Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

The Thinking Traveller

HomeAll PostsThe Thinking Traveller

The Thinking Traveller

Activity Design and Art Do Something Different Europe For Women Only History Nature & the Environment North America Special Interest Technology The Thinking Traveller Travel Solo Unusual World Culture

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…
2021-11-100Comments

Read more

Activity Caribbean Design and Art Do Something Different Fun History Life of Luxury Nature & the Environment Relaxation Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Unusual

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…
2021-11-100Comments

Read more

Activity Adventure Do Something Different Fun History North America Outdoors Relaxation The Thinking Traveller Wilderness

Low-key Smokys

The Great Smoky Mountains, popularly known as the Great Smokies or the Smokies, is a mountain chain in the Southeastern United States that runs along the North Carolina-Tennessee border. This mountain chain is one of the subranges of the Appalachian Mountains and is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains forming the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. Read more…
2021-11-060Comments

Read more

Adventure Design and Art Do Something Different History Inspiration Middle East Nature & the Environment Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

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…
2021-11-060Comments

Read more

Activity Adventure Do Something Different Fun Nature & the Environment North America Outdoors Relaxation Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Travel Solo World Culture

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…
2021-11-040Comments

Read more

Adventure Design and Art Do Something Different Fun Inspiration Middle East Special Interest Spend Wisely Sponsorship Sustainability The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Miles of tiles

Many specialist skills, those creating and molding incredible pieces over the decades, have long since disappeared into our overall void of mass-manufactured sameness.  But, fortunately, there are those who still carry the torch of the artisan.  Saied Hussain has been hand making tiles out of cement for over 50 years. He says he’s one of the…
2021-11-020Comments

Read more

Adventure Alternative Lifestyle Design and Art Life of Luxury Romance Special Interest The Thinking Traveller

Like, how much actual money is there in the world?

If you added up all the money from all the countries in the world, how much would it amount to?  The short answer is, probably a lot. All jokes aside, to make this question answerable, let's start by asking, "How much money is there in actual United States dollars?" Since the statistics for the U.S. are…
2021-11-020Comments

Read more

Activity Adventure Asia Design and Art Do Something Different Fun History Relaxation Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Distinctive and immediately recognizable

The architecture of Japan is one of the things that sets the country apart from others. It's very distinctive and immediately recognizable, and something whose charm beckons out to many tourists. While in cities like Tokyo, where landscapes change continuously as older buildings give way to new and modern ones, there are areas where you can take a look…
2021-11-020Comments

Read more

Adventure Design and Art Do Something Different Europe Food and Drink For Women Only Fun History Lifestyle Partytime Special Interest Spend Wisely The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Uh . . . coffee-flavoured coffee?

Nearly every expat or regular visitor can remember their first words in Spanish. They may not be the first you were taught, or learned from a self-teaching course pack, but the ones that most stuck in your head, or the first sentence you were able to pronounce without hesitating. But did you know that there's more…
2021-11-010Comments

Read more

Activity Do Something Different Europe Fun Life of Luxury Mindfulness Special Interest Special Offers / Deals Spend Wisely The Thinking Traveller Unusual World Culture

A penny for your plots, my dear

Buying a home is pricey, unless you plan on moving to the small town of Legrad in Croatia, in which case, it’s unbelievably cheap - as low as 1¢ US. Legrad once had the second-biggest population in Croatia, but when the Austro-Hungarian empire collapsed, new borders were formed. And the town — which is on the…
2021-11-010Comments

Read more

Activity Adventure Do Something Different For Women Only History Mindfulness Nature & the Environment Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Travel Solo Wilderness

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…
2021-10-310Comments

Read more

Adventure Asia Design and Art Do Something Different Europe Fun History Nature & the Environment Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Travel Solo World Culture

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…
2021-10-310Comments

Read more

Activity Adventure Do Something Different Europe Fun Health Nature & the Environment Special Interest Technology The Thinking Traveller Wilderness

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…
2021-10-310Comments

Read more

Adventure Design and Art Do Something Different Europe Fun Health Life of Luxury Outdoors Relaxation Special Interest Spend Wisely The Thinking Traveller Unusual World Culture

Liechtenswhere?

One of the only two doubly landlocked nations in the world, the ‘Principality of Liechtenstein’ is unquestionably a European country worth exploring. As of July 2010, the nation accommodates a meagre population of 35,002. It is widely acknowledged as a tax haven and was accused of assisting wealthy Germans in tax evasions involving millions of Euros. Liechtenstein…
2021-10-300Comments

Read more

Adventure Do Something Different Fun History Nature & the Environment Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Unusual Wilderness

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…
2021-10-300Comments

Read more

Adventure Africa Do Something Different Inspiration Nature & the Environment Outdoors Special Interest Spend Wisely Sponsorship Sustainability The Thinking Traveller Volunteering Wilderness World Culture

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…
2021-10-290Comments

Read more

Activity Do Something Different Europe Food and Drink Partytime Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Unusual

The 10 most beautiful Wetherspoons?

Yes, you read that right. For those not familar, Wetherspoons is a chain of pubs in the UK that have a "reputation."  They offer some of the most inexpensive places to have a pint of beer anywhere.  However, some words that are associated with that include "fights", "drunk", "yobs" and more.  And, to be honest, there…
2021-10-290Comments

Read more

Adventure Asia Design and Art Do Something Different Europe Fun History Nature & the Environment North America Outdoors Partytime Places Special Interest Technology The Thinking Traveller World Culture

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…
2021-10-280Comments

Read more

Alternative Lifestyle Design and Art Do Something Different Europe For Women Only Inspiration Life of Luxury Lifestyle Places Special Interest Spend Wisely Sustainability Technology The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Never too small

There's a wonderful series on YouTube called Never Too Small.  It's short videos created by clever (usually young) people who, by choice or by necessity have taken an often tiny space and turned it into a comfortable and sensible dwelling. What we like about this channel is that, although the individuals have likely been forced…
2021-10-280Comments

Read more