Travel
Discover facts about travel. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Travel
New York’s street steam often starts with water outside the pipes.
New York’s street steam often starts with water outside the pipes. Rain or groundwater can touch hot underground steam equipment and vaporize, rising through…
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This restaurant lets the ground heat the grill.
This restaurant lets the ground heat the grill. At El Diablo in Lanzarote, geothermal heat rises beneath a cooking grill in the volcanic landscape. The menu…
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People live in a Peruvian town more than 16,000 feet up.
People live in a Peruvian town more than 16,000 feet up. La Rinconada sits around 5,100 meters above sea level, where atmospheric pressure is barely over half…
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A hippo's wide-open mouth can be a warning, not a yawn.
A hippo's wide-open mouth can be a warning, not a yawn. The display exposes large teeth and can signal that the animal feels threatened. Its apparently placid…
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A Norwegian town redirects winter sunshine with mirrors.
A Norwegian town redirects winter sunshine with mirrors. Mountains block direct winter sunlight from Rjukan's town center. Since 2013, computer-controlled…
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People of Irish descent living in the United States currently outnumber the actual population of Ireland by roughly six to one.
People of Irish descent living in the United States currently outnumber the actual population of Ireland by roughly six to one. More than 30 million Americans…
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Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is a tiny Spanish military fortress connected to the coast of Morocco by a narrow strip of sand, creating the shortest international land border in the world at just eighty-five meters long.
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is a tiny Spanish military fortress connected to the coast of Morocco by a narrow strip of sand, creating the shortest…
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Primary schools across France completely banned the unrestricted use of ketchup in their cafeterias back in two thousand and eleven, heavily restricting the popular condiment…
Primary schools across France completely banned the unrestricted use of ketchup in their cafeterias back in two thousand and eleven, heavily restricting the…
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Berlin's wall peckers turned a border into souvenirs.
Berlin's wall peckers turned a border into souvenirs. After the border opened in 1989, people chipped pieces from the Berlin Wall with hammers and chisels.…
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A grazing Yellowstone bison is still faster than you.
A grazing Yellowstone bison is still faster than you. The park warns visitors to stay at least 25 yards from bison and notes that they can run about 35 mph.…
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Disneyland Paris experienced a massive wave of intense labor strikes where disgruntled cast members in full Mickey Mouse and Cinderella costumes marched directly through the…
Disneyland Paris experienced a massive wave of intense labor strikes where disgruntled cast members in full Mickey Mouse and Cinderella costumes marched…
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An Austrian village gained a look-alike in southern China.
An Austrian village gained a look-alike in southern China. A development in Guangdong recreated Hallstatt's recognizable church spire, square, and…
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Tulum's luxury boom puts pressure on the landscape it sells.
Tulum's luxury boom puts pressure on the landscape it sells. Rapid coastal development brings buildings, wastewater, and demand for energy into a sensitive…
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A famous Icelandic canyon needed a break from visitors.
A famous Icelandic canyon needed a break from visitors. Fjaðrárgljúfur gained attention after Justin Bieber's 2015 video, alongside Iceland's wider tourism…
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Dubrovnik has had to manage tourists like rush-hour traffic.
Dubrovnik has had to manage tourists like rush-hour traffic. The walled city funnels visitors through a small historic center while cruise ships deliver large…
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Thailand closed a movie-famous beach to let it recover.
Thailand closed a movie-famous beach to let it recover. Maya Bay became an international attraction after The Beach, and heavy tourism put its habitat under…
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Barcelona locals have started a major protest movement against mass tourism, culminating in residents aggressively squirting water guns at visitors trying to enjoy their tapas on outdoor restaurant patios.
Barcelona locals have started a major protest movement against mass tourism, culminating in residents aggressively squirting water guns at visitors trying to…
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A Japanese town blocked one famous view of Mount Fuji.
A Japanese town blocked one famous view of Mount Fuji. In 2024, Fujikawaguchiko erected a screen at a spot where tourists photographed Fuji above a Lawson…
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Gion's private alleys became a boundary against tourist harassment.
Gion's private alleys became a boundary against tourist harassment. In 2024, residents moved to restrict tourists from private lanes in Kyoto's Gion district…
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An airplane seatbelt opens differently from the one in your car.
An airplane seatbelt opens differently from the one in your car. You lift a metal flap rather than press a button, so the everyday motion you have practiced…
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A passenger flight may carry a coffin below the cabin.
A passenger flight may carry a coffin below the cabin. Human remains travel as specially handled cargo when families need to bring someone home for burial.…
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Hotel stars don't speak one global language.
Hotel stars don't speak one global language. Rating systems differ between countries and organizations. A star count may reflect required facilities, service…
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Buying a timeshare is widely considered one of the worst financial decisions a human being can make because the secondary market value for them is functionally zero dollars.
Buying a timeshare is widely considered one of the worst financial decisions a human being can make because the secondary market value for them is…
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Boarding back to front can make passengers block one another while stowing bags.
Boarding back to front can make passengers block one another while stowing bags. Methods that spread people through the cabin, or seat window passengers…
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