15 Travel facts you probably didn’t know

Posted on 16 April 2020

Travelling means different things to different people. Some find it exciting, uplifting and others find it scary and intimidating. For all of us, from novice travellers to experts however, it is almost always surprising.

To keep you going during these tough no-travel days, here are some interesting travel facts you probably didn’t know.

1.Jet lag is worse from west to east

 

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Jet lag might be the worst part of travelling. No matter how well you prepare, it is likely to effect you. Research shows that it is worse in one direction and not the other. Since our internal clock seems to be just over 24 hours, travelling from west to east makes the day short and therefore harder to adapt to.

2.The world’s shortest international flight is 15 minutes

 

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The shortest international flight available to take is a 15 minute flip from Saint Maarten (Dutch territory) to Anguilla (British territory) in the Caribbean.

3.Bangkok isn’t the city’s full name

 

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Bangkok is the English name of Thailand’s capital. In Thai and written out in full, it is much, much longer. Here is the full name and translation:

Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit

The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (unlike Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.

4. Å, Norway

 

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Yep, there is a town in the Scandinavian country just called ‘Å’, pronounced ‘aw’.

5.Australia, the land of beaches

 

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Sydney isn’t the only Australian city with a beach, the massive island continent/ country have over 10,000 beaches.

6.Words other than wanderlust

 

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Fernweh… #thailand #krabi #railaybeach #sommer #sonne #qualitytime #urlaub #fernweh #erinnerungen #schönezeit

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Wanderlust has become overused, from regrettable tattoos to pencil case coverings. If you’re looking for another way to express your yearning for a travelling adventure, why not try the German ‘fernweh’ which means ‘far sickness’ or an intense urge to travel.

7.Kiribati conquering

 

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The island of Kiribati in the Pacific is the only country to fall into all four hemispheres by sitting over the equator and stretching across the western and eastern hemispheres.

8.Dry Saudi Arabia

 

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Not not just talking about alcohol, the country has no official rivers.

9. Which languages rule

 

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Only 4% of all the world’s languages are spoken by 96% of its population.

10.Always on time in France

 

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France covers more timezones than any other country in the world. Now you might be scratching your head, but remember, France owns a fair few island across the world.

11.Russia is bigger than a ‘planet’

 

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Okay the planet is Pluto which is so small it has been in the middle of an argument about whether it is even a planet at all. But either way, Russia is pretty big.

12.Linguistically gifted Papua New Guinea

 

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South Africa may think 11 official languages is impressive but Papua New Guinea takes the cake. With over 820 languages listed as being spoken in its country, it must surely get a bit confusing.

13.Charitable Roman fountain

 

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Every coin thrown into Rome’s Trevi Fountain is collected every day and donated to a number of charities. So don’t be afraid to be a cliche and toss in your coin, it’s for a good cause!

14.A city on stilts

 

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Ganvie in Benin is the largest city in Africa built entirely on stilts.

15.Busiest airport

 

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You might expect a major hub like Dubai or London Heathrow to take this title, but in reality the busiest airport in the world is Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, USA.

Image: Unsplash






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