Travel
Discover facts about travel. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Travel
Las Vegas has a Sphinx bigger than Egypt’s original
Because if there's one thing America excels at, it's taking ancient cultural heritage and making it violently plastic. The Luxor Hotel on the Vegas Strip…
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How brochures make tiny hotel rooms look huge
Perspective is just a tool for deception. Marketing pamphlets aggressively use wide-angle photography to manipulate tiny, cramped hotel rooms into looking…
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First travel agency organized a massive group excursion
Thomas Cook built an absolute empire that would eventually span the globe, but his very first grand organized booking was just chartering a single train to…
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Why Greek wedding guests pretend to spit
Don't panic; nobody is actually hocking a loogie at a woman in white. It is merely a symbolic 'ptou ptou ptou' sound made by guests to ward off the evil eye…
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Greece consists of thousands of fragmented islands
A delivery driver's absolute worst nightmare. The Mediterranean nation is splintered into over six thousand individual landmasses, though only roughly two…
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Hotel hair dryers have terrifyingly short cords
The complimentary bathroom blow dryer is permanently anchored to the wall with a coiled cord designed for maximum frustration. You basically have to stand…
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When a postcard cost more than its stamp
In a brilliant historical markup, purchasing the small printed piece of souvenir cardboard was somehow significantly more expensive than paying the postal…
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Why some hotels skip room 420
Hotel managers eventually grew entirely tired of subsidizing the interior decorating habits of passing cannabis enthusiasts. Room 420 is notoriously absent…
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New Zealand’s Ninety Mile Beach is only 55 miles long
Whoever named this stretch of coastal sand clearly lacked basic measuring skills. It is an incredibly blatant geographical lie that just sits on the map…
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Daypacks are just backpacks with less commitment
The industry created the 'daypack' so you could buy a second, slightly smaller backpack without feeling guilty. It implies a breezy, carefree attitude towards…
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Why tourists travel to Costa Rica to watch sloths do nothing
The modern travel industry has successfully monetized lethargy. Hordes of high-strung vacationers armed with expensive binocular gear hike through the humid…
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A thousand hidden caves may lie inside the Grand Canyon
Just in case staring at a massive, existential hole in the ground wasn't thrilling enough, park officials estimate there are roughly 1,000 uncharted caves…
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Why Italians rarely order cappuccino after breakfast
Because drinking a mug full of hot, frothy milk after eating a large meal is basically a culinary war crime to the Italians. They believe heavy dairy…
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Millipedes coordinate hundreds of tiny legs
Despite the name, none of them actually possess a thousand limbs, but managing a few hundred is still an incredible feat of nervous system engineering. Their…
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Hostels were pioneered by a German schoolteacher originally
Before they became notorious hubs for unwashed backpackers, the concept was strictly created by an educator trying to get urban youth out into the fresh…
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A real macchiato is much smaller than you think
Your giant caramel drink is a complete lie. In traditional coffee culture, a macchiato is simply a robust shot of espresso stained with an incredibly tiny…
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Tripoints are spots where three borders collide
Where three territories intersect, you find tripoints. They are mathematically precise locations that usually end up being marked by a highly unimpressive…
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The first motel is still standing in California
While countless modern roadside inns have been demolished, the original architectural pioneer still exists. The simple geometric structure completely…
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Thailand's bizarre sport: elephant polo
Because hitting a ball with a stick is too easy on foot. Wealthy competitors mount absolutely gigantic pachyderms and clumsily swing massive mallets,…
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The Mexican island covered in thousands of dolls
A man found a drowned girl and decided the most logical response was to hang thousands of creepy, severed doll parts from the trees to appease her spirit.
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Dry martini orders simply mean less vermouth
Dry does not mean lacking moisture. Ordering this classic cocktail extra dry just instructs the bartender to stare briefly at the vermouth bottle before…
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French dip sandwiches require violently soggy roasted bread
Los Angeles heavily claims the aggressive invention of a deeply legendary sandwich specifically designed to be heavily wet. The fiercely debated origin story…
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Denver's airport is twice the size of Manhattan
Because building an airport the size of a sovereign nation, completely out in the middle of nowhere, was totally necessary. Spanning 53 square miles, it is…
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Muscle fatigue comes from chemical buildup
When you push your legs too hard during a long trek, they start to burn because of lactic acid. Your cells literally cannot absorb oxygen fast enough to fuel…
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