weird and wonderful – Page 2 – Purple Travel Official Blog

A Night less Ordinary: Sun Cruise Resort and Yacht in Jeongdongjin

Jul 05 2013

We go around the world to find the most beautiful, weird and wonderful hotels. From panda-themed hotels to converted silvermines, we explore the weirdest hotels in the world in our A Night Less Ordinary series, so you can expect the unexpected. This week, Sun Cruise Resort and Yacht in Jeongdongjin, South Korea.

Image via @ www.metrogreece.gr

Image via @ www.itdunya.com

What’s the gimmick? Why would anyone want to stay in a stationary cruise ship? We’re not really sure either, but this one has been packing them in since it first opened in 2002. It’s the world’s first on-land cruise-theme resort, 45m high and weighs around 30,000 tonnes. “On board” visitors can stay in one of 211 rooms, complete with nautical themes, and porthole windows.

Image via @ www.itdunya.com

Why stay? You can’t deny it’s something a little different. Right on a cliff overlooking Jeongdongjin, it’s a popular choice for couples who want amazing sun rise views. On top of that there are great restaurants, swimming pools and a revolving club.

Image via @ www.itdunya.com

The WOW Factor? If you’re scared of the water or even want to experience something truly different, the cruise ship hotel probably delivers it. The owners say: “The owners were inspired by Titanic, but they dropped the anchor on a mountain to feel more secure”.

Rooms start at pocket-friendly £45.12 per night.

Purple 10 really weird museums

Jun 19 2013

A spy museum, all you’ve ever wanted to know about toilets and real life samples from Big Foot, we’ve got 10 really weird museums from around the world for your pleasure.

Want to become a spy? Actually, can we just ask, who doesn’t? Well, now you can, for a day anyway, at the International Spy Museum in Washington DC, USA. We’re talking gadgets, code breaking and generally being a bit James Bond as you learn about the history of secret agents and get to grips with a life of espionage.
Iceland’s Phallological Museum in Reykjavik, is as the name suggests all about biology and takes it very seriously too. It is home to a collection of more than 215 penis specimens from various mammals found in the wild all over the island including a walrus, a rogue polar bear, a whale. There are also four examples from humans, but we didn’t ask where they came from.
We always hear of the priceless art found in countless cities throughout the world, but what about the bad stuff? The Museum of Bad Art in Boston claims to be the only one of its kind in the world. Featuring art that’s ‘too bad to be ignored’ it features plenty of paintings of dodgy blue people, symbols that don’t mean much and some weird uses of nudity.
For all you’ve ever wanted to know about the humble toilet, you could do worse than the International Museum of Toilets in New Delhi. The curators tell us: ‘the toilet is a part of the history of human hygiene which is a critical chapter in the growth of civilisation.’
Athens is well known for its museums filled with thousands of years of artefacts that document the birthplace of science and democracy. We like the Tactual Museum, where you’re actively encouraged to touch everything. There are all kinds of replicas, statues and frescoes that you can get up close and personal with.
The Hair Museum of Avanos in Cappadocia, Turkey is a fairly simple idea, but definitely one of the most bizarre things you’ll see. In a room under an unassuming pottery shop, you’ll find caves covered with a collection of over 16,000 locks of hair from women from all over the world. It’s free to enter, and women can leave a lock of their own if they want.
For the latest information and conjecture on the likes of Big Foot, the Montauk Monster, or the Abominable Snowman, then the Cryptozoology Museum, in Portland, USA is a good place to start. It claims to have ‘actual samples’ of hair and unique pieces of evidence from mythical creatures from all over the world.
Your green fingers will start tingling when you hear about the British Lawnmower Museum. As you would expect, it’s dedicated to all things grass cutting and is home to specialised gardening machines, vintage lawnmowers and all manner of parts and conservation materials from all over the world. A truly British experience.
If you’ve got a weak stomach, it might be best to skip the Paris Sewer Museum. You’re guided through the tunnels and pummelled by historical and factual information about the famous underground areas that have featured in French literature including Les Miserables and Phantom Of The Opera.
Love chips? So do we and so do the Belgians apparently, if the Friet Museum is anything to go by. The ground floor offers a 10,000 year potted history of the humble spud and it’s development into the tasty chip we know and love today.

You should read… Amazing Days Out: Pig Museum Stuttgart

Love the sky at night? You’ll love dark sky holidays

Jun 11 2013

Image via @ Christopher.Michel

If you fancy yourself a little bit of an amateur astronomer, then we’ve got just the bit of news for you. A new craze is sweeping the tourism industry, for dark sky getaways. We’re not talking about space travel, (although that is a growing industry!) we mean places with reduced light pollution, away from the glare of street lamps and cars where you can really see the skies at night. Here are a couple of top tips for your star gazing holiday.

Image via @ jason jenkins

La Palma, Canary Islands La Palma has a local law called Sky Law, a money saving initiative that stalls pollution, radiation and outdoor lighting and therefore encourages dark sky holidays. The island is also home to the Roque de los Muchachose Observatory. It’s renowned in the Northern Hemisphere for some of the best views of the night sky with consistently cloudless skies making for almost guaranteed sights.

Provence, France You’ll find an astronomy farmhouse where the owner Olly will take you through the nebulae and galaxies far, far away. The owners even offer you the chance for sophisticated space photography with no experience necessary.

Image via @ Phillip Chee

Wadi Rum, Jordan the ancient historical Bedouin Camp, offers Arabic banquets and al fresco beds, as you gaze skywards. A perfect opportunity to take in the vast twinkling lights, away from any light or air pollution. You’ll also be surrounded by the stunning ancient sites of Jordan to fill your days as well as your nights with wonder.

Spain El Milano Real Hotel near Madrid offers guided sessions in Spanish and English of the skies above. With little air or light pollution and an observatory with a 250mm telescope mirror. For anyone serious about dark sky holidays, this is certainly one to consider.

12 Incredible Disney Secrets

May 23 2013

Image via @ Jeff Wignal

At the end of every day, when herds of worn out, nauseous, sunburned park visitors have all left the premises, the Disney crew releases the cats. And by that we mean actual, four-legged, furry, feral felines, not Simba or one of the Aristocats. Cats play a vital role in the maintenance of the park, released every night to control its mouse population – there’s only room for two mice in the park and those are Mickey and Minnie.
More than 600 million guests have visited Disneyland since opening day and every year, these guests consume an estimated 3 million hamburgers, 2 million hot dogs, 6.5 million orders of french fries, 1.6 million servings of popcorn, 3.2 million servings of ice cream, 1.9 million gallons of soft drinks and 2.8 million churros.
One of the cleverest Disney Secrets? Disneyland Park does not sell chewing gum because Walt Disney wanted to keep the park clean.
Originally, Disney cast members and even guests of the park, where not allowed to have moustaches, the reason being that Disney wanted to maintain that clean, all American look. Today, guests can have whatever facial hair they like but as far as cast members are concerned, they’re still a no-go.
Mickey Mouse symbols were hidden all over the park by Disney’s architects and engineers (or Imagineers). You can find Mickey on the dining table in the Haunted Mansion made out of a plate and saucers, among the treasures of Jack Sparrow on The Pirates of the Caribbean and hundreds of other locations.
Up until 2001, Disney staff was not allowed to bring their own underwear when they were in character in case it bunched up and became visible under the costume. Instead, cast members were issued company jock straps, cycling shorts or tights, which they had to hand in at the end of every day to be washed with their costumes – pretty gross, huh? Of all the perks you can get pre-faced by the word “company,” “jock strap” really falls short – way below “company car” and “company credit card”, that’s for sure.
Splash Mountain earned a reputation a few years ago for being the perfect place for drunken youths to flash the cameras. Becoming known as Flash Mountain, the situation got so bad that Disney were forced to create a position solely to search through the ride photos for rogue genitalia before displaying them on the video screens.
Disneyland creator Walt Disney was the original voice of Mickey Mouse for two decades, winning more Oscars (32) than anyone else in history. And what’s more? He attended only one year of high school.
The latest weird trend at Disney is for folks to have their ashes buried in the grounds of rides, the most popular of which is the Haunted Mansion. Security and custodial crews actually have to closely monitor surveillance and even walk the length of the track after-hours to look for suspicious piles of ash and bone fragments.
When Disneyland was under construction, Walt Disney had a private apartment installed over the historic fire station on Main Street in order to supervise the builders. When complete, he and his family continued to use the apartment frequently, leaving a light burning in the window to symbolize his presence. Since Disney’s death in 1966, the light has been left on in honour of his memory.
Gay Days is a week or so out of the year where the homosexual community comes together as a group at Disneyland Resort. To this date, Disney steadfastly refuses to acknowledge that Gay Days is a real thing despite tens of thousands of participants.
Many a Disney cast member has gone on to international fame (most likely not those who were employed to look out for flashers on Splash Mountain or pick up ashes of guerrilla Disney burials). From the age of 10 to 18, comedian Steve Martin worked at the park, beginning by selling guide books at the gate, then selling souvenir spinning lassos in Frontierland, until his final position selling packaged magic tricks and joke novelties at the old Merlin’s Magic Shop in Fantasyland. There he became an accomplished magician, learnt to juggle from Disneyland Court Jester, Christopher Fair, and modelled his trademark, “Well, excuuuuuse me,” phrase on the exasperated outbursts of a woman he worked with at the park.

You should read… the best film themed hotel rooms

In Pictures: World’s Weirdest Restaurants

May 07 2013

In Pictures: World’s Weirdest Restaurants

This one turns pop-up upside down, way down. The Muru Pop Down in Finland is in a limestone mine 260 underground. Image via @ Yahoo News.

The Modern Toilet Restaurant in Taipei offers a dining experience with a difference. Customers sit on loo shaped seats, food is served in toilet shaped containers and drinks in mini urinals. Certainly different, but probably not for everyone.

A few destinations are taking up the dinner in the dark idea, including in the USA and Switzerland, but Dans le Noir in London does it really well. Eating and drinking in pitch darkness is said to heighten tastebuds and give you an unforgettable experience. Image via @ Dans Le Noir.

The Heart Attack Grill in legendary Las Vegas is an assault on your arteries, thanks to its double, triple or quadruple bypass burgers and chips, deep fried in lard. Yum, right?

Japan seems to outdo itself with every new café it opens. Here’s the Reptile Café, the pictures are faily self-explanatory! Image via the Reptile Cafe on Twitter.

Bucharest’s Count Dracula restaurant allows you to sit with the old bloodsucker and enjoy a night of frightening feasting. Image via @ Yahoo News.

A background check is required for entry into the Fortezza Medicea in Italy. It’s not just because the flavours and ingredients are dangerously good, but the staff are serving 25 years to life. A restaurant in a prison might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they’ll surely make you an offer you can’t refuse. Image via @ Volterratur.it.

Dinner in the Sky is exactly what it sounds like. A team of waiters and chefs serves your every whim at a delicious meal 50 metres in the sky. You are strapped in and raised by crane with 22 others to feel the earth move beneath your feet. Literally. Image via @ Dinner In The Sky.

At the world famous Ayers Rock in Australia you can enjoy a Sound of Silence experience, where you dine under the stars, accompanied by a star talker, who’ll guide you through a tour of the clear skies as you indulge in the most delicious local food. Image via @ Ayers Rock.

A Night Less Ordinary: Cinderella’s Castle

May 03 2013

We try to find out about hotels that are out of the ordinary, from the sublime to the ridiculous A Night Less Ordinary is all about a nights sleep with a difference. From sleeping in a silver mine, to spending a night in a hotel made of cake, expect the unexpected.

What’s the gimmick? We can’t imagine more of a dream come true for a little princess, than a night in Cinderella’s Castle. The dream room was made real by Disney bosses in 2005, at the Magic Kingdom.

Why Stay? It’s got antique furniture, huge shimmering mosaics and all the comforts you can imagine. Top that with some extra special modern touches such as the jacuzzi suite and you’ve got a stay that’s made for royalty!

The WOW factor? A little Princess’s dream has never seemed more realistic.

All images via @ Buzzfeed

Off the beaten track: Birdwatching in the Kruger National Park

Apr 20 2013

For a family break with an adventurous twist, why not grab your binoculars and go bird-watching Off the Beaten Track.

For keen ornithologists, the vast Kruger Park in South Africa with over 500 bird species, some of which are native only to this area is the ideal place to be. The rich birding (shorthand term for birdwatching) especially in the very northern part of the Park, along with the numerous water points, rest camps and picnic sites create the perfect setting for get up close and personal with some of the most unique feathered friends on the planet.

The best place to stand and watch all the weird and wonderful happenings of birding in the Park is in the bushveld camps, a woodland eco region which attract a huge amount of birds, as there is a dense concentration of trees and shrubs and they are usually next to rivers or dams.

All images via @ wikicommons

Visitors to Kruger Park birders can expect to see birds like the saddle-billed storks, kori bustards, martial eagles, lappet-faced vultures, pel’s fishing-owls, ground hornbills and many more.

Find out more about amazing places around the world, in our Off the Beaten Track series.

A Night Less Ordinary: Jules Undersea Lodge

Apr 12 2013

We go around the world to find the most beautiful, weird and wonderful hotels. From converted silvermines to igloo style hotels, expect the unexpected. This week, Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida.

What’s the gimmick? First of all, to get into the lodge you have to dive 21 feet underwater. Once you get there, it will feel like you’ve discovered a secret underwater sports club! Divers can book overnight stays in either of two rooms, perfect for a romantic dip in the sea.

Why stay? Well, for the aspiring explorers, Jules Undersea Lodge would certainly be a walk in the footsteps of legendary explorers, such as Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Edwin Link, and Ian Koblick. Visit this underwater lodge to experience the perfect balance of relaxation and adventure, or to simply test your scuba skills.

The WOW Factor?The big plus of each room, is the 42 inch porthole looking out into the ocean. Better than any tv, you’ll be amazing by the mangrove lagoon, where Jules is found and there are tonnes of tropical fish and sea creatures to look at. The JUL for Two Package costs about £530 for an overnight stay, Pizza delivery dinner and breakfast inclusive.

Off the beaten track: Socotra, a mystical place on Earth

Apr 06 2013

Socotra tree via @ Wikicommons.

Image via @ Places to see in your lifetime

For those of you thinking that alien places only exist in Spielberg’s imagination, the island of Socotra stands as solid evidence of a true outer space land right here on Earth.

Actually, Socotra is an archipelago of four islands close to the Horn of Africa. Thanks to its geographically isolated location and purely tropical climate, it is no wonder that the fauna and flora of this hidden gem are unique in the world.

Socotra’s unearthly images will certainly amaze even the most experienced globetrotter. Once you get there giant mushroom-shaped Dragon’s blood trees, trees that look like an elephant’s foot, and cucumbers, as well as more unusual species of birds, mammals and fish. It’s all so unusual you’ll have to pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming.

Find out about more amazing places in the world by our Off the beaten track series.

Image via @ Gerry and Bonni

Socotra beach via @ Wikicommons.

The most amazing staircase in Germany

Mar 30 2013

It turns out the most amazing staircase in Germany, is one that doesn’t actually lead anywhere. This mind-bending spiral staircase in Munich by artist Olafur Ellison is well worth a visit.

Via @ bitrebels

Tag - weird and wonderful

In Pictures: World’s Weirdest Restaurants