Scala di Santa Maria del Monte – Probably the World’s Most Beautifully Decorated Staircase
Located in the Sicilian town of Caltagirone, La Scala di Santa Maria del Monte is an old 142-step staircase, each of which are decorated with a different ceramic pattern. It’s a wonder to behold, but during the Spring and Summer seasons it becomes even more breathtaking as locals adorn it with potted flowers and lanterns, […]
Some People Walk Their Dogs, Cornman Walks His Fresh Produce
It’s not every day you get to see people dragging vegetables on a leash in the street. Unless you live in Japan, that is. Over the last year, photos of a well-dressed man walking all kinds of produce through Tokyo like they were pets have been surfacing on various social networks. Known as “Cornman”, he […]
Chinese Get Their Feet Wet at Chongqing’s Unique River Restaurant
Aptly named the River Cafe, one restaurant in Chongqing, southern China, has come up with an ingenious way of attracting clients. Taking advantage of a nearby stream, the owners have set up dozens of tables straight on the water, offering patrons a cool escape from the unbearable heat. With summer temperatures reaching over 40 degrees […]
Paradise Lost – England’s Deceptively Inviting Blue Lagoon Is Now Black
It was known as England’s Blue Lagoon and its tranquil turquoise waters really did resemble those of an exotic watery paradise, but the popular swimming spot located near Buxton, was actually a flooded former quarry and its alluring contents were almost as toxic as bleach. That didn’t seem to bother people who came here from all […]
Danza de los Zancos – The Whirling Stilt Dancers of Anguiano
Walking on stilts is a daunting task for most people, but for the skilled “danzatores” of Anguiano, Spain, it’s a regular walk in the park. During the annual Danza de los Zancos celebration they take to the streets on wooden stilts measuring some 50 centimeters, and spin rapidly down the town’s steepest alleyways. They risk breaking […]
The Ultimate Thrill Ride – Dangling on the Edge of a Canyon in a Pneumatic Swing
Located on the edge of a canyon, 1,300 feet above the Colorado River, the Giant Canyon Swing at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is definitely not your playground swing set. But if you’re an adrenaline junky this might very well be your dream come true. Glenwood Springs is a small Colorado town famous for its wide variety of family-oriented […]
A Cruise on Dry Land – Korea’s Unique Cruise Ship Hotel
Ever wished you could experience a luxury cruise without the motion sickness? Step aboard the Sun Cruise Hotel, A Korean tourist attraction designed and built to emulate cruising for the sea sick.Seen from afar, the Sun Cruise Hotel looks like a ship washed up on top of a cliff by a giant wave, but the colossal […]
Maho Beach – Where People Get Literally Blown Away by Airplanes
Located right next to the Princess Juliana International Airport, on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, Maho Beach is a unique destination where tourist experience what it’s like to have jumbo jets flying just a few meters above their heads and get blown into the sea by their powerful jet engines. Fine white sand and […]
The Bushman of San Francisco – Making a Living by Scaring People
The world famous Bushman of San Francisco, real name David Johnson, has been entertaining passers-by in Fisherman’s Wharf for over 30 years by hiding behind two Eucalyptus branches and jumping out at unsuspecting tourists as they walk by. The Bushman of San Francisco is an alleged homeless man who rakes in a reported $60,000 a […]
Greensburg’s Famous Tree Growing Out of the Roof of the Courthouse Tower
The town of Greensburg, Indiana, is known as the “Tree City” for the over a dozen trees that have been growing out of the roof of the Decatur County Courthouse ever since 1870. They are believed to have sprouted from seeds in bird droppings. In the year 1870, the citizens of Greensburg began to notice what […]
The Amazing Stone Jumpers of Nias Island
Hombo Batu or Stone Jumping is an ancient ritual of Nias Island, North Sumatra, with young men leaping over stone walls over two-meters tall. The tradition was born out of inter-tribal conflicts and was once potentially deadly as the walls were covered with spikes and sharpened bamboo sticks. Centuries ago, Nias Island was divided into several […]
Riding a Swing on the Edge of a Cliff in Ecuador
It’s called the Swing at the End of the World and it could literally be the end of you, as this extreme attraction in the mountains of Ecuador lets thrill-seekers swing over an abyss without any safety measures whatsoever. Hiking up the path to Bellavista from the edge of Baños, Ecuador, you reach a viewpoint […]
Chickens Don’t Fly? They Do at This Unique Thai Restaurant
At the Ka Tron Restaurant, in Bangkok, Thailand, food is handled like heavy artillery. Its famous fried chickens are set ablaze and launched from a massive catapult at unicycle-riding waiters who catch them on metal skewers. How is that for dinner and a show? Popularly known as the “Flying Chicken Restaurant”, Ka Tron proves a […]
Japan’s Hand Canon Fireworks Look Insanely Dangerous
Out of all the impressive fireworks celebrations held annually all around Japan, Tezutsu Hanabi is by far the most eye-catching. Experienced masters hold large bamboo tubes filled with black powder in their arms as flames gush out towards the sky. Did I mention they explode at the end? Tezutsu hand cannons are believed to have originated […]
Become Spartacus at the World’s Only Traditional School for Gladiators
Roman Gladatorial games may have been banned almost two millennia ago, but you can still train to become a modern-day Spartacus at Italy’s Scuola Gladiatori Roma, the only genuine school for gladiators in the world. Following the success of box-office hits like Gladiator, starring Russel Crowe, or HBO’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand series, the popularity of […]