Category Archives: Travel

Travel: Innovations Inside Carnival’s “Mardi Gras” (2020), The Largest Cruise Ship Ever (WSJ Video)

Cruise ships are getting larger and the activities on board more extreme. WSJ’s Scott McCartney visits a shipyard in Finland to see how the cruise operator Carnival is able to pack so much on a ship — including a rollercoaster — and still have it float.

Travel Videos: “Azerbaijan – The Land Of Fire”

https://vimeo.com/379634609

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Pete Rojwongsuriya

Azerbaijan or as it is known as the Land of Fire was kind of an unknown to me as a travel destination and so I decided to travel there and spend a month exploring the country from the hyper-modern capital city of Baku to the peculiar exclave republic of Nakhchivan. The journey begins at a site where they discovered several prehistoric rock carvings not too far from Baku.

Azerbaijan The Land of Fire Travel Video by Pete R December 2019

 

The history of Azerbaijan stretched back to prehistoric times which is evidenced by the rock carvings in Gobustan and that’s where our journey begins in the video. From the empty vastness of the land to humans existing throughout prehistoric times, to the discovery of fire that sprawled up all kinds of civilization, and then there was oil and that where the intro ends and our journey in modern-day Azerbaijan begins.

The video will take you through some of the most incredible sights in the hyper-modern city of Baku before making our way out into the mountains in the Azerbaijani Caucasus.

Music: Journey by Itai Armon

Website: https://www.bucketlistly.blog/

Top New Travel Videos: “Switzerland’s Most Jaw-Dropping Castle Hotels”

Switzerland’s Most Beautiful and Jaw-dropping Castle Hotels Switzerland’s History as a Wealthy Nation Has Resulted in More Than Its Fair Share of Castles, Palaces, and Fortresses—some Real, Some of the Hotel Variety, but All Magnificent. At the Castlelike Five-star Retreats Dotted Throughout the Country, Guests Can Enjoy Every Luxury Amenity Imaginable in Superb Settings Allowing Swiss Precision and Service to Shine, the Pristine Alpine Nation is Full of Fairy-tale-reminiscent Destinations, Here is 5 of the Country’s Most Over-the-top Castle Hotels.

Gstaad Palace A Fairy-tale-like Property in the Alps, the 115-year-old Gstaad Palace Was Built in the Swiss Chalet Style Architecture on a Hill Overlooking the Town of Gstaad. With It’s Amazing Historic Architecture, You Couldn’t Build a Hotel Like This in Gstaad Today, Given the Strict Architectural Code That Dictates a Chalet Style, the Gstaad Palace Effortlessly Combines Old World Sophistication and Glamour With Modern Convenience and Comfort Boasting Breathtaking Views of the Swiss Alps

Gstaad Palace Hotel Switzerland Luxury Architecture Video December 18 2019

The Dolder Grand Towering Above Lake Zürich, Celebrating Its 120th Anniversary in 2019, Since Its Opening in 1899, the “dolder Grand Hotel & Curhaus” Soon Become the Destination for Relaxation and Rejuvenation, Although the Resort Looks Like a Centuries-old Castle, the Property is Fully Renovated and Also Offers Two Modernized, Tech-forward Wings, With Sporting Options Ranging From Golf and Tennis to Ice Skating, Ice Hockey, and Curling on the Property’s Own Rink.

Badrutt’s Palace Opulence Reigns at Badrutt’s Palace, a Neo-gothic-style Architecture Castle Overlooking Lake Saint Moritz in the Engadin Valley. The Badrutt’s Palace is a Legendary Hotel Built at the Very Beginning of International Tourism in the Alps, With It’s Extravagant Décor and Fantastic Architecture It is the Defining Landmark in Saint Moritz and Host to Many of Its Most Iconic Events and Visitors, Don’t Expect Low-key Here, This is the Type of Place Where Guests Wear Their Best Furs and Stroll Through Le Grand Hall Dripping in Jewels.

Grand Hotel Kronenhof Pontresina The Grand Hotel Kronenhof, a High End Luxury Hotel, the Neo-baroque Style Building is One of the Most Architectonically Important 19th Century Hotels in the Alps, Dating From 1848, the Hotel’s Status as Registered Landmark is Evident in Many Neo-baroque Details, Historic Architecture, Modern Light-flooded Rooms and Suites, One of the Best Spas in the World and the Prime Location in the Heart of the Swiss Alps – This Unique Mix Exuding of the Magic of a Bygone Era.

Beau-rivage Palace Lausanne The Beau-rivage Palace Lausanne Has Been an Iconic Stay on the Sparkling Shores of Lake Geneva Since 1861, the Main Building Was Constructed in Art Nouveau and Neo-baroque Style Architecture in 1908. It is Registered in the Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance.

A Legacy of the Generous Architecture of the Late 19th Century, the Suites at the Beau-rivage Palace Are Notable for Their Spaciousness, Each One Has a Unique Colour Scheme and Its Own Particular Ambience.

Website: https://www.luxury-architecture.net/

Travel: “The Fight To Stop Venice From Flooding” (BBC News Video)

t’s a month since high tides struck Venice, causing devastating flooding. The city’s mayor estimated damage at over a billion euros.

A system of floodgates called MOSE, under construction for years, should have prevented the disaster. But it’s been delayed and mired in corruption.

The fight to stop Venice from flooding BBC News Video Dec 18 2019

So is MOSE the lifeline Venice needs – or is it doomed to failure?

Top Timelapse Videos: “Observatories – ESO” In Chile By Martin Heck

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Martin Heck

Music: “Chasing Time” by David A. Molina

Observatories European Southern Observatory ESO in Chile timelapse video by Martin Heck 2019

Part two of a series of journeys to the big astronomical observatories of this planet. In this video: The Paranal Observatory and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array – ALMA. With some of the biggest ground-based telescopes on earth, the observatories of the European Southern Observatory in Chile are at the bleeding edge of astronomical research. These incredibly complex machines, operating synchronized and precisely in the very remote and hostile environments of the Atacama Desert and Andes, enable deep views into the universe.

All the sequences were shot in only 4 nights in total, but on two trips in 2017 and 2019.

Website: https://timestormfilms.net/

Adventure Travel Videos: “Wingsuit Flying In Switzerland” (Red Bull)

Join the Red Bull Air Force for a wingsuit flying adventure as they travel into Switzerland’s Vaud Alps.

Wingsuit Flying in Switzerland Red Bull Film December 2019

Red Bull Air Force members Mike Swanson, Miles Daisher and Andy Farrington start their journey in the town of Bex, Switzerland, eventually making it to the top of the Les Diablerets glacier—a whopping 3,210 meters above sea level.

Wingsuit Flying in Switzerland Red Bull Film December 2019

Watch as the crew, joined by athletes Roberta Mancino and Scotty Bob Morgan wingsuit fly past “Glacier 3000,” a suspension bridge connecting two mountain peaks. With scenic views and jaw-dropping action, it’s the Swiss adventure of a lifetime— presented with the support of Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets-Bex-Glacier 3000.

Website: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnuf8iyXggLEp_2gb3jtTm_D4nle3jrnz

 

Top New Camper Trailers: All-Electric “ERV” From Retreat Caravans

Electric RV - ERV logoNow with an energy-efficient thermal rating construction and revolutionary energy supply, you can live in your caravan just like you would at home! Use what you want, when you want, where you want!

ERV-interior-2

ERV solar panels on roofWith an unprecedented 2033* watts of factory-fitted PV Solar, integrated automotive-grade 14.3KW/Hr battery, coupled with a 5000-watt Smart Inverter, this holistically engineered, self-generating, battery energy storage system will revolutionise your “truly off-grid experience”.

Website: https://www.e-rv.com.au/

Destination Resorts: 2019 Design Winner “The Retreat At Blue Lagoon Iceland” (Dezeen Video)

“The brief here was to make something that would fit very well into nature” explains Thorsteinsson in the video interview, which was shot by Dezeen at White City House in London on the day of the AHEAD Europe ceremony. “We wanted basically to have continuity between nature, the interior and exterior,” he continued.

Design Group Italia chief design officer Sigurdur Thorsteinsson explains how The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland immerses guests in nature in this video produced by Dezeen for the AHEAD Awards.

The 62-room resort hotel is embedded in the lava formations and turquoise geothermal pools of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon complex, which is situated within the UNESCO Global Geopark.

The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland was awarded in the Resort Hotel category at the AHEAD Europe hospitality awards, which took place in London in November.

Design Group Italia handled the project’s interiors, in collaboration with Icelandic firm Basalt Architects who were responsible for the architecture of the resort.

 

Top New Travel Videos: “Hostile Land – Danakil Depression, Ethiopia” (Haussmann Visuals)

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Daniel Haussmann

The Danakil Depression, one of the most hostile places on earth. It lies 100m below sea level and is the hottest inhabited place on the planet. Not only that, but it also is a quite notorious place. Various government agencies warn you from going there. Due to bandits, terrorists and border conflicts armed securities are a must.

Hostile Land - Danakil, Ethiopia Travel Video by Daniel Haussmann 2019

There is no running water, no hotel and no power out there. However once you overcome those hardships, some of the most unique and amazing landscapes await you. This trip takes you to the surreal landscapes of Dallol and the Erta Ale volcano.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/haussmannvisuals/