1. State Tower, Bangkok (63 floors)

Sirocco Restaurant on top of State Tower, Bangkok / Photo from williwieberg

The Dome at State Tower looks gorgeous because of its heady height and stunning color effects from where you could catch a breath-taking view of the Chao Phraya River and Bangkok. You would love to dine in the famous Sirocco restaurant situated on this tower simply because of the splendid city view coupled with the Mediterranean food it offers.

Top of Town by williwieberg.
Let’s have a drink at the Skybar. Enjoy the jaw dropping views from its location on the 63rd floor of the State Tower, Bangkok. / Photo from williwieberg

Sirocco Roof Bar Restaurant / Photo from UK Ryan

Photo from Rizon Parein

2. Traders Hotel in Kuala Lumpur (33 floors)

Petronas Twin Towers view from 33F / Photo from Tomorrow Bystander

Simply because of its location in the magnificent SkyBar of Kuala Lumpur, the Traders Hotel enjoys a magical rapport with lovers of intoxicating cosmopolitan views and chilled drinks. From this unique rooftop lounge, you can enjoy a superb view of the glowing Petronas while listening to some soothing music.

Skybar, Traders Hotel, KL / Photo from James and Esther

The Sky Bar in Kuala Lumpur with a view of Petronas / Photo from Stuck in Customs

3. Tokyo New York Bar (52 floors)

Bar from the film “Lost in Translation” / Photo from j.d.ripper

This skybar featuring in the movie ‘Lost in Translation’ is made from ebony, walnut and black leather. Here you can enjoy an assortment of live jazz music and cocktails like brandies an cognac while looking around the panoramic view of glittering Shinjuku. You can also order a range of sophisticated Japanese dishes.

Tokyo Park Hyatt - 52nd Floor Night View / Photo from jackson.chu

Tokyo Park Hyatt Hotel of Lost in Translation fame / Photo from pokpok313

4. Sydney Blu Horizon Bar (36 floors)

The view from Blu Horizon Bar / Photo from Kama82

Located in the Shangri-La hotel above The Rocks, this skybar enjoys a close proximity to the famous structures of the city like Harbor Bridge, Opera House and Circular Quay. In addition, you can get a full view of the Darling Harbor while enjoying a pampering treatment by LaClinica beauty therapists or some urban cocktail delicacy.

Blu Horizon Bar / Photo from downunderendeavours

5. New York Salon de Ning (23 floors)

Salon de Ning courtesy The Peninsula Hotel / Photo from eater_ny

This Midtown skybar is marked by its lovely outdoor terraces where you could relax while surveying Fifth Avenue, the Museum of Modern Art’s Sculpture Garden and Central Park. You could also turn indoors to explore the beautiful samples of Chinese art. The décor of the lounge has a blend of eastern and Western trends that you will find fascinating.

5th Avenue from Salon de Ning / Photo from Anna Cayuela

6. Hong Kong Azure Restaurant Slash Bar (30 floors)

View from Azure / Photo from specialfx

More than the drinks, what draws tourists here is the prospect of looking down at the city lights from such a dizzying height. However, if you want your drinks all the same, you can discover separate modes for relaxation in the 29^th and 30^th floors and feel the vibrant spirit of the city in the soft jazz played in the background.

Photo from anotherview

7. Los Angeles Skybar

Los Angeles - Mondrian Skybar / Photo from Jess & Jason

Located in West Hollywood’s Mondrian hotel, this skybar is known for offering splendid sunset views of the Pacific. Normally the hot spot for the assembling of the movie stars, this deluxe skybar lounge promises to leave you starry-eyed. But the external view consisting of the glittering Los Angeles nightlife and the clouds is no less captivating.

Skybar - Mondrian / Photo from hellomartin

8. Berlin TV Tower (368 meters)

Bar at the observation deck of Berlin TV Tower (203,78 m high above ground) / Photo from Vlastula

This TV tower located in Alexanderplatz built by the East German government is reportedly the tallest structure in the entire Berlin. Its shiny steel sphere just under the antenna of the tower is the most eye-catching aspect of the tower and you can take a close look from 203 meters above ground. To make matters grander, the government lends out the tower for fancy weddings.

Berlin TV Tower viewing platform
/ Photo from balinx

The Fernsehturm (”television tower”) in the city centre of Berlin; from the top of the Berlin Dom. / Photo from Marco Bellucci

9. Dubai Vu’s Bar (51 floors)

Dubai from Vu’s Bar at the Emirates Tower / Photo from watchful mind

This bar is raised at a grand height of 1,024ft at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, where you can enjoy a wholesome menu along with the most select range of cocktail lists. You can actually look around a sweeping view of the Dubai skyline along with the Arabian Gulf and feel the world at your feet.

Jumeirah Emirates Towers Vu bar / Photo from bumblefreakcalifornia

Emirates Towers / Photo from elvis_payne

10. Sky Bar, Virginia Beach, Virginia (21 floors)

The Skybar on top of the Hilton Hotel in Virginia Beach, VA / Photo from jordanwinders

Posed above the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, this waterfront rooftop bar seems to float in the air. You can have fantastic time looking out the shorelines of Virginia stretching towards the north and south and the Atlantic horizon in the east. You have a full scope to indulge in a splurge of the finest cocktails, menu, wine and beer.

National Museum of Natural History / Photo from Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Diamonds are known for their extraordinary cut and brilliance; the famous large 45.52 carats blue Hope Diamond is no exception either. But what sets it apart from its other dazzling counterparts is the eerie legend of curse attached to it. Currently displayed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C, the Hope Diamond originally came from the Kollur mine in Golconda and belonged to the statue of the deity Sita in India. Ever since it was stolen from the Indian temple, it passed through several hands, touching each with its cursed heritage.

The greatly disputed ‘curse’ of the Hope Diamond entailing a trail of death or misfortune of its owners is said to have befallen the blue gem from the very moment it was stolen by the widely traveled French jeweler Jean Baptiste Tavernier in 1642. Right after selling it to Louis XIV, Tavernier met his tragic end in his next trip to India where wild dogs ripped him into pieces. The diamond received the royal title ‘Blue Diamond of the Crown’ and new cuts that turned it into a heart-shaped stone of 67-1/8 carats.

The Hope Diamond / Photo from amandanichole

The misfortune carried by the Hope Diamond struck again when it was inherited by Louis XVI and his queen Marie Antoinette. After a disturbing and unstable reign, both were beheaded during the French Revolution of 1789. During this French political crisis, the royal jewelries including the Hope Diamond were placed in the Garde-Meuble from where they were repeatedly stolen. With time, the rest of the jewels were retrieved but the notorious blue diamond went amiss for some time.

45.52 Carat, deep blue diamond. Est. Value: $250 million. / Photo from absolutwade

Before it was seen again in London, the Hope Diamond probably went into the possession of the Spanish Queen Maria Louisa in 1800. During that period, it was reshaped by the Dutch jeweler Wilhelm Fals. He died of sheer grief when the diamond was stolen by his son Hendrick, who went on to commit suicide under the cursed influence of the diamond. Thereafter, the diamond was bought by Henry Philip Hope in 1813 and has been called the ‘Hope Diamond’ since then.

The diamond left its trail of misfortunes in the Hope family by stripping it of its prosperity and leading on to bankruptcy. After the death of Henry Hope, the diamond was passed on to his grandson Lord Francis Hope who tried repeatedly to get permission from the court to sell it. In 1901, his request was finally granted when he had reached the worst stage of gambling and bankruptcy.

Photo from Piedmont Fossil

Meantime, the Hope Diamond claimed some more unfortunate famous victims. The Hope passed from the hands of the Russian prince Kanitowski to French actor Lorens Ladue whom he shot dead on stage. He was not himself spared by the revolutionaries who stabbed him later. Its Greek owner Simon Montharides was plunged with his family into a precipice in an automobile accident. Even the Turkish Sultan Abdul-Hamid II who possessed the Hope diamond for a short time encountered dethronement in 1909.

Hope Diamond by HarshLight.
The Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum. / Photo from HarshLight

The Hope Diamond traveled to the United State of America with jeweler Simon Frankel and went to jeweler Pierre Cartier, who looked for a prospective buyer. His search ended with the rich and eccentric social figure Evalyn Walsh McLean, who agreed to buy it after hearing the curious tales of its cursed legacy. She was determined to turn it into a good luck charm but encountered too many family blows as its owner. Her son died in a car accident, her daughter committed suicide while her husband went insane and died in the confines of a mental hospital.

Photo from primplan

After the death of Evalyn McLean, the Hope Diamond was put to sale in 1949 and bought by a New York jeweler named Harry Winston. Perhaps affected by the tales of its curse, Winston made up his mind to donate the diamond to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, which is its present destination.

The hope diamond exhibit / Photo from noxipoo

It is said that the curse of the Hope Diamond was so strong that when it was delivered to the museum in a plain brown box by the USPS mail carrier James Todd, he faced leg injuries run over by a truck. Further tragedies unfolded on Todd as his wife died of a cardiac arrest, his dog died strangled by its leash and finally his house was burnt down by a fire.

May Yohe, the actor who is supposedly the last of the Hopes; tried to build on the cursed legend of the Hope Diamond by creating a 15-episode serial – “The Hope Diamond Mystery”. The serial included her personal misfortunes caused by the possession of the Hope Diamond along with a score of fictional characters posed as the victims of the Hope Diamond curse. Although her efforts to hog limelight through the Hope Diamond did not bear fruit, the fact remains that the Hope Diamond has at its wake the tragedies of many non-famous jewelers and intermediaries who were somehow involved in its handling.

Photo from lucasc

Oak Island / Photo from birds eye viewer

The 140-acre Oak Island is situated in the Lunenderg County to the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. It covers almost 360 small, forested isles scattered in Mahone Bay. One of these privately owned islands has become famous as the mysterious site of the rumored Money Pit and drawn countless excavators who tried to unearth ‘buried treasures’.

The Money Pit was first discovered by Daniel McGinnis in 1795 who encountered the circular sinkhole while wandering in Oak Island as a teenager. This hole had a tree standing over it with its branches clipped in a manner that gave the trunk the appearance of a pulley. The young McGinnis had his mind filled with the tales of pirates hiding treasures in such holes and he fetched his friends to quench his curiosity.

The Money Pit, Oak Island / Photo from oakislandtreasure

Their investigations continued for the following days until they found a layer of flagstones in the pit. They continued to dig down to find oak logs at 10 feet and again at 20-30 feet. They recommenced their search with the Onslow Company 8 years hence. This time they went as deep as 90 feet to find a layer of charcoal between the interspersing layers of wooden boards, putty and coconut fiber. What geared up the mystery was a stone tablet containing strange inscriptions.

The search had to be abandoned after seawater started filling up the 90-feet deep pit and pumping proved futile. Digging a parallel 100-feet hole and cutting a channel to the Money Pit did not help. What the whole exercise revealed was that perhaps the Money Pit was a booby trap leading to a 500-foot waterway to Smith’s Cove. It was believed that this flood trap protected the buried treasure by dissuading adventurers.

This is a replica of the inscribed stone, supposedly discovered on Oak Island in 1804. / Photo from oakislandtreasure

The Truro Company renewed the treasure-digging effort in 1849 only to initially face similar results at 86 feet. It refused to give up and initiated a process of extracting drilling core samples. The drill penetrated a 4-inch oak platform to retrieve a 22-inch layer of metal pieces. The drilling cut up two alternating platforms of wood and metals correspondingly at 4 inches interval, which was named as the first traces of the ‘treasure’.

Mouth of the Money Pit / Photo from oakislandtreasure

In 1850, the Truro Company returned with fresh plans of excavating what was beneath the layer of metal fillings. This time it dug up a parallel hole as the Onslow Company had done before it to face water gushing up. While frantic efforts were being made to pump out the water, someone marked that water was coming out of the Smith’s Cove beach during low tides. This telltale sign revealed that the beach, after all, was artificial.

Oak Island foundation / Photo from oakislandtreasure

Further excavations were carried on this assumption to reveal a network of underground channels joining the beach with the converging point, the Money Pit at a depth of 95 to 110 feet. The stones, eelgrass and coconut husks filling up the channel were meant for creating an indigenous filtering system to allow seawater to flow while keeping the channels free of clay and silt.

George Bates Maritime map set (The Oak Island Mystery) / Photo from The Oak Island Mystery

Hence, an imminent solution for the Truro Company was to block off this seawater-feeding channel by building a dam at the Smith’s Cove beach. The dam was destructed during its construction by a storm but interestingly, the builders discovered the remnant of an older dam. Next, the Company tried to dig another 100-feet hole for blocking the channel underground but without success.

The Oak Island Association took up the excavation of the Money Pit in 1861 but its various shafts-digging efforts led to the sinking of the loose bottom of the Money Pit further down. Other efforts at unearthing the mystery of the Money Pit fell through until Fred Blair arrived in the scene in 1893 with The Oak Island Treasure Company. He explored the cave-in drain connecting the Money Pit and found it to be a possible ventilation shaft for digging the flood tunnel.

Again, in 1897, this company dug more shafts and cleared the Money Pit down to 111 feet with the mouth of the flood channel blocked with stone. They even tried to block the water flow permanently by blasting off the flood channel. This effort failed but a new series of core sample collecting was undertaken. The ensuing result was that the Company bumped against wood and iron pieces at 126 feet and finally a blue clay vault between 130 and 151 feet.

This blue clay layer was composed of sand, clay and water to form a watertight compartment. What was curious was that the gap under these clay putty layers had a solid cement vault measuring 7 feet x 7 feet. This vault was found to contain three soft metal pieces. However, what contributed to the mystery was a small scrap of sheepskin parchment with the words ‘vi’, ‘ui’ or ‘wi’ inscribed on it, the real significance of it was never unraveled.

Following the example of Fred Blair, Gilbert Hadden arrived in Oak Island in 1936 to investigate the mystery of the Money Pit. He found a curious stone fragment with inscriptions similar to those found at the 90-foot stone tablet. He also found a series of wooden timbers at Smith’s Cove that could have been used by the ancient architects of the Money Pit. The next excavator Erwin Hamilton found rocks and gravel at 190 feet that he believed were placed there by someone. A layer of limestone was found at 176 feet with a wooden layer below it.

Bob Dunfield kept up the quest for treasures and used heavy machinery to discover a 40-foot void at the depth of 140 feet, which is presumed to be a natural underground cavern. In 1966, Daniel Blankenship found a hand-wrought nail, a washer and a pair of wrought iron scissors sunk beneath the water. These instruments were said to be Spanish-American and made in Mexico. A mass of wood structures and nails were also discovered at the western end of Oak Island.

Dan Blankenship at work on Oak Island - lowered into Borehole 10X / Photo from oakislandtreasure

More ghastly discoveries surfaced when Triton dug the 180-feet Borehole 10-X, a 237-foot tube of steel sunk to the northeast of the Money Pit. The excavations revealed a series of artificial cavities at 230 feet. A camera was lowered to send back images of human body parts, tools and three chests appearing like treasure boxes. Although the search continues under Blankenship and Triton, the Money Pit is officially closed after its collapse.

Borehole 10X, Oak Island / Photo from oakislandtreasure

Repeatedly frustrated efforts of extracting the treasures have given rise to variant theories about the origin and existence of the Money Pit. Some say that it was a French construction for safeguarding their wealth from the English during the colonization of America. Others relate it to the Viking visitation of America who used it as a hideout. People still fancy the Oak Island as a Treasure Island and associate the Money Pit with pirate booty or the cargo of some stranded Spanish Galleon.

Tongariki / Photo from Leonardo Tumonis

Posed amid the bare and forlorn Easter Islands of the southeastern Pacific is the small Polynesian isle of Rapa Nui, enfolding depths of yet unfathomed mystery. The hundreds of gaunt stone statues scattered over this island are overwhelming instances of the technological height touched by the Rapa Nui people. Ever since their discovery in a momentous Easter Sunday in 1722 by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, speculations have been rife about the ancient Neolithic civilization that could have prevailed in Rapa Nui for millenniums.

The stone artifacts left behind by this mysterious civilization surpass any Polynesian culture in their skill and perfection. Combined with this, are the various scraps of Rapa Nui writings in the Rongorongo script that has remained beyond all efforts of decipherment. These written patches are expected to contain accounts of the origin, language, art, culture and religious beliefs of the Rapa Nui people. It is widely guessed that these prehistoric people derived their means of sustenance from the natural and marine resources of Rapa Nui.

Just Another (Easter) Day / Photo from Kenny Maths

The possible causes for the decline and extinction of the well-flourished Rapa Nui civilization have encouraged several theories and suggestions by experts. While Jared Diamond attributed the obliteration of the Rapa Nui civilization to the rampant destruction of the forest by the inhabitants and the complete wiping out of life and livestock, the Rapa Nui folklores suggest violent civil wars and population crash. The environmental factor responsible for the crumbling of the civilization has been used ever since as an example of what may happen to planet Earth if timely precaution is not taken.

KAP on Tongariki - Easter island / Photo from Pierre Lesage

On the foreground is a petroglyph of the Bird Man, Maké Maké. On the background is Motu, as tiny island from witch candidates were supposed to bring back (by swimming) an egg to become the Bird Man of the year. / Photo from Pablo escogrif

However, no speculations about the contemporary relevance of the fate of Rapa Nui solve the mystery of its gigantic anthropomorphic statues. Modern archeologists connect their existence to the socio-cultural habits of the people. They opine that the Rapa Nui people were the singular inhabitants of the remote Easter Island.  Roggeveen wrote down in his notes that the Rapa Nui people were a mixture of dark and fair-skinned tribes with distinct dressing habits. The heavily tattooed people wearing shiny discs in their earlobes probably worshipped these stone statues or performed religious ceremonies before them.

Moais de Rapa Nui / Photo from Daniel Fajardo Cabello

A view of the nine leftmost moai at Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island / Photo from Kenny Maths

Famous explorer Thor Heyerdahl found an interesting resemblance between these statues and those found in Bolivian stone monuments. What he found intimidating about these statues (of 200 cubic feet volume each) was the way these could have been positioned throughout Rapa Nui from the quarry. He also found some enormous stone ‘hats’ equal to the weight of two elephants and wondered by what technology could these be lifted to the heads of the statues. The mystery intensified because he found no high point (leave alone metallic cranes!) in the vicinity.

Chile - Easter Island, Rano Raraku / Photo from vtveen

Inspired by the points raised by Heyerdahl, several experiments were conducted to prove that the statues could be shifted by rocking and rolling their bases. However, this seemed a faulty suggestion since such violent movements would have damaged the base of the statues severely. Years after their discovery, in 1728 some Dutch sketches were made showing natives in the act of erecting a statue. If you view the sketches closely, you can see some of the people manipulating the base while others are engaged in dragging it.

Jumping for Joy / Photo from scorbette37

Another set of experiments were done by American Geologist Charles Love who placed a pair of logs under the base of a replica of the Rapa Nui statue and moved it successfully. The effect created by the moving statue remarkably matched the fabled accounts of the Rapa Nui villagers of the statues moving to their positions. Charles Love’s experiments were cultivated subsequently by archaeologist Jo Anne Van Tilburg of UCLA to show through computer projections that the statues needed to be placed horizontally on a wooden track for moving them out.

Photo from jim_rowley01930

Moai on Rano Raraku—the quarry where most of the statues on Easter Island were carved / Photo from Brad Stabler

However, the specific purpose of so many huge statues throughout Rapa Nui has continued to puzzle adventurers and visitors of the Easter Islands. Some trace signs of mystery in the directions the statues face and have coined the enigmatic name the ‘Eyeless Watcher’ for these. Unless experts learn to interpret the pictorial glyphs of the Rongorongo script, maybe Rapa Nui will remain veiled in mystery forever.

Ahu Tongariki from the Rano Rarku quarry / Photo from Niquinho

The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huangdi / Photo from Fraggle Rockstar

The tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China is loaded with historical significances. This mausoleum, which is seen as the epitome of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi’s boundless power and prestige is located 30 km to the outside of X’ian in the Shensi province of China. Qin Shi Huangdi was the only ruler who single-handedly unified the seven warring clans of the China of 221 BCE and commanded massive construction of several public infrastructures as well as the legendary Great Wall of China.

Generales de Qin Shi Huang / Photo from Lezama

The emperor left a written record of his military and diplomatic feats in a series of tablets. He successfully abolished feudalism, promoted religion and divided China into 36 states for an efficient administration. Among the other significant achievements of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi was the standardization of various systems of writing, weights and measures, currencies and the simplification of the record-keeping methods. Despite these progressive works, Qin Shi Huangdi was despotic and tyrannical in his rule.

Some of the 7000 Warriors, discovered in 1974. They are guarding the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi near Xi’an, Central China.
Known as the “Terra-cotta Army”, the Warriors are now considered the 8th Wonder of the World / Photo from Heaven’s Gate (John)

Interestingly, this great builder ordered the erection of his burial chamber right after his ascension to the throne in 246 BCE when he was just a boy of thirteen! Going by the records about his personal traits, it was rather a contradictory step for Qin Shi Huangdi to take because of his search for an immortality formula to help him eternalize his ‘divine rule’. However, the work completed 36 years after it was started and Qin Shi Huangdi died soon after in 210 BCE to be buried in it.

Tomb Warriors exhibit in Epcot’s China Pavillion. / Photo from Damgaard

The discovery of this archeological treasure happened in 1974, when a team of Chinese peasants abruptly came across the tomb while trying to drill a well. What was most striking about this mausoleum was its huge size and the remarkable artworks stored in it. This includes the 8000 life-size army consisting of terracotta statues of men and horses. Because each statue was individually built with 3-inch thick terra-cotta clay, you can distinguish each soldier and horse from another in their unique looks, weaponry and dressing.

Terracotta Warriors / Photo from One Daring Armadillo

The warriors are positioned according to the ranks they held in the contemporary time. The different sections of the 8000 troops are distributed in three separate chambers. The first and the largest chamber contains the troop of active duty officers, the second chamber is where the reserves are placed while the third small chamber houses 68 elite commanders and officers. All the soldiers face east to protect the afterlife of Qin Shi Huangdi from possible enemy attacks coming from that direction.

Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses - Xian, China. / Photo from Purple Cloud

The mystery of this tomb lies in the fact that the three-chamber terracotta soldier complex forms only 1% of the total mausoleum area. The central section of the 90-feet tall mausoleum building beneath an earthen pyramid is still unexcavated. According to the accounts of Chinese historians and popular legends, this part is mapped as a city, with walls, palaces and cemetery and meant for the use of Qin Shi Huangdi in his luxurious afterlife. The rivers and water bodies are sketched with flowing mercury while the sky is represented by constellations of pearls.

Photo from Kiwi Mikex

The underground palace is arguably the most elaborate structure in its grandeur and amenities. It could be an abode of long-buried treasures like precious gems, metals and other wealth. This intricate bronze-lined, waterproof construction extending over four square miles took the labor of 700,000 prisoners of war and slaves for its completion after which they were killed to stop them from divulging the tomb’s secret. To make Qin Shi Huangdi’s second life as pompous as his life on earth, his mistresses were buried alive in this tomb as well.

Life after death / Photo from Mernas

Even today the excitement over the mysterious secrets of this sophisticated necropolis has not stopped drawing groups of tourists and intellectuals from the world over. As a tourist, you can freely take a tour to the spot although all the details of its excavations are strictly under Chinese authorities. They are still to dig out treasures and valuables from the womb of Qin Shi Huangdi’s mausoleum. Only when the tomb is opened up completely, the myriad marvelous accounts it has commanded will meet the light of truth.

Xi’an - Terracota Warriors / Photo from mseguias

1. The Bahamas, Western Atlantic

Touf with Sharks / Photo from therocketscientist

A group shot, complete with a grouper / Photo from active2gether

The Bahamas are an archipelago consisting of 700 islands extending over 100,000 square miles of the Western Atlantic Ocean. It is characterized by its formation through the sinking of a plateau resulting in the shallow seas you find in the shore area. The average depth of the sea is of 20 feet except where a deep underwater trench called ‘The Tongue of the Ocean’ cuts through the submerged plateau.

Bahamas - Stuart Cove’s shark feeding / Photo from remainingoceansart

A warm ocean current influences this islands and is responsible for the vivid marine life particularly the extensive coral reefs. You can have endless scopes of adventure in the longest cave and cavern network found on the Grand Bahama Island.

A complete vacation package is very advantageous for you can get diving, accommodation and transportation facilities. There are separate charters for snorkeling, exploring the caves and wrecks and plunging into the Blue Holes. You must not miss the Biminis, Abacos, Eleuthera, Cat Island, San Salvador and Inagua if you want to make the most of your diving vacation in the Bahamas.

2. Papua New Guinea, Bismarck Sea

Nakajima Kate / Photo from Murray Cornish

The coastlines of Papua New Guinea are marked by rugged mountainous terrain that is difficult to cross. Papua New Guinea stands at the confluence of three seas namely the Bismarck Sea, the Solomon Sea and the Coral Sea and hence a rich site for marine flora and fauna.

Pez Escorpion / Photo from Squalo Divers

Triggerfish / Photo from Boogies with Fish

You can get both live-aboard and land-based diving facilities in these islands that you can take up to explore the marine life and World War II wrecks found in the Bismarck Sea. Chartering the neighboring area in local boats leaving from Alotau is also a great way to explore the place. However, if you are bent on a diving spree, you must visit Kimbe Bay, Madang, Rabaul and Kavieng to have an unforgettable diving experience.

3. Galapagos Islands

Whale Shark / Photo from PedroAlberto98

Galapagos Islands archipelago is a real paradise for scuba divers because of its wide array of gorgeous marine life and challenging geographical conditions. You must take the advice of the dive shops to know which areas for diving should suit your level best and get the right diving gears for the varying temperatures. You must know how to tackle the marine creatures, currents, shape and depth of the dive spots to enjoy the experience.

Green Turtle. Chelonia mydas. / Photo from hsacdirk

Wolf island / Photo from hsacdirk

The Pacific water of Galapagos is clear as a glass and as such, there is nothing to impede your vision of the colored fish through 15 to 25 meters depth. In some places, you can find bright rich waters due to the presence of green algae phytoplankton. Most of the islands of the Galapagos group are suitable for drift diving, night diving and deep diving.

If you like, you can take up the offers of dive trips, day trips and shore diving classes.

4. Rangiroa, Polynesia

Rangirora - Green Lagoon / Photo from JulienNarboux

The vast coastline of Rangiroa will tell you that it counts among the largest atolls of the world and definitely the biggest one of the Tahiti Islands. Its intricate network of islets and coral rings are the home to various species of sea animals. Rangiroa consists of two different dive locations located near the lagoon Paio motu, namely Ava Toru and Tiputa pass. Both these spots offer fantastic glimpses of marine wealth of French Polynesia.

Under the sun / Photo from Autopsea

The average temperature of the seawaters remains around 70 F in winter and 80 F in summer, and hence Rangiroa is a year-round diving destination. You can take a dive for 45 minutes at a stretch in the clear underwater region. The maximum depth is around 80 feet and you must take a boat dive to look at the dolphins, sharks, manta rays and jack fish floating around.

5. Riviera Maya, Mexico

Cenote - Yucatan, Mexico / Photo from okinal

Photo from macrisbruse

Riviera Mayo or the Mayan Riviera is located beside the Highway 400 running parallel along the Caribbean coastline of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The reef formations of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System along the coasts attract tourists and divers alike. The best way to explore this underground river network is to dive through sinkhole collapses. You can see the wonderful natural phenomenon in the formation of the carbonate caves due to the commingling of fresh and saline waters.

Cavern diving in the Chac Mool cenote in Quintana Roo. / Photo from brad77

In fact, Riviera Maya contains the two longest underwater cave systems in the world called Sac Actun and Ox Bel Ha. These offer rare sights to divers like fresh water creatures swimming atop the saline water floods. If you are a novice in diving, go for snorkeling in the reefs of Playa del Carmen and Tulum. More seasoned divers can enjoy the incomparable experience of cave diving in the sinkholes of Dos Ojos. You can access a range of diving facilities including live-aboard between every resort.

6. Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Queensland, Australia / Photo from !snednas!

Consisting of more than 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system sprawling over 2,600 kilometers in Coral Sea. This World Heritage Site is the home to several wonderful species of marine creatures and hence, divers are rewarded by the sight of an astounding bio-diversity. You could also enjoy staying at its live-aboard as a tourist or a scuba diver.

Heart of a Giant Clam / Photo from Kälaino’ono’o

While you take the plunge into warm seawaters, you can catch sight of over 400 coral species and other endangered species of sea animals. You must do the necessary paperwork, planning and preparations before undertaking a diving expedition here.

7. Little Cayman, British West Indies

Grand Cayman 9ft Bronze Mermaid / Photo from Sam Cathey

The Little Cayman Islands is a UK dependency situated in the Caribbean Sea just to the south of Cuba. This is an abode for rare species of birds as well as aquatic animals. If you choose Little Cayman Islands as a diving destination, you must make your visit between June and August when the water temperature remains favorable and the calm sea permits maximum visibility. The north part of the island containing a protected marine park is best for diving. You could sail here in boats though anchoring is forbidden.

Silversides Spawning / Photo from courtneyplatt

If you are looking ahead to wall dives, come to the Bloody Bay Wall on the northwestern side of the islands. You can go down to more than 3000 feet underwater and observe the undisturbed oceanic world up to a distance of 100 feet. Jackson’s Bay is another hot diving spot in Little Cayman Islands from where you can wade off to the Big Blue. While exploring the underwater crevices and tunnels, you can encounter a Gray Reef Shark over the wall, Nurse Shark, Sting Rays, Eagle Rays and Turtles adding to the fun of diving.

8. Bonaire

Farewell Bonaire / Photo from Kälaino’ono’o

The geographical location of Bonaire is perfect for the flourish of aquatic flora and fauns. Its perfectly calm waters and natural shelter from trade winds encourages the growth of corals and makes a beautiful location for family vacations. As a diver, you will enjoy exploring its marine parks full of the vivid richness of the Caribbean waters. The spot has been preserved as a virgin diving locale and its crystal clear waters with a visibility up to 150 feet offer a toast to underwater photographers.

Turtle / Photo from edpdiver

9. Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands / Photo from Povilas Redko

Situated amid the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, Bikini Atoll is counted as a part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This group of 36 islands is located midway between Australia and Honolulu and one of the best spots for divers to view shipwrecks. Among the most famous wrecks are the former warships like USS Saratoga and the Japanese Nagato. Bikini Atoll has also remained an experimental ground for nuclear tests conducted around the 1950s.

Nagato Battleship / Photo from rjdiver

USS Saratoga Aircraft / Photo from rjdiver

Today Bikini Atoll and lagoon is one of the prospective sites for diving, fishing and other water sports. Though this island is barely inhabited because of the radiation pollution, it is an abode for an amazing variety of fishes. It recently came into the limelight as a diving destination and only a handful of divers have been venturing forth because of the extravagant $5,000 charged for a weeklong diving holiday.

10. British Columbia, Canada

Orca / Photo from pranjal2008

British Columbia is the most amazing diving destination of North America, thanks to its extraordinary variety of sea-life. As a diver, you will be rewarded by the sight of prawns, Dungeness crabs, Orca whales, sea lions, large octopuses, lingcod or any other creature belonging to the 5,000 species of invertebrates or 400 species of colored fish. Its coastline is protected keeping the divers’ safety in mind.

Orca Breeching / Photo from christinamcraft

Although British Columbia is characterized by some of the strongest currents of the world, its mild mid-40 degree water will perfectly suit long diving expeditions. You can start by testing the slack tides near the underwater rock walls and gradually go into deeper waters. As you swim round the myriad straits surrounding Vancouver Island, you can see the beauty of the colorful algae that add to the beauty of the marine world.

Here are top 10 such nightmarish places on earth where you would never want to live:

Dharavi in Mumbai, India

The slums of Mumbai / Photo from sarahlane

Roughly half the residents of Bombay live in crowded slums such as these.
/ Photo from bwillen

Sprawling over 175 hectares between Mahim and Sion, Dharavi has emerged as the largest slum of Asia inhabiting a population exceeding 600,000. Dharavi has its rival in Orangi Town in Karachi, Pakistan that has a notorious filth and expanse. Dharavi presents a brighter picture as a cheap pocket in the midst of expensive Mumbai where you could stay for as low as 4 US dollars rent per month.

Dharavi, the most biggest slum of the world / Photo from sandrinecohen22

Dharavi is an abode for various small-scale industries like pottery, embroidered garments, leather and plastic goods. Unbelievably the total net income of the residents of Dharavi amounts to almost 650 million US dollars. But Dharavi is no paradise - its inadequate water supply and toilet facilities get worse during the monsoon floods and the unhygienic environment of Dharavi poses serious threats to public health issues.

Rocinha - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / Photo from Leonardo Martins

Photo from razorbern

The largest favela (basically meaning shanty town) in Rio De Janeiro. / Photo from -bos[s]-’

Situated between the São Conrado and Gávea districts of Rio de Janeiro, Rocinha meaning small ranch in Portuguese is the largest slum or “favela” in South America. Posed on a hillside within one kilometer of the beach, Rocinha originated as a shanty to transform quickly into a modern slum neighborhood. You will find it better off than many shanties because of its brick buildings, sanitation, plumbing and other urban facilities.

Favela, Rio de Janeiro / Photo from dreamindly

What makes Rocinha a potentially dangerous place to live is the prevalence of a violent drug trade. This leads to endless tussles and encounters between the drug peddlers and the police, giving rise to a dangerous ambiance. The population of 100,000 has a poor economic state and high mortality rates. What is more, Rocinha being built on steep mountain slope is susceptible to landslides, rock falls and floods.

Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya

1,000,000 residents live on a mountain of Garbage. / Photo from Chicago Wedding Photographer, Wes Craft

Kibera, meaning ‘forest’ in Nubian is the home for a million people, which earned notoriety for being the biggest slum in the whole of Africa. Most of the population here are tenants with no rights living in mud-walled shacks owned by landlords who have vacated Kibera. Most of the population is African Muslims, who huddle up eight per shack, often sleeping on the floors.

Photo from alongtheway

Just 20% of Kibera has electricity and no regular supply of clean water. The dam water that people use is the root to cholera and typhoid, aggravated by poor sewage condition. There is widespread menace of AIDS and the total absence of government medical facilities. What worsens the general livelihood of Kibera is the availability of a cheap alcoholic drink called ‘Changaa’.

Faced with rampant unemployment, most of the slum-dwellers resort to Changaa early in life and grow into criminals, drunkards and rapists. The problem is aggravated by the availability of cheap drugs and tendencies of glue sniffing. The result is the rising rate of unwanted pregnancy among girls of all ages who invariably turn to abortion. Some charities and churches are working towards the betterment of the condition.

Linfen, China

Pollution / Photo from sheilaz413

Located right at the center of Shanxi Province of China’s coal region, Linfen is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The air is thick with dust and smoke to a degree that hampers visibility. The three million people who live in Linfen take regular doses of arsenic rich water, further polluted with fossil fuels and poisonous gases through the air they breathe. You can actually catch a lasting stink when you step in Linfen with overflowing sewage everywhere.

Young coal worker in Linfen (Shanxi, China) / Photo from andi808

The river flowing by Linfen has its water thickened with oil. No wonder! The inhabitants using this water have high occurrences of cancer. When you look at the trees around the Linfen factories, they present a sad withered picture. It is the last place on earth that you would think of sending someone, even your worst enemy.

Kabwe, Zambia

Photograph by Blacksmith Institute / Photo from nationalgeographic.com

The lead and cadmium accumulations in this former British colony have skyrocketed since their discovery in 1902 when Zambia was valued for a rich lead mine. Although the mines have closed and no smelters are operational now, Kabwe residents have faced the threat of lead poisoning through decades. Blood tests in the children have revealed lead concentrations exceeding 5-10 times the normal limit that could turn fatal any day. Only recently, the World Bank has allotted funds for tackling the problem.

Photo from livescience.com

Chernobyl, Ukraine

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant / Photo from Ken and Nyetta

Radiated Apartment Building / Photo from Stuck in Customs

Talking of life-threatening pollution and poisoning, nothing could beat the nuclear reactor accident record set by Chernobyl that has left about 5.5 million people facing the threat of thyroid cancer. The fallout that occurred in April 26, 1986 has led to the leakage of nuclear radiation 100 times more pronounced in volume and effect than that of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki explosions. It is a horror that thousands of Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian children living close to the damaged plant still cannot escape the radiation impact.

This used to be the public gym, back in 1986. / Photo from philippe simpson

Dzerzhinsk, Russia

Dzerzhinsk / Photo from Oleg aka Xtraboy

Situated beside the Oka River in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast of Russia, Dzerzhinsk is named after the Russian leader Feliks Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky. Right From its inception, Dzerzhinsk has remained a chemical industry hub and has been producing chemical weapons for Russia. It has been labeled one of the worst polluted cities of the world with a staggering death rate.

Skyline of Dzerzhinsk / Photo from Spendruleziya

In Dzerzhinsk, the average life of men is just 42 years and women 47 years. Environmentalists attribute such high mortality rate to the ceaseless production of organic chemicals like toxic dioxins, hydrogen cyanide, lead and sulfur mustard. The phenol and dioxin contents in the Dzerzhinsk waters surpasses the normal limit by seventeen million times.

Cubatão - São Paulo, Brazil

Cubatão / Photo from Alceu Bap

The city of Cubatão extending over 142 square kilometers is more appropriately known as the ‘Valley of Death’ for its precarious living conditions. It has a high air pollution level that has led to the destruction of forests over the surrounding hills and birth of children with congenital organ defects.

sticker mundo / Photo from caio antunes

The life threatening pollution took a new dimension in 1984 when an event of oil spill burnt down the town, killing almost 200 people. Only recently extensive steps worth $1.2 billion are being taken to improve the damages caused by organic pollutants. Despite such measures, it is quite impossible to clean the soil and underground water from the spreading tentacles of pollution thus making Cubatão unfit for staying.

Bassac Apartments, Cambodia

One of the architectural jewels of Cambodia, the innovative apartment complex designed in the early 1960s by Lu Ban Hap / Photo from Rich Garella

Photo from jinja_cambodia

The 300-metre-long Basaac Apartments were built due to the town planning director Lu Ban Hap’s initiative to put up a low-cost social housing project in the 1960s. However, this government-financed housing project has been the home to 2,500 refugees since 1979, when its legal tenants vacated the property because of the onset of decay. The structure made of concrete and brick has now given way to dangerous gaps in between the reinforced concrete walls marked by the ingrowths of parasitic plants. The building can collapse any time burying alive its 2500 residents.

Mogadishu, Somalia

A rusty and bullet-ridden Coca Cola sign gives a telling welcome for visitors to the volatile city of Mogadishu. / Photo from khairi_us

Pictures from an armed convoy trip in Mogadishu / Photo from ctsnow

Mogadishu, an advanced former port has been witnessing the 17-year tussle between rival military camps since the fall of the government in 1991. It turned into the most chaotic and anarchic city of the world, marked by civil unrest and insurgencies. Such disturbances caused its original inhabitants to flee, leaving Mogadishu to be controlled by military factions. Only recently, a new federal government has taken up the reins of control and is trying to re-establish law and order.

Photo from Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone

The Gap / Photo from A Secret Country

The Joint Defense Facility in ‘Pine Gap’, Alice Springs, Australia is the potential satellite tracking station known to operate secret operations. A product of the collaboration between the US and the Australian government, this Defence Space Research Facility centre has attracted the attention and rumors of the locals due to its covert functions. The main purpose of this CIA-operated centre is said to track on telemetry data and communications transmissions like emails and phone calls.

The road to Pine Gap, Alice Springs. / Photo from A Secret Country

Pine Gap is speculated to serve a number of miscellaneous functions, which may have something to do with international power conspiracies. Pine Gap has a restricted admittance to its grounds and most of its 800 working personnel belong to the CIA and the National Security Agency. It is counted among the largest ECHELON ground stations of the earth that monitors military satellite operations. Different diplomats offer different views about the actual mission of Pine Gap operation centre.

Pine Gap by skyring. A closer look. Note the series of globes covering the sat dishes. / Photo from skyring

A few years ago in 1999, the Australian Government’s intelligence expert Professor Des Ball laid down the extension plan for Pine Gap. According to him, this intelligence station was to serve as the ground control and processing station for geosynchronous satellites. It was meant to receive telemetry data from advanced weapons like ballistic missile, signals from anti-aircraft radars and anti-missile and microwave emissions like long distance phone calls.

Pine Gap Ridges by skyring.
US spy base in the middle of outback Australia. Hidden between two ridges to limit emissions. / Photo from skyring

The Australian Minister for Defence, Brendan Nelson has another account to offer about Pine Gap’s functioning. He says that the objective behind monitoring and satellite signals is to spy for security reasons and maneuvering US missile defence system. He views Pine Gap as a major milestone in the mutual relationship between Australia and the US and a step towards concretizing Australia’s security in the years to come.

However, the two principal roles outlined by Brendan Nelson for The Joint Defense Facility at Pine Gap matched with what Professor Ball had to say. The collection of intelligence through advanced technical monitoring and the provision of early information on the event of the launching of a ballistic missile were considered by both as the fundamental aspects. The Minister supported the role of Pine Gap as a global peace cushion against sudden nuclear explosions and short-range missile attacks.

Yet, the fact remains that people continue to look upon Pine Gap and its activities with sinister suspicion. Why else did the Australian government try to keep it under wraps since its inception in 1966 right up to 1999? Some suspect that Pine gap had a major hand in the military satellite operations during the war in Afghanistan. There are a whole lot of ideas suggested by people world over that serve to mystify the existence and working of The Joint Defense Facility at Pine Gap.

Pine Gap / Photo from Sophsta

Pine Gap is speculated to have the deepest drilling hole of Australia that could extend up to 5 miles. This hole possibly acts as an underground antenna using ELF broadcasts for recharging the submarine batteries doing the rounds of the Pacific and Indian Ocean. It is imagined that such powerful antennas could be capable of generating huge stationary wave across the earth.

Some others say that Pine Gap could possibly house a gigantic nuclear generator for supplying energy to a modified transceiver. Who knows! But it could also have a powerful plasma accelerator that could act as a plasma gun for transmitting death-rays as you see in animated science fiction movies today. Many Australians living close by have spotted 30′-diameter white disks supplied here by US cargo planes bearing the USAF emblem.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird / Photo from zapin_grb

Pine Gap can possibly be a multi-storied city with storehouse for computers, furniture and food stock. Some inquisitive researchers have found eerie links between these seemingly emergency provisions of Pine Gap with clandestine operations going on world over. Rumors about a political, financial and religious elitist group called ‘Club of Rome’ is said to plan an institution of world dictatorship.

The entire signal monitoring activity of Pine Gap could have to do with keeping an eye over all the banks, post offices, customs houses, telephone exchanges and police stations to gather information on private citizens like you and me. Situated in a peaceful English-speaking nation like Australia, Pine Gap is doubly advantaged to enjoy becoming the abode for a future dictatorial regime that could have 15 chosen families at its heart for running it.

The Night Lights of Planet Earth / Photo from woodleywonderworks

The fearful factor about such discoveries is that these 15 families already dominate world economy and international finance. The rest of the nations are expected to submit to their demands and work up a mutual treaty. The current global economic crisis could be a step towards the systematic economic destabilization that will mark these internationalists’ systematic rise to power.

If a global protest breaks out against such designs, Pine Gap could serve as an excellent hideout for these dictators. If not, it could emerge as the seat for a new brand of ‘Golden Age’, a sort of compromised ‘peace’ Any protestor will be executed outright. Rumors are rife that bases like Pine Gap are active in the American mainland and are working towards a unitary goal of global dictatorship.