This Indian Temple Is Home to a ‘Vegetarian’ Crocodile
Sri Ananthapura temple in north Kerala’s Kasaragod district is allegedly home to a vegetarian crocodile named ‘Babiya’ who has been living there for over 70 years. Pictures of a large crocodile inside the Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy Lake Temple made international news headlines last year, boosting the small Hindu temple’s popularity. But in reality, this was […]
The Tiny Russian Village Where Everyone Knows How to Walk a Tightrope
Tsovkra-1, a small village in the mountains of Russia’s Dagestan autonomous republic, is famous for being the only place in the world where the entire able-bodied population knows how to walk a tightrope. No one knows exactly how the tightrope-walking tradition of Tsovkra-1 (named ‘1’ because of another Tsvokra village nearby) began, but one thing […]
Route 36 – Bolivia’s Notorious Cocaine Bar
Route 36 is an illegal pop-up bar in the Bolivian capital city of La Paz notorious for being the world’s first and only cocaine bar. South America is home to many popular tourist attractions, like the ruins of Machu Pichu, the Salar de Uyuni salt desert, or Angel Falls, but when it comes to drug […]
The World’s Oldest Grape Vine Has Been Around For Nearly 500 Years
The Slovenian city of Maribor is home to the world’s oldest grapevine still producing fruit, a resilient plant that dates back to the year 1570, when the city was facing an Ottoman invasion. The Old Vine is the only plant in the world with its own dedicated museum, the Old Vine House, once part of […]
The Dancing Mangrove Trees of Sumba Island
Indonesia’s remote Sumba Island is famous for a great many things, but above all its uniquely shaped mangroves, dubbed “dancing trees” for the way they seem to sway with the setting sun in the background. Calm waters, a white sandy beach, and inviting waters are all things you can expect to find at Walakiri Beach, […]
Gaet’ale Pond – The Saltiest Body of Water on Earth
Located near the Dallol crater in Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression is Gaet’ale Pond, a small pool of water with a salinity of 43%, making it by far the saltiest body of water on Earth. To put into perspective just how salty Gaet’ale actually is, you should know that the Dead Sea, the world’s most famous hypersaline […]
The Hitachi Tree – A Beloved Japanese Corporate Symbol That Grows in Hawaii
Ever since 1975, a majestic monkeypod tree growing on the Hawaiian island of Oahu has been the symbol of electronics and technology giant Hitachi, making it one of the most beloved corporate symbols of Japan. The so-called “Hitachi Tree” is one of the several monkeypod trees growing in the privately-owned Moanalua Gardens, once the childhood […]
The World’s Fastest Roller Coaster Requires Riders to Wear Safety Goggles
Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster, reaches a top speed of 240 km/h in just 4.9 seconds and requires riders to wear safety glasses to protect their eyes from impact with insects or grains of sand. As part of the Ferrari World theme park in Abu Dhabi, the Formula Rossa roller coaster was designed […]
Al Naslaa – Saudi Arabia’s Mysterious Rock Formation
Saudi Arabia’s Tayma Oasis is home to a 4,000-year-old geological mystery – a strange rock formation perfectly split down the middle with the precision of a laser beam. The world-famous Al Naslaa rock formation is made up of two large sandstone boulders supported by a natural pedestal that appears much too small for its purpose. […]
Australian Golf Course Pond Is Home to Aggressive Bull Sharks
You’ve probably heard of crocodile-infested golf course ponds before, but one unique golf course in Australia is home to an even greater threat that makes water hazards truly dangerous – sharks. The 14th tee at the Carbrook Golf Club in Brisbane is a tricky one, as it’s close to a 21 hectare, 14-meter deep lagoon […]
The Wall of Hives – Box-Covered Cliffside In China Is a Unique Wild Bee Sanctuary
A near-vertical cliff wall in the mountains of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, China’s Hubei Province, is home to over 700 wooden boxes which make up one of the country’s last sanctuaries for native wild bees. Beekeeping has been carried out in China since at least the 2nd century AD, and roughly half of the world’s supply […]
World’s Largest Rhythmic Spring Stops Flowing Every 15 Minutes
Just east of Afton town, at the foot of a rocky mountain in Wyoming, lies one of the world’s most mysterious natural wonders – a rhythmic spring that intermittently stops and starts flowing around every 15 minutes. Only a few rhythmic springs exist in the world, and Intermittent Spring in Wyoming’s Swift Creek canyon is […]
The Koi Fish Cafes of Ho Chi Minh City
Imagine enjoying a hot cup of java or your favorite soft drink in the middle of a pond filled with beautiful koi fish that you can actually hand-feed and you get an idea of what Vietnam’s koi fish cafes are like. When it comes to fish-themed cafes, Ho Chi Minh City has a leg up […]
This New Zealand Lake Is the Clearest Body of Fresh Water Known to Man
Rotomairewhenua, also known as the Blue Lake of New Zealand’s Nelson Lakes National Park, is officially recognized as the clearest body of fresh water in the world. Blue Lake is spring fed by the neighboring glacial Lake Constance, and the water passes through a natural debris damn formed a long time ago by a landslide. […]
Brazil’s Unique “Coca Cola Lagoon”
Ever dreamed of swimming in a lake of Coca Cola? Well, you can actually do just that at the unique Coca Cola Lagoon in Rio Grande del Norte, Brazil, where the water has the exact same color as the popular soft drink. Looking at the water of Lagoa da Araraquara, it’s easy to see why […]