Page Contents

Trivia

May 2021

Chengdu Panda Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is the biggest facility of this kind in the world and a favorite among visitors to the city.
The dynastic and religious capital of Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom Egypt, Luxor has a lot of historic sites to offer.
At Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco you can visit two WWII warships: the submarine USS Pampanito, and SS Jeremiah O’Brien which was involved in the D-day landing.
The Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune is a stunning example of Burgundian architecture.
An attraction in Akademgorodok outside Novosibirsk is the Monument to the laboratory mouse.
Surprisingly, fog is the most lethal kind of weather in some parts of the world.
Topside, the interior of Nauru, is a “moon landscape” as a result of phosphate mining.
If you are looking for an unusual holiday, a yacht charter to Madagascar might be a good choice.
Street addresses in Abu Dhabi are simultaneously very logical and hopelessly confusing.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is named for the US president who lived in North Dakota during the 1880s, owning and operating two ranches there.
The Nordic countries have some of the highest levels of English proficiency among countries where English is not an official or first language.
Some great souvenirs to purchase in Ilha de Mozambique literally come from the sea.
Kalong Island near Labuan Bajo is home to thousands of kalong, or giant flying fox bats, emerging at dusk.
In Colombia yellow fever vaccination is free for people who travel to high risk areas like Leticia (where it’s also obligatory for entering).
Though a tiny country, Monaco is packed with entertainment for those with money to burn.
Innamincka is one of the few Aboriginal communities in Australia; home to Yawarrawarrka and the Yandruwandha people.
The Struve Geodetic Arc is a World Heritage Site comprising 34 out of 265 points used to measure the Earth’s exact size and shape in the 19th century.
Tashelhit has been written with several different alphabets.
Soft sleepers are the most comfortable mode of transportation on most trains in China and are still relatively cheap by Western standards.
Held annually in October, the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville is one of the largest arts and crafts shows in America.
Thanks to the significant Indian population, Indian food in Suva, Fiji, is authentic, tasty, and good value.
Bab Mansour is the largest and most striking of Meknes 27 gates.
The short undistinguished Ragged Ass Road is known for its name far beyond Yellowknife, which started as a joke among prospectors about their lack of success one season.
Most visitors to Yakushima come to experience the ancient cedar trees and forests.
The Kremlin of Nizhny Novgorod features a church, a war monument with an eternal flame, a reasonable art museum and impressive views along the Volga River.
The adobe ruin of La Huaca del Sol outside Trujillo is purported to be the largest pre-Columbian structure in the Americas.
One of Nuorgam’s top sights is the monument to the northernmost point of the European Union – the literal northernmost point is in the adjacent Teno river.
Mosi-oa-Tunya, or “the smoke that thunders” only became known to the western world as Victoria Falls after David Livingstone first set eyes on this astonishing natural wonder in 1855, a heartbeat ago in geological time.
The Historic Santa Fe Trail is too fragile to travel on, even on foot, but it’s a popular route to travel parallel to.
The first railway station in continental Europe was the horse railway station of České Budějovice; now the building houses a horse-drawn railway museum.

April 2021

Peggy’s Cove lighthouse is reportedly the most photographed lighthouse in Canada.
Lao romanization is bedeviled by the incompatibility between French and English pronunciation.
Houston has outstanding dining options, and is widely considered the most restaurant-oriented city in the United States.
Home to the Swedish royal family, much of the beautiful 18th century Drottningholm palace in Ekerö is open to the public.
Pink Lake outside Esperance is a salt pan that’s not particularly pink nor lake-like, but the dam structures used to harvest the salt that may exhibit a pinkish tinge caused by the concentration of algae.
The Dhanabadee Ceramic Museum in Lampang showcases “chicken ceramic bowls”, a local type of ceramic, as well as their production.
The Burial Hill Cemetery in Plymouth, Massachusetts is one of the oldest cemeteries in America containing graves of several Mayflower passengers, many early settlers, and some interesting epitaphs.
Each nation has its own culture of horsemanship, with local customs and taboos that need to be respected.
Hong Kong International Airport is known for housing a number of renowned eateries, some of them of Michelin quality.
Throughout the region around Ölgii there are an estimated one million petroglyphs dating back 12,000 years.
Plaza Sotomayor is the heart of the old seaport city of Valparaíso.
Heraklion Archaeological Museum houses the most important and representative finds from the Minoan civilisation and excavations across the island of Crete.
A “smart city” dating back to 500 BCE, a gate and a pillar complex are all that remains of Sisupalgarh, an archeological site south of Bhubaneswar.
The Dutch Empire was different from some other colonial European empires at the time, inasfar it was mostly centered around individual trading posts, rather than large areas of land.
Gold and silver jewellery is cheap in Asmara and is definitely a bargain by world standards.
As “space tourist” conjures an image of someone in a polyester shirt with a camera around their neck, NASA and RKA prefer the term spaceflight participant.
The G.D. Naidu Museum in Coimbatore is an interesting collection of inventions by G.D. Naidu, also referred to as the Edison of India.
Bei Guo Zhi Chun in Hohhot is greenhouse/warehouse turned into a massive eatery where plants are abundant as well as water features and indoor yurts.
Anyone who visits downtown Detroit will be pleasantly surprised to see one of America’s best preserved collections of late nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings standing beside the contemporary.
Wicklow Head 3 km south of Wicklow Town, is the most easterly point on the Republic of Ireland mainland: on a clear day you might glimpse Snowdonia in Wales.
Phitsanulok is not well-known to foreign tourists and thus has retained the charm of a typical, larger Thai city.
The 1627 Battle of Grolle is re-enacted biannually with hundreds of re-enactors from all over Europe, making the town look like it did in the 17th century for a few days.
LAX is a massive airport, with nine terminals built in different eras in a variety of architectural styles.
The Orheiul Vechi Monastery is carved into a massive limestone cliff and this wild, rocky and remote spot is one of Moldova’s most fantastic sights.
Thought to be cast in 1252, the big Kōtokuin statue in Kamakura was originally housed in a giant temple hall that was washed away in a tsunami.
Bruny Island is home to the southern-most licenced pub in Australia and the country’s most-southern vineyard.
The Antarctic Islands have a marine polar climate: very cold, but not as extremely cold as the mainland.
Plymouth is one of England’s classic ocean cities, and for centuries has been a centre for shipping.
Believed to date back to 753, Staraya Ladoga was the first capital of Russia.
Short-hop ferries, which are part of the local public transportation network are sometimes called water buses.

March 2021

Robert Bateman’s “Wolf Sketch” on the Highland Tower in Thompson is Canada’s largest photo-real mural and the largest lighted mural in the world.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral formation in the world.
West Virginia is often called the “Mountain State”, being the only state in the USA to lie completely within a mountain range.
Orto botanico di Padova is the world’s oldest still operating botanic garden.
Abuja Millennium Park includes a large system of terraces highlighting the different vegetation zones across Nigeria.
León is known as the “shoe capital of the world”, and is a great place for discounted top footwear.
The small Republic Square in Malé, marked by a flagpole with a giant Maldivian flag, is the focal point of every political demonstration in the capital but also has an extremely helpful tourist map.
With some 500 guitars the guitar museum in Umeå is one of the largest of its kind worldwide.
Geneva provides free public transit passes to any tourist staying in a hotel, hostel or campground.
Today a tourist attraction, the Diefenbunker in Carp was built at the height of the Cold War as the site where Canada’s leadership could ride out a nuclear attack.
Theater De Maagd in Bergen op Zoom owes its atmosphere with the international architecture award-winning transformation from church to theater.
The Alaska Marine Highway System is operated by the State of Alaska and comprises 3,500 miles or almost 6,000 km of ferry lines.
Dengbian near Kaiping is a ghost town known as the “village without people” with trees overgrowing structures.
World-renowned for its unique and fearless wildlife, the Galapagos Islands are bisected by the Equator.
The cathedral of Girona includes the widest Gothic nave in the world.
Ostia Antica is an archaeological site that contains many Roman ruins, dating back to the days when it served as Rome’s port.
Fortaleza d’Amura in Bissau is an old Portuguese fort, containing the mausoleum of national hero Amilcar Cabral and tombs of other revolutionaries.
Living in the Philippines is cheap and shopping in the country is also cheap compared to some nearby countries.
The railway station in Asunción is now a museum, but more impressive than the exhibits is the building itself and old wagons.
Brickfields is known as the biggest Little India of Kuala Lumpur.
The “Four Great Cuisines” of China (四大菜系) are Sichuan (Chuan), Shandong (Lu), Guangdong (Cantonese/Yue), and Jiangsu (Huaiyang) cuisine.
The Boston Black Heritage Trail takes you around ten important sites in American black history.
For many reasons, air travel entails some additional restrictions when it comes to your baggage, compared to other modes of travel.
The Kalinga War Memorial in Dehradun is the only war memorial of its kind in the world; it was erected by the British to honour their foe, the Gurkhas.
Always wanted to have a meal in a crooked building? Head to Den Skæve Kro – “The Crooked Inn” – in Ebeltoft!
The University of Kansas campus in Lawrence is simply beautiful and has been called “one of the most picturesque campuses in all of America.”
Travelling for a funeral or memorial service often involves planning a long-distance trip on short notice.
Te Kuiti is known as the “Sheep Shearing Capital of the World”.
Pinhão is the centre of the oldest demarcated wine region in the world.
The Steps of Penitence leading up to Mount Sinai is a path quite literally carved out of the rock by monks.
Climbing from sea level to 866 m (2841 ft) in 20 km (12 mi), the Flåm railway the third steepest normal railroad in the world.

February 2021

In Ajaccio you can visit the house where Napoleon was born, which is now a museum.
Queen Juliana Bridge in Willemstad is the highest bridge in the Caribbean.
At the McDonald’s in Taupo you can have your meal in a decommisioned airplane.
The seat of the Sicilian Parliament, Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo, is the oldest royal residence in Europe and once housed the rulers of the Kingdom of Sicily.
In Fort Worth you can visit two museums presenting the life of women and non-white cowboys in the Old West.
At the Daio Wasabi Farm in Azumino, the largest in Japan, you can make your own wasabi pickle.
Due to how the city’s Bashkir name is written in the Cyrillic script, Ufa is sometimes nicknamed the City of Three Screws.
The architecture of the Azadi Tower in Tehran, constructed to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, combines elements of Sassanid and Islamic architecture.
From 1562 to 1792, emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned in the Kaiserdom in Frankfurt.
The Elkmont Historic District is a ghost town within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Bambara is heavily influenced by French, and even the slightest knowledge of French will make it easier to remember words.
Port Royal outside Kingston was once the largest city in the Caribbean and perhaps its most notorious base for pirates and privateers.
Coonoor provides the traveller with the panoramic view of the lush green Nilgiri hills, with its ravines, valleys, and waterfalls.
Chester – or “Deva” in Latin – was one of the great military bases in Roman England, and as such, has its fair share of Roman ruins.
Les Almadies in Dakar is the western tip of the African continent with plenty of seafood restaurants.
One of the last large wildernesses close to Helsinki, in Sipoonkorpi National Park you can reportedly encounter all mammal and bird species that are common in Southern Finland.
Shakhmansur Bazaar is the biggest bazaar in downtown Dushanbe and has a huge variety of foods, as well as an odd assortment of tools and household products.
Moored across the river from downtown Wilmington, USS North Carolina offers visitors the chance to envision the daily life and fierce combat her crew faced in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.
High over Kavala a big white cross can be seen from everywhere in the town.
Brazil’s cuisine is as varied as its geography and culture, based on the variety of crops, livestock and seafood produced in the country.
Sasanaramsi Burmese Buddhist Temple in Singapore is the only Buddhist temple outside Myanmar to be built in the traditional Burmese architectural style.
Estelí has historically been and continues to be a Sandinista stronghold and you can see almost as many murals bearing witness of this as in León.
Musée International du Golfe de Guinée in Lomé houses a quite large collection of authentic mainly West African historical items.
During the colonial period, the Germans left a distinct mark on Qingdao’s architecture that can still be seen in its historic center and train station.
Famous for its Catalan origins, Alghero was known in the past as “la Barceloneta sarda”, little Sardinian Barcelona.
One of the most famous streets in New York City if not the world, Broadway has a history reaching back to pre-Columbian times.
At 56 m, Zenkov’s Cathedral in Almaty is among the tallest wooden buildings in the world, which you wouldn’t guess from the smoothly painted exterior hues of custard, icing sugar and coloured marzipan.

January 2021

Due to the white color of the sand in the White Sands National Park, some animals have evolved lighter coloration, resulting in white reptiles, mammals, and invertebrates that blend with their white background.
A sculpture from 1960 showing whalers in action, the Whaling Monument is Sandefjord’s most famous attraction.
Bodrum Castle is one of the world’s best preserved monuments dating back to medieval times.
In Baisha near Lijiang you can see Buddhist murals that reflect a fusion of Han Chinese and Tibetan painting techniques with Naxi cultural traditions.
The region of and around the Turkey Run State Park is indeed known for its population of wild turkeys.
Traben-Trarbach is one of the most charming wine towns along the Mosel River.
A supra (Georgian banquet) always features a tamada, a master of ceremonies nominated by the host, who is responsible for the toasts, for keeping the party going, and keeping the guests joyful.
The Lusatian Lake District is a collection of artificial lakes created from former open-pit lignite mines
The kasbah (old town) of Rabat has narrow streets with cute white and blue houses.
Burnham Market is one of the five Norfolk Burnhams in existence today–there were originally seven.
Described as a football temple, Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires is the largest stadium in Argentina and home to the national football team.
The Black Sand Beach in Vík í Mýrdal is famous for its basalt stacks and black lava sands.
As mountains are by their nature hard to reach, traditionally cheese produced there had to be of a variety that stores well and can be collected for later sale.
Perth has an enormous traditional arts scene.
The Dome of Light in Kaohsiung is the world’s largest stained glass installation.
If you visit Tikal early enough in the morning, it’s possible to see and hear monkeys.
Basketball is one of the most popular team sports in North America, both as a spectactor sport and as an activity.
The French language originated in France, but in the modern day it is spoken on every continent.
The wooden roof of the 11th century Ancona Cathedral is in the shape of an upside-down boat and its most obvious feature is the 12-sided cupola.
Some towns owe their existence or at least their current size to mining.
Buffalo History Museum has by far the most extensive collection of artifacts relevant to the history of Buffalo and Western New York from pre-Columbian times to the present day.
Sakhalin has long been the scene of a power struggle between major Asian powers.
Townsville on the Australian Pacific coast enjoys an average of 320 days of sunshine a year.
Completed in 1929, Havana’s neoclassical El Capitolio resembles the U.S. Capitol and housed the Cuban Congress prior to the revolution.
The San Gabriel mountains above Pasadena offer some excellent hiking opportunities.
Compared to the hectic, bustling capitals in other Southeast Asian countries, Vientiane’s relaxing atmosphere makes it feel like the small town it is.
The most prized piece of art in Klosterneuburg Monastery is the triptych Verduner Altar, painted in 1181 by Nicholas of Verdun.
God’s Own Junkyard in Walthamstow displays hundreds of illuminated signs including signs of businesses, decorative signs, movie props and artworks.
Inca legend says that Viracocha, the bearded god who created the universe, emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca and created the sun at Isla del Sol.
With a maximum height between 260 and 312 m, King Fahd’s Fountain in Jeddah is the tallest in the world.
At the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka in Ballarat, you can learn about the 1854 Eureka miners’ rebellion and the changes it caused in Australian democracy.
Shirakawa is famous in the region for its unique daruma (wooden doll) design.

December 2020

Ruka has a large cross-country skiing track network.
Golfing is an enormously popular outdoor sport in Auburn among both visitors and those associated with the university.
Beer has a history spanning back to the very oldest agricultural civilizations.
Jhansi was built around Jhansi Fort, and once the city fit inside the fort’s walls.
Dishes of the Spanish cuisine tend to be light and not overly spicy.
Chellah ouside Rabat was founded by Carthaginians, conquered by Romans and later passed under Arab rule, then abandoned and settled by unbelievable numbers of birds.
The U-Tower, a high-rise former brewery building, has been a Dortmund landmark since 1927.
Wounded soldiers of the Baekje Dynasty are said to have been healed after taking a bath in the springs today forming Yuseong Spa in Daejeon.
The Spruce Grove Grain Elevator is now a museum and the last remaining wooden grain elevator on the CN Rail line west of Edmonton.
The front facade and retable behind the altar of Notre Dame de Lourdes in Libreville have a hand-painted airy white and blue tapestry.
The American Windmill Museum in Lubbock offers a unique experience into the history of wind power from the Old West to today.
Omarama has a world famous gliding centre, where scenic glider flights into the Southern Alps are available.
Alexander the Great’s conquests covered a wide area from Greece to India.
São Luís’s Historical Center is a testimony to the city’s past wealth as the home of the cotton aristocrats.
Streymoy is the largest of the Faroe Islands.
There are places off-limits due to mines in many parts of the world, including some where the conflict ended decades ago.
Not just fish is sold at Novi Sad’s fish market, which offers a true Serbian market experience.
The four plazas Plaza Guadalajara, Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Liberación and Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres in Guadalajara form a cross of plazas with the cathedral in the center.
Established in the 13th century, the current buildings of Wijlre’s old watermill date from 1776, and some holiday apartments have been created in them.
There are five tones in Mandarin that must be followed for proper pronunciation.
The statue of Manas, Kyrgyzstan’s legendary hero/leader of yore, in Osh depicts Manas with a snow leopard.
Founded as a gold rush town in 1895, the handful of original buildings still standing are all that remain from Menzies’ previous grandeur.
Klerksdorp Konsentrasiekamp Monument was built to honor those who succumbed in the Klerksdorp concentration camps during the Second Boer War.
The Imperial City of Hue is a great sprawling complex of temples, pavilions, moats, walls, gates, shops, museums and galleries, featuring art and costumes from various periods of Vietnamese history.
Johor Zoo was built by Sultan Ibrahim in 1928 as a private menagerie of the royal family and opened to the public in 1962.
The cable car of Grenoble is the easiest way to see the town from above, and the trip in the plastic bubbles is impressive.
Though the Maasai Mara National Reserve has good numbers of wildlife all year around, it is more lively during the annual great wildebeest migration.
Encompassing 301 acres, Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area re-creates 18th-century Williamsburg as it appeared preceding and during the American Revolution.
Near Visakhapatnam there are three hills dedicated to three different faiths.
If Maradi isn’t Niger’s New York, it certainly is Niger’s Houston.
From the summit of Mauao, there are fantastic views of the beach-side suburb named after it (Mt Maunganui or The Mount), Tauranga, and the entire Tauranga harbour area and coastlines.

November 2020

There are two types of highway in Spain: autopistas, or motorways, and autovías, which are more akin to expressways.
Around 1900, Irkutsk was nicknamed the “Paris of Siberia” due to its wide streets and ornate, continental architecture, but travellers today will find little resemblance with Paris.
Forte São João de Bertioga in Bertioga is the oldest fortress of Brazil.
Trastevere in Rome has a high population of expatriates and American college students as there are two American universities in the area.
Buckhead, once known as Buckhead Village, is becoming a true district of Atlanta with massive construction projects.
The Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt has had a very tumultuous history, and served as a cinema hall in Soviet times.
Grenada is known as the “Spice Isle” because it is a major source of nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla and cocoa.
Ujugami Shrine in Uji is said to be the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan and was built to console the soul of Prince Uji no Wakiiratsuko, who committed suicide in the Uji River.
The Swedish Empire was at its greatest extent in the 17th and early 18th centuries.
Every day at midday a trumpeter dressed in historic costume walks up 120 stairs and plays a tune from the top of the Fire Tower in Grodno.
The cliff walk in Newport (Rhode Island) offers some of the most beautiful views in New England, and wildlife can be seen everywhere throughout the walk.
The SATS General Botha site is considered one of the more interesting wreck dives of False Bay, and the depth appeals to the more adventurous divers.
Founded in 1515, Cumaná is said to be the oldest city continuously inhabited by Europeans in South America.
Famous local souvenirs from Phonsavan and the surrounding area include natural dyes and textiles decorated with patterns unique to each ethnic group, mulberry paper parasols, spoons made from war scrap and Hmong embroidery.
Fårö has worldwide fame through Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman, who shot many of his films on the islands, including two documentaries, and now rests in the island church’s cemetery.
One of the strangest natural phenomena along the Kenyan Rift Valley is the “anti-gravity hill” about 60 km southeast of Nairobi.
Saint Nikolaus Orthodox Church in Eger has a wall of icons rich in carvings and gold plating and considered one of the most beautiful in Hungary.
Earthquakes are often followed by smaller quakes called aftershocks that can occur minutes, hours or even days or months after the original quake.
Urfa has many excellent old buildings and plenty of connections with the Old Testament and Islamic traditions.
Measuring 240 m long on either side, the Zócalo in Mexico City is one of the largest squares in the world.
The verb system is perhaps the most complicated feature in modern Bulgarian, especially compared to other Slavic languages.
Outside the Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge there’s a replica of the world’s first iron-hulled vessel.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was designed in the 1960s to allow for people to park next to their gate and make a short walk to their plane, a design that’s somewhat inefficient today.
Rising high coral limestone is everywhere in Kenting National Forest Recreation Area.
Commenced in 1793, Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta contains part of the oldest surviving European building in Australia.
In San José (Costa Rica) you can visit museums dedicated to pre-Columbian gold and jade artworks.
Galway Cathedral was built 1958-1965 on the site of an old prison.
Phu Phra Bat Historical Park in Nong Khai dates back more than 3,000 years and contains large and mysterious rock formations.
Acropolis in Athens features many iconic buildings of the Greek Classical age, among them the Parthenon, the Erectheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike.
The Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem features entire replicas of both a 17th-century Italian synagogue and an Indian synagogue.

October 2020

Once housing the largest book collection in Asia, after a 1981 arson attack Jaffna library was restored and reopened but now houses a much smaller collection.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport had a famously messy construction period making Berlin the laughingstock of Germany
Touted as the “Museum of The Americas”, the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa has one of the world’s largest collections of Western and Native American art.
Kagoshima is known throughout Japan for its sweet potato shochu.
Swimming in Piscina Municipal de Montjuïc, you can enjoy spectacular views over Barcelona.
The National Railway Museum in Adelaide is Australia’s largest railway museum.
In Moldova, the Romanian language is sometimes referred to as Moldovan.
The iconic HSBC Rain Vortex at Singapore Changi Airport is the world’s highest fountain, and at night it becomes the stage for a light and sound show.
Rimini’s Frederico Fellini Museum covers everything related to the great film director’s life and career.
The Wonderboom, also known as Tree of Wonder or Miracle Tree outside Pretoria is a huge fig tree over 1000 years old and with an unusual growth pattern.
Cajamarquilla in Eastern Lima is considered to be the second largest adobe city in Peru.
The vast majority of Western Sahara is administered by Morocco.
Savannah is famous for having one of the largest historic districts in the United States.
Sümela Monastery is a spectacular rock-hewn monastery perched dramatically on the narrow ledge of a steep cliff in the forests south of Trabzon.
Many of the Japanese scenes in Kill Bill were shot in the Beijing Film Studios: Hattori Hanzo’s sushi bar, his sword room, and the House of Blue Leaves.
El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America.
In Maribor you can see the oldest vine in the world.
The area around Tadoussac is well known for its whale watching opportunities on the St. Lawrence River.
At the German Salt Museum in Lüneburg’s old salt works, visitors can make their own salt in small pans, reminiscent of the way it was once done.
The ice terrain at the North Pole tends to be rather flat, though some interesting formations of snow and ice can be found.
Jerez de la Frontera enjoys over 3,200 hours of sunshine a year.
Built in 1654, the Nidhe Israel Synagogue in Bridgetown is one of the oldest in the Americas.
Urumqi’s Grand Bazaar is a great place not only for regional specialty items, but also has many goods from nearby countries.
The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum in Galveston is housed in a retired oil platform.
Wascana Centre, built around the shores of the man-made Wascana Lake in Regina, is one of North America’s largest urban parks.
In the Greek cuisine, salads and vegetables play an even bigger role than in other Mediterranean cuisines.
Many landmark events in the history of Colombian and South American independence took place in the La Candelaria district of Bogotá.
The “Shawshank Tree”, a white oak in Mansfield, Ohio became a major tourist attraction following the filming of Shawshank Redemption.
The Golden Roof in Innsbruck was built over the balcony where the Austrian emperor and empress sat enjoying festivals, tournaments and other events on the square below.
There is a large population of koalas on the Raymond Island, and this would have to be one of the easiest places in Australia to spot them.
Thai has a complicated set of vowels and diphthongs that distinguishes between vowel length (short and long) and vowel position (front and back).

September 2020

Shenzhen is internationally best known as the epicentre of electronics as it is home to countless circuit board manufacturers, assembly houses, retailers, and supporting businesses.
The Basilica of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains in Metz was built in 380 AD as a Roman bath.
Le marché des valeurs in Kinshasa is a good place to buy Congolese art.
Jim Jim Falls has graced many calendars, books and television programs and is a must see for all visitors to Kakadu National Park.
Parnaioca Beach on Ilha Grande has seen the dark past of the island: jail prisoners, slaves, pirates and lepers in the Lazareto Hospital.
Trakai Castle is a reconstructed residence of Lithuanian 14th-century dukes, the most famous castle in the country, and a symbol of medieval Lithuania itself.
Prosciutto di Parma , cured ham, is one of the foods that made Parma famous.
At the historical Hugh Mercer Apothecary in Fredericksburg, Virginia guides are dressed in period attire and take you through the building explaining 18th-century medicine and local history.
Salalah has a gun souq, a small informal open-air market for vendors selling all types of weapons, from antique rifles to traditional knives and daggers.
The original purpose of Hawa Mahal in Jaipur was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen.
The Pollard wing of the Princeton and District Museum houses one of the most extensive mineral and fossil collections in British Columbia.
The Bartholdi Museum in Colmar is dedicated to the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, who was native to the city.
Kano’s indigo dyes were once used to make garments for Nigerian royalty and they are said to also be usable as medicine.
In many countries there are rules about who is allowed to charter or skipper a boat of a certain size.
Changsha Bamboo Slips Museum has bamboo growing out of one side of the building.
Leiden is one of the Netherlands’ few true student towns.
Caves connect us to our distant past because prehistoric remains and artefacts have been preserved in them, that outside would have been lost.
Although São Paulo is commonly associated with gray, concrete, and lack of green space, the Atlantic rainforest still covers large portions of the city.
Like many of the mainland gardens, Shikinaen in Naha was built by Okinawa’s royal family as a detached residence and to entertain guests.
Perm stretches 25 km along the Kama River.
A former Belgian merchant marine training ship, the three-masted schooner Zeilschip Mercator is now a floating maritime museum in Ostend.
Some geologists believe Kata Tjuta once may have been a monolith far surpassing Uluru in size, but that it eroded to several separate bulks of rock.
Kuta has long been a popular stop on the classic Banana Pancake Trail backpacking route in South East Asia.
The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas has exhibitions about author John Steinbeck, his work, and life on the California Coast.
The tusks of Moi Avenue in Mombasa, were built in 1956 to welcome Princess Margaret, who was visiting.
Woodstock (Ontario) is known as the Dairy Capital of Canada and promotes itself as “The Friendly City”.
English-speakers tend to find most everything about written Hungarian tough going, including a number of unusual sounds and agglutinative grammar.
Mysore Palace features intricately carved rosewood doors and ceilings some with inlaid ivory work, marble figurines, collections of caskets and paintings of the members of the former royal family.
Since the 1960s Kourou has been best known for the Guiana Space Centre.
Best described as an “outpost”, the only meaningful sight in Stung Treng is watching the sun set and rise over the landscape.

August 2020

The small 14th-century Boyana church in Sofia contains some very well preserved murals and is with its garden on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In Cologne you can visit a chocolate museum.
In addition to borders between proper countries, there may be borders or control points inside what could be regarded as one country.
Calcium carbonate (also known as travertine) and limestone gives Pamukkale its whiteness and created the pools.
In the Amoskeag Fishways Learning and Visitors Center in Manchester, New Hampshire you can explore the Merrimack River in many ways.
Naypyidaw was a rather secretive construction project by the ruling military junta in the early 2000s.
The Old Sears Tower in Chicago’s Far West Side was once the largest commercial building in the world.
Annan boasts a WWI munition production heritage, for instance the Devil’s Porridge was invented here.
Concepción has three museums that each represent a different era of Paraguay’s history.
You will not be allowed to enter the Seif Palace in Kuwait City, however it is still interesting to walk by and see the vast gardens of the palace.
Bonaire has world-class shore diving, much of it easy, and is thus well-suited for beginners, or for experienced divers who want relaxing independent diving.
The Machines de l’Ile in Nantes is a fantastic exhibition of mechanical animals including the Great Elephant on which you can take a ride.
Climbing Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios in a human chain is one of Jamaica’s most famous attractions.
Despite being local Yurihonjo specialties, kiritanko rice cakes and hatahata fish are only served at a few restaurants around town, though they can be purchased at many gift shops.
Daugavpils is more endowed with bodies of water than other cities of Latvia; there are 15 lakes, 8 rivers and numerous brooks its territory.
Before the widespread adoption of air travel, trans-oceanic crossings by necessity relied on ships which plied the high seas.
Graced by red rock mesas, Grand Junction is a vital part of Colorado’s Wine Country.
The brewery museum in Saint-Denis is dedicated to Reunion’s omnipresent Bière Dodo.
As a relatively new city, Murmansk has few real sights apart from the giant “Alyosha” statue.
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has its own 18-hole golf course.
Gijón lives facing the sea, which is ever present in its geography and activities.
Bamberg is said to have been built on seven hills and thus it sometimes calls itself the “Franconian Rome”.
Like ecotourism, agritourism focuses on travel that is low-impact and empowering to local communities, both socially and economically.
The town hall of Santiago de Cuba is where Castro announced victory in 1959.
Riding Transperth buses is free in central Perth.
A marked difference exists between the spoken and written forms of Sinhala.
Nasoteket in Lund is a collection of cast noses from several different famous Swedes.
The historical Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, is the second largest hand cut sandstone building in the world.
The English name of the Easter Island commemorates its European discovery by a Dutch exploration vessel on Easter Sunday in 1722.
Once called the “Garden City of India” and the “Pensioner’s Paradise”, these epithets don’t apply to the modern Bangalore.
Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór is a prehistoric fortress dating back to 1000 BC, perched on the edge of a 100-m cliff plunging straight into the Atlantic Ocean.

July 2020

More than four-fifths of the historical Route 66 in the USA remain drivable (though not always well-marked) as a collection of state highways and local roads.
Palazzo Regio in Cagliari was the residence of the royal representatives during the 14th century.
The rough seas along the southern coastline of Yorke Peninsula have caused many a shipwrecks, which is why this area has a number of lighthouses.
Bir is a small mountain town in northern Himachal Pradesh with a large, well-established Tibetan community.
Moyobamba is known as the City of Orchids.
Wood Buffalo National Park is home to the world’s largest beaver dam.
The capital and administrative centre of Greenland, Nuuk has about 15000 inhabitants which is a quarter of the island’s population.
For about twenty days in May 1945 what claimed to be the last government of Nazi Germany sat in Flensburg.
Lemnos has about a hundred beaches which are scattered all over the island.
The Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City was built as part of the city’s heavy development in the lead-up to the 2002 Winter Olympics.
The National Museum of Antigua and Barbuda is housed in the Old Court House of Saint John’s.
Les Almadies in Dakar is the westernmost tip of the African continent.
Alivaria Brewery, the oldest in Minsk and the largest in Belarus, can be visited with a tour which also includes beer tasting.
Built as a guard tower, Tour des Sorciers (Witches’ tower) in Sion was later used for questioning of alleged witches under torture, where it got its name from.
The Winnipeg Art Gallery is Western Canada’s oldest gallery, and features Manitoban, Canadian, and international artists and a large collection of Inuit Art.
Plaza Independencia, the central main square of the city is the best starting point to explore downtown Mendoza.
Carolina Beach isn’t just an ordinary beach town—it’s also one of the few places you can see rare Venus flytraps in the wild.
Space travel has such a long history that most major countries on earth have played a part in it, now displayed in local museums.
Taichung’s Pao Jiue Temple features a golden “Big Buddha”.
The Æbelholt Kloster museum in Hillerød has exhibitions about the medical history of the Augustinian order, including a garden with medical herbs, and some 300 skeletons on display.
Brazilian roads can vary drastically from city to city, and even inside them, in terms of quality.
The Artur Rubinstein’s Lodz Philharmonic is the second oldest philharmonic in Poland.
The Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill outside Harrodsburg is America’s largest restored Shaker community, with 34 restored buildings and 3,000 acres of preserved farmland.
Zimbabwe has 16 official languages.
Bogor Botanical Gardens were founded in 1811 as a private garden of Sir Stamford Raffles, later Singapore’s founder.
Now a city of over 700,000 inhabitants and a popular Caribbean tourist destination, Cancún didn’t exist before the 1970s.

June 2020

The island of Själö near Nagu Kyrkbacken, once housed a leper colony, then a mental hospital, now a research institute and welcomes visitors.
Spanning Ocean Road and overlooking the town beach, the Narragansett Towers are all that remain of the Narragansett Pier Casino.
If Tokyo is Japan’s capital, one might call Osaka its anti-capital.
Local delicacies in Halifax include Halifax donair, hodge podge, blueberry grunt and deep fried pepperoni.
In Sighișoara you can visit the house where Vlad Țepeș “The Impaler” (a.k.a. “Dracula”) was born.
During the summer khareef (monsoon) and annual Salalah Festival, visitors flock to the Salalah region to escape the blazing hot temperatures elsewhere on the Arabian peninsula.
In Invercargill the home town of the record-setting motorcyclist Burt Munro, there are many motoring museums.
Lac Municipal is the only real body of water in Yaoundé and another place to get away from the noise of the city.
Bad Nauheim is a spa town in Hesse whose main claim to fame is that Elvis Presley lived there during his military service.
There are lots of Art Nouveau buildings in Nancy.
The Portuguese Empire was, or is, one of the longest-lived colonial empires.
Once a hunting ground for the Nepali royalty, Parsa Wildlife Reserve outside Birgunj is now a protected area and national park.
Parque de las Iguanas in Guayaquil is home to hundreds of tame iguanas.
From the observation deck of the Puijo tower in Kuopio you have a stunning view over the neighbouring lakelands.
Wolf Creek ski area near Pagosa Springs has the most snow in Colorado at an average of 465 inches annually.
The National Museum of Natural History in Luanda does an impeccable job of displaying the large amount of diverse organisms that inhabit and once inhabited present-day Angola.
The first high-speed rail service was Japan’s Shinkansen (Shinkansen 0 series train), beginning service in 1964.
The cellars of Kaunas City Hall houses the city’s ceramics museum.
Waves hitting the shores of Strahan, Tasmania may have travelled all the way from Patagonia in South America.
Culinary specialties on Heligoland include lobster, crab’s claws, plaice, prawns, herring and other varieties of local seafood.
By older locals, in Portuguese, the city of Recife is often referred to with an article, as “The Reef”.
Long-term travellers can get reverse culture shock when they finally return home.
Though often derided as having no history, the fast-paced tech hub of Shenzhen has several well-preserved traditional villages.
The Russian half of the Saimaa Canal is leased by Finland similarly to the former U.S. lease of the Panama Canal Zone.
The slogan of Boring, Oregon is “The most exciting place to live.”
The malecon in San Carlos can be seen in about 10 minutes, but you can definitely enjoy a lazy afternoon in sunny weather there and the sunsets are a sight to behold.
An overland journey from Buenos Aires to Machu Picchu crosses staggering mountains and stark deserts.
A landscape of stunning cliffs, red mountains, and caves, Danxiashan is still little-known to international tourists.
The thing to buy in Mae Salong is the excellent local oolong tea grown on plantations all around.
Founded in 1635 as a garrison during the Spanish period, Fort Pilar in Zamboanga serves as a present day open-air shrine.

May 2020

Prague is a city of bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes, that has been mirrored in the surface of the swan-filled Vltava River for more than ten centuries
The tiny island of Xiaoputuo is just big enough to hold the Buddhist temple perched upon it.
Bossier City, along with Shreveport, is a regional home of gaming in the Ark-La-Tex region.
Whakatane is one of the sunniest towns in New Zealand.
The fountain at Piazza di Spagna in Rome celebrates the boat which once ended up in the square when the river Tiber flooded.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square was the seat of Nepal’s royalty before 1769.
The Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum in Muscat is housed in a building built in 1845 as a royal summer home.
The well preserved exterior of Bodiam Castle outside Robertsbridge has been used in many famous films, including Monty Python’s search for the Holy Grail.
Senhime Shrine in Himeji is the only shrine in Japan associated with a castle.
Tupelo is a city in Northeast Mississippi that is known best for being the birthplace of Elvis Presley.
Potosí at around 4,000 metres above sea level, is one of the world’s highest large cities
Llotja de la Seda (the silk exchange) in Valencia is considered to be one of the most significant secular Gothic buildings in Europe.
The Fisheries and Maritime museum in Esbjerg presents the North Sea coast both from a natural and economical point of view.
Cape Coast Castle is one of several UNESCO World Heritage slave forts along the southern coast of Ghana.
The Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Railways intersect in Portage la Prairie, making it a good place for railway aficionados to view trains.
As the Roman Empire originated in Italy and held onto this territory for the longest time, most remnants are found there and across the Mediterranean basin.
Bodaiji Temple on Mount Osore is built around a number of volcanic cauldrons bubbling in all sorts of unnatural shades from canary yellow to blood red.
Only 400 tourists are permitted to visit Lord Howe Island at any one time.
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is one of the few airports in the world to have slot machines in it.
The Old Government Buildings in Wellington is the largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere and the second-largest in the world.
India has more cattle than any other country in the world, and milk and its derivative products are used in a range of Indian savory dishes, drinks and desserts.
El Centro is the largest American city to lie entirely below sea level.
The crypt of Vilnius Cathedral shows a cross section of Vilnius through the ages, well worth seeing.
A planned city, Chandigarh was built as a city of “Sun, Space and Verdure”, to fulfill the basic functions of working, living, and care of body and spirit.
Ven is best known as the site of the Renaissance-era astronomical observatory built by Tycho Brahe.
It’s easy to get distracted by New York’s Times Square; even in this city of giant skyscrapers and famed landmarks, the night glow of the Theater District overwhelms everything around it.
While Kuala Lumpur is more of a concrete jungle compared to other parts of the country, it is still easy enough to delve into nature.
The Bottle House in Ganja was built of 48,000 bottles and in honor of World War II soldiers who did not return home.
The Ghana Armed Forces Museum in Kumasi predominantly features information and artifacts related to the British-Asante War.
The highlight exhibit of the Museum of Buryatia History in Ulan Ude is a rare illustrated book from the 17th century on Tibetan medicine
In St. Louis you can visit the World Chess Halls of Fame.

April 2020

Cuc Phuong National Park is Vietnam’s largest national park and one of the most important biodiversity sites in the country.
It may be called “Australian rules” football, but the city that rules the game is Melbourne.
Altitude sickness is a great danger for high-altitude mountaineering, and moderate danger for mountain sports and when flying in to a high-altitude city.
A specialty of Chorley is the Chorley Cake, a thin sweet cake, made with currants in shortcrust pastry.
The Asturian Railway Museum in Gijón displays rolling stock mostly from Asturias’ industrial heyday of coal mining and steel production.
A culinary specialty of Durban is bunny chow, a quarter loaf of bread hollowed out and filled with a curry of your choice.
The Nan Tien Temple in Wollongong is the biggest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere.
In Kurashiki you can visit a jeans museum and a school uniform museum.
Polson is at the south end of Flathead Lake, the U.S.’s largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi.
Outside Baku you can see the famous oil pump fields from the opening scene of the James Bond picture The World is Not Enough.
Naarden is a small town surrounded by large 17th-century fortifications, among the best preserved in Europe.
The Royal Regalia Museum in Bandar Seri Begawan displays the royal accessories utilised during the coronation, and some reproductions, as well as gifts received by the Sultan.
McMurdo Station is by far the most populous Antarctic station in summer and something of a transportation hub for members of the scientific community on the southern continent.
Aarhus town hall is considered one of the highlights of Danish architecture.
At the Revolution Memorial in Timisoara you can learn about the short seven days during which Romania overthrew its communist government in 1989.
Yangshuo is popular for its incredible karst scenery, beautiful mountains, rivers, caves, and temples as well as its laid back cafes and bars.
The climate of Salt Lake City is extremely seasonal.
While booking flights well in advance is a good idea, it does not guarantee you the cheapest fares.
Toulouse Capitale is a magnificent red-brick building in Neoclassical style, lording it over the pedestrianised main square Place du Capitole.
Maliguda railway tunnel north of Koraput is the highest broad gauge tunnel in India.
Once used by foreign vessels to navigate the Senegal River the Gandiol lighthouse continues to be maintained for the local fishermen and lighthouse lovers.
In Havana the Malecón is where the locals come to party on the weekends.
Württembergisches Landesmuseum in Stuttgart is a direct descendant of a collection of local antiquities formed in 1862 by King Wilhelm I of Württemberg.
Makassarese cuisine is based on seafood and highly prized throughout the region
Forte dos Reis Magos in Natal was perhaps the most important of Brazil’s defense barriers during the colonial period.
The numbers 1 to 4 have three gender forms in Icelandic, depending upon whether the number is attached to a masculine, feminine, or neuter word.
The didjeridu originated in Arnhem Land, and the area is also world-renowned for its distinctive Aboriginal art
The Trans-Siberian Railway is the backbone of the Russian rail network and the connection between the Asian and European railway networks.
Founded by Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia in Charlottesville is together with his residence listed as a world heritage site.
The 12th-century Chiesa dei Catalani is one of the few old buildings in Messina that survived the earthquake in 1908.

March 2020

The Edison-Soo Hydro-electric Power House in Sault Sainte Marie (Michigan) is the world’s longest canal-powered electric plant.
For 58 years, Mannheim served as a royal residence, and gave Schiller, Lessing, Goethe and Mozart a home for some time.
Dundee used to be a grubby, rough industrial town famous for its three J’s of jute, jam and journalism.
Described as “the truest fusion of dream and reality”, every inch of the surface of the Lingaraja temple in Bhubaneswar is covered with elaborate carvings.
The gold and black enamel work by Toledo artisans is known throughout Spain.
Badagry outside Lagos was founded as a slave port and was also known as the “Point of No Return
The Ashgabat flagpole was upon completion to tallest freestanding flagpole in the world, and at a height of 133 metres (436 feet) still is one of the tallest.
Nowadays a park, the Howard Watson Trail in Sarnia is a former railway line that passes through a combination of urban and rural areas
Guo Zhuang garden in Hangzhou is one of the garden masterpieces of Jiangnan (the lower region of the Yangtze River) thanks to its incomparable surroundings and the smartly managed garden space.
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart features an exciting permanent exhibition of Antarctic natural history.
Sint-Truiden is in the centre of Belgium’s fruit producing region, Haspengouw (French: Hesbaye), and is renowned for its pears, apples (Jonagold), and sweet cherries.
The sheltered waters of Glacier Bay ebb and flow with the region’s huge tides, which can change as much as 25 feet during a six-hour period.
The Big Mosque of Chennai is a magnificent grey granite structure, built without steel and wood.
Every April the Koryo Mountain Azalea Festival is celebrated in Incheon, and many people climb the mountain to see the azaleas bloom.
Tórshavn was founded in the 10th century and named after Thor, the god of thunder and lightning in Norse mythology.
The largest and one of the oldest churches in Bratislava, St. Martin’s Cathedral was the coronation-church of several Hungarian kings.
Jerash was never buried by a volcano, nevertheless it’s sometimes misleadingly referred to as the “Pompeii of the Middle East”.
Idaho Falls features the Museum of Idaho, dedicated to the state’s history and receives many famous traveling exhibits.
Casablanca is one of the two Moroccan cities with a tram network.
Greeks consider Thessaloniki a gourmet city – this refers to the excellent local specialities and cheap-and-cheerful ouzo taverns rather than to haute cuisine or a range of foreign restaurants.
The Nauryz celebrations in Shymkent in late March are the among the largest in Kazakhstan.
The national dish of Guyana is pepperpot, a slow cooked stew of pork (or other meats), red peppers (capsicum), cinnamon and casareep.
On the Ogasawara Islands, often dubbed as the “Galapagos of the Orient”, animals and plants have undergone unique evolutionary processes since these islands have never been connected with a continent.
Fethiye is probably the only city in the world where you’ll find sarcophaguses in the streets.
As you walk around St George’s Cathedral in Addis Ababa, you will notice people praying beside the walls, but it is unlikely that you will find an entrance.
Founded before 1378, Einbecker Brauhaus is one of the oldest still operating breweries in the world.
Isle Royale is a wilderness preserve first, a sanctuary for those seeking to experience it second, and a travel destination third.
Montepulciano has gained notability from being used as a location for the Twilight films.
The Tháp Đôi Cham Towers outside Quy Nhon are the most accessible Cham towers in Vietnam.
Serbian uses both Latin and Cyrillic alphabets, the only Slavic language to do so.
The historic El Camino Real links the 21 Spanish missions of California.

February 2020

The ice-rimmed trees along Songhua River in Jilin are considered one of the four major natural wonders of China.
Dolores Hidalgo was the starting point of the fight for Mexican independence from the Spanish Empire, and the town has several related museums and monuments.
Walking around Cathedrale Notre Dame in Le Havre you’ll see a striking contrast between the 15th century cathedral and the buildings constructed in the 1950s and 1960s around it.
Even if you never get to go to space yourself, there are quite a few space-related places on Earth.
Few cities of the world have a history as rich as that of Alexandria; few cities have witnessed so many historic events and legends.
The former Eckerö mail and customs house was hugely oversize for the village, as it was built as a symbol of the Russian Empire at the main mail route to Sweden.
Hiring a motorhome and travelling around New Zealand is a popular and relaxing way of seeing the country.
The market in Kisumu is second largest open air market in Kenya, and one of the oldest.
Placentia was the French capital of Newfoundland in the early 17th century.
California doesn’t have a very well-defined cuisine of its own, but rather a remarkably diverse food scene defined by its large population of immigrants of varied ethnic backgrounds.
Spa in Belgium is known as the “original” spa, i.e. a place where tourists came in to enjoy the health and wellness benefits of water and hot springs in particular.
Rajabhakti Park in Hua Hin was built to honor past Thai kings from the Sukhothai period to the current Royal House of Chakri.
The Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill gives a twee look back at white Australias roots, complete with 1850s cottages, horse-drawn carriages and river cruises.
The Horseless Carriage museum in Fenelon Falls is a museum specializing in pre-1914 transportation and early mechanical technology.
Dishes made with potatoes, called “the second bread”, are common in Belarus.
Pokhara is Nepal’s top yoga destination and there are over a dozen yoga retreats.
The Vine City area of Atlanta holds the U.S.’s largest concentration of African-American colleges dating back to the post-Civil War era.
From as early as the 16th century, the windmills are one of the most recognized landmarks of Mykonos.
Keszthely has a Balaton Museum presenting the development of the lake, its flora and fauna and the historical relics of its surroundings.
Royal Oak is home to Detroit Zoo, recognized as one of the top zoos in the U.S.
Founded in 1730, San Antonio de Areco is proud of its gaucho tradition, and visitors can explore the surrounding villages and ranches.
To do scuba diving you don’t need to be a strong swimmer or super-fit, but you do need to feel comfortable in the water.
For a nice view of Dodoma and surroundings, head to Lion Rock (also called Simba Hill) north of the city.
The Hands of Harmony monument in Homigot outside Pohang are at the easternmost point of South Korea, and a popular place to shoot pictures of the sun rising through the fingers of the hand.
The name of Helmsdale derives from Norse Hjalmundal, meaning the “Dale of the Helmet”.
Yeoor Hills in Thane has the highest density of leopards in India.
The vast Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta in Zaragoza has impressive features, arrangements and a monumental fountain staircase.
The temple complex of Wilcahuaín outside Huaraz is virtually undamaged, providing a unique opportunity to see a complete pre-Columbian building in Peru.
In Simi Valley you can visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum.

January 2020

In the Greek cuisine salads (horiatiki salata) and vegetables play an even bigger role than in other Mediterranean cuisines.
Muzium Padi in Alor Setar is a museum that teaches all you need to know about paddy and rice.
McCaig’s Tower in Oban was supposed to become a replica of Colosseum in Rome, but only the circular shell was eventually completed.
Turkish coffee, served in tiny cups, is strong and tasty, and very different from the so-called Turkish coffees sold abroad.
Guan-Yue Temple in Quanzhou has a huge ritual furnace for burning joss paper, becoming very busy around the holidays such Yuanxiao, when people line up to burn their offerings.
Quezon City has no single place considered the city center; it is a multipolar city, with central business districts and commercial centers scattered at different points.
Sibiu has Romania’s largest German community, and due to initiatives by the local government, the Germanic feel of the area has been maintained.
Besides pronunciation differences, there are also significant lexical differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese.
Almost everything about Mashhad relates to its role as the holiest city in Iran, even its name – literally: “burial place of the martyr”.
At the Museum of Former Changchun Film Studio Site you can learn about the history of the Chinese movie industry.
Edmonton is the birthplace of two major Canadian restaurant chains: Boston Pizza and Earl’s.
Le Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier is France’s oldest botanical garden.
Paarl has a monument and a museum to the Afrikaans language.
Suquamish means “place of clear salt water” in the Native Lushootseed language, and has been the primary home of the Suquamish people since ancient times.
Manama has a busy nightlife by Gulf standards and is a getaway for Arabs and expats residing in Arab countries where alcohol is banned.
Asado, Argentine barbecue, is maybe the most famous dish of the Argentine cuisine.
Situated nearly at the center of the north Pacific Ocean, Hawaii marks the northeast corner of Polynesia.
A neo-Norman Victorian fantasy castle from the 19th century, Penrhyn Castle in Bangor contains a collection of “Norman” style furniture and old masters’ paintings.
Embodying several centuries of history, Catedral de Santa Ana can be seen from almost any point in the city center of Las Palmas.
Mizoram is a kaleidoscopic “pleasure trove” for the discerning visitor, with its wide array of festivals and dances, handicrafts, flora and fauna, breathtaking natural beauty, and temperate climate.
Phra Kahn in Lopburi is site of a small shrine, the remains of a Khmer prang (tall tower-like spire, usually richly carved), a few stalls and lots of monkeys.
The Palacio Estévez in Montevideo was the office building of Uruguayan presidents until 1985. Today it is a museum of the Uruguayan presidency.
Böttcherstrasse in Bremen is an incredible Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) street that runs from the main square towards the river.
Barbecue is the mainstay of many Texan’s diet and some Texans will frown at you if you call it B-B-Q.
Liechtenstein is together with Uzbekistan, doubly landlocked; one of only two countries to be landlocked by landlocked countries.
Sano is famous for Sano Premium Outlet, Sano ramen-noodles and Sano Yakuyoke Daishi which exorcises people in unlucky and critical ages.
Oljeön (“the Oil Island”) outside Fagersta is the world’s oldest preserved oil refinery.
The Erebuni Museum of History in Yerevan stands at the foot of the Arin Berd hill, on top of which the Urartian Fortress Erebouni has stood since 782 BCE.
The annual motorcycle Australian Grand Prix is held at the 1950s purpose-built Motor Racing Circuit at Phillip Island, and draws a massive contingent of motor sport fans every year.
Greetings in Swahili are very important and long and drawn out.
Maresias beach outside São Sebastião is part of the international surf circuit and regarded as “the Ipanema of São Paulo”.

December 2019

One attraction in El Cerrito is the Metallica House, where the heavy metal band was housed during the mid-1980s.
The Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta was gifted to the city by the prince who built the Taj Mahal to thank the city for housing exiled Emperor Shah Jahan.
Torre del Homenaje is the only remaining portion of the Moorish castle in Requena, built around the 10th century as a border fortification.
Suwabute Clams can only be found on the shores of Okuragahama in Hyuga; their shells are used to make go game stones.
The cuisines of all Nordic countries are quite similar, although each country does have its signature dishes.
In Israel buses must and trains can be paid by Rav Kav card and it is highly advisable for any trip to Israel to get a Rav Kav ideally already when entering the country.
Artefacts worth pondering over in the Nanjing Museum include a jade burial suit and an arched door from the Ming era Porcelain Pagoda.
Flying to Ísafjörður, you are treated to a grand view of the fjords on the descent into the airport.
There are more historical temples in Bishnupur than in any other place in West Bengal.
A sizable number of the world’s largest, longest or highest natural wonders are located in South America.
Manteca has several murals designed to give visitors, newcomers and longtime residents alike an insight into the community’s culture, history, and economy.
Coimbra is the seat of one of world’s oldest universities with a UNESCO-listed campus.
First explored by Matthew Flinders in 1802, he named the Kangaroo Island in honour of the feast of kangaroo he and his crew enjoyed on the island.
Glienicke Bridge which spans the Havel River to connect the cities of Potsdam and Berlin near Klein Glienicke was used to exchange spies during the Cold War.
Even though most locals don’t speak French, many of the street names, restaurant names and wine farms in Franschhoek have French names.
The Bee Discovery Station of Clovermead Apiaries in Aylmer has Ontario’s largest glass bee display hive.
Kourion outside Limassol is an archeological site which includes a well-preserved Greco-Roman theatre, The House of Achilles, The Altar of Apollo and spectacular views of the Curium Beach.
The forests of Stewart Island is a haven for bird-life, as there are fewer predators than on the New Zealand mainland.
The ceiling of Košice’s State Theatre is decorated with paintings of scenes from Shakespeare’s tragedies Othello, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear and Midsummer Night’s dream.
Located at the site where Patna is today, the ancient city of Patliputra, with a glorious period of history spanning a thousand years (500BC-400AD), saw the rise and fall of India’s first major kingdoms.
The 17th-century streets and buildings of Diamantina are witnesses to Brazil’s diamond and gold digging ages, and its historic center has been listed as a World Heritage Site.
One of the U.S’s biggest civic events, the Kentucky Derby Festival takes place for the two weeks prior to the first Saturday in May in Louisville.
Ise is primarily known for the eponymous Ise Shrine, arguably the holiest and most important Shinto site and the reputed home of the Emperor’s Sacred Mirror.
Et’hem Bey Mosque in Tirana is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in Albania with very interesting decorations and artwork within it.
The Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva comprises four floors of stunningly beautiful watches and clocks from the last centuries, both Patek Philippe and other brands.
Cursing is illegal on the island of Nevis.
The most popular food in Kathmandu could be the momo, a dumpling which has its roots in Tibet and China.
Tongatapu’s flying foxes are considered to be sacred in Tonga; only the king is allowed to hunt them.
After weeks of fighting over control of Takamatsu Castle in Okayama, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was able to force a quick surrender by diverting a river to flood the castle.
The all-you-can-eat Nordic buffet/smörgåsbord on Baltic Sea ferries should traditionally be eaten as seven servings; herring, other seafood, cold cuts, warm meat, sausage, cheese and dessert.
The rose window in St. John’s Episcopal Church in Franklin is the second largest Tiffany window in the world and said to be among Tiffany’s personal favorites.

November 2019

A seemingly odd statue of Bulgaria’s first Communist leader stands in a road intersection in Cotonou, Benin as a remnant of its abandoned Communist efforts.
The monkeys at Uluwatu on the Bukit Peninsula are adept at stealing visitors’ sunglasses.
In Chinese cuisine, tofu comes in lots of different forms, many of which may be totally unrecognizable.
The impressive building of the KGB headquarters on the main street of Minsk has a façade that belies what’s found within.
A former army base, converted to a large botanical garden in 1993, Jardín Etnobotánico in Oaxaca showcases the rich biodiversity of Oaxacan plant life.
With eight of the top ten highest summits in the world and some of the most beautiful landscapes which are only reachable on foot, trekking in Nepal is one of the unique experiences of Asia.
The name of Arkansas is a French pronunciation of a Siouxan word meaning “land of downriver people”, was prescribed by law in 1881 and it is still illegal to mispronounce the name.
The facade of the Town Hall of ‘s-Hertogenbosch was built in the 17th century and reflects Dutch classicism.
Even bigger than the one on Jersey, the German Underground Hospital on Guernsey was built during the occupation against an Allied attack that never came.
Nazareth has for 2,000 years been closely identified with Christianity and has attracted hundreds of millions of pilgrims from around the world.
Sometimes called the “Country Music Capital of the World”, Nashville features the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
El Castillo was built shortly after a pirate attack in the 1670s to protect Lake Nicaragua and its ports, mainly Granada, from pirates.
At the far end of St Kilda pier is the St Kilda breakwater, which is home to native water rats and the popular little penguins.
Radcliffe Camera functions as a reading room for Oxford students and so is not generally accessible. The grand exterior, however, is well worth viewing.
The Lighthouse of Port Said was built in 1869 by Francois Coignet using reinforced concrete for the first time in the history.
Minneapolis is one of few cities to use multi-colored street signs. The colors indicate the priority of plowing during winter storms.
The Mass Rapid Transit system of Taipei has been widely lauded as one of the most reliable and efficient systems in the world.
Dmitrov is surrounded by wetlands, and has a frog museum which celebrates the city by exhibiting all types of frog-related objects.
Lynchburg’s name is derived from its founder, John Lynch, who, at the age of 17, began a ferry service across the James River to facilitate travel to and from New London.
The world-famous baroque gardens of Herrenhausen in Hanover were created in the 17th century to copy the Versailles Garden in France.
One of the main central Salvador beaches is Porto de Barra. It was originally the site of the first settlement of European newcomers to Bahia.
Filipino is a modified version of Tagalog, the main language of the northern Philippines.
The Basilica of San Zeno is dedicated to Verona’s patron saint Zeno, a 4th-century North African keen fisherman who was ordained Bishop of Verona in 363.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, photography is officially illegal without an official permit, the last known price for which was US$60.
There isn’t much to see in Setúbal, but a lot to admire in the surrounding areas.
Walt Disney World is the flagship of Disney’s worldwide theme park empire and by far the most popular theme park resort in the world.
Ranong occupies the Kra Isthmus which is the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula.
Middletown, Connecticut offers excellent resources for those with an artistic bent.
The Chaukundi Tombs in Karachi are remarkable for the elaborate and exquisite stone carving, a style unique to the region of Sindh.
The Aranui Cave has a natural cave entrance and is the smallest and most delicate of Waitomo’s three main caves.

October 2019

St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall is an impressive Romanesque building with alternating courses of sandstone: red from Kirkwall and yellow from Eday.
Akureyri is a very picturesque town with its location by a scenic fjord, eclectic building styles and streets winding their way through gorges.
Baotou used to be an arid region inhabited by Mongolian herders and their sheep. Today, the metropolitan area has a population of over two million.
On the Adjarra Market outside Porto-Novo one can find unique types of tie-dyed fabric, amazing pottery, unusual musical instruments, various voodoo ornaments, and of course mainstream market items.
Today, Kreuzbergkirche in Bonn serves as both a church and a German language and culture school, but is probably best known for the Heiliger Steige (holy staircase).
A tour of the Houses of Parliament in Cape Town will acquaint you with South Africa‘s modern history and political system.
The reddish grains of sand of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park come from the eroding Navajo sandstone, thus giving the dunes its name.
Nagasaki’s most famous dish is champon, a hearty dish of noodles in a pork-based broth, filled with vegetables, bacon, shrimp, squid, and scallops.
Rugged and dry, pre-tourist development the Bukit Peninsula was a real backwater of Bali.
Colombia is famous for its coffee and Medellín is only a few hours from the coffee growing centers of the country.
Sochi is often called the unofficial Summer Capital of Russia, or the Black Sea Pearl.
The HMS Birkenhead is an important historical wreck for both engineering and cultural reasons.
Indiana Dunes National Park is popular for its big sand dunes and plentiful beaches on Lake Michigan.
In the Thai border town of Mae Sai there’s a large scorpion statue facing pointedly toward Myanmar.
The JadeWeserPort Infocenter in Wilhelmshaven is an exhibition on the port as well as modern container trade in general.
The Pajcha Museum in Salta has a collection of traditional art, textiles, icons and jewelry from all over South and Central America.
The Temple of Luxor was largely the work of Amenhotep III and Ramsses II the Great whose colossi and obelisk stand at the entrance.
Any malaria prophylaxis must be taken before, during, and (especially) after travelling to a malaria-risk zone.
The very distinctive Scouse accent of Liverpool has strong Irish and Welsh influences, and differs greatly even from that of the surrounding areas.
Hamamatsu is a uniquely international city in Japan, home to almost 16,000 Brazilians among others.
Although some of Dublin’s finest Georgian architecture was demolished in the mid-20th century, a remarkable amount remains.
Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is the largest aquarium in the world with over a hundred thousand animals in 8 million gallons of water.
The Church on the Blood in Yekaterinburg was built in 2003 at the site of the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.
Nagercoil is the southernmost city on the Indian mainland.
The churches of St Nicholas Bolnički and St Mary Bolnička in Ohrid were built in the 14th century with dormitories around them which were used as quarantine stations for visitors of the city.
In Gettysburg you can visit the preserved farm home of former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The main drawcard of the Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville is the display of artefacts from the HMS Pandora, the ship that the British sent in pursuit of the HMS Bounty.
Prior to the British colonisation, Kumasi was the capital of the Ashanti Empire, one of the great civilisations of Africa.
South Georgia Island is the home of vast numbers of birds and marine life, but its remote location and lack of access makes it a rare destination for tourists.
The Skiathos home of author Alexandros Papadiamantis, who wrote over 100 novels mostly based on island life, has been turned into a museum.
Onomichi has been called “Japan’s hometown”, a quiet port city of temples and literature along the Seto Inland Sea.

September 2019

From Whitianga cruising boats depart for trips around the scenic Mercury Bay and Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve with its abundant sea-life.
The village of Schengen is known because the Schengen Agreement, which abolished passport controls between some EU members, was signed here in 1985.
While JFK still has more terminals than most major airports, it is actually at its smallest terminal count in history.
Western European influence is abound in the Peterhof Palace, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great.
For unmarked goods, there is wide room for bargaining when shopping in China.
Unalaska is the westernmost point on the Alaska Marine Highway, and as such the westernmost point in the Americas reachable by scheduled land and sea transportation.
Islamic Cairo is not more or less Islamic than the rest of the city, but it’s the area of the city which holds the most, the greatest and the most famous Islamic monuments.
Ireland, in fact, has two cultures: the historical Gaelic culture and the more recent English-speaking culture which largely replaced it.
Batumi Botanical Garden is a quiet spot, next to the Black Sea on a high cliff and both green and cool.
The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest pyramid in the Teotihuacan structure with an excellent view of the surrounding mountains.
Even in a nation of obsessive gourmands Osaka is known as an excellent place to eat, exemplified by the Osakan maxim kuidaore, “eat yourself into ruin”.
Unlike Vladivostok, Khabarovsk has never been closed to foreigners, and retains a distinct international feel, rare for the Russian provincial centers.
The restored battle frigate Jylland, nowadays resting its enormous keel solidly on concrete, within meters of the sea in Ebeltoft is the largest wooden ship in the world.
In Abu Simbel, it feels at least 10°C (20°F) colder than in Aswan due to lake Nasser and the wind coming from it.
Brownsea Island outside Poole is famous for its large population of red squirrels, and as the birthplace of the Scout Movement.
Arguably the best views of George Town and the Straits of Malacca can be found at the Penang Hill near Air Itam.
Today Indianapolis is known as the “Crossroads of America” due to its centrality in America’s Interstate Highway System.
While it at first might sound like a dream job, travel writing is one of the most brutally competitive and poorly paid professions around.
For a Brazilian state capital with 300,000 inhabitants, Boa Vista is remarkably quiet.
Black and white sand beaches extend for miles around Puerto Viejo de Talamanca they are wide and often deserted, offering stretches ideal for walking and sunbathing.
In Rivera you may not even notice you’re crossing the border from Uruguay into Brazil, which is marked by inconspicuous white border markers.
The co-cathedral of St Peter and St Paul in Osijek is the tallest church in Croatia and has a spire of 90 m.
Although Campione d’Italia is Italian, it has considerable integration with Switzerland: the Swiss franc is used, the town uses the Swiss phone and mail systems, and firefighters and ambulances are also Swiss.
The Indian subcontinent and the rest of Asia are on different continental plates that are colliding; the Himalayas and related ranges are along the boundary of the plates and the force of the collision creates the world’s highest mountains.
La Grande Poste in Algiers is a masterpiece of neo-Moorish architecture built in 1910 by the French.
In Pápa you can visit the museum of blue-dyeing in the former blue-dyeing workshop of the Kluge family which once was one of the most significant in Central Europe.
The old town of Hoi An is arguably at its best at night, when the activity along the river front is lit by the soft light of silk lanterns.
The most notable of the residences in Sintra is Pena Palace; a romanticist castle on a mountain top, constructed out of a former Hieronymite monastery.
Most of the Torres Strait Islands are left to the more intrepid voyager or those with business with the indigenous communities.
Ashkelon is especially famous for its history as one of ancient Philistines’ major cities and in the biblical story of Samson.

August 2019

Purwokerto has a museum dedicated to R.A. Wiriatmaja who pioneered the Indonesian banking system.
Cleveland’s long history of industrial wealth has left it chock full of cultural riches as well as the beginnings of a “sustainable city” movement.
The Museum of Belize in Belize City is a former prison and now the national museum of Belize.
A famous landmark of Katowice is the Spodek Concert Hall, also nicknamed “the flying saucer”.
Mahamrityunjaya temple outside Mandi is equally sacred to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.
The quintessential Wisconsin Friday night involves a supper club.
The recently refurbished Wakkanai Station has a marker designating the northernmost point in Japan’s railway network.
In the building housing Lviv’s Post Museum, the first post office in Ukraine was opened in 1629.
Gaborone abounds with shopping malls, and pretty much every South African chain store has at least one branch somewhere in the city.
The cathedral Sanctuario de las Lajas in Ipiales is spectacularly built on a bridge over the Guaitara river.
Approximately 60 species of palms are native to Australia; most are represented in the Palmetum in Townsville.
Built during the reign of Antonius Pius, 138-161AD, the impressive Roman theater in Amman could seat up to 6,000 people.
Once the most important ironworks in the world, the Völklingen Ironworks in Saarbrücken is now closed but well-preserved and listed as a world heritage site.
The village of Dobbs Ferry offers gorgeous views of the Hudson River from various viewpoints downtown and up in the hills, including the edge of the New Jersey Palisades.
Although it is one of the eleven Frisian cities, Harlingen is perhaps the least Frisian of them all.
Its cutlery may be in kitchen drawers the world over, but Sheffield hasn’t necessarily reinvented itself in the way that other northern English cities have managed to do.
Cheyenne is infamous for seemingly having different types of weather over a few miles.
Pekanbaru has the reputation of being one of the cleanest big cities in Indonesia.
The greatest attraction of the area around Datong City is the 1,500-year-old Yúngāng Grottoes — these mountain-side caves and recesses are filled with 51,000 Buddhist statues.
176 of the San Juan Islands are large enough to be named.
The best Eritrean souvenirs are traditional handicrafts made from leather, olivewood, clay and straw.
At the Saluting Battery in Valletta, a gun is fired twice a day.
Seafood is the order of the day on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; from upscale restaurants in Port Blair to local dhabas on Havelock, fish abounds.
The Tree of Hippocrates in Kos isn’t the original tree under which Hippocrates of Kos taught his pupils the art of medicine, but may possibly be a descendant of it.
The oldest surviving blockhouse in Canada, Fort Edward in Windsor (Nova Scotia) was built by the British in 1750.
Donegal has many beautiful golf courses, some beside these beaches, and Letterkenny is the ideal base for visiting golfers.
The Assembly Theatre in Burrillville is located next door to the beautiful Harrisville waterfall.
The biggest attraction of Córdoba is the Mezquita, a massive former mosque-turned-cathedral famed for its “forest” of columns topped with Islamic-style red and white striped arches.
For the high season, tickets for the Inca Trail must be booked immediately when they become available, often six months in advance or more.
The Bahulara Temple outside Bankura is considered the finest example of brick rekha deul temple made in the style of Kalinga architecture ascribed to the Pala (medieval) period.
Also known as the “Bird’s Nest” (鸟巢 Niǎocháo), the Chinese National Stadium in Beijing is the world’s largest steel structure.

July 2019

Chieti occupies the site of the Roman Teate Marrucinorum, the chief town of the Marrucini, of which ruins remain.
There are not many taxis in Brunei, because car ownership and usage are high.
Jonathan Dickinson State Park on the Treasure Coast is a great place to see natural Florida’s grasslands, woodlands, mangrove forest, and swamp.
Once a year Skanderborg comes to life as it hosts the second largest music festival of Denmark, “Danmarks Smukkeste Festival” or simply “SmukFest”.
The Rason Special Economic area is in many ways a separate country from North Korea.
Jamestown is the oldest part of Accra and remains an active fishing center.
Brisbane is a “garden metropolis” famous for its leafy, open spaces and the pleasant pace of life that unfolds between the zig-zags of its iconic river.
Cotswold Water Park in Swindon is the United Kingdom’s largest water park and has over 150 lakes which were formed by filling old gravel quarries.
Photography of the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum in Hanoi is allowed only from outside.
Most Bulgarian dishes are oven baked, steamed, or in the form of stew.
One highlight of the Museum of Archaeology in Kütahya is a marble sarcophagus excavated at Aizanoi, with highly detailed carvings around it.
Reno markets itself as the “Biggest Little City in the World”.
Dubbed the African Camelot, the Fasil Ghebbi (Royal Enclosure) in Gondar contains several castles and palaces and other buildings including lions’ cages (now vacant).
Although Emmen is not a particularly interesting destination for travellers, it’s well known in the Netherlands for its biggest attraction: the zoo.
Haitian cuisine is a wonderful mix of French and African culinary traditions.
Apparently Australia’s (or at least Victoria’s) largest inland beach, Apex in Mildura is a great place to swim.
For 200 years, the natural hot springs surrounding present-day Hot Springs National Park have been used to treat illnesses and to relax.
The lakes in Plitvice Lakes National Park are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue.
Despite its name, the “Jerusalem artichoke” has no connection to Jerusalem, and you won’t find it used more widely here than elsewhere.
The history of Glacier National Park, British Columbia is closely tied to two primary Canadian transportation routes, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)and the Trans-Canada Highway.
The main attraction of Luxembourg’s National Museum of Military History in Diekirch are its 1:1 scale dioramas.
Cyclones are a threat to travellers particularly near coastlines in the Southern United States, the Caribbean, Japan, and the Philippines.
Tønsberg is the oldest town in Norway.
Like many castles in Japan, Wakayama castle is a partial reconstruction, as it suffered bomb damage during the war.
The Whangaroa district has some of New Zealand’s most picturesque white sand beaches, which are ideal for swimming, snorkeling and surfing, along with just lazing around.
The old site of Song Kiln shows the scale of production and the exquisite craftsmanship of ceramic in ancient Chaozhou.
Jundiaí is one of the few places in the São Paulo state outside the São Paulo metro area where it is possible to arrive by train.
Muslibegovića House in Mostar is considered the most beautiful house from Ottoman period in the Balkans.
Aberdeen has a mediaeval layout like many cities in the UK, so for the first-time visitor, a map is helpful.
In Ohiopyle you can visit Fallingwater, a house perched atop a waterfall that is Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous structure and considered one of the finest works of architecture in the U.S.
The area around Coron is famous for its World War II wreck diving, and the site has been named in many lists of top dive spots in the world.

June 2019

Located in the site of an old Northwest Bell manual switchboard, the Cle Elum Telephone Museum contains exhibits of telephone technology from 1901 to 1975.
Zorats Karer near Sisian is Armenia’s older and cruder answer to Stonehenge in England.
One attraction in Biratnagar is the Jute Mills, which is the oldest industrial endeavour in Nepal.
Although all of Greenland is known for being cold, different parts of Greenland have significantly different temperatures.
Musée National Boubou-Hama in Niamey has many Hausa-styled pavilions displaying both traditional and modern Niger and is one of West Africa’s best national museums.
Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland and is famous for its crystalware and intriguing medieval history.
An uninhabited unincorporated territory of the United States, Baker Island is one of the smallest U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
The main historical exhibits of the Maritime Museum in Malacca are hosted inside a replica of the Flora de la Mar, a 16th-Century Portuguese ship.
The weekly Hippie Fair in Belo Horizonte is one of the largest artisan fairs in Brazil and offers everything from crafts to jewelry, furniture to souvenirs, clothing to food.
Managua’s location between the rival cities of León and Granada made it an ideal compromise site when the capital was relocated in the 1850s.
Founded in 1926 using Carl Zeiss technology, the Zeiss-Planetarium in Jena is one of the oldest projection planetariums in the world.
Certain neighbourhoods of Quy Nhon have developed into bánh xèo (a kind of pancake) specialty areas, where restaurants or street-side vendors congregate in friendly competition with each other.
Ibiza and Formentera are also known as the Islas Pitiusas (from the Greek word “pitys” meaning pine tree) because of the abundance of pines that cover their landscapes.
Livingston, Montana retains much of its Old West history with 436 buildings on the National Historic Register.
Old Dhaka has little of public transport infrastructure so cycle rickshaw is your best option.
Monterrey’s most famous landmark is the saddle-shaped mountain Cerro de la Silla that dominates the local skyline.
Historically part of the Austrian Empire and divided by the Rhine river, the city of Laufenburg is nowadays partially in Germany, partially in Switzerland.
Famous for its temple ruins, Batujaya translates to “glorious stone(s)”.
Dahlonega was the site of a major gold rush, claimed the first in the US by local citizens.
In Watford you can visit the Warner Bros Studios.
Munda Wanga Environmental Park in Lusaka was started in 1956 as private garden and has grown to be Zambia’s premier environmental education facility.
The Magnificent Seven Houses in Port of Spain were built during colonial times and have very interesting histories.
Sulayman Mountain looming over Osh is full of ancient sites of worship, some still in use, dating back several millennia and considered the most complete example of a Central Asian sacred mountain.
Cronulla is the only Sydney beach located on a train line and thus one of the most accessible of Sydney beaches.
The uniquely eclectic Saint-Christophe church in Charleroi has seen additions from just about every architectural style since it was built in 1667.
No visit to Zambia is complete without a stop at the Victoria Falls, one of the most stunning waterfalls in the world.
While less visited than the better known tourist attraction ruins like Chichen Itza, many people find the Copán Ruinas even more interesting.
Nablus olive soap has been very famous for centuries, and it is handmade in factories located in the Old City.
In Taganrog you can visit the birth house of the Russian writer Anton Chekhov.
The Tibetan Plateau is the world’s largest and, with average heights of over 4,000m, also the world’s highest, plateau.

May 2019

Red Hook is the only place in New York where you can get a frontal view of the Statue of Liberty from land.
The largest carnivorous marsupial in the world, the Tasmanian Devil it is characterised by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and ferocity when feeding.
Eureka Springs sprang up almost overnight around the area’s numerous cold water springs, thought to have healing properties.
Hermansons trading house in Haparanda was built in 1832 and it is one of the best preserved buildings in Northern Sweden.
The journey from the gate to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro is like travelling from the equator to Antarctica in a matter of days.
McMichael Canadian Art Gallery in Vaughan is renowned for its devotion to collecting and exhibiting only Canadian art.
Qufu is famous as the birthplace of Confucius.
Mainau is maintained as a garden island and a model of excellent environmental practices.
Monumento aos Açorianos in Porto Alegre is a 17 m high monument in the memory of the people from the Azores, who were the first to settle there.
At the Miraikan Science Center in Odaiba, Tokyo new technologies like robots and space modules are presented and demonstrations and physical experiments for the inquiring mind are given.
If you are looking for the “real Alaska” Anchorage is not it, but you can see it from there.
One popular attraction in Arica is the Cathedral of San Marcos, designed by Gustave Eiffel like the tower in Paris.
Beautifully tended parks and historical sights make the alpine town of Bad Reichenhall one of the most precious jewels of Bavaria.
Many of Piran’s restaurants are located along the waterfront, with open air seating and great views.
The UNESCO World Heritage Program aims to catalogue and preserve sites of outstanding importance, either cultural or natural, to the common heritage of humankind.
The primary appeal of snorkeling is the opportunity to observe underwater life in a natural setting without the complicated equipment and training required for scuba diving.
Acadia National Park is along the rugged, rocky coast of “Downeast” Maine.
Located in undulating pine-covered hills, and home to several waterfalls, Shillong is also known as the Scotland of the East.
The Museum of Sonora in Hermosillo is housed in a very creepy castle-like old stone penitentiary built in 1897.
In Pécs you can see remains of early Christian monuments, from the Roman age when the city was known as Sopianae.
Zulu is a tonal language, so the meaning of some words depends on whether you use a high or low pitch.
The Nature Park Bulgarka is about at the geographical center of Bulgaria and contains one of the major passages through the Balkan Mountains, the Shipka passage.
The modern town of Jericho includes the ancient mound known as Tell es-Sultan, the accumulated remains of cities that have existed on the site for some 9,000 years, since the Neolithic period.
The Rocky Mountain states contain many of the greatest national parks in the U.S., Indigenous American communities, and a vivant Old West heritage.
On the Silk Road Gansu marked the end or beginning of China proper depending on whether you were traveling east towards Xi’an or west towards Central Asia and Europe.
Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally-wounded lion in Lucerne’s Lion Monument as “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.”
The Sanko Harvest wreck in Cape Le Grand National Park is the second largest diveable wreck in the world and the largest on the Australian coast.
A speciality of Trinidad and Tobago is Mauby, a beverage made with the bark of the mauby tree and spices, such as anise and cinnamon.
If you intend to photograph far-away objects – especially wildlife, for example going on safari or birdwatching – you will need a telephoto lens.
Throughout Düsseldorf you may encounter life-size figures of people standing on advertising columns, the so-called pillar saints.
With mountains visible in nearly every direction, Abbotsford is in one of the most geographically stunning regions of British Columbia.

April 2019

A 368 meter-high tower built of concrete and standing on three legs, the Riga TV Tower is the tallest tower in the European Union.
Melbourne is known as the fashion capital of Australia with numerous malls and boutique-lined streets.
Buried cheese is a specialty of Yeghegnadzor.
The numerous magnificent ruins in Ayutthaya indicate that the city was one of Southeast Asia’s (and probably the world’s) most prosperous cities in the 17th century.
Conakry Botanical Garden is noted for its kapok trees.
The wooden roof of the 11th century Ancona cathedral is in the shape of an upside-down boat and its most obvious feature is the 12-sided cupola.
At the Witches’ Market in La Paz vendors sell things like llama fetuses and dried frogs for Aymara rituals, as well as soapstone figurines and aphrodisiac formulas.
The Alaska Marine Highway provides a connection to many island and island-like communities, including the Alaskan state capital Juneau which is accessible only by boat or plane despite being located on the mainland.
Founded in 1416 by a disciple of Tsong Khapa, the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa was the biggest and richest monastery in Tibet and its lamas helped to train each new young Dalai Lama.
Although looking centenary, Museu da Companhia Paulista in Jundiaí was actually built in 1979 to pay homage to the railway history of the São Paulo state.
Kristiansand in Southern Norway is sometimes confused with Kristiansund in West Norway or Kristianstad in Sweden and is therefore sometimes called Kristiansand S, where S stands for South.
The most popular attraction in Chae Son National Park is the Chae Son hot spring where you can cook eggs in 15 minutes.
Lawrence, Kansas has been the setting of many movies and is a growing cultural hub in Kansas.
The Atlantic ocean absorbs heat in summer and releases it in winter, granting Tenerife fairly constant temperatures throughout the year.
In Rzeszów you can visit a museum dedicated to popular animated films for children before bedtime.
On of the major sights in Kisangani is the Boyoma Falls with fishermen using conical traps to catch fish.
Waterloo is part of Canada’s Technology Triangle, and many IT companies are either based or have branch offices here.
Formerly separate islands, Yeongjong and Yongyu have been joined together by Incheon’s international airport, built between them on reclaimed land.
The Cromford Mill was the world’s first water-powered cotton spinning mill developed by Richard Arkwright in 1771.
At a length of 5,224 km, and stretching the whole mainland part of the country, the Ruta Nacional 40 is the longest national highway of Argentina and a popular travel itinerary.
Karlovy Vary, meaning “Charles’ Bath”, was named after Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, who founded the city in 1370.
Todoroki ravine in Setagaya, Tokyo is a natural canyon nestled in urban surroundings.
Wagga Wagga Art Gallery houses the Australian Print Collection and the Print Australia Archive and is home to the National Art Glass Collection, Australia’s premier display of glass art.
Turkish has some vowel sounds that are not known in many other languages, and thus can be hard to learn.
The people of Guinea-Bissau love to drink warga, a sweet green tea.
El Jaguar Zoo & Disco in Puerto Maldonado is a zoo during daytime and a night club at night.
In the Gold Room of the Swedish History Museum in Östermalm, Stockholm, you’ll find gold treasures from the Bronze Age to the 16th century.
The Qinghai–Tibet railway is the highest railway in the world, rising up to more than 5,000 meters (16,000 ft) above sea level.
South Bend’s name is drawn from the fact that it’s situated on the southernmost bend in the St. Joseph River.
The Elk Island National Park has higher densities of hoofed mammals per square kilometre than any other wild area in the world, except for the Serengeti Plains of Africa.

March 2019

The Blue Mountain range is shrouded almost perpetually by mists that give Jamaica‘s highest mountains their bluish color.
The Chloister of Paradise in Amalfi was built in the 13th century and is home to old mosaics and paintings, and 120 columns built in the Arabic style.
Roughly the size of India, and making up about 18% of Russia, Yakutia is the world’s largest subnational governing body by area.
Taiping Lake Gardens is a public gardens created out of abandoned surface tin mines.
Footwear is one of the most important aspects of wilderness backpacking.
The Moon Valley in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park has a moonlike landscape and glimmering rocks, with two large natural pools, suitable for swimming.
One traditional dish which you will most likely be offered during a stay in Vanuatu is lap lap, a root vegetable cake.
Teplice is known for its thermal spas, which are particularly popular with visitors from the Middle East.
Los Angeles‘ Chinatown is unlike those of many other cities in that it has a much more modern appearance.
The 200m-long Kaisergang (Imperial Corridor and Abbey Museum) of Melk Benedectine Abbey is decorated with portraits of Austrian rulers.
Plaza de los Mariachis in Guadalajara is where the famous Mexican hat dance (jarabe tapatío) was born.
Alappuzha is often called the Venice of the East due to the canals that connect it to Kerala’s famous snaking backwaters.
The fjords increase Norway’s coastline from a modest 3,000 km to 30,000 km. Islands add another 70,000 km – in total creating the most complex coastline in the world.
The Museum Kitchen in the National Museum of Nigeria in Lagos is a good place to try local Nigerian cuisine.
The area in and around Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is inhabited by the Tenggerese, one of the few significant Hindu communities left on the island of Java.
Fort Meigs in Perrysburg, Ohio is the largest wooden walled fort in North America and played a key role in the war of 1812.
Mei Kedem in the Carmel Range is a walkable underground aqueduct dating to the Byzantine period, which was used to supply the city of Caesarea and with water still flowing.
Chiclayo and surroundings feature sights related to Lord of Sipan, the “King Tutankamon of the Americas”, including one of the most spectacular tombs discovered in the Western Hemisphere.
The former Utrecht Main Post Office is a great example of Dutch Art Deco architecture.
Gujarat is a dazzlingly diverse state that shakes up the know-it-all Indophile, and reveals treasures hidden from the tourist hordes.
At Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro you can see tigers, lions, cougars and other big cats, all rescued from poor treatment and brought there.
Lightning Ridge has many attractions related to opals and mining.
Squamish calls itself The Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada due to the variety of outdoor activities readily available in the area.
While alcohol isn’t widely available or visibly consumed in Algeria, a selection of wine (not in big volume) and also beer is produced there.
Schifffahrtsmuseum Spitz is devoted to illustrating the history and development of maritime traffic on the Danube River.
The Yamaguchi Daijingu was built in the Muromachi Period as a branch shrine the of Ise Shrine, and like the latter it is rebuilt every 20 years.
Milwaukee was once the home to four of the world’s largest breweries, making it the number one beer producing city in the world for many years.
Chom Ong Cave outside Muang Xay gives the visitor a dazzling feeling of entering Tolkien’s Mines of Moria.
The St. Patrick’s day celebration in Savannah is considered by many to be the second largest party in the U.S.
The largest wine producing area in Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate is home to 6 of the 9 wine-producing districts in the country.
Punta del Este is sometimes called the Monaco of South America.

February 2019

Ajman Fish Market is great place to see fishermen bring out the fresh catch and watch the middlemen auction them to the shopkeepers and you can buy fish and get it cooked right there.
In the early 1970s the first backpackers travelling on the back of a coconut boat arrived on Ko Samui, now the second most popular island destination in Thailand.
Geghard Monastery in Garni is a world heritage listed, revered 11th century monastery, much of it carved out of the solid stone of the mountainside, in dramatic canyon setting.
Castello di Sasso Corbaro was built in only six months in 1479, 462 meters up the hill, as the highest fortification in Bellinzona.
The large, iconic thumbs-up sign right in front of the Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park is too large for selfies, but there will probably be geek tourists around to take your picture.
Shiono-Misaki Southernmost Point Park in Kushimoto denotes the southernmost point of Honshu and serves as the festival grounds for the annual Fire Festival.
Today a museum and tourist attraction, the infamous Robben Island was used for imprisoning people since 1658.
Ljubljana has no world-famous attractions, which is just great: there’s no need to hop from one place to another, taking photos and crossing off the items on your checklist.
Cité de Carcassonne is a medieval fortress with over 3 km of walls with 52 towers and a history that exceeds two and a half thousand years.
Jiageng Park in Jimei is also called Kah Kee Park in memory of Tan Kah Kee (Chen Jiageng), a rubber baron who made an enormous fortune in Malaya.
The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton includes an opportunity to row a three-passenger St. Lawrence Skiff.
In Oxley Wild Rivers National Park there are several spectacular waterfalls.
Zamboanga City Hall was completed in 1907 by the Federal Government of the United States for the then American Governors.
Taxi-brousse, or interurban shared taxi, is the way most locals travel around Madagascar, and this mode of travel is a great way to meet and interact with locals and experience Madagascar as the Malagasy do.
The Moon Church in Oradea is a church unique in Europe, with a type of astronomical clock depicting the phases of the moon.
The Bandstand in Mumbai‘s Western Suburbs is lined by expensive bungalows and flats, some of which belong to Bollywood movie stars.
Shetland is of great interest to the naturalist and anyone who is keen to see wild animals and birds in their native habitat.
Merzouga is a village on the edge of Erg Chebbi, a 50-km long and 5-km wide set of sand dunes that reach up to a height of 350 m.
Orquídeas Moxviquil in San Cristóbal de las Casas grows orchids and other plants rescued from nearby areas undergoing deforestation, and is dedicated to preserving and displaying all varieties of orchids native to the state of Chiapas.
Depoe Bay is famous as the smallest navigable harbor in the world, and as the “whale watching capital of the world.”
The old aqueduct in Évora has houses built into the arches.
Alto Ribeira State Touristic Park is a prime destination for cave exploring, containing the Gruta da Casa da Pedra cave, with the largest cave mouth in the world.
In Kenting National Park you can see a sculpture representing the southernmost tip of Taiwan — famous with the locals for pictures and a great sunset spot.
The Dr. Pepper soft drink was invented in Waco in 1885 and the Dr. Pepper museum houses the original bottling plant.
Once the feared base of pirates (corsairs), heavily fortified against Norman (or English) attacks, today’s Saint-Malo is one of the top tourist draws in Brittany.
The Inner Mongolia Museum in Hohhot showcases local flora, fauna and history from the stone age until modern times, as well as minerals and mining, space exploration, and dinosaurs.
A few colonial-era rocket steamers depart from Dhaka’s Sadarghat river port to Barisal and Khulna several times per week.
Cerro Catedral outside San Carlos de Bariloche has the biggest ski centre in South America, with a skiable area of 2 km² (0.77 sq mi), over 100 km (62 miles) of ski runs, and a lift capacity of 22,200 skiers per hour.

January 2019

Castlemaine boasts a proud automotive history, and is the self-proclaimed ‘Hot Rod Capital’ of Victoria.
The world’s largest Coca-Cola can, constructed from an old water tower, can be seen in Portage la Prairie.
Despite being less developed, Myanmar is expensive compared to other Southeast Asian countries.
Legend has it that Harry’s New York Bar in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris was the birthplace of the Bloody Mary invented by Fernand “Pete” Petiot, an American bartender
Pope Alexander IV was buried in Viterbo Cathedral but his tomb was unaccountably destroyed during 16th century renovations.
The first Europeans to settle in Puerto Madryn were Welsh arriving in 1865, and they named the city for Baron Madryn of Wales.
The City Of Sadness Restaurant in Jiufen was featured in a film with the same name, which won the Golden Lion award at the 1989 Venice Film Festival.
Also North Pole in New York has a Santa and Christmas theme park with entertainment, rides and shops.
From the summit of Isle of Man’s highest mountain Snaefell, it’s said that visitors can see 6 Kingdoms — Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man and Heaven.
Housed in an old fort built in the early 20th century, Al Wakrah Museum displays artifacts of marine life and local history.
Unlike most of France, Hauts-de-France is better known for its beer than wine.
Avarua is the main village on the northern side of Rarotonga and has most of the population and services — people tend to refer to it as the town.
The Pidjiguiti port in Bissau was the site of the Pidjiguiti massacre on 3 August 1959, which became the beginning of the active resistance against the Portuguese colonial power.
While Tibetan spelling in the written language is fairly standard throughout the ages and regions, pronunciation is very diverse and there are many, often mutually incomprehensible, dialects.
The Cyclades are the Greece of the travel posters: bare rocky islands adorned with brilliantly white cubistic villages soaring on hills above the wine-dark sea, and fringed with terrific beaches.
Penguin was named after the little penguins that used to wander around its beaches, and many things there, including bins, are shaped like penguins.
Nagpur can be considered the centre of India as the zero milestone of India is located in the city.
Chaozhou considers itself the “Ceramic Capital of China” and you will notice that there are a lot of ceramics for sale, often at very inexpensive prices.
The two and a half mile boardwalk is the central focus of Ocean City’s attractions — lined up with shops and restaurants of every kind, movie theaters, amusement rides, miniature golf courses, and a water park like no other.
Kelimutu near Ende is a holy mountain with three crater lakes, filled with water of different colors.
A popular attraction in Awasa are hippos — they can be seen from the shore of Lake Awasa, or from a boat.
Stratford-upon-Avon is best known as the home town of the great English playwright and poet, William Shakespeare.
Loveland, Colorado was founded in 1877 along the Colorado Central Railroad and was named after the company’s president, William A.H. Loveland.
A volcano is regarded as active if it has erupted within the last 10,000 years — less than a second in geological time.
St. Mark’s Church in Zagreb is known for its colourful roof tiles depicting the coat of arms of Croatia and Zagreb.
The Beilin Museum in Xian has a remarkable collection of 4000 inscribed stone tablets, covering scripture, poetry, classic Chinese texts, triumphs of rulers, family history, and practical affairs such as instructions to rebuild a school.
Ponta do Seixas in João Pessoa is the easternmost mainland point in the Americas — there is a monument to mark the spot, as well as an odd lighthouse designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and it has a sweeping view of the Atlantic.
Famed as the oldest temple in the world, and dated to 9000 BCE, Göbekli Tepe outside Urfa pre-dates farming and settlements.
The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg commemorates Atlantic Canada’s fishing tradition, and exhibits include ships, an aquarium featuring native species, and a working boat building shop.
The geographical center of New York City is in Queens.

#ezw_tco-REPLACE_TO_ID .ez-toc-widget-container ul.ez-toc-list li.active{ background-color: #ededed; }Page Contents

Trivia

May 2021

April 2021

March 2021

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020

November 2020

October 2020

September 2020

August 2020

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

April 2020

March 2020

February 2020

January 2020

December 2019

November 2019

October 2019

September 2019

August 2019

July 2019

June 2019

May 2019

April 2019

March 2019

February 2019

January 2019

Page Contents