KRUSHUNA WATERFALLS

One exceptionally beautiful place hidden in the mountains near the village of Krushuna, Bulgaria. The waterfalls are in the northern part of the Devetashka Cave and are abundant in small thresholds, karst ledges and water pools. The Krushuna Waterfalls (“Maarata”) were announced a natural sight of interest in 1995 with an area of 5,7 hectares.  The spring water of the Vodopada Cave Falls down from 20 meters high rocks, creating the Krushuna Waterfall. The waterfalls are quite popular with the local population and people often go there for a picnic in the weekend. There are several trails you can follow, with foot bridges allowing you to reach picturesque places. Past the head of the waterfalls, are various campgrounds and an entrance to a cave. Apparently it is possible to Scuba dive these caves, but its is an unconfirmed report.

On the north end of the Devetashko plateau, 34 kilometres east of the town of Lovetch, and 8 kilometres north of the city of Letnitza, at the south end of the Krushuna village, you will find the majestic Maarata waterfalls. Maarata is the biggest Bulgarian waterfall cascading through a wealth of quarries within an enchanted and rich flora where much wildlife still thrives. Here is one of the most beautiful water caves in Bulgaria – the Vodopada Cave (“The Waterfall”), with beautiful underground passages and a difficult for orientation labyrinth.

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Bambu Indah, Indonesia

Bambu Indah means beautiful bamboo in Balinese. Located in Bali, Indonesia, Bambu Indah is beautiful eco-rustic resort which is run to a very “green” standard in the entire compound brings you back to nature and closer to the earth with the gardens to explore. The villa-resort is owned by John Hardy, a jewelry designer who sold his jewelry business in 2007 and devotes his time to ecological projects such as the Green School in Bali.

The villa is comprised of seven beautiful unique Javanese houses, traditional built by Javanese tribes over 100 years ago. Decorated with local furniture and art work, each house is unique with decoration reflecting its names; Antique, Yellow, Rice, Kolam, Jawa lama, Elora and Africa.

Each of the Java Houses has a comfortable bed with hand made mosquito netting, goose down pillows, mini bar, IDD telephone, in-room safe, a suite shower with rainfall shower and hand-hammered copper washbasin, copper and nice designed bath up, bathroom amenities, hair dryer, air conditioning, ceiling fan and private veranda.

The guests have a chance to try the traditional breakfasts consists of local fruits like mangosteen and rambutan, plus homemade bread and Indonesia’s strong Toraja coffee. Dinner ($25 a person) might consist of organic greens followed by local grilled fish.

Official site:  www.bambuindah.com/

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Sheikh Zayed Mosque, UAE

Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates and considered within the Top 10 biggest mosques in the world. The total building area exceeds 22,412 sq. m, about the size of five football fields. Officially opened in the Islamic month of Ramadan in 2007, the mosque accommodates more than 40,000 worshippers.

 

The interior is spectacular, with 1,000 columns, gold glass, and a wall featuring the 99 names of Allah. The beautiful mosque is completely clad in the finest white marble covering an area of more than 22,000sq m. The mosque has four minarets with a height of about 107 metres each and consists of 57 domes covering the outside yards. All the domes of the mosque are decorated with white marble and the interior decor was made of the white gypsum. Twenty seven other varieties of marble were used in the building. The best types of the colored floral marble and mosaics have been used to adorn the several walls, pillars and the courtyard of the mosque which is about 17,000 sq m. 

While not the largest mosque in the world it does have a couple of record-breaking features, both of which cost over $8million. The mosque has achieved three entries into the Guinness Book of World Records with the largest carpet, the biggest chandelier and the largest dome of its kind in the world.
The world’s largest carpet: it covers the floor of the main prayer hall at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. A 6,000 sq m hand-made Persian carpet, said to be the biggest in the world… 1200 Iranian women spent 2 years weaving the carpet, weighing in at a huge 45 tonnes and created with over 2 billion knots.
The world’s biggest dome: The main dome is also “the biggest” mosque dome in the world, 75 metres high with a 32.2-metre diameter.

 

The world’s largest chandelier: The world’s biggest Swarovski crystal bejeweled gold-plated chandelier, finished in gold, holding 40 million pieces of crystal… Housed in the main prayer hall, it is 15-metre tall, 10-metre in diameter and weighs 9 tonnes.

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is not off-limits to non-Muslims.

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The Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge

The Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge is the only hotel to abut the 15th-century ancient Incan site. Located within the Sanctuary of the Inca citadel, Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, the hotel is sets at 8,100 feet above sea level. Its location gives you easy access to the ruins as well as breathtaking scenery.

You enter into a simple check–in area and leather sitting area, with photos from a 1912 National Geographic expedition lining the walls of this and the neighboring bar and restaurant. The Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge has 2 suites and 29 rooms, 12 of them, with an amazing view of the mountains.   The Lodge interior garden, apart from the beautiful panoramic view, has 300-odd species of orchids and local flowers.

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Orakei Korako Cave, New Zealand

Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park, also known as The Hidden Valley, is located off the beaten track, between Taupo and Rotorua. Situated just 25 minutes north of Taupo and 45 minutes south of Rotorua, Orakei Korako is a pocket wonderland of geysers, silica terraces, hot springs, boiling mud pools and the majestic Ruatapu Caves. It’s a geothermal wonderland, one of nature’s true gifts. 

 

There is a vast number of boiling hot springs to view as well as mud pools and extensive bush walks through areas of native flora and fauna. There’s also a lovely bush walk that ends up at the sacred Ruatapu Cave (one of two geothermal caves known to exist) where you can go descend to an incredible thermal mirror pool.

The lowest terrace is the jade-green Emerald Terrace, which is the largest of its kind in New Zealand since the destruction of the famed Pink and White Terraces in the Mount Tarawera eruption of 1886. The Emerald Terrace continues 35 metres under the lake, which was formed for hydropower.

 

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La Casa Que Canta, Mexico

La Casa Que Canta is just a short taxi ride from the quaint town of Zihuatanejo which offers bars, fine restaurants and shops with a genuine Mexican flavour and a winding bazaar of fresh fruits and crafts. An attentive service, a delectable cuisine, a spa, an infinity-edged pool and amazing views across Zihuatanejo Bay. The resort is regarded as being one of the best places in Mexico where the visitors can spend their vacations.

Staying at La Casa Que Canta, Mexico is an experience of a lifetime. The La Casa Que Canta offers a natural scenic splendor of the seaside of Mexico and this has led it to be regarded as one of the best hotels in Latin America. Every room and suite has a breathtaking view of the sea. Suites benefit from large terraces, hand-crafted furniture and a complimentary mini-bar.

It is all magical but the pool with backdrop of rock, palms and tumbling flowers is sublime. The La Casa Que Canta, Mexico has won the “Tatler Best Private Pools Award” in the year 2004. Dine on Mexican seafood specialties then pick up some tips in cookery lessons with the chef. Take a safflower salt body scrub and yoga class then head out to sea for a romantic sunset tour or deep-sea fishing adventure. Official site:http://www.lacasaquecanta.com/

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Fox Glaciers, New Zealand

Fox Glacier is New Zealand’s largest commercially guided glacier, situated in Glacier Country, on the West Coast of the South Island, only 21 km’s south of Franz Josef.

It offers a range of activities — snow walks, aerial flights — similar to that of Franz Josef. Unlike most of the world’s glaciers, Fox has been advancing since 1985 and, as of 2006, was moving at a rate of one metre per week.

As one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, tourists can walk right up to the terminal face free of charge to see the glacier, you can walk to the terminal face, arrange an ice-hiking adventure or book a sightseeing flight.

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Kelimutu Mountain

The island of Flores, east of Java and part of Indonesia‘s Lesser Sunda islands, has many claims to fame. For one, it is a home of indigenous giant rat and dwarf elephants. For another archeologists recently unearthed the remains of ‘real-life hobbits‘, a race of people that only averaged a height of 1 m and a possible predecessor of the pygmy. Kelimutu Mountain is one of the best places in the world to watch the sun rise. Three volcanic crater lakes sit at its peak, and, because of the unusual geochemical conditions, the water in the lakes changes color. Photo by: Jano “Square”

At the far west the Lake of Old People has blue water, next to it the Lake of Young Men and Maidens has green water and sitting beside that is the red water of the Bewitched Lake on the southeast site of the volcano. Over time, the water changes color due to fluctuating acidity levels – what might was green one day, may be coffee colored, black or bright blue on another day. Streaks of minerals deposits leak into the lake and provide more colors. Photo by: Miepke

Visitors have to get up in a very early hours of the morning to drive up the mountain and walk the final step to the top, but it’s worth it. Watching the sun rise over an ethereal scene in the barren volcanic moonscape, with the painted pools of water behind, is an extraordinary experience. Some people say they should be on the list of the Wonders of the World. You can certainly sit for hours and enjoy the view.Photo by: inparadiso

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Floating Swimming Pool

In 2004 Berlin added a new attraction on the Spree River. This attraction is a stunning art installation with a floating swimming pool attached to wooden decking at the water’s edge. The people in Berlin fell in love with it, a permanent pool that is even covered during the winter, is home to a bar and stays open until midnight. The whole structure looks fantastic, especially at night, and is a reminder that a small amount of creativity can go a long way.

The attraction is called Winter Badeschiff, designed by local artist Susanne Lorenz. Today the structure offers a pristine 8 x 32 meter pool. Resting almost level with the Spree’s surface the design gives one the sensation of swimming in the river itself with the city skyline as a dramatic backdrop.

An open-air recreational complex in the warm months, the curving translucent shelter and saunas were added just last December, under the direction of architect Gil Wilk, making the Badeschiff suitable for winter use.

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