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Nature & the Environment

Nature & the Environment

Stave awake

Talk about accuracy.  Have you heard of Stave churches?  When the Viking finally converted to Christianity (11th to 12th century) they certainly did it in style. The churches themselves are made entirely of wood, often without even nails or screws. Their name comes from the unique post-and-lintel system used in construction—thick wooden posts known as…

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Message in a bottle

Sending out an SOS . .  Some things are just not meant to be. The beautiful island of Montserrat is known for many things - breathtaking - almost otherworldly - scenery, surrounded by glorious seas, world-class architecture and, at one point, one of the top recording studios in the world. George Martin (probably the fifth…

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Prosaic mosaic

As we humans (supposedly) get smarter, we should also do smart things.  That's not always the case, but here it is.  In 2010, workers encountered an especially impressive mosaic while digging the foundation for a new hotel in Antakya, Turkey. They found an ancient mosaic measuring 9,000 square feet, making it the largest intact mosaic ever…

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Dive light in

Deep blue waters that glow in the dark come night-time sound like something out of a fairytale. However, that's exactly what the world's bioluminescent bays offer, and they make for a pretty spectacular sight. The eye-catching effect is actually the result of a high concentration of plankton which, when they move, causes the waters to light up…

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Not just G adventures: 5G!

The more you travel, the more you want to travel.  And each time you go, you want even more.  More adventures, more variety, more experiences, more personal. If this sounds like you, our affiliate friends G Adventures are the travel guides for you.  Never the typical tour, they have the choices to take you way…

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Wonders worth searching for

Many of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World collapsed into rubble a long time ago. The Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria, both of which were destroyed by earthquakes. Some of these wonders perhaps never existed at all, like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. We are going to take a look at…

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Have you packed your bike?

Look!  It's a Saab! Let's face it, exercise is a must-have if you want to slide your way into a healthy old age.  Walking is a natural first choice, and it requires no major equipment outlay. But, riding a bicycle takes your exercise - and fun - to another level entirely.  Bikes these days are…

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Hole-y crap!

Planet Earth holds some of the strangest, natural tourist destinations in the solar system.  Earth is perpetually bombarded with debris from outer space. Luckily for us, most of it burns up during entry through our atmosphere and we enjoy this bright burn in the night sky in the form of fleeting meteor showers. But on…

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Watch your step

We think this is a good thing:  recycling is the way forward.  And here's an unusual and creative take on it. A massive new theme park is being built in the Middle East - on an oil rig. The project, called The Rig, will be spread over a whopping 1.6 million sqft in Saudi Arabia…

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Climate games

More and more, it's hard to support those individuals who are unconvinced about climate change when, thanks to technology, we can see it before our very eyes.  And, even if we turn out to be incorrect, will we not have moved humankind a few steps forward into a better world? YouTube is striving for a…

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Dome sweet dome

As we travel the world, not only do we become familiar with the unfamiliar, but we also, over time, see past the obvious and start to focus on the unremarkable or the unusual.  Sometimes it's a reflex action, other times it just drifts into our conciousness. One of those times is when you start to…

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No Smoking

Climate naysayers, look away.  Other people are making things happen. Flights between London and Rotterdam will be operated by a 19-seater Dornier 228 aircraft. The plane, powered solely by hydrogen, is currently under development at ZeroAvia’s facilities in Kemble in the UK. The company says it is ‘well advanced’ in preparing it for flight testing at Cotswolds…

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HOTacama

Within the Andes Mountains, the San Pedro Hot Springs is a place to press pause and contemplate, which interrupts a transnational highway between Chile and Argentina. Although these natural pools became a public landmark within the route, they eventually fell over time into a state of abandonment and deterioration as a result of the constant…

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Go FlixHound – and leave the driving to us.

We often write about modern modes of travel, such as trains.  Most of the world use them daily.  They're efficient, fast, inexpensive and ecologically a good idea. Buses are another good alternative to automobiles, as you can transport dozens of travelers, in comfort, to locations where flights may not exist. But, in both cases, the good ole'…

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Where blue equals orange

We're uncomplicated, here.  Some of the most simple things make us the happiest.  In this case, we're really excited about a new joint venture that's just been announced. Canada's Air Transat and the UK's Easyjet have created a new cooperative to combine Air Transat and EasyJet flights to open up travel to over 130 additional…

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Battleship holiday

Here's another article for those who have seen it before and have done it before. You’ve seen it in James Bond's Skyfall and all over the media. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ruins of Nagasaki Prefecture‘s abandoned Hashima Island, better known as Gunkanjima (or “Battleship Island”), has attracted attention for its post-apocalyptic appearance. Well,as you…

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Falling …. with style

We here at Matouring.com like our adventure.  We've been to dozens of countries, hundreds of cities and have loved every minute of it.  But there are some things we just won't do. But maybe you will - skydiving.  If your life is not thrilling enough, then perhaps this is your next big adventure.  Read more…

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Because, because, because, because, be Oz

Let's get straight to the point.  Most of us work hard in order to be able to squeeze just a little bit a pleasure into our lives.  So, may we present the proverbial carrot to you now... The Luxury Lodges of Australia, a collection of 19 lodges and camps located throughout Australia, represent Australia's diverse…

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Aire o’ Mexico

Mexico City is an exciting, sprawling, tangled, vibrant, diverse, crazy, inspiring and unforgettable place.  If you've been, you know.  Maybe you've even been able to cover a lot of ground there.  With almost 10,000,000 inhabitants, there is a lot going on.  You've got to be tough, but, boy, is it worth it. If you haven't…

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A slight Nordic edge

Many of us have learned, over the years, that Christopher Columbus (real name Cristoforo Colombo) discovered North America in 1492 -  way before McDonald's was founded. But,  we now know that half a millennium before Columbus crossed the Atlantic, the Vikings reached the “New World”, as the remains of timber buildings at L’Anse aux Meadows on…

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