Discovering Atlantis! Mindblowing Cruise!
Fifteen minutes and a world away from Nassau’s teeming Bay Street, cruise passengers can retreat to a resort experience like no other. The Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island a huge complex along a three-mile ribbon of powdery shoreline includes a multi-towered hotel, giant casino, top-notch stores, restaurants, tennis courts and putting green, as well as lagoons and spectacular marine exhibits.
Known as much for its decadence as for the celebrities who stay there (Oprah, Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson, to name a few), the Atlantis is accessible and affordable to cruisers who want to check it out for a day. It provides a good alternative to simply wandering around town, especially since some of Nassau’s downtown attractions, like the famous Straw Market, were destroyed in September, 2001, by a disastrous fire along Bay Street.
Atlantis has a special arrangement with Disney and Royal Caribbean: Their shore excursion packages (prices vary) include a 30-minute harbor tour, a one-hour hotel tour, and access to the Atlantis’s beach, casino, restaurants, shops, aquariums and sporting facilities. Guests are given towels and chairs on the beach, but do not have access to the pools or changing rooms. Water sports like parasailing, jet-skiing and snorkeling are available on the beach at an extra cost.
NY City’s Lost Subway Station
Deep in the belly of New York’s subway system, a beautiful untouched station resides that has been forgotten for years with only a limited few knowing of its existence. Stunning decoration with tall tiled arches, brass fixtures and skylights run across the entire curve of the station, almost a miniature imitation of Grand Central Station… But it sounds like something straight out of Harry Potter, right?
t was opened in 1904, with the hope of making it the crowning glory of the New York subway system in elegant architecture and a place for commemorative plaques to honour the work that had resulted in such a successful underground mass transit system. It was to be the original southern terminus of the first ‘Manhattan Main Line’; however the station was closed and boarded up in 1945. The gem of the underground began gathering dust, forgotten by the general public, as passengers were forced off at the Brooklyn Bridge Stop before the train continued on to the terminus to make its turnaround.
The reason for its closure was that newer longer cars were required to match the demand of passengers that passed through the system. But as the stations tracks were severely curved, a dangerous gap between the train doors and the platform was formed making it an unsafe area. This combined with the fact that only about 600 people used it, resulted in its closure with only mythical plans of turning it into a transit museum. But this was never followed through.
However, now you don’t have to take my word that the secret City Hall Station exists, as the 6 Train will now allow the passengers who have been enlightened with the knowledge of its whereabouts to stay on the train during its turnaround and see the Station. You won’t be able to get off, but you’ll be taken for a slow tour of the platform and see what a beauty it was in its heyday!
And if that isn’t enough, The Underbelly Project has turned it into a kind-of off-limits art gallery. They are a group of street artists who have painted the walls of the unattractive concrete areas with their art in a spooky art exhibition that will be witnessed only by urban explorers who prowl the deep train system at night and Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers.
Over a hundred murals have been accumulated over time by graffiti artists, namely PAC and Workhorse (infamous NYC graffitists), who discovered the bare walls and invited others to add their art.
But if you want to go and view these art works, you will most definitely run the high risk of being arrested as venturing the tunnels is both highly illegal and dangerous! I’ll just stick to seeing the photographs as I’m pretty sure my search for art would turn into a horror story down in the black tunnels… or I’d get hit by a train.
Allure of the Seas
The second of Royal Caribbean’s world-changing Oasis-class ships, Allure of the Seas is a few inches longer than her older sister-ship Oasis of the Seas, and so technically holds the crown as the largest cruise ship ever built, measuring in at 225,282 gross tons and carrying a remarkable 5,400 guests at double occupancy, plus nearly 3,000 crewmembers.
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That few inches of difference aside, Allure is essentially identical in conception and layout to Oasis, but since Oasis is probably the most revolutionary cruise ship ever built, that means Allure is pretty special too, from her incredible number of guest amenities to her game-changing design, which took the monolithic cruise ship superstructure and split it lengthwise into what are essentially two long buildings set atop her hull — one to port and one to starboard, with a long, deep canyon between them and various joins along the way to provide structural strength.
Simply put, a waterfall is a watercourse (stream, river, creek) that drops vertically, in other words, it flows over the edge of a cliff or down a slope. Types of waterfalls are based on how the water falls or passes through it’s course, how much water is flowing, the surface beneath it and the geological processes that created it. These all together form a waterfall’s unique shape, it’s fingerprint so to speak.
World’s Tallest Waterfalls:
Angel Falls, Venezuela, 979 metres (3212 feet)
Angel Falls is the world’s highest waterfall. Angel Falls – spills from the Auyantepui into what is known as the Devil’s canyon 979 Meters below. The indigenous people call it Kerepakupai-mer but is was named Angel Falls after Jimmy Angel, an American bush pilot and gold-hunting adventurer, who discovered it in 1937. The waters fall freely some 807 meters (2,648 feet) and reach the bottom of the valley as a misty spray that gathers into a small creek which eventually finds its way into the north-bound Churun River. The height of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is atomized by the strong winds and turned into mist. The mist can be felt a mile away. The base of the falls feeds into the Kerep River (alternatively known as the Rio Gauya), which flows into the Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River. It is located in the Canaima National Park a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela.
Tugela Falls , KwaZulu-Natal province, Republic of South Africa, 947 m (3110 ft)
The Tugela Falls, the second tallest waterfall in the world located at the Royal Natal National Park in the Kwazulu Natal State in South Africa is a fifty foot wide, five tiered waterfall fed by the Tugela River that begins at 3,110 feet with the tallest single drop of its’ five tiers measuring in at 1,350 feet. There are 2 trails to the Falls. The top of Mount-Aux-Sources and starts at the Sentinel car park at Witsieshoek via Phuthadjhaba from where it is a relatively short climb to the top of the Amphiteare. Or you can reach the bottom of the falls after a relatively short hike of about five miles by way of the Royal Natal National Park of South Africa. The source of the Tugela River (Zulu for ‘sudden’) is at Mont-Aux-Sources several kilometers from the escarpment from which the falls drop. The water is pure and safe to drink above the falls.
Three Sisters Falls, Peru, South America, 914 meters (3000 feet)
The triple set of waterfalls dubbed the “Three Sisters” is an amazing San Diego County feature not many have seen. In full flood, these cascades put on a show reminiscent of Yosemite’s show stoppers — except at a reduced scale. The waterfall is called the Three Sisters because of its three separate tiers. Two of the top tiers are visible from the air, and the water drops into a large basin of sorts where a third plunge emerges. The falls are nearly completely surrounded by forests, and trees around the Three Sisters Falls reach as high as 100 feet. The falls’ height reaches about 3,000 feet (914 meters). Since some of the upstream drainage of Boulder Creek comes from Cuyamaca Reservoir, regulated releases of water there can greatly affect the volume of water flowing over the falls.
Olo’upena Falls, USA, Hawaii, 900 meters (2953 feet)
Olo’upena Falls is the 4th largest waterfall in the world — a massive 2,953 feet waterfall — though thin on volume. Located on the remote Hawaiian island of Molokai, this impressive waterfall is a rarely seen wonder. The few who see this waterfall do from aerial view, as it’s surrounded by huge mountains on both side. It also has very little water running through it, so it’s easy to miss. This waterfall is tiered and looks like a ribbon waterfall because of its thin appearance.
Yumbilla, Catarata, Peru, Amazonas, 896 meters (2938 feet)
Catarata de Yumbilla is a thin 890m waterfall plunging in several tiers. Although it is taller than Catarata Gocta, only about 600m of the overall drop is visible and its volume is also less. Really elusive waterfall, it’s been seldom imortalized on picture; this one shows just the bottom part, and in terms of water debit, it’s not that impressive; in height however… things are a bit different.
World’s Largest Waterfalls:
Inga Falls, Congo, Kinshasa, 96 meters (315 feet) 1,500,000 cfs
Inga Falls is a rapids 40 km from Matadi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where the Congo River drops 96 m (315 ft) over the course of 15km (9 mi). At 42,476 m³/s (1,500,000 ft³/s), it is arguably the largest waterfall in the world. Its maximum recorded volume is 70,793 m³/s (2,500,000 ft³/s). Inga falls is also the site of two large hydroelectric dams, named Inga I & II, as well as two projected dams, one of which would be the largest (by power production) in the world.
Livingstone Falls, Chutes de, Congo, Kongo Central, 40 meters (131 feet) 1,240,000 cfs
This is easily the largest waterfall in the world in terms of flow. It’s safe to postulate a factor of about 1.7 with regard to maximum floodstage. If that is true, or even close, the flow would be on the order of two million cubic feet per second. Many sources atttribute this waterfall a height of about 876′ but this comprises a series of rapids over a 220 mile stretch of river, which in our eyes is really stretching the concept. There is a fairly pronounced series that drop 131 feet in a short distance, which is more acceptable.
Boyoma Falls, Congo, Orientale, 61 meters (200 feet) 600,000 cfs
Boyoma Falls is the geatest waterfalls of the world by volume. It’s lying on the curve of Lualoba River flowing in Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa. It has seven sets of water falls called cataracts extending over 100 km along the curve of the river. The falls region is lying between the river port towns of Ubundu and Kisangani. The average height of waterfalls is 200 foot and average flowrate is 6 lacs cu.ft/sec. which is three times greater than that of Niagara Falls. In rainy seasons the flow rate reaches 18 lacs cu.ft./sec. Though it is one of the greatest waterfalls of the world, because of being cataract type of falls it is not so popular as other falls like Niagara and Victoria.
Guaíra, Salto del, Brazil,Paran, 40 meters (130 feet) 470,000 cfs
The Guaíra Falls was a waterfall located on the Paraná River between Brazil and Paraguay. With an estimated volume of 1,750,000 cubic feet (50,000 m3) per second, the falls were, at least in terms of total volume, the largest waterfall on earth. The falls had a total drop of about 375 feet (114 metres). They were formed when the Paraná River, after crossing the red sandstone Maracaju (Mbaracayú) Mountains, was forced through canyon walls and narrowed abruptly from a width of 1,250 feet (381 metres) to 200 feet (61 metres). The churning water created a deafening noise that could be heard for a distance of 20 miles (32 km). A constant rainbow hovered over the site. The falls probably represented the greatest volume of falling water in the world, and they were a tourist attraction for many years.
Khone falls, Chutes de, Laos, Ban Hang Khone, 21 meters (70 feet) 410,000 cfs
This monstrous segmented waterfall on the Mekong River near the Cambodian border in the extreme southern part of Laos is the widest in the world, stretching to as much as 14 kilometers wide during the monsoon season! There are 2 main portions: Khong Phapheng Falls and Somphamit Falls. The strata causing the falls are also responsible for several islands, the largest of which, Không, has a small port based on the portaging of goods around the falls. The Khone has the greatest volume of the world’s waterfalls, its 2,500,000 gallons (9,500,000 litres) per second being nearly double that of Niagara Falls.
1. Nevsky Prospect, a view from a rooftop in St. Petersburg
Tourist routes usually follow a trail on the ground, rather than above it. Also, you would be surprised at how difficult it is to find an open roof in St. Petersburg these days. Most of roofs now deny access to the public for safety reasons. Experienced roof toppers say that, when seen from a roof, “Piter” (as the locals affectionately dubbed St. Petersburg) is 100 times more interesting than people may think.
2. Weirdos in the subway
A guy wishes prosperity to all – or at least that’s what the sign he is holding says. Sometimes even cold Russia can surprise with unexpected acts of kindness
This picture was taken at the Tsvetnoy Boulevard metro station in Moscow, but you can usually find this guy at the exit of the Sadovaya metro station in St. Petersburg too. There is a new sentence in his hands every morning: "Good morning!", "Hurrah, it’s Friday!", "Summer".
3. Mosaics on the ceiling of the Moscow subway stations
Get on the train and stop at every station just to see its many decorative patterns and varied artistic features! Every station has its own unique design elements that you won’t find anywhere else.
4. A secret bar near the Kuznetsky Bridge at night, Moscow
Kamchatka is a small 90s-themed bar, from where it is possible to leave full and drunk for a mere 400 ruble bill. It is located on one of the oldest streets in Moscow - Kuznetsky Bridge. Locals call it "the bars’ street " - "Gogol'", "Pacha", "Spirit", "Kamchatka" are only a few of the venues you could stop at for a drink or two along the way. And since it’s a car-free zone, many of them turn into open-air bars in the summer.
5. One of many beloved Dachas in the countryside
This typically Russian lodge, the ideal place to chill and relax, is called "dacha". According to the tradition, a dacha is a country house with a bathhouse and a small kitchen garden. People come here to rest body and soul preparing delicious shish kebabs, lighting the stove and rolling about on a hammock in the sunlight.
This picture was taken in Istra, 40 km from Moscow. Besides the picturesque natural setting, Istra also houses the New Jerusalem monastery. The monastery, whose central element is the Resurrection Cathedral, was built in 1656 by order of Patriarch Nikon.
6. Wakeboarding in Serebryany Bor (Silver Pine Forest), north-west of Moscow
Not a single guidebook mentions “wakeboarding under Zhivopisny Bridge” among the must-do activities in Russia. We tried it, and it’s so much fun! The bridge is a cable-stayed construction, unique in its genre. From afar one can notice a sphere hanging under the arch of the bridge.
7. Stuck in traffic for 12 hours at the border between Russia and Ukraine
Kilometers-long traffic jams clog the road from Russia to Ukraine in the summer. On certain days more than five thousand cars can pass through checkpoint. And it’s not just the tourists. These days Russians from the neighboring areas cross the border to go shopping in Kharkov. The traffic is tiresome but if you can go through it than you can definitely call yourself a true Russian.
8. A courtyard in St. Petersburg
The courtyards of St. Petersburg are real open-air museums - an unusual way to fully comprehend the spirit and history of the city. It was Peter I who disposed that all houses be built in continuous facades to deal with the lack of ground space, giving the city its characteristic aspect. To make the houses more profitable, people would try to utilize all room available. And since they could not expand in width, they would go upwards, adding one story after another.
9. People learning English at the open-air cinema Pioneer in Gorky Park, Moscow
The park was founded nearly 100 years ago. It is Moscow’s main park and the perfect spot to relax, practice sports, dance and play games in the open air. There are various facilities that aim at improving the visitors’ experience: an outdoor cinema theater, a sports center, photographic studio, the "Garage" modern art center and an observatory. You can even take dance and yoga lessons!
10. Naughty frogdog Benya enjoys a summer bath
This puppy is part of the RBTH family, as he is our Online Director Maria Shashaeva’s baby. Beware - we will lend him to you only if you ask nicely!
10 Beautiful Places In The World That Actually Exist
1. Wisteria Tunnel
Wisteria Tunnel is located at the Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu, Japan. Flowering trees hang overhead and the different colored rows speckle the garden
2. Cinque Terre, Italy
The Cinque Terre is part of the coast in the Liguria region of Italy. The terraces built on the rugged landscape are a popular tourist attraction.
The Cinque Terre is part of the coast in the Liguria region of Italy. The terraces built on the rugged landscape are a popular tourist attraction.
3. Hotel La Montaña Mágica
Magic Mountain hotel is exactly what you think it is. It’s a hotel shaped like a mountain that spews water from the top. It’s located in Huilo Huilo, a private Natural Reserve in the Los Rios region of Chile.
Magic Mountain hotel is exactly what you think it is. It’s a hotel shaped like a mountain that spews water from the top. It’s located in Huilo Huilo, a private Natural Reserve in the Los Rios region of Chile.
4. The Crooked Forest
The Crooked Forest is located right outside of Nowe Czarnowo, West Pomerania, Poland. The grove contains approximately 400 pine trees with bent trunks. They were planted sometime in 1939, but why or who made them crooked is unknown.
The Crooked Forest is located right outside of Nowe Czarnowo, West Pomerania, Poland. The grove contains approximately 400 pine trees with bent trunks. They were planted sometime in 1939, but why or who made them crooked is unknown.
5. Tunnel Of Love
Giant trees surround this old train tunnel located in Kleven, Ukraine. The magical-looking place is nicknamed “The Tunnel Of Love” by locals because it is a popular spot for couples to visit.
Giant trees surround this old train tunnel located in Kleven, Ukraine. The magical-looking place is nicknamed “The Tunnel Of Love” by locals because it is a popular spot for couples to visit.
6. Blue Lagoon Hot Springs
The Blue Lagoon hot springs in Iceland are man-made bodies of water, but the springs are heated naturally with the volcanic activity on the island. The springs are especially beautiful in the snowy winter, and the water still quite toasty.
The Blue Lagoon hot springs in Iceland are man-made bodies of water, but the springs are heated naturally with the volcanic activity on the island. The springs are especially beautiful in the snowy winter, and the water still quite toasty.
7. Ice Canyon
The ice canyons in Greenland were carved by meltwater and are as deep as 150 feet.
The ice canyons in Greenland were carved by meltwater and are as deep as 150 feet.
8. Ball Pyramid
Ball Pyramid is the world’s tallest sea stack. It is the remains of a shield volcano formed about 7 million years ago. It is 562 meters high and is located southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean.
Ball Pyramid is the world’s tallest sea stack. It is the remains of a shield volcano formed about 7 million years ago. It is 562 meters high and is located southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean.
9. The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. It’s located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It’s so large, you can see it from outer space. The reef is a very popular destination for scuba divers and other tourists.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. It’s located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It’s so large, you can see it from outer space. The reef is a very popular destination for scuba divers and other tourists.
10. Plitvice Lakes National Park
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest park in Croatia. The park is filled with luscious green scenery, beautiful lagoons, and amazing waterfalls.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest park in Croatia. The park is filled with luscious green scenery, beautiful lagoons, and amazing waterfalls.
http://travel.feedbox.info/10-beautiful-places-in-the-world-that-actually-exist/?utm_medium=teaser&utm_source=feedbox&utm_campaign=exchange&utm_content=40093
Top 10 Places to See Before You Die
9. Fingal’s Cave, Scotland
Fingal’s Cave is an unbelievable sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is formed entirely from hexagonally joined basalt columns within a Paleocene lava flow. Who could think that lava can create those wonders? Mother Nature is truly creative!
The ancient Scottish Celts and the Irish have long since held this important sits in their legendary tales. The Celts refer to the cave as Uamh-Binn or “The Cave of Melody”.The same well defined basalt columns can be found in a similar site in Ireland called the Giant’s Causeway, legend says that they were the end pieces of a huge bridge build by Fionn mac Cumhail, an Irish giant. He was said to have built the bridge to Scotland where he was to fight his gigantic Scottish counterpart; Benandonner.
The legend is in fact partly true. Possibly not the giants roaming the Earth, but both the Giant’s Causeway and Fingal’s Cave were actually created by the same lava flow, which may have indeed formed a bridge like structure between the two areas. This was approximately 60 million years ago, long before any human being was around to witness it. Just for reference dinosaurs had already been extinct for some 5 million years at this point. The deductive reasoning of these ancient people did manage to find a link between these sites however – remarkable!
Allure of the Seas
The second of Royal Caribbean’s world-changing Oasis-class ships, Allure of the Seas is a few inches longer than her older sister-ship Oasis of the Seas, and so technically holds the crown as the largest cruise ship ever built, measuring in at 225,282 gross tons and carrying a remarkable 5,400 guests at double occupancy, plus nearly 3,000 crewmembers.
That few inches of difference aside, Allure is essentially identical in conception and layout to Oasis, but since Oasis is probably the most revolutionary cruise ship ever built, that means Allure is pretty special too, from her incredible number of guest amenities to her game-changing design, which took the monolithic cruise ship superstructure and split it lengthwise into what are essentially two long buildings set atop her hull — one to port and one to starboard, with a long, deep canyon between them and various joins along the way to provide structural strength.
