5 weird travel experiences to have in 2016
From staying in a hotel run by robots to surfing the internet in a historic Moscow cemetery, these are the travel experiences you'll be able to dine out on all year.
1. Check into a robot hotel
Robots are a part of everyday life in Japan. You’ll find them in stores and restaurants, and now behind the reception desk in the world’s first hotel run by robots in Nagasaki.
Called the Henn-na Hotel, (which means 'Strange Hotel' in Japanese), you’ll be greeted by English-speaking dinosaur robots and have your bag taken to your room by a robotic bag-check and concierge service.
2. Petrify your own souvenir
Looking for a travel souvenir that is both unique and hard-wearing? Then you need to get yourself to Mother Shipton’s cave in Yorkshire.
Set in unspoilt corner of the Royal Forest of Knaresborough, the cave is home to a well that ‘petrifies’ objects placed in it. Initially thought to be caused by witchcraft, it is actually an entirely natural phenomenon caused by evaporation and water with an unusually high mineral content.
Visitors are encouraged to leave objects to be turned into stone. But be warned. It takes three to five months.
3. Hook up to free wifi in a Moscow cemetery
Forget cafes and bars – in 2016 the coolest place to ｕpdate your Facebook profile in Moscow will be the local cemetery.
The city's local government has announced plans to offer free Wi-Fi in three of the city's best-known cemeteries.
Authorities are hoping it will encourage visitors to research the famous Russians buried in Novodevichy, Troyekurovskoye, and Vagankovo cemeteries.
4. Take your pet to New York
With New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport announcing it will open a $48 million terminal specifically for pets in 2016, there has never been a better time to take your furry companion to the Big Apple.
Called The Ark, the178,000-square-foot terminal will boast flat-screen TVs, a full-service salon, a doggy swimming pool, and a 20,000-square-foot ultra-luxurious resort and lounge.
Fido will never want to leave.
5. Visit a city of live mermaids
Located about an hour north of Tampa, Weeki Wachee is an enchanted spring where visitors can watch underwater performances by mermaids in a mysterious blue underwater world of manatees, turtles and bubbles beside the Weeki Wachee River.
One of Florida’s oldest roadside attractions, the show has been entertaining visitors for almost 60 years, including a young Elvis Presley who ｄropped by during the filming of Follow That Dream. It’s the perfect antidote to the more modern theme parks only a few miles away.
Article Source: http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/magazine/blogs/weird@wanderlust/5-weird-travel-experiences-to-have-in-2016?page=all
Image Source: http://cdn.wanderlust.co.uk/contentimages/wanderlust/blogs-5-weird-things-to-do-in-2016.jpg?width=460&height=276
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Concierge (n.) ~ a hotel employee whose job is to assist guests by arranging tours, making theater and restaurant reservations, etc.
2. Unspoilt (adj.) ~ not spoiled, in particular (of a place) not marred by development
3. Witchcraft (n.) ~ the practice of magic, especially black magic the use of spells and the invocation of spirits
4. Luxurious (adj.) ~ extremely comfortable, elegant, or enjoyable, especially in a way that involves great expense
5. Enchanted (adj.) ~ under a spell bewitched magical
6. Antidote (n.) ~ a medicine taken or given to ｃounteract a particular poison
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What are the five kinds of travel experiences mentioned in the article? Describe each one briefly.
2. Which kind of experience do you find the most interesting? Why?
3. Is there a tourist destination in your ｃountry that is “unique and weird”? If there is, describe the place or the experience.
4. What is the weirdest or most unique travel experience that you have had?
