Rockets are our only option of traveling or sending payload to space today. However, that could change in the future. There are plans to develop alternative methods of travel. And they are truly weird.

Inventors have proposed traveling or sending payload into space with elevators, underwater space guns, catapults, and even balloons. While some of these could be unrealistic and will probably remain a pipe dream, others could appear within the next few decades. Only time will tell.

10 Space Elevators

A space elevator is exactly what you think it is—an elevator that goes all the way from the ground into space. The idea was first proposed by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in 1895.

Four to six cables would be connected to a single elevator system. Each cable would be connected to an electromagnetic vehicle (which is practically an elevator) that leads to different platforms in space or the upper atmosphere. The elevators would travel at speeds reaching thousands of kilometers an hour.^[1]

The upper ends of the cables would be connected to a large mass like a space station or even an asteroid. The bottom of the cables would be connected to a 50-kilometer-tall (31 mi) tower on the ground. Most designs indicate that the ground tower would be built along the equator because areas outside that region are vulnerable to hurricanes and tornadoes.

NASA believes that the elevator will replace or reduce our dependence on rockets one day. Although we haven’t managed to make a space elevator yet, China and Obayashi Corporation of Japan have separate plans to finish one by 2045 and 2050, respectively. If completed, it may reduce the cost of sending 0.5 kilograms (1 lb) of payload into space from $3,500 to $25.

9 Skyhook

Imagine a giant fishing hook extending from outside space and stopping somewhere in the skies. Yes, that is exactly what a skyhook is. It is also called the beanstalk as in “Jack and the Beanstalk” or Jacob’s ladder after a Bible verse where a ladder was released from the heavens down to Earth.

A skyhook is often promoted as a smaller version of the space elevator. Both follow the same principle except that the cable on the skyhook does not reach all the way to the ground. There is no ground station, either.^[2]

The payload is first transported on a rocket or other propelling unit and attached to the end of the cable of the skyhook, which sends the payload into outer space. It has been suggested that a skyhook could also work the other way around to transport minerals mined from asteroids and other planets to Earth.

8 Space Gun

A large space gun is capable of shooting payloads into space. It cannot be used to launch humans there because the force would instantly compress a person by half, leading to death. While we haven’t managed to make one, several inventors are still trying to create one.

One inventor is John Hunter. He proposed a 1,100-meter (3,600 ft) space gun, called the QuickLauncher, to get the job done. Hunter began working on the QuickLauncher in 1992 and even tested a 130-meter (425 ft) prototype. When completed, the QuickLauncher would be installed 490 meters (1,600 ft) below the sea somewhere around the equator.

Only the top of the barrel would be visible along with a rig holding the upper part of the gun above the water. Hunter said that the QuickLauncher would reduce the cost of sending payload into space to a mere $113 per kilogram ($250/lb). He believed that the gun could be completed within seven years if he was able to get the $500 million in funding.^[3]

7 Mass Driver

The mass driver (or electromagnetic catapult) works like a giant catapult. We could just think of it as a train. In 2012, aerospace engineer Dr. George Maise and Dr. James Powell, one of the inventors of the maglev train, worked on building a mass driver that they called the StarTram.

The StarTram would operate with magnetic levitation (maglev) technology, which is used by many high-speed trains today. Maglev trains do not have wheels. Instead, they depend on magnets to send them sliding over the rail. The StarTram would resemble a maglev train running inside a tube.

One end of the tube would be on the ground while the other would be in the upper atmosphere. However, the end at the upper atmosphere would still be held securely to the ground with steel beams or something similar. The payload would be magnetically accelerated until it reaches the other end where it would be expelled and continue its journey into space.

The inventors planned to create two mass drivers—one for cargo and the other for humans. They said that the cargo mass driver would cost $20 billion to build and be ready in about 10 years. The passenger version has a cost estimate of $60 billion and would be ready in approximately 20 years.

According to Powell and Maise, the StarTram is expected to transport 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) of cargo into space at just $50 (in 2012 dollars). Using similar calculations, it would cost just $5,000 instead of $20 million (again, in 2012 dollars) to send humans to the International Space Station.

The duo also believe that StarTram could be used to protect Earth from large asteroids, to capture solar energy, and to allow us to mine raw materials from asteroids.^[4]

6 Launch Loop

The launch loop would consist of magnetic cables covered by a protective material. It has been described as an advanced version of the mass driver we just discussed. However, instead of having one end high up in the atmosphere, both ends of the launch loop would be on the ground.^[5]

The center of the track would rise into the skies, just like a roller coaster. The spacecraft, or train, would start off from one end of the track and shoot into space at the center of the track. While the idea sounds promising, it’s doubtful that we will see one anytime soon because it would cost a fortune to build.

5 Catapults

A space start-up called SpinLaunch is considering sending payload into space with catapults. The catapult is actually a centrifuge that spins at a high speed. In fact, it spins so fast that it swings an attached payload into space at speeds up to 4,800 kilometers per hour (3,000 mph).^[6]

Curiously, NASA had tested similar technology, even though it was with rail tracks and not centrifuges. NASA abandoned the project because it was less reliable than rockets. Nevertheless, SpinLaunch believes that the technology will work. Its major challenge is the air resistance that could stop the payload from getting into space.

4 Balloons

A company called World View prefers to do things the old way. Instead of trying to invent something new to get us into space, they’ve settled for helium balloons. They will fly to the stratosphere, the second layer of Earth’s atmosphere as you move higher toward space.

A flight will carry two pilots and six tourists. A seat on the balloon is expected to cost around $75,000 for a six-hour flight. While World View completed a successful test flight with a prototype on June 18, 2014, it missed a 2016 deadline for its first paid flight.

One downside of the balloon is speed. Balloons will reach space in two hours, which is very slow. Rockets reach space in less than four minutes. However, the balloon will offer a more breathtaking view for the tourists. Also, passengers will not have to deal with the explosive takeoffs and g-forces experienced with rockets.^[7]

As another downside, the balloon could end up 480 kilometers (300 mi) from its takeoff point due to the wind. However, World View has this covered by offering return flights to its passengers. The company also mentioned that it has precautions and safety measures against the balloon falling back to Earth or flying off into space.

3 Airplanes

Charles Bombardier and Juan Garcia Mansilla have suggested using special airplanes for space travel. The proposed Paradoxal is a supersonic or hypersonic airplane with a jet engine that converts to a rocket to escape into space. The engine converts back to a jet engine when it returns to Earth.

The jet engine becomes a rocket when liquid oxygen is injected into the exhaust. This increases its speed as it reaches the velocity to escape the Earth’s atmosphere. However, Bombardier and Mansilla are not really concerned with space travel. They actually want their airplane to be used for business travel.

This airplane would go into space to exploit the curvature of the Earth to shorten flight time. For instance, the Paradoxal would cover the 12,200 kilometers (7,600 mi) between Los Angeles and Sydney in less than three hours. Conventional aircraft complete it in around 14 hours.

However, cameras outside the airplane would allow passengers to see the exterior of the airplane. If that isn’t enough, they would experience the weightlessness of space for just one minute before the airplane begins its descent to Earth.^[8]

2 Orbital Ring

The orbital ring is closely related to the space elevator. However, unlike the elevator, it is a huge ring that goes around the Earth. Several points along the ring would be connected to ground stations here on Earth. Elevators would be installed in the ground stations to allow us to travel into space.

The orbital ring was first suggested by Nikola Tesla in the 1870s. However, Paul Birch is credited as the inventor after he proposed the modern orbital ring in 1982. Birch suggested that we manufacture the orbital ring in space with minerals tapped from space.^[9]

Unfortunately, nobody is keen on creating the ring because Birch was misquoted and misunderstood. One unending rumor is that he claimed the ring would cost $31 trillion dollars. While an orbital ring around the Earth remains a pipe dream, there are suggestions to install it around the Moon and other planets, allowing us to enter and leave them with much ease.

1 Space Fountain

Space fountains are considered an alternative to the space elevator. They have the ground and space stations but without the elevators. The idea was promoted by a six-man team including Robert L. Forward, who explained the idea in his book Indistinguishable from Magic.

The proposed invention is called a space fountain because it works like a water fountain. A ball could remain atop the water from a water fountain if the force of the water remains constant. At the same time, the water that falls back into the fountain is reused to keep the ball up. And the process continues.

The ground station of a space fountain is a sort of U-shaped chamber while the space station is an upside-down, U-shaped chamber. Using the logic of the ball we just mentioned, the space station remains in space because the ground station shoots millions of small magnetic pellets at it. The space station shoots the pellets back to the ground station, and the cycle goes on.

However, the walls of the ground chamber would be lined with electromagnetic accelerators that would fire any payload into space. The space fountain remains unfeasible due to the unbelievable amounts of energy it would require. A space fountain with a space chamber 2,000 kilometers (1,240 mi) away from the ground chamber would require the same amount of energy as an entire city.^[10]

We’ve scoured the internet for ten of the most unusual modes of travel that money can buy (either now or in the not-too-distant future), and ranked them in order of price.

10. Hoverboard (concept)

While it’s clear by now that Marty McFly’s 2015 must have been on an alternate timeline, hoverboards are actually possible on our own. In fact, it was in 2015—our 2015—that Lexus advertised the SLIDE, a bamboo and carbon fiber floating skateboard. In a 37-second viral teaser video, we saw a real-life hoverboard hovering inches above the ground.

Ok, so it was only a prototype concept, but the technology does exist. Maglev trains have depended upon it for more than a hundred years. The trick is a magnetic surface. A Kickstarter campaign in 2014, for the Hendo hoverboard, also used magnets to levitate. But the Lexus SLIDE has a superconductor and can hover on magnets in concrete. And while we don’t have magnets in concrete as standard, you could build your own hoverboard skate park. How much it’ll set you back isn’t really clear, but it’s probably the least on this list.

The only downsides are the 11.5kg weight and the need to top up the liquid nitrogen coolant every 10 minutes or so. On the other hand, that liquid nitrogen does emit some cool-looking vapors from the board.

9. Tron Lightcycle

Being virtual reality, the Tron Lightcycle has been possible for a long time. But only recently has it been rendered in the meatspace. Well, kind of.

Don’t expect to leave any light walls like a real-life game of Snake, or to ride at speed, but do expect to be the envy of any Tron fans you pass. Built by Parker Brothers Concepts, it’s a spectacularly faithful carbon fiber and fiberglass replica with dual hubless wheels and plenty of lights. There’s even a Tron helmet included in the $35,000-55,000 price tag (though no spandex jumpsuit). 

Like Tron itself, the Lightcycle has spawned two generations. The first, of which only five were ever made (in five different colors), was gas-powered, while the second is all-electric.

8. Hoverbike

Channeling Star Wars, the Aero-X hoverbike crosses pretty much any terrain without slowing down—although 45 miles per hour doesn’t leave much to slow down to. Powered by two horizontal propellers, it’s really just a hovercraft the size of a car but it looks and feels like a bike. It also reaches heights of up to 20 feet. The company behind it, Los Angeles-based Aerofex, calls it a “crossover vehicle.”

As for who might want one at $85,000, they vaguely suggested ranchers, emergency services, and border patrols. Let’s face it, though; this is a toy for the rich. 

Although there’s an emphasis on minimizing noise, emissions might be a problem. To avoid the propeller blades seizing, Aerofex installed a rotary engine instead of a conventional piston one. But, as the car manufacturer Mazda learned the hard way, rotary engines are hard to make clean and efficient.

7. Jetpack

Although still in their infancy, jetpacks (and jet suits and belts) are very much here. It’s just that you can’t afford one. In 2015, the CEO of JetPack Aviation zipped around the Statue of Liberty with a jetpack capable of reaching 10,000 feet a speed of 55 knots. The company’s newer model, the JB-10, almost doubles that ceiling and speed. But many other companies are at it, with some offering full customization. Wearable jets are also being tested by the military and emergency services—no pilot’s licence required.

Prices are in the hundreds of thousands. Mexico-based TAM, for example, sells a “rocket belt” for a quarter of a million dollars, while UK-based Gravity Industries has an Iron Man style jet suit for £380,000 (almost half a million dollars).

Don’t get too envious, though. This is one of those rare occasions where the rich serve as guinea pigs for the rest of us, trialing a piece of technology that’s still pretty deadly. It’s easy to forget what a jetpack is: “a jet engine strapped to your back”. There’s plenty of room for things to go wrong, which is why pilots still have to wear tethers. Flight time is also disappointing—typically just seconds or minutes.

6. Flying Car

There’s a reason flying cars haven’t taken off. Unfortunately, the compromises involved in merging roadworthiness and airworthiness result in barely accomplishing either—and they typically cost more than a plane and a car combined. But that doesn’t mean you can’t buy one.

In 2023, the FAA approved Alef Auronautics’ Model A for testing. Although it’s just the latest in a decades-long tradition (of flops, mostly), it is, say the makers, the first flying vehicle to actually drive like a car. A very slow car, that is, with a top speed of 25 miles per hour. On the plus side, though, it does have vertical takeoff. It’s also 100% electric, with a range of 110 miles by air and 200 miles by road. The idea will be to fly whenever speed is required.

Alef expects to start selling the first flying car by 2025, at $300,000 each. If you’re interested, you can pay $150 to get on the waiting list or $1,500 for a priority spot.

5. Amphibious Limo

Cars you can drive on water and land might seem pointless to us—especially as they compromise on speed. But for the rich, they solve an old problem: getting to and from a superyacht in style. Usually this involves climbing into a dinghy or speedboat and climbing back out at the shore like any common peasant. With an amphibious vehicle, transitioning from sea to land would be seamless.

Not surprising, then, that most amphibious cars are designed with the wealthy in mind. Nouvoyage’s $2 million Limousine Tender 33 is a case in point. 33 feet long, it’s luxuriously furnished (in that horrible corporate way the rich seem to like) with seating for 12, state-of-the-art air-conditioning, retracting roof, gull-wing entry, and a toilet. It can also travel up to 30 knots on water and 85 mph on land—good enough for “making an entrance” as Nouvoyage sycophantically put it, “whether you’re arriving at a film premier in Cannes or a dinner reservation in Les Beaux.” Yeah, or an island full of sex-trafficked teenagers.

4. Personal Blimp

For 20 years, Lockheed Martin was secretly building an airship—a helium-filled blimp capable of floating for 1,400 nautical miles at a max speed of 60 knots. Thanks to its hovercraft-like air cushion landing system (ACLS), it can land on a variety of surfaces, including water, and you don’t even need to use mooring ropes; it’s held in place by a vacuum. 

Unfortunately for the war profiteer, nobody was interested and they gave up trying to sell it. But airships are probably the future. Another company, Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), already has plenty of buyers for its Airlander 10, priced at $50 million. 

They’re not the fastest way to get around, with a cruising speed of 80 miles per hour, but they are much greener than a jet. And for some the slower pace may be appealing. In any case, HAV conceives of the Airlander as a fast, flying superyacht, not a slow, bulky aircraft. There’s plenty of space on board for luxurious lounges, suites, offices, spas, sushi counters, and cargo holds—making it ideal for long-distance cruises, camp-hopping safaris, trips to the North Pole, and sex parties.

3. Private Train

Although exceedingly rare, some railcars in America are privately owned and run. One belongs to former Amtrak CEO Wick Moorman, who refurbished his 1948 Sandy Creek observation car with bedrooms, a kitchen, and a lounge—effectively making it an RV on rails. Another, an old Pullman sleeper car, belongs to the president of the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners, whose members join railcars once a year for an all-private cross-country trip. Otherwise, private railcars are hooked onto public trains headed in the desired direction. It’s kind of like train-hopping but legal, boring, and expensive: $3.67 per mile, plus storage of $1,800 per month.

Since 2018, Amtrak has actively discouraged the niche mode of travel, saying it causes “significant operational distraction” and delays paying customers on scheduled services. The solution, of course, is to run your own train. 

Enter the $350 million G Train, which, in theory, lets you ride the rails anywhere in the world. This 1,312-foot locomotive—purpose-built as opposed to refurbished—has a total of 14 cars, some with fold-out wings for outdoor dining. There’s also space on board for your fancy cars and motorbikes. Best of all, the shell is made of technical glass which can be switched from transparent to opaque, depending on whether you want to take in the sights or hide your depravity.

2. Luxury Submarine

When it comes to privacy, the rich get nautical. From seasteading to sex islands, the ocean’s where it’s at. Of course, in the age of spy satellites, a surface yacht won’t cut it; a luxury submarine is much better.

Capable of sailing the world Captain Nemo style (but as an evil scumbag fat cat), the 928-foot Migaloo M7 is almost twice the length of the Russian Typhoon, the world’s largest nuclear submarine. Its diesel-electric engines have a range of 1,000 miles between fueling, and it can dive to 1,500 feet. 

There’s no expense spared on board. The M7 has everything from helipads to swimming pools, hangar bays to viewing rooms. It also comes with numerous tenders, including a hot air balloon, SUVs, and that amphibious limousine—as well as minisubs for exploring ruins, shipwrecks, and caverns. The makers don’t specify the price, but it’s estimated to be around $2.3 billion, which, according to Migaloo CEO Christian Gumpold, would make it “the most expensive private object” ever sold. “Would” is the keyword there; the submarine hasn’t been built as the builders are waiting for buyers. What’s stopping them? Among other things, it’s the possible safety concerns; these are uncharted waters in every sense of the term. There’s also the cost of operation, including a crew and regular maintenance. 

1. Nuclear-Powered Mega-Jet (concept)

Although conceived as a flying cruise ship, it’s easy to imagine Tony Holmsten’s nuclear-powered, AI-controlled mega-jet (nicknamed “Flytanic”) in the hands of a megalomaniac. Think Doctor Robotnik’s Wing Fortress in Sonic. 

Capable of cruising for years at a time, the Studio Ghibli-inspired behemoth resembles a jumbo jet on steroids—complete with a vast central dome and tail section viewing deck. There’s space on board for 5,000 guests, or slaves, along with everything you might expect of a cruise ship: swimming pools, restaurants, theaters, sports and medical facilities, and so on. It’s so big that regular aircraft could land on top without trouble. 

Although just a concept for now, all the mega-jet needs is a small enough nuclear reactor. And, according to Hashem Al-Ghaili, who researched and animated Holmsten’s vision, this could be within reach in the next two decades.

Lots of planning and research goes into arranging the perfect holiday. Itineraries are mapped, flights and accommodations are booked, and we wait patiently to arrive at our dream destination. Finally, the big day arrives and we excitedly head off on our much anticipated trip.

However, despite the best-laid plans, things sometimes go wrong. Often, we make simple mistakes like leaving something at home, booking the wrong hotel, or missing transportation connections. Occasionally, mishaps occur that are beyond our control, and we often see tourists taking silly risks to get the perfect Instagram photo.

But a few travelers have recently had holiday mishaps that were so funny that they not only made the news but also went viral on social media. Many of these would be unbelievable if we didn’t have the photos, Youtube videos, and social media shares to prove them.

10 Long-Distance Water Taxi, Anyone?

Organizing transportation connections is a vital part of planning any overseas holiday. When arranging a visit to a foreign country, the local geography can understandably become a little confusing. However, simply looking at a map or using one of the many online tools available can usually help to clarify things.

Not so for one tourist from India. His question on an online travel forum would have to be one of the funniest “dumb tourist” questions the site has ever seen, going in the news and on social media. The responses must have been plain embarrassing.

The tourist was finalizing his itinerary for a planned road trip in Australia and New Zealand. “What’s the best way to drive from Sydney to Auckland?” he asked bemused fellow travelers.

Evidently, he had failed to consult an atlas before posting his query. It is 2,155 kilometers (1,339 mi) and a three-hour plane journey across the Tasman Sea between the two cities.

Submarine or water taxi were cited as his best travel options if he didn’t want to fly.^[1]

9 An Unexpected Stowaway

Many of us have packed things in our suitcases by mistake for the trip home. The odd bath towel, book, or article of clothing can find its way into our luggage.

Imagine the shock one Scotswoman received when she was unpacking her cases to find that a large Australian reptile had stowed away in her luggage. The woman had been visiting family in Queensland, Australia, when a 60-centimeter (24 in) spotted python had appeared in her bedroom during a storm. A snake catcher was called, who searched for the reptile to no avail. It was assumed that the snake had slithered outside.

A few days later, the woman packed up and returned home to Scotland. After a 40-hour flight from Brisbane to Glasgow, imagine her surprise when she unpacked her luggage and found the snake curled safely in one of her shoes.^[2]

The snake had survived the 18,000-kilometer (11,200 mi) journey unharmed and had shed its skin during the hibernation. Fortunately, the Glasgow snake catcher was more successful in catching the python. He removed it to a wildlife sanctuary.

8 Pretty Venomous Sea Life

Anyone who plans a trip to Australia is aware that they have some seriously dangerous wildlife. In fact, the fear of being attacked by some of their killer critters is often the number one concern for many potential tourists.

Really, though, as long as you take a few sensible precautions and take heed of the warning signs, you are usually fairly safe. Which is why an Asian tourist’s holiday snap holding “a pretty octopus” went viral. Not for the insta-worthy shot but for her breathtaking ignorance of how much danger she had put herself in.^[3]

The woman posted photos on social media holding a “pretty orange-and-blue octopus” she had found in a rock pool. The unsuspecting tourist was actually handling one of the Pacific region’s most venomous creatures, the blue-ringed octopus. A bite from this creature can cause paralysis and death within an hour. The octopus carries enough venom to kill 26 adults within minutes.

Amazingly, the tourist was able to shake the octopus from her hand before it had a chance to sting her.

7 How Much Can A Koala Bear?

It isn’t just tourists who have funny interactions with the local wildlife. A South Australian winegrower recently had his car hijacked by a koala bear that seemed to have become a little hot under the collar.

It was a scorching day when the man drove out to inspect his vineyards. He left his dog in the car with the door open so that his pet didn’t get too hot. When the man returned, he was astounded to find that a koala had jumped into the car to take advantage of the air conditioning.

Even the loud howls of protest from the dog were not enough to persuade the koala to move on. The marsupial ensconced himself firmly in the front seat, taking full advantage of the air conditioning vents.^[4]

The driver eventually gave up trying to remove the cool koala and drove the hijacker to nearby bushland. There, the intoxicating lure of delicious eucalyptus leaves eventually saw the koala take off into the bush.

6 Boxing Kangaroo

Soaring with the eagles gives paragliders a bird’s-eye view of the world, often captured on the GoPro cameras attached to their helmets. Most experienced paragliders are aware of the risks associated with changes in weather conditions, inappropriate landings, and unfortunate encounters with birdlife.

However, one Australian paraglider’s GoPro film went viral as he captured an unexpected encounter when touching down. After a morning paragliding near Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory, the man floated into a nearby national park to land. He was initially delighted to see a couple of kangaroos hopping over to say hello. Or so he thought.

Unfortunately, the ‘roos weren’t as pleased to see the man invading their territory. One of them came over to deliver a few well-timed punches to the unsuspecting paraglider before retreating into the bush.^[5]

A good example of where the term “boxing kangaroo” came from.

5 Have I Forgotten Something?

We’ve all left something behind in the airport when traveling. The umbrella, the duty-free bags, maybe even a suitcase.

In early 2019, flight controllers in Saudi Arabia initially thought the cabin crew was joking when they made a request to turn back. The flight from Saudi Arabia to Malaysia was forced to turn around when a passenger realized she had left her baby in the boarding terminal.

Imagine going through the check-in, settling into your seat, listening to the safety procedures, and taking off before it occurred to you that you may be missing something?^[6]

Reportedly, the flight was in midair when the mother realized she had forgotten to bring her baby with her and requested that the flight be turned back. The child was still sitting safely in the boarding area when the flight landed. Fortunately, the child was unharmed and mother and baby were reunited.

4 Landing In Hot Water

Many major tourist attractions around the world do pose potential safety risks. These usually have prominent warning signs, and protective barricades are often put in place as an additional safety measure.

However, a tourist in Yellowstone National Park stunned onlookers when he crossed the barricades and strolled up to a steaming geyser to use it as a foot spa. Apparently oblivious to the fact that the boiling waters can cause serious or fatal burns, the man proceeded to remove his shoes and socks and attempted to wash his feet in the geyser.

Fortunately, the man was relatively unharmed. He put his shoes and socks back on before heading on his way.^[7]

3 Modern-Day Jonah

We’ve all heard the biblical story of the prophet Jonah who was eaten by a whale after being cast overboard from a ship during a storm. Jonah spent three days in the whale’s belly before being regurgitated onto the shore unharmed.

In early 2019, an experienced South African diver snorkeling off the coast of Port Elizabeth had a closer encounter with the marine life than he was expecting. Rainer Schimpf was well aware of the need to be vigilant for sharks chasing schools of fish.^[8]

However, when he was suddenly engulfed in darkness, he suspected that he had just been mistaken for a small fish that was part of a large bait ball. A huge Bryde’s whale had taken Schimpf headfirst into its massive jaws.

Unlike Jonah, Schimpf was fortunately too large for the whale to swallow whole and apparently not to the creature’s taste that day. The whale spat out its victim, who swam away unharmed.

2 Ice Queen

When we are on holiday, we are always on the lookout for that spectacular photo opportunity. One Texas grandma’s great holiday snap recently turned into a major rescue operation which went viral on social media.

While vacationing in Iceland, she and her son were strolling along the beach when they came across a large chunk of ice shaped like a throne. This looked like an ideal photo opportunity.

The woman perched herself regally on the ice chunk to pose for the shot. A freak wave suddenly broke around her, sweeping the iceberg out to sea with the grandma clinging precariously to her perch.^[9]

Her family initially thought it was a prank when her son posted photos of granny floating out to sea on her ice throne and the rescue attempt which followed.

Mounting an operation to save the woman from the sea, the coast guard returned her safely to shore.

1 We’ve Reached Our Destination?

We’ve all made travel mistakes—getting on the wrong train or bus, missing our stop, or missing the plane altogether. But at least we expect our aircraft crew to get it right, don’t we?

Not so in the case of a planeload of surprised Londoners headed for Dusseldorf in Germany.

Many of the passengers aboard the British Airlines flight noted the unusual scenery below. Some took to Google Maps and were confused to see that they were headed north toward Scotland.

It wasn’t until the plane landed in Edinburgh that the mistake became apparent. Incorrect flight details had been provided, and the crew had believed they were headed to Edinburgh.

A show of hands indicated that everyone aboard had expected to land at Dusseldorf. After several hours delay, the flight was redirected to the correct destination.^[10]

Lesley Connor is a retired Australian newspaper journalist now providing travel stories for online publications and her travel blog Empty Nesters’ Travel Insights.

Traveling is one of the best ways to broaden your perspective as well as the scope of things that can kill you. Taking a trip may involve quite a few unpleasant experiences—from civil wars to bad sex—along with awesome ones. That’s why travelers usually avoid some cities and countries altogether as quite a few regions in the world are experiencing one problem or another.

See Also: 5 Awesome Radioactive Tourism Spots That’ll Leave You Glowing

But some locations have extremely bad reputations that may be unwarranted. If you visit these places, you may soon realize that they’re probably better than many cities in your own country. The reasons for these misconceptions can range from a history of conflict to poor economic conditions.

As anyone who has journeyed to any of the following places will tell you, these destinations are safer and far more hospitable than some popular travel spots around the world—you know, the ones we don’t think twice about visiting.

10 Tehran, Iran

If you grew up in the US—and maybe during some time periods in the UK—chances are that you view Iran as the last place you’d want to go. Most people visualize it as a desert nation with regular terrorist attacks and general conflict. They don’t realize that they’re probably picturing parts of Afghanistan or the Arabian Peninsula.

Although Iran does have deserts, they barely cover 25 percent of the country (although sources vary on the exact percentage). In comparison, China’s deserts make up about 30 percent of their territory. Moreover, Iran’s deserts are very different from what you’re imagining. They have a hilly look and distinct geographical features not found anywhere else in the world.

If that’s surprising, then you’re still thinking of places like the Arabian Peninsula or the Sahara. Most of Iran is hilly, with quite a few alpine regions that you might want to explore on Google Images.

As far as safety is concerned, Iran is far from the center of religious extremism that we imagine it to be. At an altitude of about 1,200 meters (4,000 ft) and against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, Tehran may well be one of the most picturesque cities you’ll ever visit. Iranians are also known for their hospitality, something you’ll realize the moment you land.^[1]

Of course, it’s still a country ruled by an extremist government and many nations advise tourists against indulging in anything illegal when they’re there. Other than in Britain and the US, though, that’s pretty much the only advice that state departments give regarding Iran.

9 Antarctica

When we think of Antarctica, we think of a frozen wasteland with variations of snow-covered, barren terrain. It also sounds extremely dangerous—as any remote place without a steady stream of supplies tends to be. If you do the research, though, you’ll find that Antarctica is gradually becoming one of the best places for adventure lovers.

In Antarctica, hardly any people die from extreme weather or a lack of supplies. In fact, most casualties occur in research stations there due to scientific reasons.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can head to Antarctica like you’re going on a hike for the weekend. It’s still a remote place unsuited to the casual traveler because medical facilities and emergency resources are scarce.

Typically, the research stations are only involved with science, so it’s not a good idea to rely on them for help. If you want to visit, you’ll need to join a planned expedition that will take care of all supplies and other camping needs.

Once there, you’ll enjoy some of the most pristine views in the world. With the snow gradually melting to reveal a unique, almost alien-like landscape, Antarctica is slowly becoming one of the best destinations for modern-day explorers.^[2]

8 Detroit, Michigan, USA

The United States is hardly uniform when it comes to tourist safety. Although certain US cities are recognized as among the safest and most hospitable in the world, others—like Gary, Indiana—have become Internet jokes over how dangerous they are. Detroit also has a bad reputation. In fact, its decayed urban setting served as an ideological backdrop for quite a few dystopian cyberpunk movies.

That reputation isn’t groundless. Due to many factors, the last few decades saw Detroit become the poster child for the numerous tales of urban decay and rising poverty hiding behind the famous American Dream. Thanks to some recent efforts by local authorities, though, the situation may not be that bad anymore.

Make no mistake: Detroit still has high crime rates. But you can probably spend a weekend or two there without taking a tremendous risk—if you watch where you go.^[3] The crime rate has drastically declined in the past few years, and median income is rising. Quite a few development projects are aimed at restoring the city to its former glory.

Travelers who’ve spent time there refer to it as a vibrant spot with a burgeoning local culture. Of course, you’ll need to avoid going to the bad areas, just as you would in popular cities like New York or London.

7 Kiev, Ukraine

On first look, Ukraine doesn’t seem to be the kind of country where you’d want to spend a relaxing week. Its ongoing war makes it an active conflict zone, giving it a reputation for continuous danger.

That’s absolutely justified because some parts of Ukraine are still embroiled in a battle with Russia. Far away from the conflict, however, Kiev remains one of Europe’s least expensive and most lively destinations.

Although news channels paint pictures of dropping bombs and militias regularly invading government buildings, travelers tell stories of quaint cafes and an old-world, ex-Soviet charm, perhaps only matched by its sister cities in Russia.

Thanks to the diverse cultures that have influenced the city, Kiev features many beautiful churches and two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You can explore them with little to no risk of being caught up in a skirmish as the war is quite far away.^[4]

6 Republic Of Kosovo

Kosovo, a tiny country in the Balkans, may not figure often in our news cycle these days, but it still bears the scars of one of the most brutal wars of the 20th century. Fought between the rapidly disintegrating Yugoslavian troops and Albanian rebels, the war was part of the larger phenomenon of the Balkanization of Yugoslavia.

After witnessing everything from attempted genocides to unprecedentedly brutal sieges on civilian populations, the ex-communist state was divided into several modern countries in Eastern Europe.

Although Kosovo still carries much of that violent reputation, it’s largely unfounded because the war is long over. Today, Pristina, the country’s charming capital, is one of the safest cities in Eastern Europe. Visitors from English-speaking nations will be glad to know that almost everyone speaks the language in Kosovo, even though the republic is as foreign and distinct as it can be.

Kosovo lives up to the reputation of unimaginable hospitality, which is shared by most countries in the region. It is also more affordable to spend time there than in its Western European counterparts.^[5]

5 Istanbul, Turkey

Contrary to popular belief, Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey. However, it is still considered to be the best city to visit in the country—at least by some people.

Even so, Istanbul has endured quite a few cases of unrest in the recent past. Turkey’s alleged involvement in Middle Eastern wars has only added to that perilous reputation. Even though some individuals regard Istanbul as a risky travel destination, many past visitors will tell you that it’s still better than other locations with safer reputations.

Although Istanbul has witnessed some violence in recent years, it coincided with the war in Syria, which is now in its final stages. Incidents are few and far between, and there haven’t been any major ones for a long time.

In many parts of the city, things haven’t changed a bit since the war started. As a major center of arts and culture in the region, Istanbul contains an important UNESCO World Heritage Site. Of course, it always makes sense to check travel warnings from your country. But for anyone developing an itinerary for a trip to that part of the world, you may want to explore Istanbul.^[6]

4 Zimbabwe

Many conversations in Zimbabwe inevitably turn to its ravaged economy and what happens when you let your leaders do whatever they want for one second. Zimbabwe is a great example of how unchecked inflation can destroy a country. Everyday goods now cost exorbitant amounts of money. Needless to say, it’s not the best spot to have a fancy bespoke wedding.

Then again, you may want to reconsider. Despite being in a state of economic ruin, Zimbabwe remains one of the most beautiful and geographically diverse countries to visit in Africa.^[7]

Many tourists have said that the country’s economy didn’t have any effect on them as Zimbabwe is still one of the more popular spots for travelers in the region. The gorgeous waterfalls, flora, and fauna make Zimbabwe a noteworthy destination.

3 Saint Petersburg, Russia

The reputation of Russia as a dangerous travel destination probably originated during the Putin era—and rightfully so. If you’re a journalist working to uncover the shady connections between private Russian industries and Putin, we’d highly recommend against going to Russia to do it. Other than that, the country contains many UNESCO World Heritage Sites and some of the most distinctive artistic styles anywhere.

In contrast to the depictions in 1990s Hollywood shows, traveling to a big city in Russia isn’t all murder houses and dilapidated Soviet structures. If you do visit, make sure to see Saint Petersburg.^[8]

Although it’s safer to avoid any unknown parts of the city, Saint Petersburg is a cosmopolitan vacation spot that offers a variety of activities. In fact, many people from across Europe and the rest of the world call the city “home.” It sports some spectacular buildings and corners, so make sure to take your best camera.

2 China

China is often portrayed as a rogue state in the global media—and for good reasons. First, the country has the most internal surveillance of any nation. In fact, its citizens lack many freedoms that we take for granted. China is also becoming more militaristic and flexing its muscles in the region. As a result, most of us think that going to China will probably lead to our arrests—or worse.

In part, stark cultural differences between China and Western nations shape our beliefs that the Chinese are oppressed. But a visit to any major city in China will reveal that the country is one of the most technologically advanced in the world. It may soon become the first truly cashless society, if it isn’t already. In general, the Chinese don’t see the trade-off between freedom and economic prosperity as a bad thing, something you can only know when you go there.

Due to Western beliefs, we’ve isolated ourselves from a unique travel destination. With its futuristic cities, various landscapes, and more, China should be on the top of nearly everyone’s bucket list.^[9] (Of course, you’ll want to wait until the current coronavirus outbreak has run its course.)

1 Medellin, Colombia

When Pablo Escobar, the ruthless “king of cocaine,” was alive, Medellin was a particularly violent city. With one of the worst rates of gang-related murder in the world, Medellin was hardly anyone’s top pick as a travel spot. Although we can’t say that all violence has disappeared, we’ll still argue that the situation has improved substantially.

As for murder statistics, they have drastically declined in recent years. In 2018, for example, Medellin recorded about 24.75 murders per 100,000 residents, down from 375 per 100,000 in 1991 and 94.2 per 100,000 in 2009.

Of course, you still have to be careful in Medellin. But the city probably sounds scarier than it is due to the Netflix series Narcos. Some people even consider Medellin to be a “hipster holiday destination.” The city is imbued with a young entrepreneurial vibe that led to its designation as “the most innovative city in the world” in 2013.^[10]

About The Author: You can check out Himanshu’s stuff at Cracked and Screen Rant or get in touch with him for writing gigs.

Lightspeed, warp speed, we all speed toward the great unknown. Space exploration and space travel aren’t limited to only astronauts. Some, if not all, of the most fascinating discoveries would not have been possible without the use of technology, from space probes to rovers to radio and light waves.

Let’s take a closer look at how the science behind interstellar exploration led to the knowledge and advancements we know today. Here are ten discoveries we wouldn’t have without space travel.

Related: 10 Realistic Designs For Interstellar Spaceships

10 Traversable Wormholes

Einstein’s theory of general relativity, proposed in 1915, expands on space and time, which he initially theorized in 1910. However, Einstein didn’t consider gravity, and he discovered that massive objects warp spacetime through gravity.

General relativity mentions how wormholes are curved regions of spacetime that connect two distant points like a tunnel. Even though scientists haven’t directly observed these in nature and no proof of their existence is available to confirm the theory, scientists suggest that any wormhole would be extremely unstable. If anything were to pass through, the tunnel would collapse, and the matter would be cut off and disappear, trapped in whatever remote part of space the wormhole led to.

However, some scientists have theorized that there is a way to keep wormholes open and prevent their collapse through the use of negative mass, or electrons, to counteract the electric charge and mass of the wormhole. Another theory is that by layering the wormhole entrance with shells of regular matter, the tunnel would be stabilized and allow matter to pass through. The researchers who proposed these discoveries plan to test the theories experimentally. If proven true, our greatest sci-fi dreams of time travel would come true and challenge our understanding of the universe.

9 Marsquakes

You’ve heard of Earthquakes; now get ready for Marsquakes. NASA’s InSight lander, launched in 2018, has measured three separate quakes on the red planet. On September 18, 2021, on its thousandth day on Mars, InSight measured a 4.2 tremor that lasted for an hour and a half. The average quake on Earth only lasts for about thirty seconds.

These Marsquakes provide valuable insight (Get it? Because the lander’s name is InSight?) to the planet’s composition, how it was formed, and how these tremors travel through Mars’ crust, mantle, and core. It was a close call for the lander to even detect these Marsquakes, though, due to the planet’s elliptical orbit taking it farther from the sun, causing InSight to use heaters to stay warm and not receive even solar energy in its panels. Thankfully scientists were able to turn off specific instruments and conserve power. As InSight approaches the sun again, its energy levels can rise and continue to gather data on the red planet.

8 Surviving the Death of a Star

Scientists discovered 4,324 exoplanets in 2020. Since then, the total has risen to 4,903. But in September 2020, a giant Jupiter-sized planet, called WD 1856 b, was found orbiting a white dwarf star. Even though this star is a dwarf, it’s actually forty percent larger than Earth. Dwarf stars are the dense leftovers of a sun-like star that has emitted all of its energy, swollen, then ejected its outer layers, losing up to eighty percent of its mass and leaving only a dense core.

Any nearby objects are typically engulfed by the star’s mass and burnt up during this process which, in this system, would have been WD 1856 b. Somehow, the planet seven times larger than the dwarf star got extremely close and managed to stay in one piece. WD 1856 b resides in the constellation of Draco and is eighty light-years, or twenty-five parsecs, from Earth.

7 Asteroid Mining

While mining asteroids is a trope in science fiction novels, primarily for the galaxies that have used up a planet’s resources and looked for other options for fuel, it may just become a reality.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched in 2016 and traveled to the asteroid, Bennu, which is close to Earth. The purpose of this mission is to collect a sample of rocks and materials from the asteroid’s surface to better understand its chemical makeup, how life and planets form, and if asteroids hold material that Earthlings might find viable. OSIRIS-REx’s planned return to Earth in 2023 will bring its handlers a host of extraterrestrial samples for study.

6 Voyagers’ Discoveries

In August 1977, Voyager 1 was launched to observe Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. In September 1977, Voyager 2 was launched with the same objective of exploring our solar system’s outer limits and the impact of the sun’s reach.

The Voyager spacecraft travel at about 38,000 miles per hour, or 17 kilometers per second. Since their launches over forty years ago, the two have discovered ice-covered moons, deep space volcanoes, and evidence of water on other planets. Jupiter’s moon, Io, has a volcano with ten times more activity than the volcanic activity on Earth.

Jupiter’s other moon, Europa, has a cracked surface, leading scientists to believe there was liquid water below the surface. Voyager 2 is currently 12 billion miles from Earth, and Voyager 1 is currently 14 billion miles from Earth. They are the first flyby crafts to travel interstellar space. It takes two days for mission control to send and receive incoming communications. This link offers an in-depth look at Voyager 2, while this one provides an in-depth look at Voyager 1 and a real-time location of their positions.

5 Black Hole Area Theorem

You know black holes, right? Can the voids that consume matter let nothing, not even light, escape? In 1971, Stephen Hawking proposed the theory that black holes can’t decrease in size over time, also known as the Black Hole Area Theorem. It primarily functions on the thermodynamic principle of entropy, which is a system’s thermal energy converted into mechanical work. So heat into movement.

After fifty years of being proposed, researchers in 2021 finally proved Hawking’s theory by analyzing the gravitational waves produced by black holes. Scientists calculated the surface area of the two holes before and after they merged and discovered that the area was greater than the sum of the two separate black holes.

It seems obvious that adding 1 + 1 equals 2, but it’s a breakthrough discovery in understanding astrophysics. It even led to two physicists theorizing a method to safely and efficiently extract energy from black holes. It’s hypothesized that this could be accomplished by breaking and reforming magnetic field lines at black hole’s boundaries, making it possible for matter such as light to escape.

4 Space Dust

Without space travel, we never would have discovered that 5,200 tons of space dust are added to Earth every year. Space dust is visible in the sky and is otherwise known as zodiacal light that diffuses a faint glow often seen at sunset or sunrise.

Over a twenty-year study, scientists gathered data of what and how these particles were occurring. Space dust consists of comet, asteroid, and interstellar dust passing through the solar system. Though most particles range from a few molecules to 0.1 millimeters, this dust contains organic compounds formed by stars at the beginning and end of their lives. So next time you go to clean, maybe hang onto those dust bunnies. They might just be from space.

3 A Day on Venus

The length of Venus’s day changes by twenty minutes every orbit. At least, it used to. A group of scientists got together and conducted a decade-long research mission using radar to bounce light waves off of the planet to measure its axial tilt, the size of its core, and how long it takes to complete an orbit.

If scientists ever want to send missions to Venus, the spin and orbital length must be exact; otherwise, a spacecraft could land twenty miles off course and severely impact the mission. The research team discovered that one day on Venus is the equivalent of 243 Earth days and some change. The discrepancy they previously encountered was due to the thick, fast-moving clouds in Venus’s atmosphere, which alter the planet’s spin.

2 Dwarf Galaxies

In 2021, scientists discovered a new tiny galaxy, only 1% of the Milky Way’s size. It’s still developing and in the early stages of its expansion. Still, scientists were able to find it by gravitational lensing, where large objects bend and magnify light which creates a sense of what is there and what is not, like a photo negative.

Now, this new galaxy is not the first of its kind. There are actually twenty dwarf galaxies floating around in the Milky Way, but finding them wouldn’t have been possible without the minds and technology behind space travel.

1 The Fifth Force

Four fundamental forces govern spacetime: gravity, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear. The standard model of physics combines all of these forces, but scientists can’t stop picking at a healing wound and conducted experiments that verified the standard model is incomplete. It doesn’t unify gravity with the other three forces, nor does it explain the dark matter that makes up 96% of the universe.

So they started looking at beauty quarks and the process of their decay, which just so happens to create a set of light particles through the weak force. The type of particles these quarks are decaying into violate a law of lepton universality, which says that the number of leptons before and after has to be the same. Though this discovery still requires more data, researchers are on the brink of discovering a fifth element that could forever alter our understanding of physics.

When thinking of retirement, or of where you would want to live for the rest of your life, some sort of tropical island most likely comes across your mind. But it’s most likely nothing specific, something that you can only dream of. Instead of leaving it up to your imagination, why don’t you take a look at some of these spectacular lands so you can have a tangible goal for yourself. Taking you all across the world, you will get to see these amazing places for yourself. With that being said, get comfy and get ready to see what your future just may hold (presuming you can get out of lockdown!)

10 Islands You Would Not Want To Be Shipwrecked On

10 Seychelles

Starting off, The Seychelles island is our first destination. It’s located in the Indian Ocean near Kenya/Madagascar and is host to some of the most beautiful greenery in the world. It unabashedly is the definition of a tropical island, with the sun beaming at crystal clear waters and having plenty of palm trees to go around. Lucky for you though, there is a bit of a human footprint already here meaning you can fly over and stay at a beautiful lodge, instead of having to fend for yourself and forage for food.

You get to just enjoy all of the upsides that the island has to offer with minimal downsides. The Seychelles international airport opened rather recently in 1971 as well, meaning it is still a fairly new land and there is plenty for you to explore, and still feels special. All in all Seychelles is a beautiful place and hopefully it makes it on your short list.^[1]

9 Palawan

Coming up next are the Palawan islands and they are in fact located within the Philippines, a place known for its natural beauty. The Palawans in particular have a lot of variety to them which make for a great activity called island hopping. From lush mountainous ranges, to enclosed watering holes, and rich beaches, there’s always more to see on the next island. The Palawans are composed of around 110 islands, making island hopping a genuine tourist activity.

There is plenty to explore and experience here, all within the comfort of some of the most beautiful scenery. In addition to island hopping, there are also many towns and cultures within each one to experience. There are also many tours you can take as well, including boat and kayak rides along the clear, blue water. You truly get to dip your toes into anything that may interest you in the Palawan islands.^[2]

8 Corfu

The island of Corfu is next up and has more of a Resort feel to it. It’s located in Greece and actually has an immense amount of history around it. Corfu has had known human contact since as early as 1300BC, that’s right, BC, not AC. Which means it has been known about for over 3000 years, with plenty of battles taking place on this very land. It even has roots in Greek mythology, which pictured it as a sort of paradise. Nowadays it is one of the more built up islands and has plenty of towns and roads that go through it.

In spite of this, there is still plenty of beauty to be found within its nature and also within its old human architecture. In addition to the lush wildlife and beautiful waters, it is also home to a vast amount of old buildings, ruins, forts and even castles. If you’re looking for a bit of both natural and man made beauty, then Corfu is definitely the destination. There is plenty to do and see here and despite its popularity within Europe, it is still relatively unknown in the West.^[3]

7 Anguilla

Next up is the island of Anguilla. This island is in fact a part of the Carribean islands, but unlike the overwhelming popularity of the Carribean in years past, the Anguilla is a little more unknown and still offers a fresh experience in the Carribean. Anguilla maintains its low profile presence due to the current embargo placed on the island. Cruise ships, casinos and high rise hotels are all banned here, making it less appealing for your average tourist. Replacing these fancy things is the beautiful nature located here. Crystal clear waters, and untouched land are only some of the wonderful attributes that the Anguilla possess. Even though the island isn’t heavily developed, there still are some nice resorts that will make sure you have the time of your life. There is also a great community here, one that is always ready to have parties and music festivals once the sun goes down.^[4]

6 Boracay

Now it’s hard to find tropical islands without the mention of the Philippines at least a couple times, introducing Boracay, one of the Philippines top rated islands! There is a reason why this is such an amazing island too, as it ticks all the boxes you would imagine a tropical vacation to have. It has immaculate beaches full of an exotic white sand that stretch for miles! Sailing, snorkeling, island-hopping, and hiking are just to name a few of the activities that are here, but it has just about anything you can imagine. Since travelling here is rather popular, they make it easy to travel, with bundles that include, travel, hotel, and transport, making your vacation that much easier. If looking for that ideal vacation, it is very hard to go wrong with Boracay.^[5]

Top 10 Fascinating Atlantic Islands You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

5 Ko Lipe

If you ever want an amazing vacation, Ko Lipe is the way to go. This island looks to be the definition of paradise. Only the most wonderful waters are here, accompanied by the richest greenery imaginable. Instead of enjoying this wonderful scenery on the 12th floor of some hotel like some other islands, on Ko Lipe you get to live within it, in one of their many beach bungalows. Depending on which beachside you decide to stay on, you will also get the chance to see the sunrise or sunset every day, making for a truly exceptional morning and evening. In addition to the wonderful bungalow life that you would have, there is also a nearby town with plenty of bars and music to enjoy at night. While Ko Lipe sounds rather amazing, there are also many other islands around it, meaning there are plenty of tours to go on so you never get bored of the same beautiful views.^[6]

4 St. Barts

Breaking the trend of going back to nature, we have St. Barts. This is the go to destination is you have a couple hundred thousand burning a hole in your pocket. What sets St. Bart apart from the rest is mainly its lodging and overall feel. Everything here is luxurious, you can rent super modern homes by the week and even a superyacht if it’s really what your midlife crisis desires. Regardless of price, it definitely is a sublime place to go if you want to fully relax, yet see some amazing sights as well.

St. Barts spares no expense, so much in fact that one of its highlighted activities is purely luxury shopping, not even experiencing the island itself. Though, there is still plenty to do here as it is host to many wonderful beaches, fine dining, and overall amazing housing. St. Barts is the ultimate retreat if you have the money to do so and it does not disappoint!^[7]

3 Kauai

Although you have probably heard of Hawaii, you most likely don’t know many of the islands it’s made up of. Introducing Kauai, one of Hawaii’s natural wonders. Kauai, unlike many other islands, has a wondrous mountainous region which has limitless potential in regard to amazing views. There’s also plenty to do here from guided ATV, boat and zipline tours, to golfing and horseback riding.

This island really is a jack of all trades and is sure to fulfill any of your vacation needs. There are also several towns with resorts here too, so you can expect the finest of treatment after your long days of adventuring. The island of Kauai manages to artfully balance the wonders of natural beauty, as well as the luxuries that come from modern society, making it an excellent vacation or even retirement destination!^[8]

2 Ambergris Caye

The Ambergris Caye also hits gold, striking a great balance between keeping you comfortable and letting you experience all of the rich nature the island has to offer. It is located in the Carribean and is actually a part of Belize! There is an almost limitless amount of things to do here as its sheer size allows for almost anything to come true. There are lots of water activities from diving, sailing, fishing, and you can even visit “The Great Blue Hole” which is a massive sinkhole that goes over 300 feet deep.

There are many protected species on this island meaning you will probably have never seen these animals with your own eyes before, let alone in real life. The variety is vast from fish, to birds, and monkeys. There are also quite a few historical sites that may peak your interest as well, such as old Mayan ruins and architecture around town. Ambergris Caye is a must see if you really want to immerse yourself in the wonders of a modern tropical island.^[9]

1 Santorini

Lastly, we are going back to Greece, taking a look at its most famous island, the Santorini island. It gets this title for a reason too, it has just about everything you could ever want on a tropical island. The Santorini island has the wonderful beaches and nature that you would go to an island for and has some much more as well. It has beautiful old cities, lots of mountains and wildlife, and even an active volcano! That’s right, you could jet ski to the volcano, hang out on the lava sand beach, jet ski back, and hike to one of the old cities to enjoy a meal on the water all in one night. That being said, the Santorini takes the cake on this one as it has just about anything you can imagine, being the ultimate destination!^[10]

Top 10 Puzzling Island Mysteries

An arch, by definition, is a curved structure or formation that supports the weight of a bridge, wall, or mass above it. Sounds dull, but don’t be fooled. They are, in fact, true marvels of our world. Found in nature since the earth was formed, created by wind and natural forces, they later became valued by humans who were inspired by nature to build strong arch-shaped structures.

Now, we see arches everywhere on our travels and in our lives—some so discreet that you hardly notice them but others so impressive, they will take your breath away. Arches, both made by man and by nature, truly deserve our attention!

Here is a list of 10 travel experiences featuring awe-inspiring arches.

Related: 10 Curious Facts Involving Canyons And Mountains

10 Delicate Arch National Park, Utah

There is no shortage of arches to be seen in Delicate Arch National Park, Utah. It is the location of the world’s densest concentration of arches, with over 2,000 of them located throughout the park. Many of them are made out of the stunning, red-hued rocks of the region and have been slowly sculpted by millions of years of weather erosion.

Amazingly, the arches are prevalent throughout the park due to the sandstone being strong enough to hold their weight. Yet they are soft enough to be easily eroded by water, wind, and gravity because of the entrenched river systems that carve their way through the bedrock in the region. These factors produce ideal conditions for the creation of arches which have existed for a vast period of time, but in terms of the earth’s geological timeline, only for a blink of an eye

One of the most recognized arches in Delicate Arch National Park is its namesake arch—Delicate Arch. At 16 meters (52 feet), this tall freestanding arch has been given the nicknames “Cowboy Chaps” and “Old Maid’s Bloomers.” It was first called “Delicate” in a 1934 article by the Arches National Monument Scientific Expedition, which described it as “the most delicately chiseled arch in the entire area.”^[1]

9 The Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri

Love it or hate it, The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, is an iconic, one-of-a-kind arch.

The impressive stainless steel landmark takes its name—Gateway Arch—from the important role St. Louis played as the “Gateway to the West” during the westward expansion of the United States in the 19th century. Representing a doorway to the western part of the country, it’s the tallest monument in the country, measuring a stunning 192 meters (630 feet) tall and equal in its width. You can even take a thrilling—and claustrophobic—four-minute tram ride to the viewing platform at the top of the arch, which offers views of the city and surrounding rivers and parks.

Crazy stunt people seem to be drawn to the Gateway Arch—people have tried climbing up the arch, jumping off it, and parachuting onto it. And it never ends well for them, as they usually end up dead or in prison.^[2]

8 Colossal Iceberg Arches

To see a majestic iceberg on its final path just before melting into the sea is one of nature’s most spectacular sights. And if that iceberg takes on the shape of an arch—you will have hit the glacial jackpot.

An iceberg is a compact slab of 10,000 years of packed snow and ice that breaks off ice-cap glaciers in the extreme north or south of the planet. From the time it breaks off, it begins its seaward journey. These glacier chunks come in many shapes and sizes, forming blocks or wedges, but to see one of these colossal, floating icebergs in the form of an arch is a magnificent sight. These arches are formed when the blocks of floating ice are exposed to wind and seawater, melting away the inner parts and leaving the remaining outer edges of the iceberg to create an amazing bridge-like shape.

For the best chances of seeing an ice arch, make spring travel plans to Argentina or Patagonia, Chile, in the south or Greenland, Iceland, or Alaska in the north. Or head over to Iceberg Alley in Newfoundland and Labrador, where anywhere from 400 to 800 icebergs float by every year in the springtime. While you are there, try a beer made with “bergie bits“—that is, beer made from pure iceberg (glacier) water.^[3]

7 The Eerie Arches of Convento Do Carmo, Lisbon, Portugal

A massive 9-point magnitude earthquake hit Lisbon, Portugal, on November 1, 1755, leaving as many as 50,000 people dead and most of the city in ruins. The roof and nave of the Convento do Carmo, a 13th-century gothic cathedral, also collapsed on parishioners who were gathered for a mass celebrating All Saints Day. However, the eerie skeleton of the cathedral’s arches remained.

The ruins of the Convento do Carmo and its open-to-the-sky wishbone-shaped arches still, even today, serve as a memorial and museum of the devastating series of events caused by the earthquake of 1755.

The eye-catching arches make for a photographer’s dream, casting dramatic light and shadows on the ruins of the cathedral. However, what most impresses is how the arches still hold steadfast after centuries of time and devastating natural disasters—a true testament to the strength and durability of the arch in building construction.^[4]

6 Percé Rock, Quebec

In 1603, French explorer Samuel de Champlain made a note in his diary about Percé Rock, describing a very large, steep rock and its notable hole through which boats may pass at high tide. (Link 14) Translated from the French word “percé,” which means pierced or perforated, the giant rock formation is one of the world’s largest natural arches located in water amid the vast, rocky landscapes of the Gaspé Peninsula in Northeastern Québec.

Located just off the coast from its namesake town, Percé, the colossal rock formation and the 15-meter-tall (49-foot) arch make for a dramatic sight. The monolith, made up of limestone and shale, had another arch that collapsed in 1845, leaving a large, upright pillar now known as L’Obélisque.

During certain times of the year, at low tide, adventurous people can reach Percé Rock by foot via a sandbar. It’s also possible to get up close to the arch by boat, and it makes for an impressive backdrop during whale-watching excursions.^[5]

5 The Taj Mahal, Agra, India

While often looked at as the sum of its parts, the Taj Mahal, an immense and extravagant mausoleum in the Indian city of Agra, is a building that truly showcases the epic beauty of the arch.

The mausoleum, commissioned in 1632 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to honor his beloved wife, was built with geometric principles and symmetry in mind using a pointed arch within a rectangle as a primary shape. They applied this arch shape throughout the building, using pointed arches as recessed portals and for the shape of the windows and doorways.

Because of the ability of the arches to bend light and create dimension and depth in its shadows, the Taj Mahal appears to constantly change its color throughout the day and at different times of the year. At sunrise, the building seems to take on a soft pink hue; at noon, it’s a brilliant white. It takes on a copper-like color when the sun sets, and at night, it looks translucent blue. Sometimes, special tickets are sold to watch the full moon and even eclipses.

It is said that 20,000 stone carvers, masons, and artists were employed to build and perfect every detail of the Taj Mahal. It’s almost a guarantee that every one of them was knowledgeable about the importance and beauty of the arch.^[6]

4 Es Pontas, Mallorca, Spain

When champion rock climber Chris Sharma, known to be one of the greatest in his sport, free-climbed the Es Pontas, it brought much attention to the majestic rock arch and its dramatic setting in the southeastern part of Mallorca, Spain.

Meaning “big bridge” in Catalan, the arch is a popular spot for rock climbing aficionados and adventure travelers. For those looking to stick to a safe spot just looking at the impressive rock arch, a lookout can be reached via a craggy, steep trail that opens up to great views of the arch and the Mediterranean sea surrounding it. Stick around for sunset, and the arch at Es Pontas makes for a particularly dramatic sight.^[7]

3 Arch of Constantine

There are many impressive triumphal arches around the world—such as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and the Wellington Arch in London. However, none of them compares to the Arch of Constantine in Rome.

An icon of Roman history and architecture, the Arch of Constantine is set in an impressive location in the heart of Ancient Rome between the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Built in AD 315, it is the largest of the surviving Roman triumphal arches. It commemorates Roman Emperor Constantine’s victory over the reigning Emperor Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in Rome. Made of gray and white Proconnesian marble, the massive monument stands 21 meters (69 feet) tall and 25 meters (85 feet) wide. It actually consists of three separate arches—one large center arch and one on either side of it.

The arch features grand Corinthian columns, friezes depicting military battles, medallions representing scenes of sacrifice and hunting, and even an inscription stating that the Roman Senate dedicates this arch to Constantine. Roman armies would return to lavish parades celebrating their victories in battle and would march under the Arch of Constantine as part of their celebratory path. Today, people cannot walk under the arch due to the protective fencing, but to see the monumental arch up close is to marvel at one of the great wonders of ancient Rome.^[8]

2# Pont d’Arc

On sunny summer days, people flock to the Pont d’Arc in the south of France for a leisure day of picnicking, swimming, and canoeing. The arch, translated to Bridge of the Arch, is an impressive limestone structure that was carved into the landscape by the force of the Ardèche River over 400,000 years ago.

It seems that modern-day people weren’t the only ones drawn to the fascinating arch. In caves near the arch, speleologists—someone who studies caves—found one of the greatest paleolithic sanctuaries ever discovered. They believe the caves were used for ceremonial purposes by the Aurignacians, who made cave paintings there over 36,000 years ago.

The Pont d’Arc measures 54 meters (177 feet) high and 60 meters (197 feet) wide and serves as a dramatic gateway to the Ardèche Canyon region. The natural arch makes for a beautiful backdrop to a leisure-filled day in one of the most beautiful locations in France.^[9]

1 Tianmen Arch

Tianmen, which translates to Heaven’s Gate, is located in the mountainous region of Northwestern China and is the highest naturally formed arch in the world, sitting at 5,000 ft above sea level.

The jaw-dropping arch was formed in 263 AD when a natural cave system collapsed, leaving a gaping hole—a natural arch—in its place. To access the monumental landmark, visitors must climb up 999 stairs, representing the number nine, which in Chinese numerology represents eternity and good fortune.

In 2011, stuntman Jeb Corliss launched himself from a helicopter and through the narrow arch, which measures only 30 meters (100 feet) in width. After his first attempt failed, his second jump was successful and broadcast on China’s TV networks to much fanfare.^[10]

The origins of fresco painting generally remain vague. It is believed that they originated about 1500 BC during the Minoan civilization in Greece. The rest of Europe only caught up on fresco painting around the 15th century, when it was perfected by great Renaissance art masters like Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo Da Vinci (who were painters before they became the names of teenage mutant ninja turtles).

Fresco paintings were usually done on walls by applying paint pigment on fresh limestone plaster, which, when dry, becomes permanent. Fresco secco (dry fresco) is the process of soaking dry walls with limewater and painting while wet, which is useful for retouching frescoes. These two types of painting require great skill and meticulous planning.

Here are some of the most famous and beautiful frescoes found around the world to put under “must see” on your travel bucket list—even if you aren’t an art enthusiast. Some are available to see either on or near their original sites, while others are being conserved in museums worldwide.

10 Behold, 2017 by Ali Cavanaugh

True frescoes are no longer done today on the same scale as in the Renaissance era, but the modern era has produced quite a few talented fresco painters, such as Russian-born iLia Anossov, trained Italian art conservator Elisabetta Covizzi Perfetti, and biblical fresco painter Ben Long, a student of Pietro Annigoni.

Catching the eye nowadays, though, are the dreamlike watercolor paintings by American Ali Cavanaugh, which are described as “modern frescoes.” She paints on wet kaolin clay panels using translucent watercolor pigment with synthetic brushes on white surfaces, giving her paintings a sense of being backlit. Her work is displayed in exhibitions and accessible through prints and books.

Wherever your world travels take you, you are sure to find frescoes from more modern artists.^[1]

9 The Paintings of Sigiriya

Be sure to add the Sigiriya paintings in central Sri Lanka to your list. King Kasyapa established his lavish kingdom (477-495 AD) in Sigiriya. Initially, he had a 200-meter-tall (656-foot) rock painted white in an attempt to create an image of the Buddhist mythological city Alakamanda.

Not liking the look, he ordered his architects to decorate the western face with non-religious paintings, hence the beautifully detailed fresco pictures depicting 500 half-naked women in vibrant colors.

The process of painting this fresco lustro (adding a mild binding agent to pigments) ensemble was complicated, with bamboo scaffolding covering the rock, leaving stonemasons and painters to get materials up the wall by hand. Only 20 of the paintings are left today but are in excellent condition—even after being exposed to the elements for over 1,600 years.^[2]

8 The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

Living and working in the same era as Michelangelo, Da Vinci was considered one of the Renaissance’s greatest fresco painters. The 6-meter (15-foot) high and almost 8.8-meter (29-foot) wide fresco, The Last Supper, was painted on a wall in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, in 1498. Today, it is still being preserved and exhibited. The fresco depicts the biblical event of Jesus’ last night having a meal with his disciples, during which he revealed his betrayer, who later gave him over to the authorities to be crucified in Jerusalem.

The Last Supper, influenced by paintings of his time, is not contextually correct. According to various biblical accounts, the disciples would have been younger than portrayed, and they would have reclined for their meal and not sitting upright facing the onlooker. That being said, it might just have been a technique deployed by Da Vinci to make all the participants visible to the viewer—just as modern film and television camera footage displays today.

This fresco is not as well preserved as other murals from the same period due to da Vinci painting it on a stone surface and sealing it with tempura, which causes moisture to collect on the surface, triggering many restoration attempts to preserve it.^[3]

7 Rare 12th-Century Fresco Surviving the Crusades

When visiting the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, make sure not to miss an extremely rare find of fresco painting. A 9-meter (29.5-foot) long, 12th-century Gethsemane fresco was found in 1999 during excavations near the Garden of Gethsemane. Buildings, which were part of the Abbey of St. Mary of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, were uncovered—one of the few churches that hadn’t been destroyed by Saladin or the Crusaders.

The painting was the largest to come from archaeological excavations in Israel at the time, and its restoration process was among the most complicated ever done. The preserved parts of the fresco apparently show a scene where Mary and John the Baptist beg Jesus for forgiveness on behalf of all humanity. Unfortunately, only the bottom parts of the figures are visible in the main picture, with Jesus sitting in the center, Mary to his right, and John the Baptist to his left.

Added with colorful floral tendrils on either side is a Latin saying by Saint Augustine: “Who injures the name of an absent friend, may not at this table as guest attend.” This was apparently meant for guests who visited the monastery to dine.^[4]

6 The Last Judgement by Giorgio Vasari

The massive arched fresco, The Last Judgement, another Italian Renaissance painting, was started by Giorgio Vasari in 1572. Sadly, Vasari died in 1574, before its completion. The project was finished by Federico Zuccaro five years later. The style is reminiscent of Michelangelo, of whom Vasari was a great admirer.

It was designed to instill both reverence and fear among the attending congregation with a depiction of the twenty-four elders looking down onto choirs of angels and groups of saints, personifying the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the virtues, and the beatitudes on the lower terraces. On the lowest tier, and closest to see from underneath is the gloomy depiction of hell overflowing with tormented unbelievers.

Visit the Cathedral Of Santa Maria Del Fiore in Florence, Italy, to see this fantastic artwork in person.^[5]

5 The Frescoes of Akrotiri

Early frescoes in Greece were limited to simple monochrome walls painted in red and black—like the pictures of some athletic silhouettes often associated with Olympic Games literature. The Minoans, living in Knossos, Crete, were one of the earliest cultures to paint natural landscapes in the form of frescoes without any humans present in the scenes. With improvements in the quality of plaster and pigments—and possible influences from Egypt and the Near East—walls with beautifully colored decorations of nature and everyday life illustrations were found in excavations after volcanic eruptions buried them temporarily.

During mining activities for the volcanic deposits of tephra on the island of Santorini—to be used to construct the Suez Canal in the mid-19th century—many of the antiquities found are now displayed in the National Archaeological Museum’s Thera Gallery in Athens. Some of the excavated frescoes found in the settlement of Akrotiri in Thera (Santorini) include beautiful nature scenes and the famous Akrotiri boxers. This exhibition is a must-see when visiting Athens.^[6]

4 The Investiture of Zimri-Lim

One of the oldest and most highly valued frescoes in the world is The Investiture of Zimri-Lim, which adorned a wall in the royal palace in Mari, Syria, believed to be from 18 BC. The painting depicts the ceremony in which Zimri-Lim was anointed as king in a ritual involving the worship of the ancient Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar, also known as the ancient Sumerian goddess Inanna.

The fresco, whose painter is unknown, was discovered by archaeologists in 1936 while digging through the ruins of the once-great city-state. Due to fire damage, the painting is poorly preserved, and restoration work to it is done regularly by the Louvre in Paris, where it now resides.^[7]

3 Go Rock Art Safari-ing in Africa

Rock Art, also called Bushman Art or Boesmantekeninge (in Afrikaans), are paintings and etchings done by the San People on rocks in the open air and on cave walls in various parts of Southern Africa. Some of these paintings are well over 3,000 years old, with prehistoric art in the Blombos Cave in the Western Cape apparently dating back over 70,000 years. South Africa has some of the best-preserved, most beautiful, and advanced examples of rock art to see.

Rock art primarily displays pictures of people and animals. Although researchers aren’t sure why these pictures were painted, one can speculate that it was driven by the human urge for self-expression, the necessity to leave messages, or even serving as a way of record-keeping. Whatever the reason—they are amazing examples of early fresco-like art.

Apart from the Western Cape, rock art can be found in the Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site housing almost 520 rock shelters with about 30,000 images painted 4,000 years ago using plant sap, animal blood, and natural ochre.^[8]

2 The Almost-Perfectly Preserved Frescoes of Pompeii

At around noon on August 24, AD 79, the cities of Herculaneum, Stabiae, Oplontis, and Boscoreale, along with Pompeii (population between 10,000 and 20,000), were buried under 6 to 7 meters (19 to 23) of volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Situated near Naples in Italy, Pompeii is the best known of the communities hit by the tragedy when all life perished on that fateful day.

After about seventeen centuries, these cities were discovered when diggings for a tunnel started in the early 1700s. Initial recoveries of mosaics, sculptures, and parts of frescoes were moved to the Archaeological Museum in Naples. But between 1760 and 1804, excavations were better coordinated, and onsite restorations began.

Frescoes portraying historical and mythological pictures, domestic and allegorical scenes, portraits, landscapes, and still lifes were found throughout the city—almost perfectly preserved. One of the best-known Pompeiian frescoes is a round medallion called Woman with Wax Tablets and Stylus (Sappho)—typical of the style of the era of portraying women holding tablets and styluses to prove their proficiency at housekeeping.

However, some of the frescoes recovered depict a seedier and more erotic side of Pompeii life. The walls of brothels were painted, depicting people engaged in various sexual acts, which is how a “customer” could choose what he wanted. But these paintings were not limited to only brothels. A fresco uncovered by archaeologists in 2018 in what appeared to be the bedroom of a home showcased the Greek myth of Leda and the swan. The explicit painting shows a semi-naked Leda sensually draped over a chair with the swan sitting in her lap while nuzzling her neck.

Although these frescoes were done by local painters, it is said that Renoir, when visiting Pompeii in 1881, was amazed by their skillful work.^[9]

1 The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo

Probably the best-known fresco of all must be Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam (circa 1512), displayed on the Sistine Chapel ceiling in Vatican City. The 280 cm × 570 cm (9 ft 2 in × 18 ft 8 in) fresco is a portrayal of the creation of man from the book of Genesis in the Bible. It forms part of an ensemble of biblical events decorating the ceiling of the chapel. It resembles Michelangelo’s characteristic sculpture-like paintings, differing from typical creation paintings from that era and before.

The fresco depicts two main characters—God, as an old and grey but masculine man, clothed simply, and Adam, laying back in relaxation, at ease in his Creator’s presence. Other role-players in the scene are apparently wingless angels supporting the God-figure and a woman underneath his left shoulder with a young child next to her.

Scholars are still divided on the precise translation of various parts of the painting, with some arguing that the woman must be Eve, the first woman, waiting to be created from Adam’s rib. Others argue it to be Mary, the mother of Jesus, with the young child figure to be her future son. The meaning of the touching of hands is God giving life to Adam—as the name of the painting depicts and as it was commissioned. However, modern interpreters are looking for other meanings, most of which raise more questions than answers. The Creation of Adam remains one of the most beautiful art pieces ever created, and digital and printed images are often used in anything from quote backgrounds to ad campaigns.^[10]