Travel lists to inspire, fascinate and inform

Most of us are fascinated by lists. There is something so intriguing about reading lists. I guess it is the bite size info and easy reading that attracts. Whatever the case, here are a selection of some of my favorite travel lists

The world’s longest commercial flight
There are some really long international flights out there. The longest you can choose to ensure seat cramp is a Singapore flight, flying from Singapore to New York. Close to 18 hours (with no traffic congestion or weather issues, this is a real odyssey
Back in time they had much longer flights, of course. They called it the ‘Double Sunrise’ flight. Operated by Qantas, from 1943-45, flying from Oz to Singapore, it could stretch 30 hours plus and passengers would get to ‘enjoy’ seeing the sunrise twice.
Finland is home to 180 000 islands. This is far more than any other country on earth
If you wanted to find a town with the shortest name, you’d head to Norway. You will discover a town that is simply called “A”
Head off to Paris and if you’re looking for some Americana, aside from Starbucks, go find the Statue of Liberty. There are at least 3 replicas of the worlds greatest symbol of freedom and welcoming. The most well known is the replica of Lad Liberty on an island on the Seine looks towards her sister statue in New York City.
The capital of India, New Delhi, has an international museum that is really odd. It is the Museum of Toilets. Artifacts include a rare collection of photos, along with factoids and pieces that document the evolution of the toilet from 2500BC to the modern era.
Ever been to Rome? The Trevi Fountain is where most of us go to toss a peny and wish for blessings and good things. But where does the money go? Every penny is collected daily and donated to a number of charities.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Well, if you decide the mountains would be a great place for a vacation, you’re probably an introvert, so psychologists have stated. And if you’re an extrovert? Where do you go? You guessed it – the beach! I guess I’m both.
Which city do you think is the most visited in the world? London? Paris? Nope. It is Bangkok, Thailand with over 20 million visitors per annum. London comes in 2nd with 20 million tourists and Paris 3rd with 16 million.
Do you know there is a phobia of trains, train stations and traveling on trains? If you’re a siderodromophobic, you have a fear/phobia of trains and related aspects to it. The actual word is derived from “Sidero” which is Greek for “iron” or “objects made of iron.” “Dromo” is Greek for the term “race course.
The Great Wall of China’s robust endurance and strength is attributed to… sticky rice! With a mix of slaked lime and sticky rice flower, workers built the Great Wall sections of the Ming Dynasty. Apparently the bonding properties of the paste is so effective and tightly binding that even natural vegetation cannot grow through it.

10 extreme airports that flirt with disaster

No one who is slightly nervous of air travel should read this list. Frankly, landing at any of these airports is a stomach churning white knuckled ride….unless of course, you don’t know better.

Any seasoned pilot will tell you that the most critical aspects of air travel is getting up and getting down. Altitude that is high is friendly.

Low altitude is not. Approach, even in great conditions can be tricky at some of the worlds airports. Add in some wind and low visibility, you have a cockpit crew on high alert.

There are several differing thoughts on what airports could qualify as dangerous or challenging.

Certainly many of these airports are not in some remote hideaway in the mountains. Some are right there on your doorstep and you may have traveled them in the past. We found the lists –

10 Places You want To Avoid Travel To…Maybe?

Obviously it’s great to read all those lists about the best places to travel to and all those incredible sights and things to do.

But reading lists like that has to get you wondering what places you may not want to visit. Perhaps it’s our morbid curiosity that compels us to look at the dark side once in awhile. Who knows?

However, curiosity killed the cat as they say – and visiting these places may kill you. These are the bottom ten places you probably should most NOT want to visit. If they’re on your list you probably should strike through….or if you’re the more adventurous type….ummm, good luck!

10 Most Famous Unfinished Buildings

Traveling around the world will have you perplexed many times. You will be staring at some monument or famous structure and wonder when it actually will be finished.

I will never forget being with cruise ship passengers in Cozumel, Mexico and receiving a question that to this day floors me.

In all seriousness, a Texan lady called out “Hey, Rob…why these buildings ain’t finished..?” I replied “Well, they were at one stage.” I did not have the heart to remind her we were visiting ruins. She looked puzzled. More knowing guests thankfully kept their sniggers to a low volume..

Of course there are many buildings that are not meant to be finished – they are what they are. However there are many that are unfinished and are incomplete for a variety of reasons.

I have traveled to Barcelona on several occasions over the years and each time found my way to the Sagrada Família church.

The Sagrada Família church is meant to be finished. To some, it is a thing of beauty and to others a bit of a mish-mash of mortar, glass and ‘what is that?’. No matter your opinion, the fact is this amazing structure is yet to be completed.

The church has been a work in progress since 1882 and is expected to be completed in 2026! It is a living masterpiece and so intricate in detail that it demands the skill and manpower of several generations to be finalized.

Top 10 Best Beaches In The World

When most of us think of a vacation, we normally let our minds drift to travel to those idyllic shores where palm trees bristle lovingly in the warm breeze and a rippling canvas of blue hues laps up to white sands. The sun is warm and comforting, the hammock rocks gently and the pina colada stands armed and cold at arms stretch.This is our paradise, a place where all the droning of suburban existence washes away with each secluded slice of Nirvana.

10 Obscure and Interesting Facts about Asia

Fascination with Eastern culture among the West’s population is in no doubt. The fact that China town is not exclusive to New York or San Francisco is testament to this fact. There is something compelling about a culture and way of life that is so foreign from our own.

In many ways, the civilizations of the Asian East and the West, have never really met or totally embraced. It is the nature of our own culture to judge that of others and stand in accusation of that we do not understand. Interestingly, the Asian East may do the same when looking at the West. Such is the human condition.

So what beyond the normal differences would we as westerners find so different or alien? Actually a great deal. The list could be a top 100 and not be done with. If baby tossing, being fat is against the law and living in a house the width of a parking space seems outrageous to you, then you will find this list of great interest.

Top 10 Bizarre Tourist Attractions

The tourist brochures and the media will tell us all about where to go and what to do. So many attractions and so many standard locations with thousands of other faces set in the same scenery.

The Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, Leaning Tower of Pisa and Big Ben. All great to see but what about something off the beaten track? Perhaps your travel lifestyle is calling for something totally different.

How about stepping out of the mainstream and finding something completely different to take vacation snapshots of?It is really fun to just do something that you wouldn’t have thought of doing. There are many bizarre tourist attractions to be visited. Here’s the top 10….

10 Bizarre Theme Parks From Around the World

Okay, so we’ve been to Disney World, Disneyland, Universal….where else can we go?

Theme parks have always been associated with Disney mostly, and later with Universal. Going to a theme park is just that – taking in the feel and look of the theme.

If it’s Mickey Mouse or Back to the Future, it is all good fun for the family. The secret is out – Mickey and Marty are not the only things that can be enjoyed (or not) when visiting a theme park.

There are quite a few others around. Perhaps not as well publicized as their mainstream brethren – with good reason in some cases.

Travel the planet and search and you’ll be quite amazed at what theme parks are available to you. Okay, some are definitely not family fare – actually most are not. They are bizarre and in a few instances, absolutely crass or gross.

The thing is we like different, so checking out this list of bizarre theme parks around the world will provide that quirky nature in us all for something a little off-center.