Koh Tao (Turtle Island) - One of the Most Popular Tourist Spots in Thailand

Koh Tao is a beautiful tiny island in Thailand. The name in English means ‘Turtle Island’ as there use to be an abundance of turtles around its shores. It covers an area of about 21 km2. It is part of the Chumphon Archipelago on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand and forms part of the Surat Thani province. The island is well known for its world-class scuba diving. This beautiful island has gorgeous sandy beaches, coral reefs and clear blue waters which allow you to see the fish and turtles swimming below. It would be a great experience for you to relax on the quiet and lovely beaches of this island. The island is an important breeding ground for hawksbill and green turtles.

Initially, the island was uninhabited, with only the occasional fisherman from the neighbouring islands, in searching of shelter in a storm or simply resting before continuing his journey. It will be appear from old maps and details that this island was known by the European cartographers and the sailors as "Pulo Bardia", which indicates that it was first settled by Malayo-Polynesian peoples. The old maps show a chain of three islands aligned north-south and lying off the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. The most northerly and the smallest of these islands has been marked P. Bardia, which was named until the 1900s.

Koh Tao is one of the most popular tourist spots in Thailand. The island is well known for scuba diving and snorkeling, but you can also enjoy here hiking, rock climbing, and bouldering. The most popular place for tourists is Sairee on the west coast, which has a white sandy beach of 1.7 km interrupted only by a few huge boulders and a scattering of medium budget resorts and restaurants.

Chalok Baan Khao, which is located to the south of the island is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative for those wishing to escape the crowds. There are many granite boulders which attract a growing number of climbers both in the forests and on the beaches of Koh Tao. But due to a series of tourists deaths - including murder and alleged suicide - especially since 2014, some people have advised that the tourists should avoid visiting Koh Tao.

Chumpon Pinnacle, a dive site to the west of the island has a reputation for divers in search of both whale sharks and bull sharks. However, because of warmer water temperatures over the last year a great number of bull sharks have migrated to cooler waters. The island is host to over 130 species of hard corals, and over 223 species of reef fishes belonging to 53 families. As one of the world's most popular diving destinations, more attention is being focused on the negative effects of diving on coral reef health around Koh Tao. 

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Butchart Gardens, Canada - A Group of Floral Display Gardens in Brentwood Bay

The gardens are one of the most beautiful forms of nature. There are many beautiful gardens around the world which are expanding the beauty of nature to a great extent. But when the matter is about gardens, how can we forget about Canada's Butchart Gardens? The Butchart Gardens is a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The countless tulips, daffodils and hyacinths will give you a buffet of fragrances and colours when you visit here in summer. These beautiful gardens have been designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

The most creative thinking and vision of an extraordinary woman is responsible for these beautiful gardens. And her name is Jennie Butchart. Jennie Butchart was a loving and supportive wife to her husband, Robert, the head of a successful limestone mining company and cement plant. He and his wife Jennie Butchart came to the west coast of Canada because of rich limestone deposits necessary for cement production. In 1904, they established their home near his quarry on Tod Inlet at the base of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island. In 1909, when the limestone quarry was exhausted, Jennie set about turning it into the Sunken Garden, which was completed in 1921. They named their home "Benvenuto", which means welcome in Italian. After this, they started receiving visitors in their gardens.

They replaced their tennis courts with an Italian garden in 1926. In 1929 they replaced their kitchen vegetable garden with a large rose garden. In 1964, the ever-changing Ross Fountain was installed in the lower reservoir to celebrate the 60th anniversary. In 2004, two 30-foot totem poles were installed to mark the 100th anniversary, and the Gardens were designated as a national historic site.

Mr. Butchart collected ornamental birds from all over the world, a parrot in the house, ducks in the Star Pond and peacocks on the front lawn. He built several elaborate birdhouses for the gardens and trained pigeons on the site of the present-day Begonia Bower. There are also many bronze statues are displayed in the gardens.

In the Summer Season and during the Winter Holiday Season they provide a wide range of local entertainment, from Jazz to classical music. Also, The Weeds, a band made up of staff members from The Gardens, sometimes plays during the Summer Season. During the Winter, lights and seasonal decorations adorn the gardens along with an ice-skating rink in the Waterwheel Square. The Butchart Gardens receive over a million visitors each year. The beautiful Butchart gardens will give you an amazing experience in the environment of lush greenery and colourful blooms.

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Kaçkar Mountains, Turkey - A Fascinating Mountain Range in Eastern Turkey

Kaçkar Mountains are a scenic mountain range that rises above the Black Sea coast in eastern Turkey. These Mountains are simply known as Kaçkars. The Kaçkars are glaciated mountains which are alpine in nature. This fascinating mountain range is associated with stunning steep rocky peaks and several beautiful mountain lakes. The Kaçkar mountains are bordered by the Çoruh river valley in the south and east, and the Black Sea coast in the north.

The Kaçkar Mountains are the easternmost and highest part of the Pontic Alps or Pontic Mountains (The Pontic Alps form a mountain range in northern Anatolia, Turkey). Kaçkar Dağı is the highest peak in the Kaçkar Mountains with an elevation of 3,937 meters. With highest peak Kaçkar Dağı and mountain plateaus at about 3,000 m in elevation, it forms the highest part of the Pontic Mountains.

The highest peak Kaçkar Dağı

The area was declared a national park in 1994. The Kaçkar mountain range includes many mountain groups like Altıparmak group, Kavron (or Kaçkar-Kavron) and Verçenik group. There are several tourism activities in the park including hiking, camping, mountaineering and increasingly heliskiing. 

Kackar Mountains are one of the best trekking sites in Turkey. Kackars have two ideal trekking routes. The first is from the Black Sea side; the path is clear and it is easy to trek, while the Coruh side is more difficult and hazardous. Kackar Mountains are cold and have glaciers, hence ice axes and crampons are required. The best time for trekking is between June and September.

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Canal du Midi (The Canal of the Two Seas) - The most beautiful inland waterway in Southern France

The Canal du Midi is the most catchy and popular inland waterway in Southern France. Actually, it is a 240 km long canal in Southern France which runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau near the Mediterranean. It connects the Garonne to the Étang de Thau on the Mediterranean (The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean) and along with the 193 km long Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers, joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. This beautiful inland waterway linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic through 328 structures like locks, aqueducts, bridges, tunnels, etc. It is one of the most remarkable feats of civil engineering in modern times. The canal is always identified by its fascinating natural glimpse and the beautiful shady plane trees around the canal always makes a gorgeous landscape.

This is the perfect place for cycling or walking along scenic tow paths. The canal is originally named as the Canal royal en Languedoc and renamed by French revolutionaries to Canal du Midi in 1789. The specialty of this place is that whoever comes here for the first time, always falls in love with this gorgeous place. The Canal du Midi was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

The building of a canal was an old idea. Numerous and sometimes utopian projects were devised to build a canal between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. But the task proved impossible for many practical reasons. Even the great Leonardo da Vinci was unable to contemplate the task. The Pierre-Paul Riquet was the only canal-builder responsible for the construction of the Canal du Midi. Pierre-Paul Riquet, took in the design and the way it blends with its surroundings turned a technical achievement into a work of art. He designed and built the Canal Royal de Languedoc (Canal du Midi) during the reign of Louis XIV. The main purpose behind this inland waterway was to transport wheat, wine and textiles. It took 12,000 people to make it a reality. The construction lasted from 1666 to 1681. The canal was at the time considered one of the greatest construction works of the 17th century.

Canal du Midi is a paradise for tourists around the world who come to bask in its beauty and enjoy the beautiful scenes. The weather here is very beautiful in summer, but the colours and its calm environment make it a place for all seasons. During the dry season the canal serves as a reservoir for agriculture. Nearly 700 irrigation pumps are installed along the canal. The canal is also a very vegetated place. In the 18th century the trees planted along the canal become a source of income. At the Revolution plantations, there were about 60,000 trees around the canal when only 45,000 were initially. The tourism has grown from the 1960s under the leadership of the British then exploded in the 1980s. This amazing location attracts more and more river tourism, sailing on chartered boats, restaurant-boats, or hotel barges such as the Anjodi. Anjodi is one of around 60 barges of different dimensions that operate as hotel barges on Europe's inland waterways. Canal du Midi is the best location for those who are searching for peace in this entire crowded world. This place will make you so calm in its peaceful natural environment.

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Market Square Tower, Houston (Texas) - An Amazing Glass Bottomed Sky Pool, Suspended 500 Feet from the Ground

Houston is the largest city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the site of 48 completed high-rises over 427 feet, 36 of which stand taller than 492 feet. The name of Market Square Tower also comes under these tallest buildings of Houston. Market Square Tower is a residential high rise in downtown Houston. It is a kind of luxury apartment complex with a rooftop pool. The building is 502 feet high and has 40 floors and 463 apartments. The building began construction in 2014 and was completed in early 2017. However, the tallest building in the city is the JPMorgan Chase Tower, which rises 1,002 feet in Downtown Houston and was completed in 1982. It also stands as the tallest building in Texas and the 16th-tallest building in the United States. The beautiful Market Square Tower is especially renowned for a glass bottom pool that protrudes from the side of the building near the top, known as the Sky Pool. It is the highest pool in the Texas. The swimmers can look down and watch the city below as they wade and swim in the pool.

The pool extends out 10 feet past the building into the air, this portion is made of 8-inch thick plexiglas so swimmers can view the city below from 500 feet above the ground. It is supported by two concrete cantilevers, one on each side. The tower and pool were designed by Jackson and Ryan Architects.

The view from Market Square Tower’s pool will totally freak you out. It offers spectacular views of the city from the top. It's both terrifying and amazing experience. The dramatic view is almost as impressive from the ground level, where a look up shows the cantilevered pool bottom.

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Krka National Park, Croatia - The Magical World of Waterfalls and Gorges

The Krka National Park is one of the Croatia's most spectacular and attractive destinations. This lovely place seems like a magical world of stunning waterfalls and gorges. The park is named after the beautiful river Krka which flows through it. It is the seventh national park in Croatia and was proclaimed a national park in 1985. The park is located along the middle-lower course of the Krka River in central Dalmatia, in Šibenik-Knin county, downstream Miljevci area, and just a few kilometers northeast of the city of Šibenik. The national park belongs to the Southern European (Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean) region. There are around 860 species and subspecies of plants have been identified within the territory of the Krka National Park. The park was mainly formed to protect the Krka River and is intended primarily for scientific, cultural, educational, recreational, and tourism activities.

Skradinski buk, Krka National Park

The Krka Waterfalls has the second highest concentration of lavender per km squared in Europe. Therefore there is high frequency of wasps and bees in the area. Skradinski buk is one of the most attractive parts of the park. It is a massive, clear, natural pool with high waterfalls at one end and cascades at the other. It is the lowest of the three sets of waterfalls formed along the Krka river. Because of variety of geomorphological forms, vegetation, and the various effects caused by the play of light on the whirlpools, Skradinski buk is considered to be one of the most beautiful calcium carbonate waterfalls in Europe. There are 17 waterfalls in the area of 400 meters of length and 100 meters of width, and the total difference in height between the first and the last falls is 47.7 meters.

The tiny island of Visovac

There is a tiny island of Visovac inside the park which was founded by Franciscan monks in 1445 near Miljevci village, who originally built a monastery in that year and a church in 1576. It is a Catholic (Roman Rite) monastery on the island of Visovac. Because of the centuries-long devotion to the Mother of God, Visovac is also called Mother of God Island. The monastery contains a number of well-preserved artefacts and a library. The park also includes the Serbian Eastern Orthodox Monastery Krka founded in 1345. The beautiful tiny island of Visovac can be visited by a boat tour from Skradinski buk.

Roski Slap, Krka National Park

The another most famous sight within Krka National Park is Roski Slap. It is the sixth waterfall of the river Krka. This stunning location can be visited throughout the year. There is a walking trail with wonderful views around this beautiful location. There is also a hiking trail. The easiest way to reach the Roski Slap is by taking one of the excursion boats operated by Krka National Park. For tourism it is the best place to visit. There are several places of interest for you when you enter in Krka National Park. There are many attractions and facilities available in the park which include various footpaths, sightseeing tours and presentations, boat trips, souvenir shops, a museum, and restaurants.

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Saar loop, Mettlach - A beautiful river in northeastern France and western Germany

The Saar is a beautiful river in northeastern France and western Germany. This gorgeous river is born at the foot of Mont Donon, the highest peak of the northern Vosges Mountains. The saar river has a length of 246 km. It is the largest tributary of the Moselle river. After covering the distance of 246 km the Saar flows into the Moselle river at Konz (Rhineland-Palatinate) between Trier and the Luxembourg border. During its 246 km journey, it flows through 126 kilometres in France and 120 kilometres in Germany. It has a catchment area of 7,431 square kilometres. At Mettlach the Saar river passes the well-known Saar loop.

Saar loop at Mettlach

After rising through the Vosges mountains, It flows first for about 126 km through the French region of Grand Est. The Saar marks the border between France and Germany for about 11 km from its confluence with the Blies, between the towns of Sarreguemines and Saarbrücken and goes into German territory. Then the river flows about 68 km through the Saarland, and about 31 km through the Rhineland-Palatinate and, finally, flows into the Moselle at Konz between Trier and the Luxembourg border. There is an UNESCO-World Heritage Site Völklinger Hütte on the banks of the Saar river.

When the Saar river gets into German territory, it forms a narrow valley through the western Rhenish Massif. At its beginning in this region, it forms the famous Saar loop at Mettlach. There are two source rivers of the Saar, The Sarre Rouge (Red Saar) and Sarre Blanche (White Saar). The source of the White Saar is near the town of Grandfontaine (Bas-Rhin department), and the source of the Red Saar is near the town of Abreschviller, (Moselle department).

There are some important left and right tributaries of the Saar. In its Left tributaries, Gondrexange (19.3 km), Landbach (18.1 km), Naubach (23 km), L'Albe (33.3 km), Rossel (38 km), Bist (26 km) and Nied (114 km) are included. And in its Right tributaries, Bièvre (24.8 km), Isch (27 km), Eichel (32.4 km), Blies (99.5 km) and Prims (91 km) are included. 

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Fly Geyser, Nevada - Created Accidentally During Well Drilling

Sometimes, suddenly such things are happened, which no one has ever thought in his dream. Something similar happened with a farmer living in Nevada of United States. He had a piece of farm that was in the barren land of the area. He decided to dig a pit there for farming. Since the level of water was very low at that place, there was a need to dig deep pit. He got success, but the water that came out from the hole was incredibly hot, over 200 degrees in fact. After seeing this, the farmer immediately evacuated the area and forgot about water. But over time, that hole of hot water gradually took a very beautiful shape which is now known as the Fly Geyser.

Fly Geyser is a small geothermal geyser located on private land in Washoe County, Nevada approximately 20 miles north of Gerlach. It is also known as Fly Ranch Geyser. It is located on the private Fly Ranch in Hualapai Flat, about 0.3 miles from State Route 34. Fly Geyser is approximately 5 feet high by 12 feet wide, counting the mound on which it sits. The source of the Fly Geyser field's heat is attributed to a very deep pool of hot rock where tectonic rifting and faulting are common. There are two additional geysers in the area were created in a similar way and continue to grow. The first geyser is approximately 3 feet and is shaped like a miniature volcano; the second is cone-shaped and is about 5 feet.

In 1964 a team came here with better drilling technology in order to create a successful well, but the water here was so hot that the work was immediately stopped. The team didn’t cap their drilling ventures properly and they created a small geyser. Actually the pressure of water coming out here is quite fast. This small geyser has grown at an incredible rate creating something that nobody expected. Due to the existing minerals in the water, a colorful mountain is formed here, which constantly releasing hot water reaching 5 feet in the air.

In other words, it can be said that the Fly Geyser was accidentally created during well drilling while exploring for sources of geothermal energy. The well may not have been capped correctly, or left unplugged, but either way, dissolved minerals started rising and accumulating, creating the travertine mound on which the geyser sits and continues growing. The geyser is made up of a series of different minerals, but its brilliant colors are due to thermophilic algae.

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Khajjiar, Himachal Pradesh - The Mini Switzerland of India

Khajjiar is a beautiful location approximately 24 km from Dalhousie. It is a scenic hill station in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. This gorgeous place is pretty much popular among tourists. The hill station is surrounded by meadows and forests. The tourists here can get panoramic views of the mountains. It provides tourists a unique combination of forests, lakes and pastures. Khajjiar is also known as "The Mini Switzerland of India". It is among the 160 locations in the world that bear topographical resemblance with Switzerland. Khajjiar sits on a small plateau with a small stream-fed lake in the middle that has been covered over with weeds. Khajjiar lake is one of the most favored tourist spots in this town. This beautiful area is about 6,500 feet above sea level in the foothills of the Dhauladhar (The Dhauladhar range is part of a lesser Himalayan chain of mountains. It rises from the Indian plains to the north of Kangra and Mandi) ranges of the Western Himalayas.  It is also known for its beautiful temples.

On 7 July 1992, Mr. Willy T. Blazer, Vice Counselor and Head of Chancery of Switzerland in India brought Khajjiar on the world tourism map by calling it "Mini Switzerland". Khajjiar is part of the Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary (It is a 30.69 km² animal sanctuary at Kalatop and Khajjiar in the Chamba district). Khajjiar serves as the starting point for treks to Chamba, Dalhousie and Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary. The Khajji Nag Temple is the most sacred place in Khajjiar. The temple has a golden dome and due to which it is also known as 'Golden Devi Temple'. This temple is dedicated to snake (Nāga) worship and has idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Hadimba.

The best entertainment in Khajjiar is to walk around the lake or to go for long walks in the thick pine forests. The scenic beauty and picturesque landscape of this place are bound to leave an endless impression on a tourist.

This area also attracts adventure seekers and has many options in adventure sports like Paragliding, Horse Riding, Zorbing, Trekking etc. Children enjoy this place because of the freedom of movement and the sloped terrain which permits them to roll down to this lake without getting hurt.

There is a hotel and some cottages run by HP Tourism at Khajjiar where the tourists can stay.  Khajjiar can be reached from Dalhousie by bus in an hour. Most tourists travel to Khajjiar by private or rented vehicles. Bus service to and from Khajjiar is limited and timing changes according to local demands.

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Keukenhof (Garden of Europe), Netherlands - One of the World's Largest Flower Gardens

Keukenhof is a very beautiful and attractive destination for flowers lovers. Keukenhof is one of the world's largest flower gardens which is situated in Lisse, South Holland, Netherlands. It is also known as the Garden of Europe. In this beautiful garden you will experience the gorgeous views of blooming Dutch tulips and other flowers for which Holland is famous. There are approximately 7 million flower bulbs are planted annually in the park, which covers an area of 32 hectares. It is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region", which is in the western Netherlands, that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. Keukenhof is the most famous flower park which lies southwest of Amsterdam. Tulips from Holland are world famous. The best time to view the tulips is around mid-April, depending on the weather. The Netherlands is the world's largest exporter of flowers.

Keukenhof Garden was founded in 1949 by the then-mayor of Lisse. The idea behind this garden was to present a flower exhibit where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could show off their hybrids and help the Dutch export industry. The Keukenhof features a variety of different gardens and garden styles. Gardens and four pavilions show a fantastic collection of: tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids, roses, carnations, irises, lilies and many other flowers. The English landscape garden consists of winding paths and unexpected see-through points. The historical garden is an enclosed garden where you can see many old types of bulbs. The nature garden consists of a water garden where shrubs and perennials are combined with bulbous plants. The Japanese country garden is a non-traditional garden in a natural environment.

The grounds of Castle Keukenhof are open all year long and are frequently used for festivals such as Castlefest, the Ladies Winternight, and the Christmas Fair. The castle also houses classical music performances. Many dignitaries have visited the Keukenhof. Queen Juliana was a patron. Her daughters, princesses Beatrix, Irene and Margriet were among the first visitors in 1950. As a passionate filmmaker Prince Bernhard shot some unique films here. A record 1.4 million visitors entered the Kekenhof Gardens in 2017. Only 20% of the visitors are Dutch, while 40% are from neighboring countries Germany, UK and Belgium. The number of visitors from the United States (10%) and China (8%) has increased significantly in the past few years. If you ever go to Holland in your life, you should definitely go to the world's most beautiful spring park. Keukenhof is open annually from mid-March to mid-May. It is accessible by bus from the train stations of Haarlem, Leiden and Schiphol.

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Dynamo - One of The Greatest Magicians of All Time

Magic is one of the oldest performing arts in the world. The magic effects are created through supernatural means. It is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by staged tricks or illusions of seemingly impossible feats using natural means. The magicians around the world have invented new methods, skills and tricks and have taken the help of technology to entertain their audience. There are many great magicians in the world but today we will talk about one and only Dynamo. Steven Frayne is commonly known by his stage name "Dynamo". Dynamo is an English magician. He is known to perform incredible and unbelievable magic. He has starred in his television show Dynamo: Magician Impossible which ran from July 2011 to September 2014.

Steven Frayne was born in Bradford, England. His childhood was not so good, he was bullied as a child. Frayne was suffered from Crohn's disease. He has been battling the condition since he was a teenager. He was so close to his grand father. One of the first magic tricks he learned was something his grandfather taught him to make it seem as though he was very heavy so that the other children could not pick him up. In 2018, Frayne began working with the charity Theirworld, to promote the education of Syrian refugee children.

Dynamo walking on water

Dynamo is famous for his television show Dynamo: Magician Impossible. This television show won the Best Entertainment Programme award at the Broadcast Awards in 2012. In the 48th Annual Awards show by The Academy of Magical Arts, Dynamo won the Magician of the Year award. There are several to his epic list of magic that are hard to believe, e.g, walking on water and performing levitation. Dynamo is the king of cards tricks. In September 2011, Dynamo appeared on sports television program ESPN where he performed card tricks. Dynamo released an autobiography called Nothing is Impossible on 1 August 2013.

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Jostedalsbreen National Park, Norway - Encompasses the Largest Glacier on the European Mainland

Jostedalsbreen National Park in Norway was founded in 1991. It covers an area of 1,310 square kilometres with the glaciers covering about 800 square kilometres of the park. The park contains many large and small glaciers. It encompasses the largest glacier on the European mainland, Jostedalsbreen, which covers almost half of the area of this park. The national park is famous for its wide variety of natural environments. The park has very stunning views of beautiful mountains and glacier. The landscape of the national park ranges from lush valleys to alpine mountains and an arctic climate. The highest peak in the park is Lodalskåpa at 2,083 metres. The park lies in the municipalities of Luster, Balestrand, Jølster, Sogndal, Gloppen, Førde, and Stryn, all of which are in Sogn og Fjordane county.  The park was named after the main glacier in it, Jostedalsbreen.

Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier in continental Europe. It has a total area of 487 square kilometres. Jostedalsbreen has a length of a little more than 60 kilometres. The highest point is Høgste Breakulen at 1,957 metres above mean sea level. The Jostedalsbreen has around 50 glacier arms such as the Nigardsbreen and Tunsbergdalsbreen in Jostedal, the Briksdalsbreen near Olden, the Bøyabreen by Fjærland, the Kjenndalsbreen and Tindefjellbreen near Loen, and Austerdalsbreen. The most famous glacier arm of the great Jostedalsbreen is Briksdalsbreen which is one of the most accessible and best known arms of the Jostedalsbreen glacier. Briksdalsbreen has approximately 300.000 visitors every year, from all over the world.

The glacier is maintained by the high snowfall rates in the region, not the cold temperatures. This means the glacier has high melting rates in its snouts. The thickest part of the glacier is 600 metres. The glacier arm Briksdalsbreen lost 50 meters of ice in a few months in 2012. Recent measurements now show that in 2006, Briksdalsbreen started retreating 146 meters and there may be a risk of breaking away from the upper icefield. Due to this incident, snow climbing has now been abolished.

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Sama-Bajau - The Supernormal Tribe That Can Hold Breath For 13 Minutes

Have you ever heard about someone who can hold his breath for 13 minutes under 70 meters deep water? Yes. it is true. There are some people who have this extraordinary breath-holding ability. And the name of this tribe is Sama-Bajau. The name collectively refers to related people who usually call themselves the Sama or Samah; or are known by the exonyms Bajau. They usually refers to several Austronesian ethnic groups of Maritime Southeast Asia with their origins from the southern Philippines. These people remain immersed in the water for several minutes without any diving equipment (underwater breathing apparatus). These people usually live a seaborne lifestyle and use small wooden sailing vessels such as the perahu, djenging, balutu, lepa, pilang and vinta. Sama-Bajau have sometimes been called the "Sea Gypsies". The Sama-Bajau tribe people are traditionally from the many islands of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines, coastal areas of Mindanao, northern and eastern Borneo, the Celebes, and throughout eastern Indonesian islands. Some Sama-Bajau groups native to Sabah (Sabah is a state of Malaysia located on the northern portion of Borneo Island) are also known for their traditional horse culture. British administrators in Sabah classified the Sama-Bajau as "Bajau" and labelled them as such in their birth certificates. Thus the Sama-Bajau in Malaysia may sometimes self-identify as "Bajau" or even "Malay" for political reasons.

Freediving associated with these people life on the sea appear to have endowed the Bajau with several genetic adaptations to facilitate their lifestyle. After a long research on them, scientists claim that they have this amazing breath-holding ability because of the changes in genes. The spleens of these people have become quite large with time. A recent study showed that Bajau spleens are about 50 per cent larger than normal people which letting them store more haemoglobin-rich blood, which is expelled into the bloodstream when the spleen contracts at depth, allowing breath-holding dives of longer duration.

The boat-dwelling Sama-Bajau see themselves as non-aggressive people. They kept close to the shore by erecting houses on stilts, and travelled using lepa, handmade boats which many lived in. These people dive in the sea every day in search of food. Usually they go down to 70 meters in the sea without oxygen. At that depth, they can walk or swim for 13 minutes in one breath. These divers spend 60 percent of their daily activities inside the sea.

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Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, China - The World's Longest and Highest Glass Bridge

Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge is an amazing glass bridge in Zhangjiajie, China, above the Wulingyuan area. Wulingyuan is a scenic and historical site in south-central China's Hunan Province and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. This Glass Bridge in China is the longest and highest glass bridge in the world. It is a kind of glass-floor suspension bridge. It is also known as "Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge". The bridge is built as an attraction for tourists which is glass-bottomed and transparent. This marvelous glass bridge was opened to the public on August 20, 2016. The total length of this glass bridge is 430 metres. The bridge is suspended about 260 metres above the ground. The glass bridge has been constructed across a deep canyon in China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China's central Hunan province.

The bridge was designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan and has the capacity to hold 800 visitors at a time. The bridge gained widespread popularity after opening in 2016 and has been featured in numerous viral videos showing tourists having thrilling and terrifying experiences looking through the glass floor. Engineers erected 4 support pillars on the edges of the walls of the canyon to build the bridge. The bridge is made of a steel frame with more than 120 glass panels. Each of these panels is 3-layered and is a 2-inch-thick slab of tempered glass.

There are 3 long swings attached to the underside of the bridge. There is also a provision for making an 870-foot bungee-jump. This is considered to be highest such jump in the world. The area around the bridge features a unique geographic landscape with mountain views, natural waterfalls, ancient towns and temples that people can now enjoy from 260 metres in the sky.

On September 2, 2016, just 13 days after the bridge was opened, the authorities put out a notice saying that they are closing the bridge due to high volume of visitor traffic. The bridge, designed to hold 800 people at a time and expected to be visited by about 8,000 people per day, had reportedly attracted more than 80,000 visitors per day.

The authorities said that the government decided to suspend operations due to the "urgency to improve and update" the attraction, including its car parks, ticket-booking system, and customer service. But after all the improvements to this scenic location, the bridge was reopened on September 30, 2016.

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The Hallstatt, Austria - A Stunning Tiny Alpine Village Between Lofty Mountains and A Beautiful Lake

Hallstatt is a wonderful location in Austria. It is a small village in the district of Gmunden, in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. This beautiful place is located between the picturesque Lake Hallstatt and lofty Dachstein Mountains (The Dachstein Mountains are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps). Lake Hallstatt is also known as Hallstätter See. Hallstatt village is part of the Dachstein Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape. The Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut area is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Austria. This extremely gorgeous lakeside village is among the most photographed locations of Austria. This gorgeous location is considered to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, because of this specialty it is sometimes called "the pearl of Austria".

Along with a beautiful scenery, this village has great historical significance. It has one of oldest salt mines in the world. Hallstatt is known for its production of salt. Salt was a valuable resource, so the region was historically very wealthy. There is world's first known salt mine named Salzwelten which is located above downtown Hallstatt. Hallstatt was the site of an early Iron Age culture from 800 to 400 BC, which is known as the Hallstatt Era. Hallstatt is considered to be the oldest still-inhabited village in Europe. Until the late 19th century, it was only possible to reach Hallstatt by boat or via narrow trails. The land between the lake and mountains was sparse, and the town itself exhausted every free patch of it. Access between houses on the river bank was by boat or over the upper path, a small corridor passing through attics. The first road to Hallstatt was only built in 1890, along the west shore, partially by rock blasting.

In 1846 Johann Georg Ramsauer discovered a large prehistoric cemetery near the current location of Hallstatt. Ramsauer's work at the Hallstatt cemeteries continued until 1863, unearthing more than 1000 burials. There were some 1,300 burials have been found, including around 2,000 individuals, with women and children but few infants. There is a cultural heritage museum, which is small but interesting displaying 7000 years of Hallstatt history. This Museum in the village has the largest collection.

Hallstatt is a great tourist destination and the village can be toured on foot in ten minutes. There are many things to do in the Hallstatt for fun. Hallstatt Salt Worlds will take you into the more than 250 year old salt mines to explore its underground beauty. There are many hiking trails in the mountains behind Hallstatt and throughout the Salzkammergut area. In Dachstein, across the lake from Hallstatt, there are caves with ice waterfalls, lakes and ponds streaming through the limestone. There is a very nice lakeside playground about 500m south of town with free WC, swimming, sunbathing, and the best views of town you'll see without going on a boat. You also have an option of rock climbing in Hallstatt. It is really a calm atmosphere while walking around the Hallstatt, which is free from noise of the vehicles. It would be a great experience for you to capture the delightful houses built into the mountain, the glass-like lake, and the amazing mountains in the background. It would be the most scenic indeed to get there by train. A regular ferry service will meet each arriving train and take you to the town across the lake. One of the best views of Hallstatt is from this ferry ride across the lake, especially in the morning when the sun is turning the town orange and yellow.

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