10 Most Unusual Parks in the World

Nature - The best artist, but sometimes it interferes with the idea man, and because such an alliance appear surprising places. We offer you a selection of the most unusual parks in the world.

Park Buddhas — Laos


The park was started in 1958 by Luang Pu (Venerable Grandfather) Bunleua Sulilat. Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat was a priest-shaman who integrated Hinduism and Buddhism. His unique perspective was influenced by a Hindu rishi under whom he studied in Vietnam. After the revolution in 1975, anxious about the repercussions of the rule of Pathet Lao, he fled from Laos to Thailand where he built another sculpture park, Sala Keoku in Nong Khai. Both parks are located right next to the Thai-Lao border (Mekong river), only a few kilometers apart from each other, and the tallest structures of the Buddha Park can actually be seen from the Thai side of Mekong.

The statues are made of reinforced concrete and are ornate, and sometimes bizarre, in design. The statues appear to be centuries old, though they are not. There are sculptures of humans, gods, animals, and demons. There are numerous sculptures of Buddha, characters of Buddhist beliefs like Avalokitesvara, and characters of Hindu lore, including Shiva, Vishnu, and Arjuna. These sculptures were presumably cast by unskilled workers under the supervision of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat. One notable sculpture resembles a giant pumpkin. It has three stories representing three levels - Hell, Earth and Heaven. Visitors can enter through an opening which is a mouth of a 3-metre-tall demon head (9.8 ft) and climb staircases from hell to heaven. Each story contains sculptures depicting the level. At the top, there is a vantage point where the entire park is visible. Another sculpture, an enormous 120-metre-long (390 ft) reclining Buddha, is also a park attraction.  

Green Lake — Austria



 Grüner See (Green Lake) is a lake in Styria, Austria near the town of Tragöß. The lake is surrounded by the Hochschwab mountains and forests. The name "Green Lake" originated because of its emerald-green water. The clean and clear water comes from the snowmelt from the karst mountains and has a temperature of 6–7 °C (43–45 °F). During the winter, the lake is only 1–2 m deep and the surrounding area is used as a county park. However, during the spring, when the temperature rises and the snow melts, the basin of land below the mountains fills with water. The lake reaches its maximum depth of around 12 m from mid-May to June and is claimed to look the most beautiful at this time. In July, the water begins to recede.

The lake supports a variety of fauna such as snails, water fleas (Daphnia pulex), small crabs, fly larvae, and different species of trout (Salmo). The flora is not abundant because of the rocky bottom of the lake. Furthermore, the lake’s depth is variable since its inflow comes from snowmelt. 

The lake is popular among divers who can observe the green meadows in the edge zone of the lake particularly in June when the water is at its highest. A bridge and a bench can also be found underwater. 

Park Sinners — Thailand

90 minutes outside of Bangkok sits the Wang Saen Suk Hell Park, one of several "hell gardens" that can be found throughout Thailand. At this tourist destination, you can pack a picnic and ramble around the charming sculpture garden, which depicts sinners being eviscerated wholesale in the Buddhist underworld.

After all, nothing says "sunny weekend stroll" quite like statues of demons disemboweling the damned, arsonists transforming into snakes, and dogs eating a lost soul's giant testicles. Also, if you've ever used birth control, there's apparently a giant bloody vise waiting in the afterlife. (I'm not sure if dental dams qualify one for an eternity of squeezing.) Notes Fortean Times of this charming point of interest:

Around the giant sinners stand a further 21 life-size sinners, whose heads have been turned into various animals according to their misdeeds. Thieves are transformed into monkeys; the dishonest into toads; the corrupt into pigs [...] Although often gruesome, Thailand's hell gardens are popular weekend destinations for family days out. As well as an entertaining way of teaching strict morality, they also encourage donations as a form of merit-making to support the monks and the monasteries.

One of io9's friends in Thailand further elaborated on the park's family-friendly angle — "It's fun seeing little Thai kids running around statues of people being eaten alive, having their guts torn out, etc. My five-year-old cousin loves the amusement park, but is terrified of Ronald McDonald." So yes, if Faces of Death ever went in cahoots with Six Flags, the result might just look like this. 

Park Space Reflection — Scotland



Space View Park is located less than 15 miles directly across from the launch pads. The Park is the first and only walk in the nation that honors America's astronauts as well as the men and women behind the scenes who helped America lead the world in space exploration. Located 5 miles North from HWY 50 off of US1 on Broad Street on HWY 406 (Garden Street) off of Indian River Avenue. 

Creation Museum — USA


The Creation Museum is a tourist attraction near Petersburg, Kentucky which presents a mythical account of the origins of the universe, life, and humankind, portraying a 'creationist' narrative based upon a literalist interpretation of the Book of Genesis, rather than scientific knowledge. The Creation Museum opened its doors to the public on May 28, 2007.

The Creation Museum has been criticized as promoting "fallacy over fact" and attempting to advance the tenets of a particular religious view while rejecting, overlooking and misconstruing authentic science. The museum has received criticism from the scientific community, educators, Christian groups acquainted with the scientific method, and in the press.

Its exhibits reject universal common descent and biological evolution, and assert that the Earth and all of its life forms were created 6,000 years ago over a six-day period. In contrast to the scientific consensus, exhibits promote creationist claims including the proposition that humans and dinosaurs once coexisted, and that dinosaurs were on Noah's Ark. Scientific evidence supports the conclusions that the earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old, and that the dinosaurs became extinct 65.5 million years before human beings arose. 

Keukenhof Gardens — Netherlands


Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe, is the world's largest flower garden[citation needed]. It is situated near Lisse, Netherlands. According to the official website for the Keukenhof Park, approximately 7,000,000 (seven million) flower bulbs are planted annually in the park, which covers an area of 32 hectares.
Keukenhof is located in South Holland in the small town of Lisse, south of Haarlem and southwest of Amsterdam. It is accessible by bus from the train stations of Haarlem, Leiden and Schiphol. It is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek).Keukenhof is open annually from mid-March to mid-May. The best time to view the tulips is around mid-April, depending on the weather. 

Francisco Alvarado Park — Costa Rica


The park sits in front of the church at the town center. It is noted for its topiary garden produced and maintained by Evangelisto Blanco since the 1960s. Shrubs in the park have been trimmed into the shapes of various animals, including some that are quite abstract and bizarre.

Iglesia de San Rafael: Zarcero's pink and blue church was constructed in 1895. The interior features very nice paintings of the stations of the cross. Materials for the construction of the church are not what they seem. Columns are painted to look like marble, and the exterior is metal siding, not brick as it appears.

Jurong Bird Park — Singapore


Jurong Bird Park, is a tourist attraction in Singapore managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore. It is a landscaped park, built on the western slope of Jurong Hill. It is located within the Boon Lay Planning Area of the Jurong district and has an area of 202,000 square metres (50 acres). 

Kingdom of dwarfs — China


The Kingdom of the Little People is a theme park located near Kunming, Yunnan that features comic performances by people with dwarfism. Supporters of the park claim that it provides employment to people who would otherwise be unable to find work, but it has been criticized for treating dwarfism as a humorous condition. 

Chess Park — Japan


The garden was erected to celebrate the sister city relationship between Sydney and Nagoya in Japan. Some of the interesting features in the garden include a set of magnificent stone lanterns presented to City of Sydney by Nagoya. It also incorporates various plants in the garden which have cultural significance to Japanese people. For example, pine tree symbolise long life, a plum tree represents gracefulness and bamboo is a sign of vitality. 

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Sun Cruise Ship on the top of the Cliff


Sun Cruise sitting high and dry on the coastal cliff of Jeongdongjin.

To get to Sun Cruise Hotel and Yacht from Jeongdongjin Beach, I could only walk. Public transport was out of question as there was only one bus (Bus 109) going to the Hotel every two hours. Flagging down a taxi was also not easy as empty taxis were few and far between.

The slope leading to the Hotel was steep, probably about 50° gradient. I could feel the full force of gravity acting down on me as I struggled my way up. The fortunate thing was the distance to overcome was not too long.  It took about 15-20 minutes to get to the top but it was worthwhile effort.

Entrance fee for non-resort guest is 5,000won. The recommended course - panaromic view of the East Sea, bird's eye view of Jeongdongjin from the Observation Deck and a leisure walk around the sculpture park. I was most interested in the Observation Deck. I wanted to look down from the highest point of the ship. 15 more images after the break..


Sun Cruise is 165 metres in length, 45 metres in height and 30,000 tons in weight. A 1:1 replica of a passenger cruise liner.



Looking out at the East Sea from the garden inside the resort


The Observation Deck is at level 9. To get to the open deck or the Observation Deck, I have to first negotiate through a souvenir shop. For people who are afraid of height, the open deck is not a place to be, because the only barrier that separates you from the cliff below is the guardrails. But for me, standing at such an elevated height and close to the edge of the ship with absolutely nothing to obstruct my view, gave me an adrenaline rush.


Looking down on the yacht-like restaurant from the open deck of Sun Cruise. People with acrophobia, beware.


This is the view that I was there for - bird's eye view of Jeongdongjin.


The bow of the ship. It was almost like the ship was sailing across the East Sea.
The revolving Sky Lounge is at level 10 but it is not served by lift. You have to walk up two levels (there is an intermediate level between level 9 and 10) of stairs to get there. It is an ideal place to sit down, enjoy a cup of coffee and the wonderful view outside without feeling acrophobic.



The bridge of the ship was actually a revolving sky lounge.



Inside the sky lounge. The window seats with breathtaking view were all taken up.



Leaving Sun Cruise and on my way out.

After sunset (about 5:30pm), temperature dipped sharply. Staying too long outdoor was just too chilly for comfort. So it was back to accommodation for me to "thaw" a  bit before going back to Jeongdongjin Beach for the "New Year Party". I did not stay for the countdown. Countdown was done in my room with TV on. At midnight, I looked out the windows as fireworks lit up the night sky of Jeongdongjin. I could not remember when was the last time I saw fireworks on New Year's Day.










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Top 5 world's most famous aquariums

June 8 is World Oceans Day. We suggest you visit the most impressive aquariums around the world where you can meet amazing, breathtaking underwater world of the ocean and its inhabitants, without sinking into the deep ocean.
01. The largest aquarium in the world The Georgia Aquarium is located in Atlanta, USA. This object is the main attraction of the capital of the American South. The volume of water of this amazing aquarium is about 31 thousand cubic meters, and lives in it for more than 120,000 live exhibits belonging to five hundred species. The largest animals aquarium beluga whale is, as well as several species of dolphins, whale sharks, skates and rays.



Seaquarium offers five themed exhibitions, during a visit where you are immersed in the different ecosystems of the ocean. In 2012, the aquarium opened a thematic exhibition of frogs. The most impressive is the exhibition that recreates the life of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, where the aquarium is home to over one hundred thousand living beings. Visitors examine their lives from a transparent tunnel at the bottom of the aquarium, the length of which more than thirty meters.


08 more images after the break...
02. Sydney Aquarium. opened after a major renovation, which spent about $ 10 million in 2012. Now the aquarium is one of the main attractions of Australia. Exposure aquarium includes about seven hundred species of animals. Especially convenient to observe the aquarium visitors to this the life of sharks that live in the aquarium "Open Ocean".


Sharks swim so close to the visitors who are at the bottom of the Sydney aquarium in a glass tunnel that captures the spirit of fear and delight. Some of the sharks weigh three hundred pounds and reach a length of three meters. Seaquarium has interesting displays such as the "Abode of fur seals," "The Great Barrier Reef," "South Pacific.


03. Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Center - a huge shopping and entertainment center in Dubai, which opened in 2008. Part of this center is a large aquarium with a capacity of about 33 thousand fish species and marine animals more than eighty-five species. Live here, and several species of sharks, including sand and a giant shark. This aquarium is known for its viewing window is listed in the "Guinness Book of Records" as the largest acrylic viewing window in the world. Its area is about 273 square meters, and it holds back thousands of tons of water. And the aquarium is the largest indoor aquarium in the world.



Adventurers offered an unusual attraction - a dive with sharks. Certified divers can dive without preparation, and all the others are a short course of study. Over the oceanarium is "Discovery Center" where you can learn more about the life of marine animals, their biology and behavior. Not far from the aquarium is a fish restaurant. In addition to the aquarium, located in the heart of more than 1,200 stores, cultural and entertainment facilities.



04. Oceanário de Lisboa is located in Lisbon, Portugal . Located in the Park of Nations. This is the largest aquarium in Europe, as it is created by American designers. Oceanarium consists of five giant glass aquariums, each of which simulates the habitat of the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, the Arctic (or Southern) Oceans. Because of this, visitors can learn about the life of the world's oceans, see the brightest inhabitants of oceanic waters. Sharks, rays, barracuda, tuna, moray eels and other feel at home here.



In total, the aquarium inhabited by 16,000 individual animals over four hundred and fifty species. Lisbon Oceanarium is proud to have on display a fish-moon, which can not boast of other aquariums, as well as rare spider crab and sea otters.



05.  The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (Tyuraumi) is located in Japan, in Okinawa. Before the construction of the aquarium in Atlanta Tyuraumi was the world's largest such facility. Seaquarium has four floors and is designed to be able to fully display the life of the Japanese islands.



 Initially, visitors get acquainted with shallow waters and coral reefs, and then dive deeper into the ocean, going down deep into the aquarium until they are at the very back of the inhabitants of the mysterious depths of the ocean. Near the main aquarium are a few objects with marine life. This dolphin theater, an aquarium with manatees, as well as a separate turtle aquarium with five well-known large species of sea turtles.


Aquariums are not only the amenities, but real science labs that allow for a lot of work on the study and conservation of oceanic species.


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Horizontal Waterfalls in Australia


It is strange to hear this combination of words. However, it is a fact. In the Australian Talbot Bay are several unusual waterfalls that appear only at high tide, which makes the definition of waterfall controversial.

The maximum difference between the highest and the lowest point of the falls is only about five meters. In the same time, the width of the gorges through which rushes the water is in one case about 10 meters and in other about 20 meters. The two waterfalls are the connecting openings between the Talbot Bay and the Poulton Creek. The gorges are located on the McLarty Range on a distance of about 300 meters from each other.14 more images after the break...
















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