Most travelers book hotels with one requirement in mind: reliable comfort and convenience they can return to after a day’s adventure. But some hotels around the world are the adventure. From treetop houses in Africa to ice hotels in Scandinavia, types of lodgings that challenge travelers’ expectations create unique experiences for those willing to try something different. Go verdant in straw bale houses in the UK or consume a night in a former jail in the U.S. or Latvia. Read more from About.com’s Guide to Canada, Jane McLean:
- Weird and Wacky Accommodation Around the World
Patagonia is favored known for its incredible landscapes in the Tierra del Fuego National Park, which is accessible either by highway or by the End of the World Train. Beginning in 1883, Ushuaia, Argentina was simply a prison colony intended for repeat offenders and serious criminals, following the example of the British prison colony in Tasmania and the French colony in Devil’s Island.
In 1909, the penal colony needed a way to get men from the jail to the woodcutting site where they would obtain firewood for cooking and heat. Eventually this“Convict Train” was used to create workshops in the area, where prisoners could learn the skills needed to find employment once they were released. As the community grew, opportunities became available for convicts at a press, bakery, sawmill, blacksmith, tailor and a shoemaker. Other workshops included photography, carpentry and cabinetmaking. The jail transitioned into a naval base in the 1940s, and on the model of a particularly tumultuous earthquake in 1949, the train stopped running.
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Like a warm welcome when you travel? Check out this list of the top 10 friendliest countries in the world and feel the foreign love!
I got caught in the rain today and a man gave me his umbrella. Not a cheap, plastic one but a nice one with colors and a wooden handle.
It made me feel warm and fuzzy. It’s nice when strangers are friendly for no reason.
Even nicer when you’re thousands of miles from home and possibly feeling a bit lonely and fed up.
Want to suffer warm and fuzzy when you travel? Check out Lonely Planet’session list of the Top 10 Friendliest Countries in the World,* and stay dry across the globe!
1. Ireland
2. USA
3. Malawi
4. Fiji
5. Indonesia
6. Vietnam
7. Samoa
8. Thailand
9. Scotland
10. Turkey
Who’s been to Ireland? Got more friendly stranger stories? Disagree with this list? Post up your comments below, we want to hear from you.
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The Ancient fortified city of Ait-Ben-Haddou. Photo: Amy Kotkin
Visit just once and it becomes immaculate why the ksar, or fortified city, of Ait-Ben-Haddou was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The setting Moroccan sun brilliantly illuminates the red buildings of the city, which is situated on a hill in Souss-Massa-Draâ onward the Ouarzazate River. Ait-Ben-Haddou is a group of earthen buildings established in the 11th century. The village is surrounded by high defensive walls and is located along a former caravan route used by ancient travelers to transport salt, gold and ivory between the Sahara and Marrakech.
Inside the defensive walls are beautiful examples of kasbahs (high-walled fortresses) which are fragile enough that they can be damaged by rainfall. Ait-Ben-Haddou is a striking example of the historic architecture in southern Morocco that is disappearing due to weather, cultural shifts, and new technology. Despite the modernization of the area, the ksar still stands as a testament to a way of life that was one time widespread. Today, the city consists of a mosque, small castles, modest houses, stables, lofts, and silos.
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Considered the best acrobatic troupe in China, the award-winning Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe is a tightly-choreographed marvel of human agility known all over the world. Starting every night at 730pm and continuing on for 2 hours at the Shanghai Theatre Centre, the feats of dexterity and magic performed by these entertainers have amazed and delighted visitors and residents of Shanghai with displays of contortionism, glasses-balancing, juggling, silk rope hanging, unicycling, chair-stacking and plate-spinning. What’s more, international audiences can appreciate the show due to its non-verbal content, letting impressive physical skills leave a mark for every one who attended a performance.
Chinese acrobats got their start during the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, when the annual harvest celebrations called for special entertainment. Talented farmers and other community members would spend their free time practicing with household items like plates, chairs, and so forth.
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