Wikivoyage:Discover/2016

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December 2016

[edit]
  • Suwon is known in South Korea as being the only city to retain its historic city walls.
  • Campbell River is renowned for being the "Salmon Capital of the World”.
  • De Haan (beachfront pictured) has kept the charm of the 1930s, with a lot of white villas.
  • Sant Julia de Loria has a museum of tobacco, smoking and smuggling housed in a one-time tobacco factory.
  • A local specialty of Kamakura is purple potato soft ice cream.
  • When visiting Gaborone, you can gaze upon the city from Kgale Hill (pictured), one of Botswana's highest hills.
  • The wreck of the Lusitania is considered by many Cape Town divers to be one of the top wreck dives of the region.
  • The name Tokelau is a Polynesian word meaning "north wind".
  • Mudflat hiking (pictured) is a traditional recreation activity at the Wadden Sea, for instance from the Hogeland coast.
  • The city of Bandung has been known as Paris of Java for its European atmosphere back at the colonial times.
  • Hardly any foodstuff is taboo in Japanese cuisine.
  • The Teleferico (pictured) of Mérida is the world's highest cable car.
  • The Giraffe Centre outside Nairobi breeds the endangered Rothschild giraffe, and visitors can feed and touch them.
  • There are only two B-52 bombers on public display outside the US, one is in the Aviation Heritage Centre in Darwin.
  • The Brihadeshwara temple (pictured) in Thanjavur features two live elephants to bless the pilgrims.
  • Madison has consistently been rated among America's most bicycle-friendly cities.
  • In Chongqing you can ride the longest single escalator in Asia.
  • Morgan Square (pictured), Spartanburg's primary downtown hub, is the original courthouse village of the city.
  • Inhabited since the eighth millennium BCE, Rum has provided some of the earliest archaeological evidence of human occupation in Scotland.
  • Wa has a significant chameleon population; individual chameleons can often be found crossing roads.
  • The fire inside the Zoroastrian Fire Temple Atashkadeh (pictured) in Yazd has supposedly been burning since 470 CE.
  • Greenlandic formerly used a unique numeral system where the toes and fingers were used to count to 20 which would be inuk naallugu or a complete human.
  • The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is one of Austria's most scenic roads.
  • Chicago's skyline (view from Adler Planetarium pictured) is one of the world's tallest and easily ranks among its most magnificent.
  • Given New Zealand's proximity to the international date line, Gisborne is the first city in the world to see the sun rise.
  • The highest point on Rømø is only at 19 meters above sea level.
  • Yakutsk (pictured) has gained attention as potentially the coldest city in the world, with temperatures dropping to -42°C (-45°F) in winter.
  • Silent Valley is considered one of the most ecologically diverse areas on the planet.
  • In Turkey a teacher's house may mean a form of accommodation.
  • Oyapock River Bridge (pictured) connecting French Guiana and Brazil was finished in 2011 but still has yet to be opened.
  • São Toméan Portuguese is similar to Brazilian Portuguese in terms of grammar and pronunciation.


November 2016

[edit]
  • Alajuela was the hometown of Juan Santamaría, the Costa Rican national hero.
  • Vava'u is a good destination for whale-watching (pictured) — you may even hear the whales sing.
  • Nkhata Bay is home to the Tonga people who are famed for their love of fine clothing.
  • Nassau was once a popular pirates' den, and even a self-proclaimed "Privateers Republic”.
  • The town of Flores is an island (pictured) on Lago Petén Itzá, connected to land by a causeway.
  • Halloumi is a uniquely Cypriot cheese, often served grilled.
  • Jodensavanne, a historic settlement of Sephardic Jews, is one of the main cultural heritage sights in Suriname.
  • The NEWBORN monument (pictured) in Pristina gets a new paint scheme every year.
  • Petrol prices in Kuwait are among the lowest in the world and most of the time it's cheaper than water.
  • The courthouse and post office in the center of Victoria have been virtually unchanged since colonial times.
  • At La Brea Pitch Lake in Point Fortin, bitumen wells up from deep underground (pictured).
  • Kinshasa is a major cultural and intellectual center for Central Africa.
  • The Pearl Trail in Muharraq is a self-guided walking tour connecting the 17 historic buildings included in the UNESCO listing.
  • The little picturesque fort (pictured) in Cacheu has a dark history: it was used to ship slaves to the Americas.
  • At the Chişinău Souvenir Bazaar one can find hand made crafts, paintings and relics from the Soviet days.
  • In Iquitos you can visit an Amazonian manatee (sea cow) orphanage.
  • Santa Maria la Menor Cathedral (inside view pictured) in Santo Domingo was the first cathedral built in the Americas.
  • At the clothes market in Zinder chances are you might see the logo of your own college or high school on a shirt.
  • Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans.
  • Mediana (pictured) outside Niš is the birthplace of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.
  • Taveuni is one of the few places where the 180th meridian crosses land.
  • Founded sometime in the 5th century BC, Tangier has been part of all major empires in the region throughout history.
  • Gulangyu (pictured) is sometimes called "Piano Island" as there have been pianos on the island since the first foreign residents arrived in the 1840s.
  • New York City's influence on the globe is hard to overstate, as decisions made within its boundaries often have impacts and ramifications across the world.
  • Honiara contains a wealth of World War Two sites: most of the hills in the Honiara area were the sites of fierce battles.
  • In Boise, if you are bold, you can ring the bell at the foot of the state Capitol (pictured) steps.
  • Nevis Peak, the top of a dormant volcano, is an attraction to hikers and nature buffs.
  • For many years Dakar was the end point of the most important off-road rally in the world.
  • A well-known specialty from Linz is the Linzer Torte (pictured).


October 2016

[edit]
  • East Timor has some of the best scuba diving in the world.
  • Named Port Clarence, Malabo was founded as a British naval station in the effort to suppress the slave trade.
  • In the Grand Casino (pictured) of Monaco you can gamble alongside the world's richest and often most famous.
  • Plattdeutsch is still widely spoken in Filadelfia, which was colonized by German immigrants.
  • Baikonyr cosmodrome was the launch site of the first manned orbital flight by Yuri Gagarin.
  • Port Louis (pictured) was once regarded as the star and the key of the Indian Ocean.
  • The Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site was the first UNESCO world heritage site of the Marshall Islands.
  • The colonial stilt houses in Freetown offer insight into how colonial officials used to live.
  • Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (pictured) in Yamoussoukro is the world's largest church and modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City.
  • Sylt is linked to the German mainland by the railway only Hindenburgdamm, named for the infamous Reichspräsident.
  • The wine collection of the prince of Liechtenstein is available to view by a vineyard on the northern edge of Vaduz.
  • The ancient Mayan ruins of Lamanai (pictured) have not been completely uncovered yet.
  • Conakry Grand Mosque is one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • President Coolidge outside Espiritu Santo is the largest accessible wreck dive in the world.
  • Stari Most (pictured) – the Old Bridge — is regarded as the cultural and spiritual icon of Mostar.
  • Vang Vieng may have established itself as the exception to the rule that Laos doesn't have nightlife.
  • Isalo National Park is known for its wide variety of terrain, including sandstone formations, deep canyons, palm-lined oases, and grassland.
  • It is worth poking your head into the Basotho Hat Shop (pictured) in Maseru just to enjoy the unusual architecture.
  • At Saint Vincent and the Grenadines you can visit sites where The Pirates of the Caribbean movies were filmed.
  • No other city in Texas reflects the state's Spanish and Mexican heritage better than San Antonio.
  • Luanda (pictured) receives nearly all its rain in March and April.
  • Sopron has been called Civitas Fidelissima, "The Most Loyal Town", ever since the town voted by 65% to stay part of Hungary.
  • Derby was the site of the first fully mechanised factory in the world, built in 1721.
  • Khasab (pictured) is one of the hottest places in Oman, with summer temperatures regularly climbing over 45°C.
  • The name of the city, Xiamen, means "door to the house", referring to the city's centuries-old role as a gateway to China.
  • The domestic cuisine of Italy itself differs a lot from internationalized Italian dining.
  • With the small Alekšupīte River running through its old town centre (pictured), Kuldiga is known as "The Latvian Venice".
  • Each island of the Comoros has its own dialect of Comorian.
  • Surin's chief claim to fame is its annual Elephant Roundup, taking place in November.
  • One draw of Gjirokastër is the Old Bazaar and the surrounding Historic Ottoman homes (pictured).
  • Udmurtia is one of Europe's last remaining strongholds of organized shamanism.
  • The Oodnadatta Track is one of the easiest Outback tracks in Australia.


September 2016

[edit]
  • In Tsuyama, the Tsuyama Cherry Blossom Festival (pictured) features an impressive 5,000 cherry trees, and is known in Okayama prefecture as the best place to view cherry blossoms.
  • St. Louis Union Station is where the classic photo of Harry Truman holding the newspaper with the incorrect "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN" headline was taken.
  • In Aqaba you can find the world's oldest purpose-built Christian church.
  • Asmara's main attraction is its colonial Italian architecture (teatro d'opera pictured).
  • Karakoram Highway features the highest border crossing in the world.
  • Duisburg is home to the German Inland Waterways Museum and Europe's largest inland harbour.
  • Visitors often see the architecture of Curaçao (houses in Willemstad pictured) as a colorful version of Amsterdam.
  • During the carnival in Bergen op Zoom, the city is renamed "Krabbegat", which means "crab hole".
  • Prince Rupert holds the title of rainiest city in Canada, with about 2,500 mm of precipitation annually.
  • Rua da Banana (pictured) in Cidade Velha is Africa's oldest European-built street.
  • Radom is one of the most inexpensive cities in the whole of Poland, offering very low prices in the services sector.
  • In Tsuyama, there is a cosmetic shop owned by the mother of a rock star. You can meet her and look through family albums of her famous son.
  • The Travels of Marco Polo (mosaic portrait pictured) was the first account of a journey to the East to be widely publicized in Europe.
  • Covered in vegetable fields and greenhouses, Reichenau is sometimes known as the "vegetable island".
  • Oslo, with its approximately 453 square kilometres, is one of the largest capitals in the world by area.
  • Originally a backpacker hotspot but now upmarket, Ao Nang is the most "Westernized" beach in Krabi (the beach front shopping district pictured).
  • Joensuu's bunker museum consists of several models of concrete bunkers fully equipped with original WWII guns and gear.
  • Kedah is nicknamed "The Rice Bowl of Malaysia" because of the vast paddy plantation along the western plain of the state.
  • Revere Beach (pictured) is the oldest public beach in the United States of America.
  • In the Caribbean, a volcanic part of the world, there are many places called "Soufriere" (French for sulfur).
  • In Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve you can accompany locals on a net hunt for small animals.
  • Hasselt has a jenever museum and each October a jenever festival is held in the city (local jenever brands pictured).
  • Oni was for millennia a center of Georgian Jewish culture.
  • High speed rail can be faster than flying if you take security, boarding, and getting to and from the airport into account
  • Christ Church Cathedral (pictured) in Stanley is the southernmost cathedral in the world.
  • It is illegal to go onto the beach at Waikiki after midnight.
  • The best way to get around in Erlangen is by bike
  • Hong Kong (pictured) proudly proclaims itself to be Asia's World City.
  • Valletta was one of the earliest sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
  • The word Urdu is derived from the Turkish word ordu, ultimately derived from the Mongolian word "horde".


August 2016

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  • Unlike most Pacific islands, on Niue (pictured), there aren't long, sandy beaches, only tiny, secluded, white sand beaches that might be yours for the whole day.
  • Homer is named after Homer Pennock, a con man who led an expedition to the area in search of gold. They found coal instead.
  • Although it has gained the stereotype of being very wet, rainfall levels in Manchester are actually less than the UK average.
  • Luxembourg (pictured) has historically been an inconquerable fortress, which led it to be nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the North".
  • Some Tokelauan-branded New Zealand dollars have been produced, but they are hard to find.
  • Oklahoma is at the epicenter of United States' infamous "tornado alley"
  • Ninoy Aquino International Airport (pictured) was built in the 1930s by the Americans as the military-only Nichols Field airfield.
  • A video recording is a good, possibly even the best, way of capturing the ambiance of a place.
  • In Swaziland, between December and March, you can try the traditional beverage marula.
  • Tietê bus terminal (inside view pictured) in Sao Paulo is the second largest terminal in the world, hence an enormous building.
  • The Paro Valley is wide and verdant and is recognized as one of the most beautiful in all Bhutan.
  • Kumasi is widely regarded as the cultural cradle of Ghana.
  • There has been a settlement on the hill at Lausanne (pictured) since at least the stone age.
  • Forillon National Park may be small in size, but there's a mind-boggling diversity of landscapes packed into it.
  • A local specialty of Kunming is "Over-the-Bridge Rice Noodles".
  • Point Pinos Light (pictured) in Pacific Grove the oldest working lighthouse on the U.S. West Coast.
  • Confusingly, several incompatible district systems are used in Prague.
  • The longest pedestrian tunnel in the world goes under the Kiel Canal in Rendsburg.
  • Dambulla's cave temple is made up of caves containing well conserved statues and paintings (pictured).
  • Icelandic retains the full set of conjugations and declensions that Old Norse had.
  • Australia has almost a quarter of all the slot machines in the world.
  • The massive, solid blocks of a stone not indigenous to the flat plateau give rise to Tiwanaku's nickname, "the Stonehenge of the Americas" (Gate of the Sun pictured)
  • Cedar Point is one of the oldest continuously operating amusement parks, having begun in the year 1870 as a beach resort on the shore of Lake Erie.
  • In Rome, most pizza restaurants serve it only in the evening.
  • Svalbard (pictured) is the northernmost tip of Europe and most of its settlements are the northernmost permanently inhabited spots on the planet.
  • West Bali National Park is Bali's only national park.
  • Smolensk is one of the oldest cities in Russia and has many monuments from different epochs.
  • Ordos City (pictured) is the poster child of modern Chinese city planning, but outside of China known as a "ghost city".
  • Anyone in a costume is welcome to march at New York’s Village Halloween Parade.
  • Pontianak translates to "undead vampire of a woman who died during childbirth".
  • Ethiopia is the historical origin of the coffee bean, and its coffee (pictured) is regarded among the best in the world.


July 2016

[edit]
  • A visa allows an alien to travel to present themself to an immigration officer but does not automatically guarantee entry.
  • Exporting sand, seashells or coral from the Maldives is forbidden.
  • Berjaya Times Square Theme Park in Kuala Lumpur is notable for its hair-raising seven-story indoor roller coaster (pictured).
  • For tourists, Antarctica is accessible only during the Austral summer season from November to March.
  • Edinburgh Castle in the Old Town of Edinburgh has been continuously in use for 1000 years and is in excellent condition.
  • Dresden (pictured) is often called Elbflorenz, or "Florence on the Elbe", reflecting its riverine location and its role as a centre for arts and beautiful architecture - much like Florence in Italy.
  • Crookston is home to the world's largest ox-cart, and the original Happy Joe's Pizzeria.
  • The Livingstone-Stanley Monument near Bujumbura is actually not the spot where Stanley said "Dr Livingstone, I presume”.
  • A major attraction in Dandong is North Korea, more specifically that you can see it (pictured) from there.
  • In ancient times, Poros was considered the island of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea.
  • One attraction in Nahanni National Park Reserve is Rabbitkettle Hotsprings, source of the largest known tufa mounds (limestone formations) in Canada.
  • Technically, Marina Bay (pictured) is the body of water created by reclaiming land around the mouth of the Singapore River.
  • Kassel is known primarily for the documenta, an art exhibition that happens there every five years.
  • Dieppe is the nearest beach to Paris, lively all year round.
  • A popular form of accommodation on Bora Bora are overwater bungalows (pictured).
  • Cardiff has a reputation as a city of castles, having 5 different castles within its surroundings.
  • If you like beer and are visiting Sapporo, try tasting different Sapporo Beer variants in the local beer museum.
  • One of the unique features of Guanajuato is its extensive tunnel network (an entrance pictured).
  • Distances between cities and towns in the Russian Far East are huge, and most of the region is roadless.
  • Contrary to popular perception, Goa is not an island.
  • Many postcards of New Caledonia feature the wooden round houses (pictured) of the Tjibaou Cultural Centre just outside Noumea.
  • The Footsteps of the Sun near Isla del Sol are a set of natural — or maybe supernatural — impressions in rock.
  • Many of the local bars and eateries in Lido have a "where everybody knows your name" family feel.
  • Where there are large rocks there is bound to be an "Elephant Rock", and Al-Ula also has its own (pictured).
  • You can find some empty, unused tunnels under Cincinnati, stemming from a 1920s subway project that was canceled due to lack of funding.
  • In the early Middle Ages, Canterbury became known by the Anglo-Saxon name of Cantwarebyrig, meaning "fortress of the men of Kent".
  • During the annual chocolate festival in Dunedin, 40000 Jaffa cookies are rolled down Baldwin Street (pictured), the world’s steepest street.
  • The vastness of the Sahara desert is comparable to the surface area of the United States of America or China.
  • Situated across New York Harbor from Manhattan, Staten Island may seem like it's in an entirely different world.
  • The vegetarian cuisine of Udupi (pictured) is famous all over India and among Indians abroad.
  • Fukuoka is a good starting point for first-time visitors to Japan. Being a sizable, modern city it's still not hard to get around.


June 2016

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  • The yearly Up Helly Aa, arranged on many places around the Shetland Islands, is Europe's largest and most famous fire festival.
  • Howrah Railway Station (pictured) is the largest station complex in India.
  • The oldest city in Taiwan, Tainan, is famous for its temples, historic buildings and snack food.
  • A local favorite dish in Burkina Faso is "Poulet Telévisé”, literally translating to televised chicken.
  • With around 3,400 permanent residents, Inuvik (pictured) is the most populous town in the Canadian Arctic.
  • The Blue Hole near Dahab is widely considered the most dangerous scuba diving site in the world.
  • Nyköping has Sweden's longest outdoor museum and the longest walking trail in Sweden also passes through the municipality.
  • The Buffalo River (pictured) is one of the few remaining unpolluted, free-flowing rivers in the lower 48 states.
  • An off-the-beaten-track destination if there ever was one, Nauru is the least visited country in the world.
  • Called by some as one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, South Lwanga is one of Zambia's main draws.
  • Eastbourne (pictured) has a reputation of being "God's waiting room", with one district of town having an average age of 71.1.
  • The exact geographical center of the former Soviet Union can be found just south of Lenin Square in Novosibirsk.
  • For a few weeks this summer you can walk on the water outside Monte Isola, thanks to an art installation.
  • Meroë is home to more than 200 Nubian pyramids (pictured) in three separate groups.
  • It is often said that Alderney is the only Channel Island since it is the only one that is actually in the English Channel.
  • In Punta Arenas you can experience a beer tasting session at the southernmost brewery in the world.
  • The Latvian Academy of Sciences in Riga (pictured) is often called "Stalin's Birthday Cake" because of its austere yet ornamented design.
  • Barentsburg is the only remaining Russian settlement in Svalbard.
  • The writer Robert Louis Stevenson lived his last years in Apia, and today you can visit his museum and grave there.
  • Marado Island features the southernmost point (marker pictured) in South Korea.
  • Oceania is a vast expanse of the world where the ocean — rather than land borders — separate nations.
  • Key West claims to be the only city in the lower 48 states never to have had a frost.
  • Tanjung Puting National Park is famous for its orangutan (pictured) conservation.
  • In Valais you can eat cholera.
  • As the sign at its train station reveals, Tama is Hello Kitty's town.
  • The deep fried Mars bar (pictured), regarded by many as an urban myth, does exist in Scotland.
  • Mariinsk has a birch bark museum.
  • Many visitors travel to Kisoro to get close with a troupe of habituated gorillas.
  • The Narta Lagoon (pictured) near Vlore is the winter home for tens of thousands of sea birds.
  • In Burbank you can find the U.S.'s only all-horror bookstore.


May 2016

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  • Visual art makes up a major part of the local cultural heritage of virtually any place around the world.
  • Sanhattan (pictured) is the Chilean equivalent of Manhattan.
  • Troy was destroyed and rebuilt nine times over, and each of nine different layers still has something left to this day.
  • Early settlers called the Easter Island "Te Pito O Te Henua" — the Navel of The World.
  • Herzogenaurach is world famous for being headquarters of both Adidas and Puma (Adidas outlet pictured).
  • Don't plan any shopping trips to Peillon — shops are not allowed in the village.
  • The Six Flags Great America amusement park in Gurnee boasts the largest carousel in the USA.
  • One of the major attractions when driving around Swindon is the Magic Roundabout (road sign pictured).
  • The Neptune Islands is the only location in Australia where shark cage diving can be legally conducted.
  • In the town of Berezniki in Perm Krai a mosquito festival takes place each July.
  • Hohhot is home to the Tomb (pictured) of Princess Zhaojun, who was attributed with the ability to perform miracles.
  • The Azores islands of Corvo and Flores are geographically located in North America.
  • Slovakia has the highest number of castles and chateaux per capita in the world.
  • The temple of the oracle (pictured) in Siwa was according to a legend once indestructible due to the oracle’s power.
  • Grande Île of Strasbourg was the first city centre to be classified in its entirety as a World Heritage Site.
  • Uzbek is largely mutually intelligible with Uighur.
  • Gifhorn has a International Wind- and Watermill Museum with exhibits (pictured) from all over Europe.
  • Teahouses are important places of social gathering and popular throughout Myanmar.
  • Qi Xing Tan north of Hualien has a restaurant which specializes in goat milk coffee.
  • One the nicest colonial buildings in Fort-de-France is a library — Bibliothèque Schœlcher (pictured).
  • Saltstraumen outside Bodø is the world's strongest maelstrom (tidal whirlpool), with some of the best fishing in the world.
  • Once called Nova Lisboa, Huambo was designed in 1912 to be the new capital of Angola, and the beauty of that era is still apparent.
  • For much of its length, the Eyre Highway (pictured) can be described as a long and lonely road.
  • The name Saskatoon comes from missaskquahtoomina, a native word for a berry that grows along the river.
  • All long-distance trains in Russia run on Moscow time.
  • Once part of the city wall, the Waterpoort (pictured) is now a symbol for Sneek
  • The Lobi "villages" of Gaoua are actually mini-fortresses scattered around the countryside.
  • Tracunhaém is one of Brazil's main ceramic and clay art production centers.
  • At 91m tall, Völkerschlachtdenkmal (pictured) in Leipzig is the biggest monument in Europe.
  • Alaska is huge, it actually spans what once were five time zones.
  • Although Filipino words may seem long and tongue-twisting at first, pronunciation is easier than in many other languages.


April 2016

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  • The Phoenician ruins (pictured) at Kerkouane are probably the only of their kind to survive.
  • Auckland has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world.
  • Ngoketunjia consists of 13 villages, whose names all start with the letters "Ba".
  • Oaxaca’s streets (pictured) have a very tranquil and organic feel to them.
  • In Abu Dhabi only restaurants located in hotels are allowed to serve alcohol.
  • Panama has a lot more indigenous culture than some other countries in the region.
  • Situated on a hill next to the river Meuse, the citadel (pictured) is the biggest tourist attraction of Namur.
  • From 1932 to 1990 Nizhny Novgorod was known as Gorky (Го́рький), after the writer Maxim Gorky.
  • Seoul is practically a collection of cities that happen to be bunched together, each with its own central business and commercial districts.
  • Calling Paramakatoi (pictured) a place to "get away" would be a great understatement.
  • Apart from the grand nature, Skjolden is known for Ludwig Wittgenstein's lodge.
  • The story goes that Surabaya’s name derives from the Javanese words Suro, meaning shark, and Boyo, meaning crocodile.
  • In Maasai Mara National Reserve you can go on a hot air balloon safari and see the sun rising above the wildlife and the magnificent landscapes (pictured).
  • The Empire Theatre on Block Island is like stepping into a movie theatre time machine.
  • Ulm Federal Fortifications are the largest preserved fortifications in Germany.
  • In Kyzyl you can visit the Centre of Asia (pictured).
  • Short of Pyongyang, Ashgabat is probably the best example of what happens when a city gets redesigned according to the vision of exactly one man.
  • One common treat in Honduras is macheteada, a tortilla filled with sweet, sugary, flour and sugar.
  • The 15th Meridian East runs through Görlitz and defines Central European Standard Time (Meridian marker pictured)
  • Galdhøpiggen is the highest mountain in Europe north of the Alps.
  • Liberal, Kansas, was named for the early day settlers who were "liberal" with the scarce supply of water.
  • Georgia has one of the oldest wine-making traditions in the world (3 Georgian wines pictured).
  • Borneo is the third largest non-continental island in the world.
  • Louisville International Airport is "International" in name only — there are no longer any non-stop flights to any location outside the U.S.
  • The “waterfall” (pictured) at Hierve el Agua is made of rock, not water.
  • Brunei is home to several shipwrecks, interesting to explore for scuba divers.
  • Many scenes from the movie Australia were filmed in the area surrounding Kununurra.


March 2016

[edit]
  • The funicular (pictured) between lower and upper Zagreb is one of the steepest and shortest in the world.
  • Robinson Crusoe Island actually exists; outside Chile in the Pacific Ocean.
  • The city of Toyota was in fact named after the car company and not the other way round.
  • The Church of the Holy Ascension (pictured) in Unalaska is the oldest Russian-built church still standing in the U.S.
  • Following Finland’s southern coast, the King’s Road was once the most important road in the country.
  • Sandusky, being on the North Coast of Ohio, offers some of the finest fresh water seafood available.
  • Because the Taj Mahal (pictured) is white, your camera may underexpose your photos of it.
  • Mayotte is claimed by Comoros, but administered by France.
  • Cheese is made in endless variations around the world.
  • Liepaja (pictured) served as the capital of Latvia during the First World War.
  • Walking down the historical Rittergasse (Knight’s Lane) in Stolberg feels like being transported back to medieval times.
  • There are about 200 distinct ethnic groups living in Chad.
  • Finse (pictured) has Norway’s highest situated railway station and rail is the only way of transportation to the village.
  • Prince Edward Island is Canada's only exclusively island province.
  • The Venetian on Cotai is touted as the largest casino in the world by floor footage.
  • The William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library (pictured) in Little Rock includes a replica of the Oval Office.
  • Persian is more similar to its coeval languages like Latin than to relatively newer Indo-European languages.
  • Port Antonio on Jamaica has for years been the hideaway of royalty and stars alike.
  • The Great Silk Road Bazar (pictured) in Osh is the largest and most crowded outdoor market in all of Central Asia.
  • A good budget meal in Grand-Popo is a combination of fish, rice, beans, sauce, and hardboiled eggs from a street vendor.
  • Washington, North Carolina was the first city in America to be named after George Washington, before he became President of the United States.
  • Today a museum, the Palace of the Inquisition (pictured) in Cartagena (Colombia) was once the South American headquarters of the Spanish Inquisition.
  • The visit of the Queen Elizabeth II to Cooktown in 1970 still rates highly in the history of the town.
  • Women travellers may want to check out our tips for women travellers article.
  • St. Just in Penwith (pictured) is the UK mainland's most westerly town.
  • The Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre is a cemetery for over 250,000 victims of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
  • Marijuana is legal and often found growing freely alongside the road in North Korea.
  • In business since 1869, Mercado Público Central (pictured) in Porto Alegre features more than 100 stalls where local produce, products and spices are sold, as well as several restaurants.
  • Russia is by far the largest country in the world, covering more than one-eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area.
  • Charles Town was named for Charles Washington, brother of George Washington.
  • Literally "Fiery Mountain", Gunung Merapi (pictured) is the most active volcano in all Indonesia, having erupted at least 68 times since 1548.


February 2016

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  • Calvi (pictured) is the main tourist hub on Corsica.
  • Having an extensive Gulf of Mexico coastline, mariscos (seafood) is a specialty of Tabasco.
  • The Ice House in Tuktoyaktuk is a permanent fridge dug into the permafrost under the village.
  • Inuyama Castle (pictured) is the only privately owned castle in Japan and one of the nicest original examples of feudal Japanese fortifications.
  • British clubbers consider Sant Antoni de Portmany on Ibiza to be the clubbing capital of the world.
  • Foreign nationals must pay a USD 5 fee to enter the town of Mrauk U.
  • Raseborg castle (pictured) was located near the sea shore, but due to the post-glacial rise of land it eventually lost its access to the sea.
  • Cox's Bazar has the longest sea beach in the world, 120 km long.
  • Riga was founded in 1201 by Albert of Bremen as a base for the Northern Crusades.
  • The best place in Koror to buy traditional Palauan storyboards (pictured) is in the local jail.
  • Kamchatka is extremely geologically active and has numerous volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, and even a lake of acid.
  • There are no addresses in Ölgii, business cards usually provide directions from a nearby landmark.
  • The Stone Bridge (pictured) in Skopje has been the symbol of the city since the 6th century and every ruler has tried to leave a mark on it.
  • Akumal means "Land of turtles" in Mayan and is still one of the favorite places for these marine animals to spawn.
  • Although famous for its natural wonders, Australia is actually one of the world's most highly urbanised countries.
  • Malé (pictured) is by some measures the world's densest city.
  • Solothurners are very fond of the number 11, and there are many references to that number around the town.
  • On Bermuda hire cars are banned, and only residents are permitted to own cars.
  • Babur gardens (pictured) in Kabul surround the tomb of the first Mughal emperor, Babur.
  • Caldas da Rainha has two primary claims to fame: its curative sulfurous waters and its whimsical decorative pottery.
  • Nha Trang is the scuba diving centre of Vietnam.


January 2016

[edit]
  • Beinisvørð (pictured), the second highest cliff on the Faroe Islands offers breathtaking views to the sea.
  • Visakhapatnam is sometimes referred to as the The Goa of the East, Jewel on the Coramandel Coast, Steel city, and the City of Destiny.
  • Kalmar is one of the oldest Swedish cities, dating back to the year 1027.
  • Serra da Capivara National Park contains the oldest prehistoric rock paintings in the Americas (pictured).
  • Are you an inexperienced traveler? Our travel basics article covers the basics of travel.
  • If you travel long distances east or west, jet lag may become an issue.
  • Ostrava is home to the famous Stodolní street (pictured), the longest strip of bars and pubs in the Czech Republic.
  • South America is the wilder part of the Americas and a continent of superlatives.
  • The Alpine town of Mittenwald prides itself on its great tradition of violin making.
  • The Curonian Spit has Europe’s highest sand dunes (pictured).
  • Since independence, Gabon has been one of the more stable African countries.
  • Several Old Towns are served by horse-carriage rides, in old-style carriages.
  • The Valley of Desolation (pictured) near Graaff-Reinet is a biodiverse "oasis" in the midst of an otherwise arid area.
  • Tuvalu translates to "cluster of eight" in Tuvaluan, though in fact the country is made up of many more islands.
  • Would you like to visit a museum full of devils? Head to Kaunas!
  • Bautzen is often called the "Easter-capital” (local traditional Easter eggs pictured).
  • Marietta, Georgia features a Gone With the Wind museum.
  • Haridwar is a purely vegetarian town, and alcohol is banned there as well.
  • The Bay of Kotor is the deepest natural fjord in the Mediterranean Sea and the scenery around it is spectacular (pictured).
  • 45 minutes ahead of New Zealand time; the International Date Line jogs eastward to keep the Chatham Islands on the same calendar day as the rest of New Zealand.
  • Coffee is one of the world's most popular drinks, with significant cultural variations.
  • An attraction in Baker, California is the tallest thermometer in the world (pictured).
  • Thredbo is probably the closest thing Australia has to an alpine village.
  • The gold-covered altars of Ouro Branco’s Matriz de Santo Antônio are fine examples of baroque style.
  • Hamilton (pictured) is infamous for having mainly one-way streets throughout its downtown core.


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