Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Qingdao Haiwan Bridge - China World’s Longest Sea Bridge
Monday, December 13, 2010
World’s Beautiful Rooftop Nightlife | Top 10
1. Sirocco
Bangkok, ThailandNo night out in Bangkok is complete without a couple cocktails at Sirocco. Perched on top of The Dome at State Tower, 64th floors above the hectic streets of Bangkok, this sexy rooftop bar boasts 360 degree views of the city with city lights in every direction, as far as the eye can see. If you’re looking for a picturesque place to dine, they also serve dinner.
2. The Penthouse
Madrid, Spain
3. Luna Bar
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
4. Rooftop Bar
Melbourne, Australia
5. Gravity
Dublin, Ireland
6. Top Floor Bar
London, United Kingdom
7. Moon
Las Vegas, Nevada
8. Captain Bar
Shanghai, China
9. Hudson Sky Terrace
New York, New York
10. Condesa DF Rooftop Bar
Mexico City, Mexico
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Top 10 Romantic Castles | Most Beautiful Romantic Castles
At the center of every fairy tale is a castle with towers and parapets. The original castles were rustic fortresses designed for war. Centuries later, castles became lavish and often fanciful expressions of power, wealth, and luxury. For castle enthusiasts everywhere, here are some of the world's most romantic castles, including medieval castles and modern-day recreations of castle architecture.
1. Dunguaire Castle in Ireland
With its 75 foot tower, the 16th century Dunguaire Castle is one of the most often photographed castles in Ireland.2. Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain

3. Biltmore Estate in North Carolina

4. Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany

5. Johnstown Castle in Ireland

6. Abbassid Castle in Baghdad, Iraq

7. Hearst Castle in California

8. Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands, New York

9. Prague Castle in the Hradcany

10. Leeds Castle in England

Saturday, December 4, 2010
America's Top 10 Dirtiest Cities | 20 million people in these cities
No. 10: Pittsburgh-New Castle, Pennsylvania
Population: 2.4 millionShort-term particle pollution rank: 3
Year-round particle pollution rank: 5
Ozone pollution rank: n/a
One-hundred seventy-five million Americans live in counties with unhealthy air.

No. 9: Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Yuba City, Calif./Nev.
Population: 2.4 millionShort-term particle pollution rank: 6
Year-round particle pollution rank: n/a
Ozone pollution rank: 5
Sacramento incentivizes residents to trade in gasoline lawn mowers for electric ones, diesel-powered trucks for hybrid ones and old wood stoves for new ones.

No. 8: Modesto, Calif.
Population: 511,000Short-term particle pollution rank: 9
Year-round particle pollution rank: 14
Ozone pollution rank: 22
Home to the largest winery in the world, operated by E&J Gallo, which also runs world's largest wine bottle factory here.

No. 7: Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, Ala.
Population: 1.2 millionShort-term particle pollution rank: 5
Year-round particle pollution rank: 7
Ozone pollution rank: 19
Three old coal-fired power plants contribute to high levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, soot and mercury around Birmingham.

No. 6: Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.
Population: 4.3 millionShort-term particle pollution rank: 14
Year-round particle pollution rank: 1
Ozone pollution rank: 11
Asthmatics used to flock to Phoenix for clean air. Yet today the Valley of the Sun's inversion layer traps pollutants, creating the city's "Brown Cloud."

No. 5: Hanford-Corcoran, Calif.
Population: 150,000Short-term particle pollution rank: 10
Year-round particle pollution rank: 8
Ozone pollution rank: 6
Hundreds of aircraft based at the giant Naval Air Station in nearby Lemoore doesn't help Hanford's air quality.

No. 4: Visalia-Porterville, Calif.
Population: 430,000Short-term particle pollution rank: 8
Year-round particle pollution rank: 3
Ozone pollution rank: 3
Proximity to the giant trees of Sequoia National Park isn't enough to clean Visalia's smoggy San Joaquin Valley air.

No. 3: Fresno-Madera, Calif.
Population: 1.1 millionShort-term particle pollution rank: 2
Year-round particle pollution rank: 6
Ozone pollution rank: 4
Cars, agriculture, petroleum and mega-dairies all contribute to the brown haze that hangs over the San Joaquin Valley.

No. 2: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif.
Population: 17.8 millionShort-term particle pollution rank: 4
Year-round particle pollution rank: 3
Ozone pollution rank: 1
University of Calgary researchers found in 2008 that salty coastal air mixed with sunshine and pollutants helps create unexpectedly high levels of ground-level ozone.

No. 1: Bakersfield, Calif.
Population: 800,000Short-term particle pollution rank: 1
Year-round particle pollution rank: 2
Ozone pollution rank: 2
Hot, dusty and surrounded by California's San Joaquin Valley oil fields, Bakersfield has all the ingredients for the worst air in the nation.

Thursday, November 25, 2010
World's beautiful Tallest Hotels | Luxury Boutique Hotels & Resorts
Height: 226 m (741 ft). 73 floors.
9. JR Central Hotel Tower. Nagoya. Japan.
Height: 226 m (741 ft). 53 floors
According to Emporis, Oasis Skyway Garden Hotel in Shanghai is also 226 m (742 ft) high and therefore, it shares the ninth place on the list with the Nagoya's complex.
8. Lanko·Grand Hyatt Hotel. Chongqing. China
Height: 258 m (846 ft). 60 floors.
7. Grand Lisboa. Macao. China.
Height: 261 m (856 ft). 47 floors.
6. The Cullinan I. Hong Kong. China.
Height: 270 m (886 ft) 68 floors.
5. Baiyoke Tower II. Bangkok. Thailand
Height: 304 m (997 ft). 85 floors
4. Jumeirah Emirates Towers .Dubai. United Arab Emirates
Height: 309 m (1,014 ft). 56 floors
3. Burj Al Arab. Dubai. United Arab Emirates
Height: 321 m (1,053 ft). 60 floors.
2. Ryugyong Hotel. Pyongyang. North Korea.
Height: 330 m (1,083 ft). 105 floors.
1. Rose Tower. Dubai. United Arab Emirates.
Height: 333 m (1,093 ft). 72 floors.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
10 World’s Most Remote Hotels | Luxurious Lodge Room
When you’re planning a vacation to get rid of all your stress and completely relax yourself, there are a lot of wonderful remote hotels around the world that allow you to enjoy your great moment with your family or couple!



1 ) Bloomfield Lodge, Cairns Australia
Beneath a canopy of foliage, a bewildering array of plants jostle for supremacy in this, the largest stretch of tropical rainforest left in Australia. Evolution has continued here, virtually undisturbed, for at least 100 million years; the result is a stunning gallery of nature’s greenest handiwork. Bloomfield Lodge nestles here within this magnificent ecosystem on the shores of the Coral Sea, offering a unique and relaxing way to experience the tropical rainforest. With a maximum of 34 guests, Bloomfield has an intimate, relaxed atmosphere, with no pressures, no formalities, no interference from the outside world. Dress is informal, activities are optional (though very popular), and you will return home refreshed and invigorated from your stay.




2 ) Winterlake, Alaska
Extremely remote, yet extraordinarily luxurious. For many, tiny Winterlake Lodge and its sister property, Redoubt Bay Lodge, are the quintessential Alaskan wilderness lodges. Winterlake is for those who truly appreciate—and can afford—to stay in the middle of nowhere, surrounded only by Alaska’s glorious nature. Winterlake Lodge is so remote, in fact, you’ll have to take a float plane just to get there. But once there, you’ll discover cozy, first-class lodges, gourmet meals, and amazing day trips. The lodge’s hosts, Carl and Kirsten Dixon, have created a rustic yet upscale approach to the wilderness lodge. They’re true Alaskans who have home schooled their children and created this family-run business—and their love of nature, food, and people comes through clearly.




3 ) Kokopelli’s Cave, Farmington, New Mexico
Retired geologist Bruce Black wanted to build a cave, so he gave some laid-off Grants miners $20,000 to bore as deeply as they could into the side of a cliff face. This luxury apartment was the result. Built in a semicircle, both the entry hall and the bedroom have wide sliding glass doors leading to little balconies beyond which the cliff face drops hundreds of feet below. This really is a cliff dwelling, and you must hike a bit down to it, though good guardrails guide you. The apartment is laid out around a broad central pillar, and the ceilings and walls are thick, undulating stone. A grill is outside, as are chairs where you can relax in the mornings and evenings. Fruit, juice, coffee, and pastries make up a self-serve breakfast.





4 ) Jules Undersea Lodge, Florida
The Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo Florida was just recently among the top ten most remote places to stay. When it comes to getting away from it all, this motel is true to that as it requires guests to scuba dive down twenty-one feet through a lagoon for entrance. Forbes puts Jules Undersea Lodge among The World’s Most Remote Hotels list they unveiled just recently. Most other undersea hotels require walking down to them somehow, but not Jules, which requires scuba diving to the former underwater research lab in Key Largo. Apparently the accommodations are pretty slick, although the amount of space for you and the rest of your group isn’t too vast. Guests sometimes describe their visit to inner space as the most incredible experience of their lives. One couple decided on a career change after visiting Jules’ Undersea Lodge, and they now operate Aquanauts’ Dive Shop. Another couple named their baby after Jules’, when they later discovered their recently conceived child had accompanied them in their wonderful adventure in undersea living.





5 ) The Andean Cottage, Peru
Andean Cottage is part of the Suasi Island Hotel, Peru’s only solar-powered hotel. Situated 12,500 feet above sea level and surrounded by Lake Titicaca, the cottage location is only accessible either via an arduous drive or a three-and-a-half-hour speedboat trip across the lake. The cottage itself is a cozy suite built entirely out of traditional materials including stone, wood and totora reed and includes two rooms, a private bathroom, living room and kitchenette. Indulge in private butler service and head out to the pier to soak in the lake views. There are plenty of trails to check out, and you can visit Andean farming plots or take a canoe ride around the island. The cottage features a large living room and bar, and a 2nd bedroom with 2 double beds. Each room in the suite has large picture windows with lake-level views. At night, a personal bilingual butler (on call 24 hours) arrives to light the 2 wood-burning chimneys in the cottage, and dinner can even be delivered if you prefer to dine in the cottage or on the deck.







6 ) The Beach House at Manafaru, Maldives
The Beach House at Manafaru Maldives recreates the style and charm of traditional Maldivian hospitality, while seamlessly blending Asian traditions of simplicity and elegance to its overall appeal. The resort offers a level of serenity unsurpassed in the Maldives. Sleek, contemporary and sexy, The Beach House offers unparalleled luxury to the discerning few. Each villa and suite offers a private pool, complete privacy and a personal butler to pre-empt and exceed your expectations. World-class cuisine from all corners of the world combined with countless on- and off-shore recreational facilities round up the truly supreme character of the The Beach House at Manafaru Maldives.




7 ) Desroches Island Resort, Seychelles
Desroches Island, remote and unspoiled, is the largest island of the Amirantes group situated 250km or a 35 minute flight from Mahé. Secreted beneath the shade of coconut palms, the Desroches Island Resort has immaculate beaches, crystal blue waters and is protected by its own coral reef. The resort boasts 20 Junior Suites against a backdrop of powder-soft sands and waving palms. Rich in corals and marine life, Desroches offers excellent opportunities for diving, deep-sea and fly-fishing and other facilities such as windsurfs, canoes, pedalos and laser mini-sails.




8 ) Hotel Arctic, Greenland
Hotel Arctic, the world’s most northerly 4 star hotel with a 5 star conference centre. Right on the edge of the Ilulissat Ice Fjord – a wonder of the world which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List – and well within reach for everyone who wants the experience of a lifetime. Hotel Arctic has 87 rooms – all of which have a view of the Ice Bank, Disko Bay or Ilulissat town. Rooms in all categories naturally have all the comfort the guests expect. There are disabled-friendly rooms and facilities so the unbelievable Arctic experience is available for everybody. In addition there are five absolutely unique two-person igloo cabins made of aluminium that are available from May to October and provide a front row view of the Ice Fjord. The igloos are located at the end of a wooden causeway just a short walk from the hotel but in many ways they are in a totally different universe.




9 ) Petit St. Vincent Resort, St. Vincent and Grenadines
Petit St.Vincent (locally known as PSV) lies 40 miles south of St.Vincent in the Grenadines; a group of islands sprinkled across the most beautiful stretch of water in the Caribbean. Part of the Windward Island chain, the Grenadines drift southwesterly from St. Vincent, the largest of more than 30 islands that make up the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Petit St. Vincent is a romantic paradise of softly rolling hills spread over 113 acres, surrounded by two miles of white sand beaches. PSV has 22 discreet and simple, yet luxurious cottages. Experience total privacy. Lying well off the tourist mainstream, PSV has no airport, no formal check in, no keys. There are no televisions or telephones in the cottages, just a simple flag system for communication with the attentive staff. It is the perfect Caribbean hideaway.

10 ) The Garvault Hotel, Scotland
The Garvault Hotel is set in one of the last great wilderness areas of Britain and is the most remote hotel in mainland Britain. Nestled in the shadow of Beinn Griam Mor overlooking the forest framed loch Rimsdale and surrounded by vast rolling heather clad hills the Garvault hotel has fantastic uninterrupted views over the unique landscape of flow country. At the Garvault hotel, we always offer a warm welcome, with a traditional peat fire, relaxing atmosphere and comfortable lounges we strive to make your stay more peaceful and comfortable than you could have thought possible. Relax in the hotel’s comfortable lounges, enjoy good cheer in the hotel’s fully licensed bar, dining room and pool table. All of the Garvault Hotel’s rooms have either a private bath or shower and there are stunning views and plenty to keep all the family occupied.
reference link : Forbes
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