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Amazing Travel Fact Zanzibar

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Oman and Zanzibar:

Did you know that there is a country in the Middle East that once had their capital in Africa? Their ruler decided he liked it so much that he wanted to live there.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order to see this ancient capital?
 
It is indeed Oman and Zanzibar. 
 
Muscat’s position as the centre of all things Omani was compromised in 1832. In fact, this was the year that the city endured a humiliating demotion.
 
Oman had clawed the east African island (which is now part of Tanzania) into its grasp in 1698. By the middle of the 19th century, the ruler of the time, Said bin Sultan, had decided that he loved his tropical outpost so much, he was going to live there – and moved his capital to Stone Town.
 
Much of the latter’s ambience – narrow souk-like streets, its defensive Old Fort, its House of Wonders (an ornate former royal palace built in the late 19th century) – is pinned to this epoch.
 

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Amazing Travel Fact Egypt

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Egypt:

Did you know that the largest man-made pool in the world is located in the middle of a desert and was also the most expensive pool ever built? It cost $5.5 million dollars. Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to swim here?
 
A tricky one this time, it is Egypt.
 
A bit more about it:
 
Citystars Sharm El Sheikh includes 1.2 million sqm of beautiful Crystal Lagoons and 22 kms of white sandy beaches, not to mention the largest Crystal Lagoon on the planet today covering an area 120,000 m2.
 
Opened in 2015, the Citystars Sharm El Sheikh lagoon is officially the largest man-made body of water in the world. And beyond its size, this vast pool is remarkable for its location in the middle of the Sinai desert — three miles inland from the famous Sharm El Sheikh resort town.
 
The saltwater supply comes from otherwise unusable desert aquifers, and takes several weeks to fill up. The $5.5 million beach-fringed lagoon is part of an exclusive gated community, and while it’s declared at 30.9 acres, Guinness World Records’ official measurement puts it at 23.9 acres — still comfortably taking the crown from the next biggest pool.
 
Great to add onto an itinerary to Egypt!

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Amazing Travel Fact Dubai

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts, MICE, Where in the world.

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Dubai:

Did you know that there is no such thing as a 7-star rating for a hotel? But in 1999, a journalist gave 7 stars to a hotel during its opening. It is one the tallest hotels in the world and built on a man-made island. Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to stay in this hotel (and probably best to have some money with you if you do)?
 
It is indeed Dubai.
 
Officially, there is no such thing as a 7-star rating. The term 7-star was created by a journalist who attended the opening of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and felt the standard five stars didn’t do its decadence justice. …
 
It’s one of the tallest hotels in the world and the reason why the term “7-star hotel” started. The impressiveness of this hotel starts just from its exterior, as it stands on a man-made island.
 
For those who have money to throw away on one luxurious night, the Royal Suite will not disappoint, yet it costs $20,000 per night with some sources claiming it costs an upwards of $27,000 per night. As the most expensive suite at Burj Al Arab, the Royal Suite features a butler service, cinema room, Rolls Royce chauffeur and a discreet check-in. Expect nothing less than 7-star service at this 7-star hotel.
 

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Amazing Travel Fact Italy

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts, Where in the world.

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Vatican City, Italy:

Did you know that there is a country which has an ATM machine in Latin? It reads: inserito scidulam quaeso ut faciundam cognoscas rationem. Rather confusing, but pretty amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to use this ATM?
 
It is indeed the Vatican.
 
A bit more about it:

The Vatican is the only country in the world to have ATM’s that speak Latin. Latin is the official language of the Vatican and one can choose this option by simply pressing the button. Rumor has it, that the former Pope Benedict XVI, loved his transactions done in Latin.
 
The economy of Vatican City is supported financially by the sale of stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos as well as fees for admission to museums and publication sales. The Vatican City state employed 4,822 people in 2016.
 
The Vatican City issues its own coins and stamps. It has used the euro as its currency since 1 January 1999, owing to a special agreement with the European Union. Euro coins and notes were introduced on 1 January 2002—the Vatican does not issue euro banknotes. Issuance of euro-denominated coins is strictly limited by treaty, though somewhat more than usual is allowed in a year in which there is a change in the papacy. Because of their rarity, Vatican euro coins are highly sought by collectors.
 
Include a visit as part of  your city tour of Rome!

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Amazing Travel Fact Ukraine

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Ukraine

Did you know that there is a “tunnel of love”, a tree tunnel of 5 kilometers long on a railway track, created by trees lined up in an arch? The world discovered the Tunnel of Love about 10 years ago thanks to wandering tourists who posted a photo of it on Facebook, and people commented that it was probably altered via photoshop. However, that was not the case. Since then, it has been used in commercials, movie shoots and is very popular with newlyweds for photos. Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order to see this tunnel of love?
 
It is indeed in Klevan Ukraine.
 
A bit more about it:
 
The tunnel can be seen in commercials of famous brands. In 2012, the Japanese company Fujifilm shot a 40-second video, the characters of which suddenly fall from a solid green wall into a tunnel and quickly capture various miracles with a brand new camera.
 
A few years ago, Japanese director Akiyoshi Imazaki filmed a movie in the tunnel. The place for the shooting was found by accident, through a link on the Internet. Imazaki was so fascinated by the beauty of the tunnel that he not only brought a film crew to Ukraine and shot a wonderful lyrical drama but also renamed the film as “Klevan- Tunnel of Love”. The film premiered in November 2015 at the Hanoi International Film Festival. Thus, the whole world learned about the beauty of Ukrainian nature.
 
The tunnel in Klevan periodically appears in the top lists of the most amazing railways on the planet and a highlight of Ukraine for visitors.

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Amazing Travel Fact Thailand

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Thailand:

Did you know that there is an island that was featured in “The Man with the Golden Gun” in 1974 and is since called “The James Bond Island”? It has amazing limestone cliffs. You can’t get too close, but the views are stunning in the bay.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order to see this island?
 
James Bond Island is a famous landmark in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand. It first found its way onto the international tourist map through its starring role in the James Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun. A distinctive trait of this famous bay is the number of sheer limestone cliffs that vertically jut out of the emerald-green water.
 
The bizarre – why-doesn’t-it-fall-over – outline of James Bond Island or Koh Tapu (‘nail island’ in Thai), lies next to the equally popular Koh Ping Ghan (sometime spelt as Ping Gan or Ping Gun). The entire area surrounding this island is indeed spectacular.
Covering an area of 400 sq km, Phang Nga Bay has around 100 islands, many of which have peculiar shapes. James Bond Island, with its signature rocky pinnacle, has been a major attraction since it was featured in the 1974 Bond movie.
 
It’s protected marine area of the Ao Phang Nga Marine National Park, so boats aren’t allowed to get too close to the island. Its precarious position is big on the upper part and relatively slim at the bottom. You can view James Bond Island from a boat or a small beach on Koh Ping Ghan.
 
Koh Ping Ghan is a very high leaning rock with several small caves inside. It’s pretty amazing and fun to check them all out and to include on a day trip when in this area of Thailand.

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Amazing Travel Fact Peru

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Peru:

Did you know that that there is a place in the world where drawings were made of geometrical figures and animals in an area of nearly 1000 square kilometers?

Dating from AD200-700, the lines were given Unesco World Heritage status in 1994. They are best spotted from surrounding mountain tops or the sky. Amazing, right?

Do you know where we need to travel in order to see these famous drawings?
 
It is indeed the Nazca lines in Peru.
 
A bit more about it:
 
The Nazca Lines are a collection of giant geoglyphs—designs or motifs etched into the ground—located in the Peruvian coastal plain about 250 miles (400 kilometers) south of Lima, Peru – (great to add to your Peru itinerary). 
 
Created by the ancient Nazca culture in South America, and depicting various plants, animals, and shapes, the 2,000-year-old Nazca Lines can only be fully appreciated when viewed from the air given their massive size. Despite being studied for over 80 years, the geoglyphs—which were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994—are still a mystery to researchers.
 
There are three basic types of Nazca Lines: straight lines, geometric designs and pictorial representations.
There are more than 800 straight lines on the coastal plain, some of which are 30 miles (48 km) long. Additionally, there are over 300 geometric designs, which include basic shapes such as triangles, rectangles, and trapezoids, as well as spirals, arrows, zig-zags and wavy lines.
 
The Nazca Lines are perhaps best known for the representations of about 70 animals and plants, some of which measure up to 1,200 feet (370 meters) long. Examples include a spider, hummingbird, cactus plant, monkey, whale, llama, duck, flower, tree, lizard and dog.
 
The Nazca people also created other forms, such as a humanoid figure (nicknamed “The Astronaut”), hands and some unidentifiable depictions.
 
Anthropologists believe the Nazca culture, which began around 100 B.C. and flourished from A.D. 1 to 700, created the majority of the Nazca Lines. The Chavin and Paracas cultures, which predate the Nazca, may have also created some of the geoglyphs.
 
More recent research suggested that the Nazca Lines’ purpose was related to water, a valuable commodity in the arid lands of the Peruvian coastal plain. The geoglyphs weren’t used as an irrigation system or a guide to find water, but rather as part of a ritual to the gods—an effort to bring much-needed rain.

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Amazing Travel Fact Micronesia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Micronesia:

Did you know that there is only one ancient city ever built on top of a coral reef? It was built in 1200 and is made of almost 100 geometrically shaped man-made stone islands. Nobody knows its origins. Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to see this city?
 
You are all very smart. It is indeed Nan Madol.
 
A bit more about it:
 
In a remote region of the western Pacific Ocean lies a stunning and spooky unsolved mystery: the ruins of the ancient city of Nan Madol.
 
Located next to the eastern shore of Micronesian island Pohnpei, this once-great, prehistoric city is comprised of nearly 100 geometrically shaped man-made stone islands, and it’s the only ancient city built atop a coral reef.
 
No one is sure of the origins, nor why anyone would want to build a city far from food and water, and yet its ruins are rife with stories and spirits.
 
Referred to as an “engineering marvel” by the Smithsonian and nicknamed the “Venice of the Pacific,” this series of over 90 artificial islets could have once housed around 1,000 people.
 
Although the Saudeleur built the city around 1200 AD, it wasn’t until recently that Nan Madol was finally named a World Heritage Site.

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Amazing Travel Fact China

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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China:

Not sure if you are a passionate tea drinker, but did you know that there is “A most dangerous Teahouse” in the world? Located 7000 feet above sea level, the path to it is made of thin planks that are fixed in the mountain and to keep your balance you must hang onto chains that are nailed in stone. There’s nothing else to keep you safe. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll have to climb a chain and use dug out holes with your feet to keep your balance.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to have a cup of tea there?
 
A tricky one, in more ways than one. 
 
A bit more about it:
 
The Road to Heaven – Huashan Mountain
Located 7000 feet above sea level, The Huashan Teahouse, which was once a temple, is a simple tea shop in terms of service, food, and appearance. Don’t be mistaken though, for it is not that the tea is made of poison or some inedible plant that makes it dangerous to consume. What gives Huashan Teahouse the dubious distinction of serving the world’s most dangerous tea lies in the path that leads you to the tea shop, and not the tea itself. For the ones who like to travel to the far corners of the world like China and have adventure in their blood this is a must see place and a guaranteed rush of adrenaline.
 
Thousands of people each year decide to go on one of the most dangerous roads in the world. It is composed of rickety stairs and paths with planks nailed on the rocks. At every step, they put their lives at risk to test their limits and to reach the famous teahouse in the top of the mountain Huashan in China.
 
Mount Huashan is located in Huayin, part of the Shaanxi province. The closest city, Xi’an, is 120 kilometers away. The teahouse of the top of the mountain is located on the south side of the mountain, at an altitude of 2,160 meters. Viewed on a map the Huashan mountain chain looks like a flower.
 
The teahouse at the top of the mountain is actually one of the many Taoist temples located on the five peaks that make up the Huashan Mountain. Given that the first inhabitants of this region practiced asceticism their daily meditation was accompanied by a cup of tea. Thus, after decades the temple became a tearoom that’s visited annually by thousands of tourists.
 
The road to the mountain top starts with a lot of huge stairs, nicknamed “The Heavenly Stairs”. The first impression is that the stairs lead to the heaven, it’s like climbing towards the clouds and it’s impossible to see where the stairs end. On your way to the top you’ll see houses and even small villages. However, the road does not stop here. After passing the stairs a gondola will take you to the teahouse.
 
However, don’t be scared to climb the stairs because it’s the most accessible part of the journey you have embarked on. Once you are on the southern side of the mountain one of the most dangerous routes in the world awaits. The path is made of thin planks that are fixed in the mountain and to keep your balance you must hang onto chains that are nailed in stone.
There’s nothing else to keep you safe. If that wasn’t enough you’ll have to climb a chain and use dug out holes with your feet to keep your balance. The images speak for themselves.
 
The tea at the end must be amazing to deserve such a long and dangerous climb.

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Amazing Travel Fact Bolivia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Bolivia:

 
Of course you have heard of dangerous roads. But did you know that the most dangerous road in the world is nicknamed “Death Road”? The narrow dirt road is just 12 feet wide. It is carved in a mountain, often shrouded in rain and fog and has 2000 foot drop-offs. It attracts thrill-seeking tourists. Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to drive here?
 
It is indeed Bolivia. A bit more about it:
 
North Yungas Road connects the city of La Paz to Coroico in North Yungas, Bolivia and is considered the world’s most dangerous road. The narrow dirt road, which was built into the side of the Cordillera Oriental Mountain chain by Paraguayan prisoners in the 1930s, has a death toll of about 300 people a year, according to the History Channel.
 
The path, most of which is no wider than 12 feet, descends nearly 11,800 feet in just 40 miles, and travelers have to deal with dangers such as a constant fog, heavy rain, loose rocks, limited visibility and 2,000-foot drop-offs. One wrong turn could send travelers plummeting anywhere from 4,000 to 15,000 feet to the ground.
 
But that doesn’t stop thrill-seeking tourists to Bolivia from traveling (and even bicycling) the infamous road, which has become one of Bolivia’s most popular attractions.

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Amazing Travel Fact Micronesia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Micronesia:

Did you know that there is only one ancient city ever built on top of a coral reef? It was built in 1200 and is made of almost 100 geometrically shaped man-made stone islands. Nobody knows its origins. Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to see this city?
 
You are all very smart. It is indeed Nan Madol.
 
A bit more about it:
 
In a remote region of the western Pacific Ocean lies a stunning and spooky unsolved mystery: the ruins of the ancient city of Nan Madol.
 
Located next to the eastern shore of Micronesian island Pohnpei, this once-great, prehistoric city is comprised of nearly 100 geometrically shaped man-made stone islands, and it’s the only ancient city built atop a coral reef.
 
No one is sure of the origins, nor why anyone would want to build a city far from food and water, and yet its ruins are rife with stories and spirits.
 
Referred to as an “engineering marvel” by the Smithsonian and nicknamed the “Venice of the Pacific,” this series of over 90 artificial islets could have once housed around 1,000 people.
 
Although the Saudeleur built the city around 1200 AD, it wasn’t until recently that Nan Madol was finally named a World Heritage Site.

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Amazing Travel Fact Peru

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Peru:

Did you know that there is a unique “hanging” hotel in the world, made up of four transparent pods, fastened to the side of a mountain? You need to travel over a climbing route that employs steel cables and harnesses, cross a sky-high suspension bridge and ride a zipline over the valley in order to get there. Amazing, right?
Do you know where we need to travel in order to stay in this hotel?
 
It is indeed Peru.
 
A bit more about it:
Imagine sleeping in a condor’s nest on the edge of the Sacred Valley of Peru, or at least in this case – a transparent capsule that’s suspended 400 metres. It’s just big enough for beds, a small eating area and a bathroom with a dry ecological toilet and sink.
You sleep in glass pods suspended up the side of a mountain in Peru’s Sacred Valley. … The unique “hanging” hotel, which is made up of four transparent pods secured to the side of the mountain, is the brainchild of Ario Ferri, a project developer and avid rock and mountain climber from Carhuaz, Peru.
 
Adrenaline lover Ario Ferri constructed these mountain suites suspended on rocks in Peru after moving to Sacred Valley in search of peace away from the big city.
 
Warning: only suitable for people who don’t feel woozy when they look down from up high on the mountainside
But they’re called ‘Adventure’ suites for a reason – to get there, you have to climb Via Ferrata, cross a sky-high suspension bridge and ride a zipline over the valley.
 
But don’t worry, a team of guides will lead the way so you don’t go astray.

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Amazing Travel Fact USA

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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USA:

So many books, so little time – Did you know the largest library in the world houses more than 170 million items? Established in 1800, it has materials in over 450 languages. Some of those materials include one of the smallest books in the world (you have to turn the pages with a needle), Stradivarius violins, and digitally archived Tweets.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order to visit this library?
 
 
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.
Library of Congress was instituted on April 24, 1800, when John Adams’ presidency countersigned an act of Congress calling for the transfer of the government’s seat from Philadelphia to the new capital city of Washington.
 
The law earmarked $ 5,000 “for the purchase of the books necessary for the needs of Congress and for the accommodation of an apartment suitable to contain them”.
 
The first library was based in the new Capitol until August 1814, when the British troops burned down the old building, destroying the approximately 3,000 books preserved in there.
 
The Library of Congress in Washington DC is essentially both the national library of the U.S. and the country’s oldest federal cultural institution.
 
Though it consists of only three buildings, it is the largest library in the world for shelf space and number of volumes.
 
While open to the public for on-site research and as a tourist attraction, as the research institution of Congress, only members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and other specified government officials can check out books.
 
The library is formally known as the “library of last resort” in the U.S., charged with making certain items available to other national libraries if all other means have been exhausted.
 
The library’s holdings are vast, including more than 32 million books, more than 61 million manuscripts, a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, one of only four perfect vellum copies of the Gutenberg Bible in the world, over one million newspapers from the last three centuries, over five million maps, six million pieces of sheet music, and more than 14 millions photos and prints.

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Amazing Travel Fact Dubai

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Dubai:

Did you know that the deepest pool in the world has been opened several days ago? It is 60 meters deep, filled with 14 million liters of fresh water. It is at least four times bigger than any other diving pool in the world and features a sunken city. Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to dive right in?
 
You are all very smart. It is indeed in Dubai.
 
Deep Dive Dubai opened the pool in July to divers and thrill-seeking tourists. The 196 feet and 10 inch deep pool (60.02 meters) was verified by the Guinness World Records as the deepest pool for diving in the world — beating out former recorded holder Deep Spot in Poland by nearly 50 feet.
 
A sunken city and an underwater film studio
The indoor pool is housed inside a 1,500-square-meter oyster-shaped structure, a nod to the United Arab Emirates’ history as a pearl diving nation.
 
But the biggest star of Deep Dive Dubai is arguably the pool’s underwater city. Divers can explore “abandoned” sunken city apartments and play underwater pool in the arcade. State-of-the-art lighting and sound systems have been fitted inside the pool to create different atmospheres.
 
The pool also doubles as an underwater film studio — the largest of its kind in the region. A media editing room is available nearby in the facility.
 
Deep Dive Dubai offers courses for both diving beginners and certified divers. Divers can also explore the pool and the underwater city by themselves after a tour with one of the dive guides at the site.
 
Some 56 cameras have been installed around the pool to ensure the safety of divers at every corner. It also has the region’s most advanced hyperbaric chamber — with a capacity of 12 people — in case of an emergency.
 
What an amazing place to include when you next travel to Dubai!
 

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Amazing Travel Fact Senegal

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Senegal:

Did you know there is a country where sheep and horses go to the beach every Sunday? Spa day for the sheep begins with their being led into the ocean to soak for several minutes. Next, it’s back out of the waves for a thorough scrubbing on the shore with soap and a brush.
 
Do you know in which country the spa days takes place each Sunday?
 
It is Senegal indeed.
 
Spa day for the sheep begins with their being led, almost always by men, into the ocean to soak for several minutes. Next, it’s back out of the waves for a thorough scrubbing on the shore with soap and a brush.
 
The sheep take another dip to rinse off, and then it’s manicure time: cleaning out the hooves with a stick and trimming them with scissors. Each animal is taken back into the water for a final swim, then is tied to a nearby tree or beached fishing boat to wait for the rest of the flock to bathe.
 
It’s easy for them to drip-dry: Senegalese sheep look more like goats than like the fluffy, woolly breeds common to the West.
 
The same waters are also used to bathe the draft animals that pull horse carts, the pickup trucks of Senegal. The horses are led into the water up to their necks and then scrubbed down, becoming regular interlopers in the Sunday surfing classes at Dakar’s wide and crowded Yoff Beach.
 
 

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Amazing Travel Fact Doha

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Doha:

 
Did you know that there is an international airport that has a giant teddy bear in the main terminal building of the airport? It is an enormous artwork which weighs almost 20 tonnes and rumor has it that it cost $6.8 million to make. Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to fly in order to meet Mr Teddy Bear?
It is indeed at Doha’s airport.
A bit more about it:
Rather a lot more about it:
It is a world-famous sculpture created by Urs Fischer, a Swiss-born artist who lives in New York.
The Teddy Bear is made out of cast bronze and was produced in 2005/2006.
 
This one is the largest of 3 Teddy Bears created, the other two are owned privately.
Teddy travels the world, in 2011, it was on load to NY for 5 months and displayed in front of the Seagram Building.
 
Rumor has it that it was bought by a member of the Qatar royal family at an auction at Christie’s.
According to the artist, the Teddy celebrates the objects that define a young child’s life.
 
There is another baby-blue version which was displayed at Brown University in the US.

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Amazing Travel Fact Tibet

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Tibet:

Did you know that the highest railway station in the world lies 5068 meters above sea level? Apparently, its location was specially chosen for the view from the platform. The train ride to it, is nicknamed as the “rocket to the roof of the world”.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to take high-in-the-sky train ride?
 
Built quite literally on the roof of the world – at an average elevation around 4,500m above sea level – the Qinghai-Tibet railway represents the culmination of the long-held Chinese dream of connecting China to Tibet.
 
Running for over 1,956km from Xining, capital of China’s Qinghai province to Lhasa, through some of the planet’s harshest natural conditions, it is an impressive catalogue of world records. With its highest point at an altitude of 5,072m – 200m or more above the Peruvian railway in the Andes – Qinghai-Tibet easily takes the title as the world’s highest track and Tanggula Station, a mere 4m lower, the highest railway station.
 
It is also the longest plateau railway in the world. Some 550m of its tracks are on frozen earth, passing through both the world’s most elevated tunnel – Fenghuoshan Tunnel (4,905m) – and the longest plateau tunnel – Kunlun Mountain (1,686m) – to be built on frozen earth.
 

Amazing Bhutan

Amazing Travel Fact Bhutan

Written by Leandro Agostini on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Bhutan:

Did you know that there is an airport in the world where only 8 pilots in the world are qualified to land? In the midst of mountains and houses, the runway is just 2 km long and only day-time landings are possible. The views are breath-taking though.
 
Amazing, right?
 
It is indeed Bhutan airport. A bit more about it:
Passengers flying to this remote region may have to take something to steady their nerves.
 
The tiny airport nestled among the steep mountains of the Himalayas is said to be the most dangerous in the world.
 
Paro Airport in Bhutan is 1.5 miles above sea level and surrounded by sharp peaks of up to 18,000ft tall. So treacherous is the landing that only eight pilots in the world are qualified to land there. Until July 2011, just one airline, Druk Air, was allowed to use the
facility.
 
The runway is just 6,500 feet long – one of the few in the world shorter than their elevation above sea level. Planes have to weave through the dozens of houses that are scattered across the mountainside – coming within feet of clipping the roofs.
 
Strong winds whip through the valleys, often resulting in severe turbulence. Passengers who have been on flights to the airport have described the landing as ‘terrifying’. Boeing has said that Paro airport is ‘one of the world’s most difficult for takeoffs and landings’.
Flights are only allowed during the daytime and under visual meteorological conditions – strict light allowances in which the pilot must make his judgements by eye rather than rely on instruments as is the case in nighttime flights.
 
Despite the perilous conditions, the views over the clear blue waters over the Paro river and the lush green foliage of the Himalayas are breathtaking.
 
An estimated 30,000 tourists use the airport each year, often for holidays in Bhutan.
 
Buddha Air is the only international airline to use the airport. Anybody flying to Paro must first land in neighbouring countries then catch a connecting flight.

Amazing vietnam

Amazing Travel Fact Vietnam

Written by Leandro Agostini on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Vietnam:

Did you know there is a street in the world where the train almost touches the houses? The train track has been here for over 100 years. In fact, the government even closed it for a while, as it was overrun by tourists taking selfies. Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order to see Train Street?
 
AROUND 3 P.M. and 7 p.m every day, a train hurtles through a series of narrow streets in Hanoi’s bustling, maze-like Old Quarter.
 
Drying clothes are carried inside, children ushered indoors, and bikes pulled to the side of the road just before the train speeds past, with a couple feet of clearance at most on each side. In some places the train is mere inches from the buildings.
 
The street’s residents press tight to the walls or duck into nearby doorways with a startling nonchalance and go right back to walking across or sitting on the tracks as soon as the train has passed.
 
The railroad tracks take up nearly the entirety of the “train street,” as it’s been dubbed by the increasing trickle of tourists that come to glimpse the startling sight. The train passes the narrow road early in the route that connects Vietnam’s capital to Ho Chi Minh city in the south.
 
In 2019, the Hanoi municipal government and its local transit authority had ordered cafes strewn alongside the train tracks to close. They have since reopened.

Amazing Iceland

Amazing Travel Fact Iceland

Written by Leandro Agostini on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Iceland:

Did you know that there is a place in the world where you can swim between two tectonic plates? Some of the openings between the two continents are so small you can touch both sides at once.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order to swim here?
 
Iceland’s Silfra fissure is the only place in the world where you can swim between two tectonic plates. It is a crack between continents formed because of the tectonic plates pulling apart. Some of the openings are so narrow that you can touch both sides at once, i.e. you can be touching the North American and Eurasian continents at the same time.
 
Not only that, but it’s also where you’ll find some of the clearest water in the world. The Silfra fissure is located in Thingvellir National Park, in southwestern Iceland, and it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.