ocean while taking in the warm climate of the Persian Gulf.
The Water Discus hotel will comprise two main discs – one under the water and one suspended above the water, separated by a lift shaft. The disc above water will house a pool, a bar and a helipad. The underwater portion, which will be up to 10 metres beneath the sea surface, will have 21 luxury suites and a diving centre. The wide shaft in the spaceship-like structure will have a view of the sky to minimise the feeling of claustrophobia that guests may encounter.
Due to the modular design of the hotel, the Water Discus can be transferred to a different place in case of environmental or economic concerns. The surface discs have been designed to be buoyant and detachable from the main structure, to act as lifeboats should any natural disaster strike.
“This project opens many new fields of developments for the hotel and tourism sector, housing and city sector in the coastal off-shore areas, as well as new opportunities for ecology support by creation of new underwater ecosystems and activities on underwater world protection, Bogdan Gutkowski, President of BIG, told World Architecture News.
“Additionally we would like to create here in the UAE the International Environmental Program and Center of the Underwater World Protection – with Water Discus Hotel as a laboratory tool for oceans and seas environment protection and research.”
Other underwater projects in the news include the Maldives Rangali Islands resort and the Jules Undersea Lodge, which is the only underwater hotel in the United States.
From 3 April this year, visitors can look forward to discovering the exotic wildlife found in eight iconic river habitats with the soft opening of River Safari in Singapore.
The 12-ha River Safari is the newest addition to Wildlife Reserves Singapore’s portfolio of award-winning parks and will showcase animals from freshwater habitats inspired by eight of the world’s iconic rivers including the Mississippi, Nile, Mekong, Yangtze and Amazon rivers. The park will be home to over 150 plant species and 5,000 animal specimens representing 300 animal species, including one of the world’s largest collections of freshwater animals.
Among the unique aquatic and terrestrial animals featured in the park are endangered river giants such as the Giant Salamander, Giant Freshwater Stingray and Mekong Giant Catfish. River Safari is the only park in Asia to feature the Giant River Otter, the world’s largest otter that can grow up to 1.8 metres.
Ms Claire Chiang, Chairman, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said, “We look forward to welcoming visitors to River Safari and bringing them up-close to the fascinating wildlife that live in river habitats, which are disappearing faster than forest and marine environments. As the first and only river-themed wildlife park in Asia, River Safari aims to highlight the importance of freshwater ecosystems and inspire positive actions for conserving them. In addition, we also seek to play a part in global captive breeding programmes for endangered freshwater species.”
River Safari is designed and developed with the utmost concern for the environment, especially the Mandai Nature Reserve area where the park is situated. The park brings together the best in zoological architecture and design, with state-of-the-art exhibit artistry and technology to provide visitors with an immersive experience into the world of rivers and the landscapes they support. River Safari is the first attraction in Singapore to be conferred with the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Platinum Award in the park category.
For more information, visit River Safari.
