Vivid Sydney, Australia’s annual light festival that turns Sydney into a flame of brightness (featured here last year), is taking place this year from May 24 through June 10, the city of Sydney lights up in a festival dedicated to light, music and ideas.

Coloring the city with creativity and inspiration, Vivid Sydney highlights include the hugely popular immersive light installations and projections, performances from local and international musicians at Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House and the Vivid Ideas Exchange featuring public talks and debates from leading global creative thinkers. Here are some colorful highlights from the spectacular event, that will get your eyes dazzled:

Such a great vibe! You can head over to Vivid Sydney’s website for an endless pool of photos of this years event. Also check out last year’ festival highlights through this amazing 3D Mapping Time Lapse by Ian Waldie.

[Images copyrights: Vivid Sydney]

Displaying 58,000 flight paths becomes difficult when multiple paths overlap, particularly in dense areas such as central Europe and the eastern United States.

The busiest airports by continent include Sao Paulo, Beijing, Sydney, Frankfurt, Cairo and Atlanta.

SEE ALSO: 40 Photos of Endeavour’s Last Flight – A Farewell to America 

[Source - All images: Michael Markieta - Data: openflights.org] [Spotted by: Mohamed Raafat]

Richard Silver travels the world and documents famous landmarks with an aim to show-off the world from a total different perspective. In his series Tilt-Shift, his goal is to shrink iconic landmarks or everyday street scenes, and give them an unusual feel.

Silver says, “People always ask me, How do I make people look so small or why do I make people look so small? Simple, we are!” Thus, his goal with the project is to “give the viewer a new way of seeing themselves and their place in the world.”

He has captured many famous places and events, including Machu Picchu in Peru, The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the Coliseum in Rome, and the Acropolis of Athens. Silver shoots normal photographs and then applies an artificial shallow depth of field to the images using Photoshop during post-processing.

Here are some of our favorite tilt-shift photos of Richard Silver:

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City

The US Open in New York City

The Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem

The Great Wall of China

Teotihuacan, Mexico

Roman ruins

The New York Marathon in 2011

Zocalo, Mexico

The World Trade Center Memorial

The White House in Washington, DC

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Ahu Tangariki

Brooklyn Bridge

Copacabana

Acropolis

Coliseum

SEE AlSO: 7 Most Valuable Monuments in Europe

Balloon Fiesta

Machu Picchu

Dubai, Palm Islands

SEE ALSO: Breathtaking Skydive over The Palm Jumeirah Island in Dubai

[Via MyModernMet]

Graphic designer Alex Asfour has created a set of travel posters that have a cool vintage style to them and make us even more eager for sunnier shores. Asfour has used a simple approach with these posters, and evoked a vintage vibe with bold colors, typography and a grainy texture.

Given the sorry state of our weather at the moment, you’d be forgiven for craving a holiday so bad you’re finding it hard to concentrate on anything else. Well for now you can enjoy these artistic graphics.

Like so many of us, Du Xin loved Friends. “I’m crazy about Friends. For me, it’s like a religion. It’s my life,” he told NPR. After watching the show, he started searching around Beijing for a place where he could actually sit on an orange couch just like the one his favorite heroes relaxed on in the sitcom. When he couldn’t find a Central Perk, he decided to create it himself. And he wasn’t going to settle for something similar, he wanted a place that looked exactly like what he’d seen on TV all those years, down to the tiniest details. Tucked away on the sixth-floor of the Chaowai Soho complex, this replica of Central Perk has the coveted couch, the same windows and doorway as the original, the brick interior and even the same hand written snack items featured on Friends. In order to nail all the things he wanted, Du studied thousands of photos of the show’s set and watched endless reruns, and five months later he had the cafe of his dreams.

But after all that effort, working with Beijing manufacturers to get the designs just right, he was off to a very slow start in the cafe business. ”It didn’t go well at the beginning. No one came,” 30-year-old Du Xin told CNN. But with the help of the Internet, news about the Friends cafe spread quickly throughout China’s capital and soon the place became a big hit. Customers even started calling him Gunther, after the guy who ran Central Perk in the sitcom. Most of the cafe’s clientele is made up of college students and young professionals who stop by to get a quick cup of coffee and end up staying for hours, gripped by the friendly atmosphere and overstuffed couches. Reruns of Friends are played on plasma screens inside the Chinese Central Perk, which attracts a lot of students who want to improve their English skills.

But an almost identical cafe wasn’t enough for Du Xin. This avid Friends fan also built a replica of Joey’s apartment, complete with an identical foosball table, a collection of Baywatch DVDs and an over-sized cabinet. “I learned a lot from Friends: how to treat friends, girlfriends, my wife, how to be generous, how to be gentle, ” Xin said.

[Reblogged from: Oddity Central]

Here is the Road Trip map of America, including its 3 best routes which have left visitors overwhelmed and stunned by the road before the destination:

And the Top 3 are:

Road Trip to Colorado

This 390-mile (630-kilometer) road trip begins in Denver, Colorado, crosses through Rocky Mountain National Park, and continues north into Wyoming, where a world of sagebrush and enormous skies are punctuated by the occasional cluster of civilization. Gas stations can be far apart. Cattle are abundant, outnumbering people, as is wildlife — keep an eye out for roaming pronghorn, elk, and moose. Circling through the mountains and along the prairie’s edge, this drive is stunning in any season, but parts of it are impassable in the winter, when snow buries the roads.

You can take chair lifts at various ski mountains and enjoy the exceptional views such as those of lakes, golf course, fishing spots, rafting sight and rock climbing topography. All these incredible views can make it a journey of your lifetime. The lush green mountainous view in summer and sugar-coated wonderland in winter adds to the beauty of the place.

Road Trip to the Coast of California

An exhilarating driving experience, this twisting, cliff-hugging, 123-mile (198-kilometer) route along the central California coast takes about five hours to complete at a leisurely pace. Designated an All-American Road—among the nation’s most scenic—the drive encompasses both the Big Sur Coast Highway and the San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway.

The route starts in historic Monterey, visits the art colony of Carmel, and threads through Big Sur, where mountains plunge into the Pacific. Farther south, the landscape mellows to oak-studded hills as the road passes Hearst Castle on its way to Morro Bay. In places, the road has narrow shoulders and sharp drop-offs, so stay alert. This route can be tricky for RVs or other oversize vehicles.

Road Trip to Grand Canyon, Arizona

This is the mother of all road trips destination – the one which tops the list and is looked upon as one of the wonders. The beauty of the place is such that it is virtually impossible to express in words. Every year, a staggering five million people flock to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon’s sweeping views, hike its trails, and hop on a mule for a trip through the vast canyon.

The road to the Grand Canyon from the south crosses a gently rising plateau that gives no hint at what is about to unfold. You wonder if you have made a wrong turn. All at once an immense gorge a mile deep and up to 18 miles wide opens up. The scale is so vast that even from the best vantage point only a fraction of the canyon’s 277 miles can be seen.

Nearly five million people travel here each year; 90 percent first see the canyon from the South Rim with its dramatic views into the deep inner gorge of the Colorado River. So many feet have stepped cautiously to the edge of major overlooks that in places the rock has been polished smooth. But most of the park’s 1,904 square miles are maintained as wilderness. You can avoid crowds by hiking the park’s many trails or driving to the cool evergreen forests of the North Rim where people are fewer and viewing is more leisurely. The Grand Canyon boasts some of the nation’s cleanest air, with visibility on clear days averaging 90 to 110 miles.

[Source]

The Romantik Muottas Muragl, a sustainable, contemporary hotel set in the Swiss Alps , has undergone a complete renovation in 2012 by Franzun AG. Visitors can look forward to unforgettable views and a luxurious, yet environmentally conscious mountain retreat.

Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl by Franzun AG:

“During summer 2010, the entire Berghotel Muottas Muragl was completely renovated. Particular focus was placed on the aspect of environmental-friendliness, giving rise to the first plus-energy hotel in the Alps.

Besides constructing the building according to the principles and requirements of the Swiss “Minergie” ecological label, this project went one step further. Although the surface area of the building was extended from 1,700 sq. metres to 2,700 sq. meters, despite the 50% increase in size, it was possible to reduce the energy consumption by 64%, from 436,000 kWh/a to 157,400 kWh/a.

This was achieved by insulating the building in line with the latest standards and by generating renewable energy from five different sources.

With this ground-breaking energy concept, the Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl was awarded the Swiss Solar Award 2011 and the PlusEnergieBau® (PEB) Solar Award 2011.

Awaiting you at the completely renovated Berghotel Muottas Muragl are 16 romantic rooms furnished in Swiss stone pine. The rooms are very comfortable and decorated with a great deal of charm.

Each room is equipped with a WC, shower and/or bath, and free W-LAN. The larger double rooms also accommodate a sofa bed and are therefore ideal for families.

Spend the night at 2,456 metres above sea level – an unforgettable experience.

Mountain dining high up on Muottas Muragl means enjoyment in harmony with the Engadin Alpine world. The romantic Berghotel Muottas Muragl, with its harmonious decor of Swiss stone pine and walnut, provides a stylish ambience for each and every culinary occasion.”

Rick Mereki: Director, producer, additional camera and editing
Tim White: DOP, producer, primary editing, sound
Andrew Lees: Actor, mover, groover

1. Eiffel Tower, Paris: US $544 billion

(Image Source)

The study has found that the Eiffel Tower is Europe’s number one most valuable monument, worth US$544 billion to the French economy, nearly a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product, and worth more than its competitors combined.

The 324-meter iron tower built in 1889, originally as the entrance arch to the World’s Fair, it was named after Gustave Eiffel, the head of the company that designed and constructed the monument. Today it is the most visited paid-for attraction in the world. 7.1 million people climbed up to one of its platforms during 2011, while an estimated total of 200 million tourists have visited since it was built.

2. The Colosseum, Rome: US $114 billion

(Image Source)

The Colosseum is probably the most famous landmark in Rome. Built in the 1st century AD, this great arena could seat 45,000 spectators and was the largest Roman amphitheater in the world. It receives around 4 million tourists annually and is ranked as the 39th most visited place in the world.

3. The Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Barcelona: US $112 billion

(Image Source)

The Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece, is one of Barcelona’s most popular tourist attractions. Construction on this church will continue for at least another decade, but it has already become Barcelona’s most important landmark. It has been under construction since 1882! Yet brings to Barcelona 2.5 million visitors every year.

4. The Duomo Cathedral, Milan: US $103 billion

(Image Source)

The Duomo di Milano, Milan’s magnificent Gothic cathedral, is the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world, only the Seville Cathedral is larger (St. Peter’s Basilica doesn’t count because it’s not a cathedral). Its dazzling white front façade, arguably the world’s most beautiful, dominates the cathedral square. It receives 5 million total visitors per year.

5. The Tower of London: US $89 billion

(Image Source)

It was built on the Thames by William the Conqueror to protect London and assert his power in 1066 A.D. Today the Tower of London houses the Crown Jewels and is open to the public as a museum. As of 2010 the Tower gets just over 2.55 million visitors annually.

6. The Prado Museum, Madrid: US $73 billion

(Image Source)

An 18th-century Neo-Classical building that opened in 1819 to be one of the world’s greatest art galleries. The Spanish queen at the time had been impressed with the Louvre in Paris and wanted to showcase an enormous collection in her own country. The sheer scale of the collection can make it daunting, so it is important to arrive with a few of the highlights in mind and concentrate on those. The Museo del Prado ended 2011 with almost 3 million visitors

7. Stonehenge, England: US $13 billion

(Image Source)

One of the oldest and most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks. While we can’t say with any degree of certainty what it was for, we can say that it wasn’t constructed for any casual purpose. The ancient monument receives around 800,000 visitors annually.

Along with the European monuments, the survey also put a price of US$101 billion on the White House in Washington DC.

(Image Source)

[Source]

10. Belize City, Belize

(Belize City, Belize -  image source)

A diving and cruise ship magnet that has been dubbed “Central America Lite,” “the other Caribbean” and “the gateway to the world’s second largest barrier reef.”

Crime. Drugs. Dilapidation. Welcoming committees of bored, desperate touts. A vibe that screams avoid-being-out-after-dark-and-wait-for-your-real-itinerary-to-begin. Belize City has it all.

9. Cairo, Egypt

(Abd El Moneim Riad Square in Cairo -  image source)

Crippled with air pollution, maniacal driving, ridiculous traffic, overpopulation and post-revolution stress.

Cairo is a city that impels tourists to come anyway, it is home of the world’s last remaining ancient Wonder and an incomparable wealth of history and antiquities that rank high on any serious globetrotter’s bucket list, visitors these days are forced to turn more than just a blind lung to a recent World Health Organization report that equates breathing in this city with smoking a pack a day.

8. New Delhi, India

(Delhi’s old sector -  image source)

Travel scams happen everywhere. But few cities fuel as much controversial discussions about them as India’s capital. Travel forums are always paranoid about one topic when it comes to visiting Delhi: How to avoid getting plundered outside the airport, at the train station, at your hotel and everywhere in between.

“There are plenty of cons to be aware of,” blogs TravBuddy in a post entitled “Scam City: Delhi’s Tourist Hustles and How To Avoid Them,” which lists several popular ones by name: The “Government Tourist Office” scam; The “Hotel Commission” scam; The “Fake Train Station” scam; The “Airport Transfer” scam, etc.

Chances are really high that you will be scammed anyway.

7. Jakarta, Indonesia

(Jakarta, Indonesia -  image source)

“It is a very demanding city from a traveler’s perspective, full of surprises and awaiting difficulties,” notes of one TripAdvisor expat who came to love Jakarta after six months. “Once you get to know it, you can’t have enough of it.”

It’s quite surprising to know that Indonesia’s 8 million annual tourists are arriving at Bali, Yogyakarta, Sumatra- anywhere but the capital - according to a 2011 study by the country’s Central Bureau for Statistics. The sprawling city choked with traffic, pollution, poverty and tourist “draws” largely revolving around random street adventures and an epidemic of malls

6. Lima, Peru

(Lima, Peru -  image source)

Latin America’s fifth-largest metropolis may be relativelycleaner than Mexico City, safer than Sao Paulo and beach-friendly than La Paz, yet Lima continues to quietly suffer from the worst curse in travel circles: being constantly described as a place that’s not nearly as dull as everyone else keeps saying it is.

Yet, for much of the year, a smog hangs over Lima. The city looks washed out and monochrome. When you combine this with years of news (and rumors) about Lima being unsafe, shabby or just plain boring,  it’s no wonder people overlook one of Latin America’s secret jewels.

5. Los Angeles, California – United States

(Downtown Los Angeles -  image source)

A center-less megalopolis sloppily carved into about 90 sub-cities, over 20 ailing freeways, countless area codes and a half-million strip malls with mediocre Thai food. How did a semi-arid desert without a decent water supply get so huge – and so hugely disliked?

“When you get there, there is no there, there,” says one of many underwhelmed L.A. bashers on quora.com, who adds that tourist traps like Hollywood are a total bummer. So are earthquakes, race riots, traffic pileups, smog reports, constant sirens and the logic of people who live here are okay with all of that because the weather’s nicer than wherever they moved from.

4. Timbuktu, Mali

(Timbuktu, Mali -  image source)

Nice weather for camels. A century ago, the world’s most tenacious travelers may have been awarded a brief thrill upon reaching this legendary trans-Saharan trading center hiding in the middle of nowhere.But even then, Timbuktu was nearly half-a-millennium past its golden years and largely relying on the travel industry’s most dubious selling point: being so ridiculously remote and unspectacular that even the dictionary references you as “any extremely distant place.”

Today, according to a recent British survey, a third of the public doesn’t believe that Timbuktu actually exists. Among the remaining two-thirds are those romantic, off-the-beaten-path travelers who’ve fought tooth and claw to get all the way out here only to find a stifling, sand-strewn cluster of shabby buildings staving off desertification.

3. Paris, France

(La defense district, Paris -  image source)

A handful of people might deeply disagree with Paris appearing on this list, but Paris inspires a certain love-hate relationship.

Pretty much everyone is familiar with what people already love about Paris. In the meantime, what do people not love about it, aside from the usual rude waiter stereotypes and crazy lines at the Louvre.

“I was wondering what was so special about the ‘French Breakfast’ that I saw advertised everywhere we went,” comments a frequent Paris traveler on VirtualTourist, who sat down and ordered one during his first visit to the city. “For 20 euros you get a croissant, butter, three ounces of hot chocolate, three ounces of orange juice and a small baguette. Are you kidding??”

“Don’t be too easily flattered as you approach the Place du Tertre in Montmartre,” another visitor warns about platoons of starving artists bombarding first-timers to have their portrait done. “I’ve now lost count of the number of times we’ve been told that [my husband] has ‘interesting hair.’”

“I just read of someone’s four-hour wait to ascend the Eiffel Tower and recalled the coldest I had ever been – the day I waited atop the platform on the Eiffel Tower, waiting to go to the next level.”

“We made our way to the catacombs hoping to find an extraordinary sight,” says another. “Unfortunately, it was nothing but rooms and rooms and rooms full of bones.”

Every legendary city suffers some degree of over-hype. About the gastronomy, the views, the charming street scene, music, and culture. But the dreamy expectations reserved for Paris – propagated by generations of writers who haven’t been here in awhile – are definitely over-rated.

2. Sydney & Melbourne, Australia

(Sydney, Melbourne -  image source 1, 2)

Australia’s top two cities would be nowhere near this list if it weren’t for the 177 straight years of utter hatred they’ve reserved for each other.

Since the founding of Melbourne in 1835 , Sydneysiders and Melburnians have been loathingly distinguishing themselves from each other in ways that would make Toronto and Montreal blush.

“Sydney and Melbourne have much, much more in common than either of them ever care to admit.” In fact, “Melbourne is the city in the world most similar to Sydney.”

About 4 million multicultural residents spread across a trendy downtown area with sprawling suburbs, high home prices, a vibrant food and arts scene, Australian TV and radio stations, the occasional bushfire and an intense repugnance for a certain unspeakable place 720 kilometers away. Which city are we talking about here? Either Melbourne or Sydney, perhaps?

But wait. There is a startling difference. Last year, The Economist ranked Melbourne the “World’s Most Livable City” with 97.5 points. Sydney came in sixth in this same survey with 96.1 points. Do the math. These places are like fire and ice.

1. Tijuana, Mexico

(Tijuana, Mexico -  image source)

According to a recent World focus report, Tijuana’s annual tourism numbers have plummeted by as much as 90 percent in less than 10 years, and other research estimates that visitor-related revenue has declined by almost as much over a similar period. Drug cartel violence. The recession. Recent swine flu outbreaks.

On another side what’s not helping the tourism status to recover is the Southern California marketing firms campaigning: “Come to San Diego and be in a foreign country in 20 minutes” giving Tijuana a fierce competition to deal with.

[Source] [Quoted text Via CNNgo]

1- A Japanese maple, by Fred An, one of seven Merit winners. “This is the great Japanese maple tree in the Portland Japanese Gardens. I tried to bring a different perspective of this frequently photographed tree.” (© Fred An/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

_________

9- One of seven Merit winners, by Ken Thorne. “Near the city of Morondava, on the West coast of Madagascar lies an ancient forest of Baobab trees. Unique to Madagascar, the endemic species is sacred to the Malagasy people, and rightly so. Walking amongst these giants is like nothing else on this planet. Some of the trees here are over a thousand years old. It is a spiritual place, almost magical.”(© Ken Thorne/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

_________

10- Third place winner, by Andrea Guarneri. “During the Easter holy celebration called ‘Misteri’ (mystery) in Trapani, the devotees carry the scenes of Christ’s passion on their shoulders all night long. When the day comes they take a break.”(© Andrea Guarneri/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

_________

[Via the Atlantic]

[hover on images for caption]

[Via The Atlantic]

The following images are heavy animated GIF images that might take a few seconds to load properly, but are definitely worth it

The creators described the process in an email sent to Colossal, as follow:

The zooms are done by setting up a camera at each end location and filming the camera zooming in and out. The middle parts are done by putting a camera on the front of my scooter and driving the spanning distance. All that footage is then animated after the fact, only using a very small amount of the frames that were actually filmed. And everything is lined up, cropped, etc. to fit my needs. The spins are done by carefully mapping out a circle around whatever target, and picking roughly 36 locations to shoot a still from. Those photos are then processed, and lined up after the fact.

Now watch the resulting music video:

impressive work by Parry and his team for pulling this off and kudos to Kalle Mattson for landing such a fresh and exotic music video.

[Via Colossal]

[hover on images for caption]

 [Source]

The reserve’s flagship is Sasakwa, an East African ranch house set on a plateau with panoramic views of the plains. The lodge’s wood-paneled libraries have an English country club feel, and there are seven cottage residences, each with a garden and plunge pool. Tennis courts, a spa, and a yoga center occupy guests between twice-daily game drives, where sightings include wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles.

Located on the migratory route crossed annually by more than a million wildebeests, it provides guests with an incredible all-time photo canvas right out of their suite’s panoramic windows. Despite its remote location, Singita’s guests are treated to five-star service and accommodations. Rooms in the tents and villas start at around $1,095 per person per night; rates include daily game drives, food, and drink.

The year’s top 4 hotels where surprisingly all safari-themed African hotels located in Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa, looks like bonding with the wild is the most desired attraction for today’s tourism.

[Via Business Insider, Travel & Leisure]

The Indian Ocean has always acted as a heat buffer, absorbing, storing, and slowly releasing the tropical heat that creates the amazing weather The Maldives have, making it one of the top tourism destinations for traveler seeking ocean-side privacy and warmth. Today we’re featuring a photo gallery of one of the most breathtaking resorts, that blends the optimum weather, beaches, exclusivity and luxury, The Reethi Rah Resort located on the largest island of North Malé Atoll, Maldives.

Developed  by One&Only as a fancy All-Villa end-style getaway,  that offers endless white sand coves and turquoise bays, and direct access to the lagoon. Scroll your way through a top of the list travel spot.

[Via Reethi Rah Resort]

In the heart of Spanish Capital, Madrid, lies the infamous Plaza Mayor (Mayor’s Square), a grand rectangular square measuring 120m long and 90m wide (394ft x 295ft). It’s surrounded by three-story residential buildings (at one point up to six stories high) with 237 breathtaking balconies facing the Plaza and a total of nine arched entrances.

Photography by Youssof Taie

Fires have destroyed all the buildings surrounding the Plaza Mayor three times in history: in 1631, 1672 and 1790. Each time they were restored, the last reconstruction after a design by Juan de Villanueva is what we see today.

Above:  A couple making their wedding appearance out one of the Plaza’s balconies, with a small detail of the painting adorning the walls behind them, these paintings were added to the square after Casa Panaderia was rebuilt in 1692 due to a fire.

At the center of the square stands a bronze statue of King Philips III, constructed in 1616 by the Italian sculptors Giovanni de Bologna and his apprentice Pietro Tacca. In 1848 it was moved from the Casa de Campo to the Plaza Mayor. Around the same time, the plaza was redesigned with gardens, but those were removed in 1936.

During the middle ages the site was just a market place outside the city walls. In the 1560s, King Philip II asked Juan de Herrera, architect of the Escorial, to turn the market place into a real square. It would take until 1617, during the reign of King Philips III, before the construction of the new Plaza Mayor started. Under the direction of Herrera’s successor, Juan Gómez de la Mora, the plaza was completed in just two years.

[All Photography Copyrights: Youssof Taie, for UrbanPeek.com]

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The Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, China is famous, not only for The Avenue Toward Heaven -  one of the world scariest roads, but also for the glass Skywalk. This attraction is doubtless for the brave hearted as not everyone is ready to enjoy the  scenery and observe the absence of solid ground under their feet even further than his eye could see.  The walkway is built at a height of 4700 feet (1,430m) above sea level with a dimension of 200 feet (60 metres) long. The 2.5 inches thick transparent path will definitely make your visit the Tianmen Mountain Park, the second national forest park in Zhangjiajie region, unforgettable. The only condition put for the courageous tourists of Tianmen Mountain Skywalk  is to put the cloth slippons over their shoes in order not to get dirty or scratch the miraculous walkway. 

Read more posts about China

The Avenue Toward Heaven

For the ones who are not interested in scary turns, there is a cable car right from Zhangjiajie City to the top of the Tianmen Mountain, though it has a frightening side as well – the cableway is 7455 meters length, which makes it the longest in the world. One way or another, the scenery is really worthy to forget about all phobias and simply enjoy it.

[Via: kuriositas; Photography: flickr user Liu Tao]

The caves in Meteora, Greece, had inhabitants for fifty millennia, but due to raids, “hermit monks” moved to the safety of sandstone rock pinnacles in the 9th century and began building monasteries. More monks and nuns came, building more monasteries perched high upon the cliffs. Wikipedia reports, “Access to the monasteries was originally (and deliberately) difficult, requiring either long ladders lashed together or large nets used to haul up both goods and people. This required quite a leap of faith – the ropes were replaced, so the story goes, only ‘when the Lord let them break.’” UNESCO World Heritage says, “The net in which intrepid pilgrims were hoisted up vertically alongside the 1,224 ft. cliff where the Varlaam monastery dominates the valley symbolizes the fragility of a traditional way of life that is threatened with extinction.”

[Via LoveThesePics]

Here’s a fast peek at the 10 most visited cities in the world:

10. Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 6,81 million tourists.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

9. Istanbul, Turkey, 7.51 million tourists.

Istanbul, Turkey

8.  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 8.11 million tourists.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

7.  Shanghai, China, 6.6 million tourists.

Shanghai, China

6. Bangkok, Thailand, 8.45 million tourists.

Bangkok, Thailand

5. NYC, USA, 8.7 million tourists.

NYC, USA

4. Hong Kong, China, 10.4 million tourists.

Hong Kong, China

3. Singapore, Singapore, 11.6 million tourists.

Singapore, Singapore

2. London, UK, 14.1 million tourists.

London, UK

1. Paris, France, 14.8 million tourists.

Paris, France

Where are you going to spend your vacation this summer? And which one is your favorite? Let us know by leaving a comment.

[Sources: United Nations World Tourism Organization]