Deep in the Caucasus mountains of Georgia is a town called Bochorna. The highest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe, it has an altitude of 7,694 feet—or six Empire State buildings stacked on top of each other—and a population of one. But to get there, to that man, and to that town, you need to ford…
Unusual
For years there have been jokes about the "tin foil hats" people: the doomsayers, the mountain men, the survivalists, the crazies, the Government Plot believers. Others would look askance at them, walk to the other side of the street to avoid them.
Well, there is no doubt that mother earth is struggling, and we humans may…
In 1986, Vancouver hosted the World's Fair. An event like that is a big deal not only for the hosting city, but also for the brands that sponsor and appear in the fair. McDonald's was no exception: behold the McBarge. The 57-metre, two-storey glass-and-metal barge was used as a floating McDonald’s restaurant during the world’s…
PRUDES: look away now. Inspiration comes from the most unusual places. You can never predict what an artist will do to make a statement or grab your attention. Art comes in all styles, from the Romans to the Renaissance the Impressionists and beyond. And so much of it has been saved for us by museums,…
You've got questions? We've got answers - especially to ones that you probably thought you'd never find yourself asking. Unless you're bored, doing research or are an anorak. This particular peculiarity focuses on the urgent need to understand why airline captains sit on the left-hand side of the plane? You'll find out here, but if…
Sometimes, we don't realise how lucky we are.
If you're not familiar with this story, prepare to be amazed. Kowloon Walled City was an ungoverned and densely populated de jure Chinese enclave within the boundaries of Kowloon City, British Hong Kong.
Originally a Chinese military fort, the walled city became an enclave after the New Territories were…
Do you fully recognise that "they are among us?" Do you fashion yourself as an extraterrestrial hunter? Do you have the knowledge, desire and hardware to search for them? The US Pentagon says there’s no explanation for “unidentified aerial phenomenon” detected by pilots over the years. But scientists use tools such as the SETI Allen…
The electric interwebs are full of articles and videos about failed attempts on a grand scale. We know that there was thought and planning put into these - there had to be.
But, in the cases here, the dreams crumbled in a number of different ways. Rather than ridcule, let's be glad that we're able to…
This is a simple, but very important request. For those of us who are fortunate enough to travel, this should almost be mandatory.
UNESCO has created the Sustainable Tourism Pledge. The pledge takes an industry-first approach to environmental and cultural protection, requiring hotel operators to introduce firm measures to eliminate single-use plastics and promote local culture.
The…
"If looks could thrill it would have been us instead of him" All the children sing. These looks will thrill - at Reserva Alecrim EcoSuite & Glamping in Portugal. The properties, the views, the surroundings, the location - wow! And the bungalows look more like dwellings on the moon. Set by a lake in the Alentejo…
Either by design, or by bad planning, or if you're simply a glutton for punishment, here is something to dread, or spend months preparing for. What are the world’s longest non-stop routes between July and December this year (2021)? The aviation world has changed greatly and we wanted to offer an updated list of these…
We suspect that there are some football fans in our audience: in this instance we are talking about the football played around the world - you know, the round ball, black and white. Some football fans are beyond passionate: they get tattoos of their team, name their children after star players, relocate to cities where…
India is a wonderful place full of wonderful people and lots of surprises. Here's one. Jatayu Earth Center, also known as Jatayu Nature Park or Jatayu Rock, is a park and tourism centre at Chadayamangalam in Kollam district of Kerala. It stands at an altitude of 350m above the mean sea level. Jatayu Nature Park…
This sounds like fun, but, most importantly, has a very good intent at its heart. You can win two seats on one of the first Virgin Galactic flights to space. Sir Richard Branson is putting his money and his spaceship where his mouth is. Here's what's you can look forward to: Make history as you…
Even if you're a climate denier, you can't deny that the earth is sending all sorts of messages to us. Read the news - we don't need to explain it here. The National Geographic has been following this for a long time. They say that weather and climate patterns around the world are already shifting…
Do you sometimes feel like you want to go away and stay away? Well, you'll be glad to know that, as always, we here at Matouring have solutions for you. Near or far, we have solutions at our fingertips and are eager to share them with you. May we present the Tash Rabat Caravanserai in…
...be sure to visit SFO. The airport itself is a wonderland, especially since the team there have lovingly and carefully been saving artefacts, toys and more. And you can see them. There are dozens of exhibitions happening at SFO. The San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum provides unique opportunities…
... just to tear it down, and mess it around? The Italian city that destroys itself: Here it was – the Catholic guilt. My fear of judgment, which had lain dormant for years since my schoolgirl days, now rose in my throat as I waited for the priest to exit the Church of Santo Gemine…
As is often the case with Matouring.com, we tend to gravitate toward the more unusual aspects of our world. Who wants "the same old same old"? And if you're a regular here, you'll know how much we love technology, especially planes, trains and hyperloops. So here is an article about people who have travelled to…
Every country and every peoples have stories to tell. The Chinese have such a long and colourful history, it's only natural that their catalogue is perfect for relaying those stories via opera. The West Kowloon District in Hong Kong, has the Xiqu Centre which is dedicated to preservation of the art of traditional Cantonese opera,…