So you’ve finally graduated college after years of hard work and the moment has arrived. You’ve probably lined up your entrance into the real world (a job); or are facing a possibly eye-opening experience in the open job market. Why not take a trip before falling into the monotonous, ritualized life of the working-stiff. During your college years you experienced the ultimate party destinations be it Lake Havasu, Ft. Lauderdale, Cancun, Ibiza, Amsterdam, Bangkok, wherever is the established college homage to hedonism in your part of the world. As a college graduate you seek a destination a bit more sophisticated. Perhaps a destination that could serve as something to strive for before you spend most of your waking hours years going to the office and earning a paycheck. Take a trip to the world’s capitals of sophistication. read more

For the adrenaline junkies, roller coaster rides provide a sure fire way of getting their dose in a safe & secure environment. More & more parks these days are coming up with heart stopping rides to test the allegiance of the faithfuls. Here is a list of a few testing rides from around the globe:

6/ Colossus
A great ride in the Thorpe Park in Surrey, England, Colossus is an experience in itself. The ride holds the record of most inversions with a grand total of 10. Some call the experience exhilarating, while others deem it rough to the extent of being painful, either way, the ride makes the ‘scariest rides’ list.

5/ Dodonpa
Located in Fuji-Q Highland, Fujiyoshida, Japan, the ride held the record of world’s fastest from 2001 to 03. The .75 mile long circuit of this ride has heart stopping vertical drops and steep bends. At a speed of 171km/h, the passengers experience a force of 4G giving a feeling of being fired from a rocket.

4/ Tower of Terror
Dreamworld, on the Gold Coast in Australia, is home of many thrilling rides but the Tower of Terror can make the pro riders sweat while still waiting in line for their turn. The 100 mph zero-gravity drop will definitely sort the men from the boys & hats-off to the ladies game enough to get a seat.

3/ Big Shot!
While the rollercoaster atop the Stratosphere can be deemed ‘tame’ in comparison to Insanity, the Big Shot comes close to challenging it for its insane value. Astronauts travel at 45mph at blast off, which is slow in comparison because this ride throws you up with enough force to give you a weightless 4Gs for take off.

Set atop the Stratosphere as well, the Big Shot is literally that, it throws you up 170 ft to a height of 10.49 ft over Vegas. The bungee mechanism, only the complete opposite, means you come down and bounce about a bit before the ride ceases making you wonder if the over the shoulder harness that holds you to the Big Shot tower will be enough for you or will the seat take off with you with your arms and legs flaying freely.

2/ Insanity
Next is a different type of ride. Not placed in an amusement park, the Insanity is perched atop the Stratosphere tower in Las Vegas. Aptly named for what it seems to be at 906 feet above the Vegas strip, this ride takes you from the top of the tower and perches you at a 70 degree angle before a literal ‘spin’ at 40 miles per hour giving you a real bird’s eye view of Vegas…all without the wings. The best thing about Insanity is its versatility; the ride is completely programmable for the on-the-spot-engineer meaning it can give you up to a 100 different versions of insane!

1/ Top thrill Dragster
Top thrill Dragster, at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, is only half a minute long ride that can make you recount your life’s sins in a jiffy. It broke a few records when it was launched, including that of being the first rollercoaster to top 400ft and the first to go at 120 mph as well. Check out the 400 ft vertical drop, and don’t forget about the 270 degrees twist along the way!

Gimirasu

Home to numerous Byzantine monasteries, Turkey has the longest history and most developed cave hotels. That fact probably lends meaning behind why Turkey is such a popular place for this particular type of unusual lodging. Byzantine monks regularly sought solitude for their studies. What better place than a cave?

Gamirasu is the name of a painstakingly restored troglodyte cave hotel located in Ayvali Village, Turkey that opened to the public in 1999. The site sits on a thousand year old Byzantine monastery. Unlike the Byzantines, hotel guests know all the modern conveniences while staying here, even wireless Internet. Suites in the hotel even have a bathtub Jacuzzi and an entertainment system with speakers throughout. Central heat is standard, air-conditioning is not necessary. One advantage of living underground is the temperature never gets above average room temperature.

Scientists have found that this area has been inhabited for 5000 years. An “obsidian workshop” dating back to the Stone Age has been discovered here. Ceramics dating back to the Assyrians were also found. The caves provided natural shelter for these people and the curious can sleep in one where many others have slept since time immemorial. To this day, some area residents still live in cave houses.

Le Domaine des Hautes Roches

Not to be outdone, the French have designed another luxurious version of the cave hotel. Le Domaine des Hautes Roches is located near Tours in Rochecorbon, France. The area is home to several local wine growers and guests may partake in the fruits of their labor. Twelve of the fifteen rooms here are caves (or as the French would prefer – troglodytic). The rooms look like any other modern hotel room. The only way to tell you are really in a cave is to look at the ceiling.

Fine French cuisine can be had in the onsite restaurant or delivered to your room 24 hours a day. Lobster, rabbit, duck foie gras, and young pigeon are some of the choices posted on the menu. The area promises breathtaking vistas of the French countryside. The hotel accepts Internet reservations and pets can enjoy a stay along with their owners for a nominal extra fee.

Galera, Spain

Galera, Spain is home to a newly developed cave hotel. The area is in the mountainous region of Spain. This area, much like in Turkey, has remains of civilizations dating back thousands of years. An ancient Roman cemetery is located onsite. The rooms here can be quite large, some have four bedrooms. If heat is needed, each room has a fireplace.

Upon checking in, hotel guests are treated with a complementary bottle of wine produced by locals. The area provides a glimpse into times gone by in the Spanish countryside. Things move a little slower here and people spend a lot of time tending to their beautiful gardens. The hotel offers bike tours, rappelling trips, spelunking, and rock climbing. Guests are even offered the chance to bake their own bread in a firewood furnace.

Desert Cave Hotel

What might be the most famous cave hotel in the world is located among the sandstone beds of the Stuart Range in Coober Pedy, Australia. Featured on traveling shows numerous times, the Desert Cave Hotel has been in business since 1981 when Umberto Coro realized a dream by sharing the experience of underground living with visitors to the town. Coober Pedy has lured adventurous Opal miners since 1915. These miners found that residing in dugouts serves as a natural shelter to the oppressive desert heat.

The hotel officially opened in 1988 and today has underground shops, a café, and a bar and gaming room. The Desert has won several Australian tourism awards. Sunsets are said to be quite remarkable here and not to be missed. The Desert is the only cave hotel I’ve found to offer convention facilities. Next time, why not book your yearly business meeting there for a trip?

Farmington, New Mexico

The only cave hotel located in North America was actually intended to be a prominent geologist’s office. Chiseled out of a 65-million year old sandstone formation north of Farmington, New Mexico, is a 1,650 square foot cave home. The project was started in 1980 by a father-son team both named Bruce Black. It took 16 years to complete the structure. Now operating as a bed-and-breakfast, guests have the opportunity to share the experience of the Black family.

Who would of thought tourists would sleep in a train overnight. I’ve found a list of some very curious trains at uhotw.com which were creatively changed into hotels. They quite well designed surprisingly…not bad for trashy old trains.

Controversy Tram Inn

Train hotel location: Hoogwoud, NH, Netherlands

Aurora Express

Train hotel location: Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.A.

Northern Rail Train Car Hotel

Train hotel location: Minnesota, MN, U.S.A.

Karrels Double K Ranch

Train hotel location: Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.

The Old Station

Train hotel location: St. Andrews Fife, Scotland, U.K.