Posted by Ra Moon
With Django Unchained (2012), Quentin Tarantino updated western movie cliches according to his distinctive point of view.
Tarantino…
The Machines of the Isle is an original theme park based in Nantes, in the banks of the Loire river in France. The area around the former docks of this city was redeveloped to host this project, including elements that seem out of an alternative future, Steampunk-style.
Le Grand Éléphant, a massive articulated robot is the star of the exhibition. It has even become the official symbol of the city of Nantes.
The imaginative world of Jules Verne mixed with the mechanical universe of Leonardo da Vinci, as themselves claim. We could add some more sources of …
And it's not the only one: Burma is on fire! Not only literally due to the resurgence of tribal armed conflicts. Tourism is finally booming and recently long queues have been reported in embassies to get a visa. Even Obama has officially visited this Buddhist republic, just after his reelection.
Independent travel to Myanmar requires an extra effort of organization. There are no ATMs available, it's hard to book accommodation beforehand, and you need special permissions to go to some areas among other logistic handicaps.
So, is it worth all the hassle? Whatever you decide, Atlas of Wonders believes that a selection of marvelous pictures worth more than a thousand words. Here are the top highlights to visit in Burma, plus a selection off the beaten track. They may serve both to build a route (map at the end) or to be enjoyed from the comfort of your sofa:
Posted by Ra MoonBallooning over a dusty plain with thousands of temples and pagodas.. This is Bagan, comparable in splendor to Angkor in Cambodia, a…
Basically, hot springs eroding rocks high in minerals end up forming deposits of travertine.
But to get this shape, like a succession of cascades, the conditions have to be very specific to allow water over-saturated with calcium to sediment into a series of small stone dams.
We selected some representative examples of travertine terraces by their size and beauty, ten wondrous locations where you can find a sight like the following one:
Posted by Ra Moon Only in very few places in the world, well spread across the globe, geothermal waters have done their magic creating terraced hills…
The Imperial War Museum Duxford (or IWM Duxford) near Cambridge in UK may not be exactly Disneyworld. However, a visit is worth not only to see a key part of recent history itself, but also beyond any other consideration, to leave your imagination... fly.
Posted by Ra MoonInfernal machines that seem out of a pre-nuclear war disaster movie, next to some of the most intricate and amazing creations ever i…
To find the perfect locations, five helicopters went out to comb the islands, Apocalypse Now style.
As a result, some of the selected spots are a bit out of reach for the common tourist, but also of difficult access for all the equipment and crew required for such a large production.
Before the release of the first part of the trilogy, it was not entirely clear where The Hobbit was filmed or exactly how the locations were used.
Our sources were primarily the production video blog and the map that you will find at the end. Now, finally, we have most of the answers and more accurate information about the filming locations of the three movies.
The Hobbit Filming Locations
Posted by Ra MoonNew Zealand is one of my favorite destinations, and the premiere of the first part of the new Hobbit trilogy is the perfect excuse t…
Enough words. Let's check out the images, all courtesy of Eugene Kaspersky, the same guy providing my current antivirus, who turned out to also be a talented photographer and travel storyteller. You can read all his adventures through the far far east in his blog, Nota Bene.
Posted by Ra MoonIce and fire, glaciers and volcanoes, merging in a territory the size of California. A beauty yet to be explored, with countless occ…
This is the third edition for the club of fans of the most colorful mountains of the world, after reporting Danxia landforms in China, and the valley of Landmannalaugar in Iceland.
Posted by Ra MoonWelcome to the western far north of Argentina, not far from the country borders with Chile and Bolivia. This is an area with a high …
When talking about Easter Island, I realized that people often underestimate what can be found there. It is considered an expensive destination, reserved for honeymooners, and apart from the famous moai, it's not worth the pricey flights just to visit a few carved menhirs and a pair of tropical beaches.
Well good, I’m glad. It's better if this microworld, condensed into just 15.3 x 7.6 miles, stays protected from the crowded South American backpacker trail.
So why bother coming so far from the rest of the world and its troubles? Let me try to give you an idea of what to expect if you ever have the chance to travel to one of the best anthropological stories ever:
Posted by Ra MoonRapa Nui, a tiny island in the middle of the ocean, almost 1,300 miles from the next inhabited piece of land, and more than 2,000 fr…
Conclusive evidence that the complex came from African origins was not found until 1929. Until then, the largest ancient structure south of the Sahara Desert was attributed to everyone from migrating Hebrew or Arabian tribes to the Queen of Sheba.
The magnificent ruins of the Shona people's civilization first began to be erected in the 11th century and continued to expand for more than 300 years.
Posted by Ra MoonThe fortress that was out of place: the first explorers that rediscovered Great Zimbabwe for the western world at the end of the 19t…
Other images have been boosted by the work of the photographer and have a beautiful composition, having chosen the minimal perspective, right at the center of the bottom -or the top- of the stairway. Also, you'll find them arranged in ascending chronological order, from the middle ages to the modern day.
This ancient constructive solution has also played an unforgettable cinematographic role in key films, from the Odessa staircase in Battleship Potemkin to the most recent Joker stairs location:
Posted by Ra MoonWelcome to our curated selection of 30 outstanding and emblematic staircases. Many of these are beautiful pieces of art and engineer…
"The Middle East is the cradle of civilization, and the Gaza strip is the graveyard."
Before the country engaged in civil war, Syria was a great destination for history and lovers of old stone. This land offers terrific castles, able to fire the imagination of any enthusiast of swashbuckling tales, romantic classical ruins with the peculiarity of not being buried or mixed with newer buildings on top, and the exotic traditional Arabic souks that seem out of an Agatha Christie novel, etc.
Because of its strategic position, this territory played a key role since antiquity. It is located along the main trade routes of the Far East, and also where the powerful civilizations born around the Mediterranean on one side collide with the ones from Mesopotamia on the other.
This could explain why the whole region has been fought over so much. Anyway, here we are focusing only on what the world is missing out on, and the rich heritage of this extraordinary country, hoping that political unrest will soon come to an end.
Posted by Ra Moon
"The Middle East is the cradle of civilization, and the Gaza strip is the graveyard."
Before the country engaged in civil…
Posted by Ra Moon
Very few people know where Raja Ampat is. This splendid archipelago is an almost virgin dive spot, treasuring up to 75% of all known species of coral, and a large diversity of marine life.
So this time we've been lured below the surface of the Halmahera Sea, on the westernmost side of the island of New Guinea, Indonesia
Posted by Ra Moon
Very few people know where Raja Ampat is. This splendid archipelago is an almost virgin dive spot, treasuring up to 75% of all know…
According to Lonely Planet, Chad is Africa for the hardcore. It's also another example of disastrous decolonization that is dragging the country from bad to worse.
However, this huge piece of the continent has recently had its first property inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage: the Lakes of Ounianga have been included on the bulky list of the official top wonders of the world.
They make up a part of the immense Ennedi Plateau, in the southeast of the Sahara. In turn, this place is home to many uncommon sandstone rock formations, looming over the desert-like giant sculptures, after millennia of being subjected to draconian erosion.
The image on the top belongs to an expedition in 2011 that traveled to the remote Ennedi Desert. They became the first climbers in the world to ascent to the most emblematic stacks and arches that lay before them.
Prestigious professional climber, photographer, and an Academy Award-winning film director for Free Solo Jimmy Chin permitted us to use this awesome shot back in the year 2012 when we first published this post.
Posted by Ra Moon Regarded as the top second failed state of the world, Chad may be considered an unwise destination, looking forward to better times…
There are another 10 finalist sites that didn't make it and will have to wait for another chance to reach the highest rank of wonderness alongside a total of 961 properties inscribed on this list so far. The first five places are considered natural sites, the following is a mix of natural and cultural heritage (Palau's Rock Islands), and the other twenty are designated cultural only.
Update: You can also review the places that achieved the UNESCO recognition in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Posted by Ra Moon In 2012 the UNESCO added 26 new properties to the World Heritage sites list, once again helping humankind decide what to preserv…
The film stars The Twilight Saga vampire Kristen Stewart, Chris 'Thor' Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron (Mad Max Fury Road, Atomic Blonde) as Queen Ravenna.
Posted by Ra Moon Once upon a time, Snow White and the Huntsman was entirely filmed in the United Kingdom. The 2012 movie is a great opportunity to v…
In the southern part of the archipelago lie the Rock Islands. The largest of them contain marine lakes and an ecosystem of a great variety of unique plants and animals.
The Rock Islands and Southern Lagoon areas are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here is located the unique Jellyfish Lake, where millions of these golden animals swim peacefully, far from their predators.
Posted by Ra Moon
The Micronesian nation of Palau is made up of eight large islands and around 250 islets.
In the southern part of the archipelago li…
Prometheus was filmed in the stunning vast landscapes of Iceland, Scotland, and Jordan.
Posted by Ra Moon The 2012 film from Ridley Scott, a prequel to the brilliant Alien series, has great outdoor settings, and -what a coincidence- this…
After a beach landing D-Day style, you only have an hour to conquer the top of the hill where the lighthouse is standing, trying to snap as many penguins as you can. Maybe it won't be as glamorous as the Joker stairs dance, but on your way, strong blasts of wind will slow your progress, while you avoid the birds bombing and remember to close your mouth.
Posted by Ra Moon Feel like you’re in a National Geographic documentary, surrounded by thousands of fearless penguins and seagulls shitting on you on…
In the case of the frozen Minnehaha Falls in Minnesota, you can actually walk behind them, and take a picture of the unusual sight of a water flow on pause:
Posted by Ra Moon What's behind a waterfall? A secret cave hiding an enormous emerald, like in Romancing the Stone? Or a life heart container, li…
-Oh, wait...
(Rome, 1940)
Italian fascists updated the design of the old Roman Colosseum with this polished white cube. It was part of a brand new suburb, the EUR (Esposizione Universale Roma), built on the Myth of Ancient Rome, to host an Universal Exhibition that never took place due to the war.
Update: The building was restored and transformed into offices for the multinational luxury fashion brand Fendi. From March 2016, the ground floor will open to the general public as an exhibition center.
The point is that while some hate this martial architecture, others, like the film director Federico Fellini, loved it. He explained in this video why this edifice and the hole neighbourhood deserve a visit. Photo Captions in italics are the translations from the voice of the master Fellini:
Posted by Ra Moon
-A Square Colosseum? Are you joking? Haha, and why not a rectangular Tower of Pisa?
-Oh, wait...
(Rome, 1940)
Once, browsing the movi…
Nevertheless, we would like to introduce you to this outlandish place sprinkled with plants that look like rocks and rocks that seem sculptures, around an odd lake populated by dark creatures. From the viewpoint of my camera, one of the most remarkable stops of the whole journey.
But the chances are that you may never come to the Black Lagoon, unless you are travelling during the rainy season - from January to March - when most of the salt flats are closed due to the floods, so the expedition is diverted by some agencies to a side track across the Valley of the Rocks.
How is it possible that this captivating place is so underrated? Easy, because the route to Laguna Negra is a succession of marvels, each one more im…
Unfortunately, the wonderful views of this jaw-dropping area, located in the south of Iceland, are only visible to the lucky ones who visit the park on one of those rare days of the year in which the weather is clear enough.
Posted by Ra Moon
On a sunny summer's day, Landmannalaugar must be one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
Unfortunately, the wonderful v…
The southern end of the American continent holds many surprises that, luckily, have not yet been looted by the more popular travel guides. Among them, in the heart of the Argentinian Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire), near Ushuaia, we find what could be just another valley with a pond, one more trek to tick off, a pleasant demonstration of what nature is capable of.
However, those present agreed that this place was actually one of the most beautiful we had ever stepped into. It should be noted that our judgement may be influenced by the crucial fact of having arrived on a day with such perfect weather conditions. Perhaps quite unusual for a region that has a high record of suicides and tragedies strongly linked to the harsh climate.
Posted by Ra Moon My suspicions were confirmed when I checked the photos on my computer: it seemed that on that day we had been walking in the ideal …
The human disruption and chaos that exists in some corners of the planet doesn’t mean that there aren’t formidable wonders that some adventurers -or fools- will not hesitate to visit.
The list of sites not recommended to spend next summer vacation is long, but based on the ranking prepared annually by the magazine Foreign Policy we have selected our countdown of the top ten countries considered in 2011 as the worst destinations, as far as your personal safety is concerned.
Posted by Ra Moon This is our peculiar fail compilation from some of those countries that have a red warning at the top of the page in Wikivoyage or …