Winter special: Euro trip will always be incomplete without a visit to these charming places

Brace yourselves, winter has arrived already! As we near the end of 2016, it has become more important for us to utilise the winter holidays. So, are you guys planning to visit a chilly place? Well, then European countries come out as a clear winner.

European winters are considered among the coldest winters. If you are willing to embrace the thrilling cold and avoid the hustle bustle of cities then undoubtedly European countryside, villages and towns are the best options for you.

Here are a few destinations in Europe that you can consider this winter:

1)      Salzburg and Innsbruck, Austria

Salzburg: a musical place which is known for its Baroque buildings and Romanesque archways. Innsbruck is famous for its old Tyrolese styled architecture. The old town in Innsbruck - comprises of Renaissance building surrounded by the Alps - becomes a visual treat. These two popular tourist destinations are situated in the world-famous panoramic Alps region. Famous for its winter sports, these two destinations are a must visit for its scenic mountain ranges, medieval century gothic castles, beautiful rivers and lakes. 

2)      Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany

Located on the border areas between Germany and Austria, Garmisch-Partenkirchen boasts of its old Alpine village vibes. Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain peak, is the most visited destination in Germany during the winters. On your visit there, you can experience skiing across 68 miles of cross-country trails. This GaPa town has two different personalities. The Partenkirchen is a roman styled place consisting of ancient buildings while Garmisch is more après-ski oriented.

3)      Reine, Norway

This village is located on the island of Moskenesoya, northern side of Norway. Reine is popularly known as the best fishing place in the world. When you visit the place, it is highly recommended that you stay in rorbuer, old fishermen's cottages that have been converted to accommodations for visitors. It is in winter that one can experience the epic Northern lights (Aurora Borealis).

4)      Colmar, France

To explore the ancient European heritage, this place is a must visit. With its flourished pedestrian, canals, gigantic vineyards and the romantic district of Little Venice, this place is just like a movie set, only that it is real! Interestingly, the father of Statue of Liberty, New York, sculptor Bartholdi was born here.  

5)      Albarracín, Spain 

The most unconventional place in Spain, this small town is a perfect reflection of Old Spain. The entire town has a uniform paint scheme with red or orange clay. With less than 1000 inhabitants, the place is located on a cliff and has been recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. For a breathtaking view, one must visit the Torre del Andador or Walkway tower. The village becomes a beautiful place for its 3 Cs- Cathedrals, churches and castles.

6)      Pusica, Croatia 

Known for its stone masonry, this city was built from stones. Being a seaside village, you can indulge in sports like cycling, scuba diving or water-skiing. This scenic beauty has Mediterranean characteristics- white rooftops and stone houses. Beaches, castles and productions of olive oil, wine, and figs make the place a paradise. 

7)      Gruyere, Switzerland

Every chocolate and cheese lover’s dream destination! Visit the cheese factories and taste the authentic Swiss cheese. The chocolate factory tour will show you the process of making chocolates. Gruyere comprises of Alpine pastures, locally made wines, black- and- white Fribourg cows, wood-built hamlets and Lake Geneva. Remember DDLJ’s famous cow bell? Well here’s your chance to buy it! 

Most Beautifull Waterfalls In The World

The magnanimity of nature can be witnessed when gallons of water falls down from thousands of feet above, creating a breath-taking view. When streams of water gush down noisily, one cannot help but marvel at nature's beauty and bow down in respect. Attracting thousands of visitors round the year, especially during the rainy season, waterfalls make for the most picturesque locations.

If you are looking forward to more exciting experiences in life, take a dekko at some of the most amazing waterfalls in the world you can visit the next time you plan to step into nature. With global warming taking over our earth, these natural beauties are not promised forever, so grab the first opportunity and visit them before they vanish into the thin air forever.

Angel Falls, Venezuela

The largest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls is sure to leave you overwhelmed.
It falls from an incredible height of 3,211 feet. In fact, such is its height that water
evaporates before it can even touch the ground.

Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe

Located on the Zambia and Zimbabwe border, the Victoria Falls are a mile in
length and ranked as the largest singular waterfall on earth. The mist or water
smoke that rises from this fall makes it one of the most loved attractions in the
world. No wonder, it is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Niagara Falls, US/Canada

There is hardly a soul who has not heard of Niagara Falls. One of the most popular
 attractions in the US and Canada, these falls will make you fall in love with their
mammoth size and picturesque location. The best part about these falls is the
proximity it offers to its visitors. Visitors from both Canada and America can get
extremely close to this wonder in the boat run by the authorities there. 

Sutherland Falls, New Zealand

Named after the person who discovered it, the Sutherland Falls is located in
Fiordland, New Zealand, are one of the tallest waterfalls in the world. Plunging
down from a height of 1902 feet, they fall in three cascades and enhance the
beauty of the landscape by leaps and bounds. 

Plitvice Falls, Croatia

Striking and elegant, the Plitvice falls are located in the Plitvice Lakes National
Park, Croatia. Due to the various cascades the water has to overcome, the falls
look splendid among the greenery it encompasses.

The color of the water is not the same everywhere and changes from a soothing
azure to turquoise as you move your eyes around to absorb its magnificence. 

Dettifoss Waterfalls, Iceland

Iceland's answer to the Grand Canyon of the USA, Dettifoss falls are the largest
and most powerful waterfalls in Europe. With 500 cubic metres of water per
second plunging down over the edge, these dense falls make for a picturesque
location and let the hikers enjoy the 34 km hike trail that goes along the canyon
from Dettifoss to Asbyrgi. 

Yosemite Falls, California

The highest waterfall in North America, Yosemite falls are as tall as 2,425 feet.
The fall is a result of melting snow and hence when there is not much snow at the
top, the falls take a recess.

Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil

If there is something incredibly spectacular on this planet, it is the Iguazu Falls
bordering Brazil and Argentina. Comprising of a bunch of 275 individual
waterfalls, this hulk of falls spreads across two miles into the rain-forested cliffs.

Kaieteur Falls, Guyana

This 741 feet tall and 370 feet wide monster is popular for being the tallest single
-drop waterfall in the world. It is usually thronged by adventure junkies as it sits
in the nature's lap with wilderness surrounding it and no urban amenities to assist. 

Gullfoss Falls, Iceland

Spanning the entire breadth of Hvítá river, the Gullfoss Falls (English translation is
 Golden Falls) is undoubtedly the most eminent natural attractions in Iceland. 

The fall tumbles down the river in two successive tiers at right angles to each other
 and looks remarkable owing to its unique shape. 

Tallest Dams In The World

Dams are physical structures constructed by humans, on natural bodies such as rivers. Dams are used as reservoirs of water or for the generation of hydro-electric power. They are also used to control natural calamities such as floods, by leveraging the amount of water flowing. The primary purpose of the dams is to retain water, but they can also employ floodgates or levees to gauge the amount of water flowing into specific areas of land.

Have a look at the top ten tallest dams of the world. There are a number of criteria for comparison of dams. They are- the volume of the reservoir they create, their uses and their structure and size.

#1. Nurek Dam, Tajikistan

This is the tallest dam in the world, with a height of 300m or 980 ft. It is located on the Vakhsh River, and its construction began in 1961 and completed in 1980. It is an earth fill embankment dam.

#2. Xiaowan Dam, China

The second largest dam is 292m or 958 ft tall on the Lancang River and is the world's highest arch dam. This dam was constructed to provide hydroelectric power, and it supports a 4,200 MW power station. Its construction began in 2002 and completed in 2010. 

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#3. Grande Dixence Dam, Switzerland

Standing 285m or 935 ft tall on the Dixence River, it is the tallest gravity dam in the world. The main purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation, it fuels four power stations and generates enough power to support 40,000 households.

#4. Enguri Dam, Georgia

This is the world's second highest concrete arch dam with a height of 271.5m or 891 ft and is a hydroelectric dam standing on the Enguri River in Georgia.

#5. Vajont Dam, Itlay

261.6m or 858 ft tall dam is a disused dam. Its construction was completed in 1959, in the valley of the Vajont River, which is 100 km to the north of Venice, Italy. This dam suffered some landslides in 1963.

#6. Manuel Moreno Torres Dam, Mexico

261m or 856 ft tall embankment dam on the Grijalva River, this became the largest dam in Mexico after renovations. It was constructed between 1974 and 1980.

#7. Nuozhadu Dam, China

Made with a purpose of hydroelectric power production, this 261m or 856 ft tall embankment dam on the Lancang River is also used for flood control and navigation.

#8. Tehri Dam, India

The highest dam in India, with a height of 260.5m of 855 ft is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River. The main motive for its construction is electricity generation and as a reservoir for irrigation and municipality water supply. 

#9. Mauvoisin Dam, Switzerland

Like other dams, this 250m or 820 ft tall structure has been serving the purpose of hydroelectric power generation. It is a concrete arch dam across the Val de Bagnes. The construction of the dam finished in 1957, which began in 195. Also, in 1991, the capacity of the dam was increased for the winter storage.

#10. Laxiwa Dam, China

Having a hydroelectric power generation capacity of 4,200 MW, this 250m or 820 ft tall arch dam stands on the Yellow River.

Awesome Bike Ride Ever Attempted And It's Amazing To See Him

Cycling over the tougher terrains as tough as on mountains can be a height of extremity. If you ask me to take that challenge, I might take it out of curiosity, but I will seriously faint and fall down if you ask me to go and perform BMX stunts over those breath-taking mountains. The hilly areas pose you with enough obstacles even when try to walk through it. So, one can imagine how tough it can get to cycle there.

Adventure cycling or mountain biking is a term which can bring chills to many. But, this guy did something as enormous as to be tagged as impossible for people like us.

Danny Macaskill's "The Ridge", shot on the Cuillin Ridgeline

This Scottish trial cyclist has larger than life motivation towards mountain biking. He takes on the Cuillin Ridgeline and shows off his profound love for death-defying experiences. In this film, he takes a ride all through the terrain without even touching his feet on the ground for once. He even climbed the rocky mountain carrying his Santa Cruz bike on his shoulders. He does not seem to be a normal guy at all and by now, you must have seen the great and inspirational video.

How well do you know Mount Everest??Find out here

One of the seven natural wonders of the world, Mount Everest, is the most desirable spot for every hike-lover. Adventurers dream to step at its peak at least once in their life. Nepal's biggest treasure Everest with the height 8,848 meters is the earth's highest mountain. The fascinating Himalaya witnessed the human ascent for the first time on 29 May 1953. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa are the two heroes who created history. 

Everest history includes many amazing records. 

1. The oldest person to reach Everest peak is 84-year-old, Yuichiro Miura of Japan.

Japanese alpinist Yuichiro successfully climbed the Everest at the age of 80 on 23 May 2013 with his physician son, Gota. Before this, he climbed the Everest in 2003 and 2008 as well. Yuichiro is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

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2. Malavath Purna (India) is the youngest climber to reach the peak.

She scaled the Everest when she was 13 years and 11 months. Purna reached the peak on May 25, 2014. She belongs to a small tribal village and learned to climb during school days.

3. Arunima Sinha (India) is the first female amputee to climb Everest.

Arunima lost her leg after she was pushed from a moving train. In April 2011, while travelling to Delhi from Lucknow in Padmavati Express, looters pushed her out of the train to snatch her gold chain and bag.

Arunima is a former national volleyball and football player. She is inspired by Indian cricketer, Yuvraj Singh who successfully battled Cancer and thought of doing something big in life. She summited Everest peak on 21 May 2013 with prosthetic legs. Ramakrishna Mission raised funds and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering trained Arunima.

4. Traffic jam in Everest

Ralf Dujmovits (Germany) in 2012 captured a shocking photograph of hundreds of mountaineers who were jockeying for the position at the top. Large numbers of climbers climb Everest each year either to fulfil their hiking satisfaction or to hold a record. Ralf is the first German to climb the 14 mountains more than a height of 8km.

5. Height of pollution.

During long years of ascent, Everest witnessed huge garbage and trash spoiling its beauty. It dragged Nepal's attention and the cleaning campaign launched in 2010 with the help of Mountaineering Association. Tonnes of litter left at Everest collected during the expedition. The trash included corpses, remains of helicopters, oxygen bottles, cans, tents, etc.

6. 65 porters and 75 yaks were hired over two years to bring the trash down.

The authorities say around 50 tonnes of litter is left on Everest over the last 60 years. The photograph above shows members of Art Club sorting the trash.

7. Trash to treasure.

During 'Everest 8848 Art Project', eight tonnes of litter turned into 75 beautiful works of art. The art pieces were displayed in Nepal's capital Kathmandu.

8. The new policy says every climber has to return with 8 kilograms of litter. 

A climber leaves up to 18 pounds of wastage during a trek. Since the extreme collection of trash in the Everest emerged as the serious issue, the Nepal government has announced that every climber has to return with 8 kilograms of litter. Otherwise, they will be charged $4,000.

9. Each climber has to pay $65,000 (£41,000) in fees to the Nepali government.

Tourism plays a vital role in Nepal's economy. Everest climbing has turned commercial and Nepal charges the high amount of money to permit the climbers. One has to manage the money for commercial guides, porters, and other essential stuff as well.

10. The height of 8,000 meters is deadly; it's called the Death Zone.

Conquering Everest is not really an easy task. Climbers face chilling wind beyond 200 mph, ice collapse and health problems.

Source: https://www.wittyfeed.com/story/6022/amazing-facts-about-the-mount-everest

12 Most Thrilling Road Trips In India

Road trips, the very word takes its admirers to a different ecosphere where there is nothing but bikes, a bunch of crazy backpackers, serene beauty of nature and a meandering road ahead of their shining eyes. Be it that you are traversing the strange paths less travelled all alone, with friends, family or your better half, only one such expedition will change the way you thought of your relation with them or yourself, I promise.

So mark my words and wait not, for nobody's permission and take a leap of freedom towards what's not planned (Don't miss on your undergarments and toothbrush if you wanna get kissed) and take on one, two or all the paths mentioned in the listicle below.
Manali to Leh



To all the bikers around India or in the world for that matter, this is one of the most challenging track to travel on.

Distance: 478 km

Shimla to Manali via Kinnaur and Spiti



The place you might have already visited and I know that you can explain better about your experience in the comment box below. Thank you my adventurous reader.

Distance: 606 km

Puri to Konark on the NH-203



If spirituality strikes you, this is the place you can take your family to. They are gonna love it and you are gonna feel it. She is gonna.... Hope God bless her!

Distance: 35 km

Mumbai-Pune Expressway



The "Oxford of the East" takes to far far from the hustling and bustling of the city lights into a deep lap of nature.

Distance: 149 km

Mumbai to Goa



ZNMD will look faded when you take this Dil Chahta Hai ride with all your crazy buddies.

Jaipur to Ranthambore



Yes, into the wilderness, giving yourself a gift of watching nature's creations from the closest and at the same time a beautiful road trip, it's all here.

Distance: 180 km

Bangalore to Bandipur



A cruiser bike, your back seat and your girl sitting on it hugging you like anything. The road matters and nothing else. Gear 6. (vroooom & breaks).

Distance: 220 km

Chennai to Pondicherry



Yes, to the south riding side-by-side the sea and the wind that will be immensely loved by your ears and mind which must have got frustrated with all that work life you were into.

Distance: 173 km

Darjeeling to Pelling



Tasting the breeze of world's best teas and then making way towards a greenland will surely not disappoint you.

Distance: 73 km

Guwahati to Tawang



Meet the monks who will seem to have been living there for no less than 200 years and understand the real meaning of life.

Distance: 495 km

Jaipur to Jaisalmer




The color will change from Pink to golden and I can bet that you will love the transition like anything. The sheher will turn you and your girl all "ghulabi."

Distance: 575 km

Gangtok to Lake Tsomgo and Nathu-La Pass



The Himalayas will welcome hugging you and never leaving you, being alive in your memories 24x7 post your trip to it.

Distance: 56 km