Have you heard of the Glass Igloos in Finland?

Are you looking for some kind of adventurous holidays in winters? Then I would say Finland is the best place and living in the village of Glass Igloos would make the holidays even more fun filled and thrilling. In this article, I have tried to provide some information about Finland and its Glass Igloos.

It is believed that Santa Claus lives in Finland. When someone talks about Finland, the first thing which comes to my mind is a beautiful scene of a fairy tale with wooden cottages, snow clad mountains, polar bears, reindeers, big snow castles, and shiny green grass.

Yes, Finland is so beautiful that its beauty cannot be described in words.

Finland is also known as the land of the Midnight Sun when the Sun doesn't set continuously for almost 70 days in summers and you can experience bright and sunny days at stretch without any nights. Likewise, in winters, there are days when Sun doesn't rise for days; longest period being 51 days. This period is known as the Polar Nights.

Finland is the place where you can experience the famous Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. It is a phenomenon when you can see colorful dancing lights in the sky. This phenomemnon can only be experienced around the North pole. So, people travel miles to Finland just to experience these lights.

Finland Glass Igloos

Hotel Kakslauttanen, located in Saariselka town of Finland, is basically a village of around 20 Glass Igloos. These igloos are made of crystal clear thermal glass which are perfectly insulated from inside.

The thermal glass walls keep the igloos warm from inside and make sure that the walls remain crystal clear even if the temperature falls to -30 degree Celsius.

These igloos are like the luxury rooms of a 5 star hotel. You have all the facilities that include comfortable beds, attached toilets and Sauna.

The main purpose of building this village was to enable tourists to have nice views of Aurora Borealis in a warm and comfortable environment.

Though I have never been to this place, but I wish that sometime in my life I also get an opportunity to visit this place. I get goosebumps on just imagining the feeling of living in such a magical world.

Would you like to live in the house of Music?

Well !! If yes, then do visit the town of Huainan in China, where a beautiful house in the shape of Piano and a Violin has been designed by the students of Hefei University of Technology School of Architecture and Arts and local government got the construction done in the year 2007 to promote the tourism in the area. The entrance to the giant piano house is through the transparent violin which also holds a pair of staircase for the entire building. This house is also used by the Music students for their learning and practice sessions.

Piano House in China, Image Courtesy: Facebook

Since the year of its construction, this building has become a major tourist attraction in China. If you are in China, do not give it a miss and get some nice pictures clicked with this house in the background. Believe me, you will cherish these pictures throughout your life.

Glittering Gem of Bhutan - The Taktsang Monastery

Taktsang Monastery, also known as the Tiger's Nest, is the most famous and a must visit place in Bhutan. It is hanging on a 3000 metres cliff above the Paro valley in western Bhutan. Lots of tourist restrictions are imposed by the government of Bhutan, so, only few tourists are actually able to visit this beautiful monastery, hence making it the world's least accessible tourist destinations.

The Buddhist guru, Guru Rinpoche, who is known to have started Buddhism in Bhutan, is believed to have meditated in around 13 caves near Taktsang and took 8 incarnations. As he landed here on the back of a tigress, this place started to be known as the Tiger's Nest. Since it was a sacred pilgrimage place for Buddhists, a monastery was built here, which has 7 temples and tourists can visit them.

There are innumerable steps to reach the monastery and as you ascend towards this monastery, you feel as if you you are climbing a stairway to heaven. Walking trails are very steep so be cautious and carry a hiking stick while climbing the trail. From the parking lot at the valley, it takes around 2 to 3 hours to actually get to the monastery. Once you reach the monastery, you feel feel an absolute peace and tranquility. On your way, you will get to see impressive and breath taking sceneries. If you do not intend to climb on foot, you can hire horses also but be cautious as they can be risky during rains. Also, horses are allowed only uptil a specific point, the rest trail will have to be climbed on foot. Horses are also not allowed to carry passengers downhill.

During the climb, you can stop at the Taktsang Cafeteria/Teahouse to have some rest, hot beverages and some snacks. You can also enjoy here, the traditional Bhutanese lunch which is served in buffet style. You will also get incredible views of Taktsang monastery from this point. This is also the best point to take pictures. Once you reach the monastery, you will have to deposit the cameras and mobile phones.

If you are not a regular hiker and have breathing troubles, consult a doctor before planning a trip to this place as it is at very high altitude and altitude sickness is a major concern.

Chittorgarh Fort - An Epitome of Heroism and Bravery !

Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in India and is a pride of Rajasthan. Located on top of 180 metres high hillock, this fort is truely an epitome of romance, pride, courage, sacrifice, and heroism of Rajputs who ruled Chittor in medieval times. The fort was attacked thrice and each time it witnessed the heroism of the Rajput warriors, especially the royal womenfolk who never submitted themselves in the hands of the invaders. As you walk through the winding roads inside the fort listening to the stories about the fort from the guide,  you travel back in time to a different era. Each nook and corner makes you feel and think about the Rajput valour, bravery, and honor. Major highlights of the fort include:

a. Ranakumbha Palace
b. Rani Padmini’s Palace
c. Kumbhashyam Temple
d. Mirabai Temple
e. Vijay Stambha
f.  Gaumukh Kund

To know about the glorious history of this majestic fort, a visit to the Chittorgarh Fort is a must when you are travelling to Rajasthan.

Bangkok's Elephant Tower - One of the Most Unusual Buildings in the World !

Elephants have been the symbol of Thailand and an integral part of the Thai culture since ages. As a tribute to these wonderful species, the Elephant Tower was created in the shape of a gigantic elephant in the year 1997. Since then, it has become the iconic building in Thailand. Apart from being a symbol to Thailand, the 'Elephant Building', also known as the 'Chang Building', has become the world's largest building in the shape of an Elephant; you can even see its tusks and eyes from a distance.

Image Source: Wikimapia

The three towers that form the entire building, house within it luxury condominiums, swimming pool, hi-tech offices, a shopping complex and a lot more.

Ranked at number 4 in the CNN's list of 20 most ionic skyscrapers of the world, this building is a must visit when you are in Bangkok, Thailand.

Come to the Turkey's Cotton Castle - The Pamukkale !!

Pamukkale is a beautiful World Heritage site with a series of hot springs and travertines in Turkey. These travertines and the hot spring pools are concentric in shape with pure white water and deposits of calcium carbonate. The water is all the springs vary in temperature from moderate hot to boiling hot. Visitors can bathe in the hot spring pools but cannot take there shoes along to avoid any damage to the calcium deposits. These pools are also known to have curing effects for skin diseases and blood circulation problems.

Image Source: Wikipedia

The site looks so beautiful that it cannot be described in words and you feel as if you have come to some other world.

Lot of visitors travel to Pamukkale every year and they can stay in several hotels built at the foot of travertines in the Pamukkale town. Some of these hotels also have their own small warm pools of water. If you want to stay in some big resort, then visit the Karahayit village located to few miles north of the pamukkale travertines.

Visit the World's Largest Flower Garden in Netherlands

Flowers and Netherland are synonymous to each other and majority of flowers are exported to the World from Netherlands only. Also, the World's largest flower garden called "Keukenhof", is situated in a small town of Lisse near Netherland where you can see a wide variety of Tulips, Roses, Orchids and Carnations. Around 7 million flower buds are planted in this garden every year which then bloom in the area of 32 hectares.

This garden was started in the year 1949 by the mayor of Lisse to exhibit the hybrid varieties of flowers from all over Netherlands and Europe. Since then these kind of exhibitions and competitions are carried out in the Keukenhof gardens. Almost 800000 tourists visit these gardens every year from mid March to mid May when the Tulips are in full bloom. One would get overwhelmed with the huge spectrum of vibrant colors and beautiful landscaping.

In 2014, the gardens would be opened to visitors from 20th March to 18th May and a flower parade would be organized on 20th April. If you are a flower lover, then this is a must visit place and a lifetime experience.

An Engineering Marvel - The Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most beautiful and the most photographed bridges in the world, located in San Francisco, California. It is an engineering marvel and over 10 million visitors visit the Golden Gate bridge every year. The length of the bridge is around 2 miles and visitors can take cars or bicycles on the bridge. One can even take a stroll on foot enjoying the scenic views around the bridge. Visitors can also take a personally guided tour of 45 to 60 minutes.

Image Courtesy: Wikipedia

Seeing the bridge in movies is quite different from seeing it in reality. The sight of the Orange bridge with a clear Blue Sky above just looks amazing. The structure of the bridge is huge and it spans over the entire San Franciso Bay area. One can even a take a boat cruise that takes you under the bridge.

A Wonder House to Live - Austria's Upside Down House

Have you ever seen an upside down house literally in your lifetime? If not, then here is an option for you to visit the beautiful village, Terfens, of Austria, where this upside down has been built by two polish architects, Marek Rozhanski and Irek Glowacki. It was opened on May 5th 2012 and since then this house has become a major tourist attraction. It not only looks upside down from the exteriors but also all the fixtures in the bedroom, bathroom and garage are upside down. The car is the garage has been fixed in the upside down direction onto the ceiling. It seems as if the interiors do not have the gravity effect.

Upside Down House, Image Courtesy: Facebook

Visiting this house is an amazing experience. If you are in Austria, then do visit this wonderful thing which you will cherish through out your life.

An Unusual Hotel in Sweden - The Tree Hotel

First, it was the Ice Hotel in Sweden which made the raves. Now, its the stunning Treehotel which is getting the limelight from all over the world. The Treehotel is a beautiful concept hotel set amidst the forests of tall pine trees in Harad, Northern Sweden. The unspoilt beauty and calmness of the surroundings make your stay memorable here. People coming here get a lifetime experience of seeing the magical Northern Lights in the winter nights. For kids, its an opportunity to see their wildest of the dreams taking up the shape in reality.

The location of the Treehotel is such that you get spectacular views of the Lule river. There are around 6 rooms in the hotel which are in the form of beautifully designed tree houses. All the rooms are designed by topmost Scandinavian architects and each room has its unique concept. Treehouses are suspended 5 to 6 metres above the ground and can be reached using a bridge or electrical stairs.

Interiors of the rooms are modern. Toilets and water facilities are all environment friendly.

Most popular of the rooms are the Mirror Cube, Bird's Nest and The UFO. Mirror cube, as the name suggests is a treehouse hanging in the trees. Outer walls of this room are made of mirrors which reflect the surroundings. Visitors get panoramic views of the surroundings from its 6 windows. This room can accomodate 2 people and offers a double bed, bathroom and a rooftop terrace.

Bird's nest actually resembles a huge nest with modern interiors. If you want to be alone and want that no one should disturb you, take the Bird's nest and pull up the remote controlled stairs. This room can accomodate 2 adults and 2 children.

UFO is one of the most unique treehouses in the Treehotel and can accomodate 2 adults and 2 children with separate bedrooms, bathrooms and a living area.

Other rooms are the Blue Cone, the only room with a big window and overlooking the Lule river; The Cabin which is the biggest of the treehouses and perfect for a honeymoon couple.

Land of IceHotel, Sweden

Sweden is one of the very beautiful countries of the world. I would say it is the dream of every person to visit Sweden aleast once in his or her lifetime. There are a lot of places which can make your visit a memorable one.

The things which cross my mind on hearing the word "Sweden" are the snow clad mountains surrounding the lush green landscapes, crystal clear blue water, wooden cottages, classic black coffee with sponge cake....and the list goes on.

Read more about Sweden Here