Strange Hotels of the World

Strange Hotels. A hotel is a vital part of any trip. And when it comes to spending your vacations the odd way, these strange hotels can multiply your experience. From Dockside Cranes to Nuclear Bunkers, these are the top 5 weird yet amazing hotels around the world.

Mirror Cube - Blend into Nature

The Mirror Cube is probably my favourite one in this list of strange hotels. The Mirror Cube is part of the Tree Hotel in Sweden, which is known for its unique rooms, suspended among the trees, just under the canopy. It's a 4x4x4 aluminium cube covered on the outside with reflective mirrors to help it completely blend with its surroundings, giving it an almost invisible look. The outer surface is covered with an infrared film to prevent the birds from flying into the mirror walls.
The Mirror Cube Hotel comes with a double bed, lounge, bathroom and a rooftop terrace. The cozy interior is made up of birch and the 6 windows provide an excellent panoramic view of the surroundings.
The Mirror Cube charges an amount of Swedish Kronor 4450 per night which includes a breakfast buffet.

Null Stern Hotel - The Only Star is You 

Null Stern is German for Zero Star. The name doesn't describe the hotel's classification but rather is part of part of the company's slogan Null Stern - The only star is You. The name is not the only strange thing about this hotel. The strangest facts about this unique hotel is that it is a former nuclear bunker converted into a hotel.
The concept behind the Null Stern Hotel is about giving a new life to unused real estate. Artist Atelier für Sonderaufgaben has turned the Null Stern Hotel into an excellent minimalist environment. If you're wondering  what it would be like to spend a night inside a nuclear bunker, then I assure you a wonderful time because the Null Stern Hotel has been ranked as one of the top 100 hotels of Europe.

Prison Hotel - Pay to be in Prison

A prison would probably be the last place on earth where someone would want to spend a night. But will you deliberately pay a price to live a night like a prisoner? While many jails around the world have been converted into 4 and 5 star hotels, KGB is one of those last places on earth where you can experience life as a prisoner.
Located in Liepaja, one of the larger cities of Latvia, the jail was built in 1905 to house Czar's troublesome soldiers. In 1970, it was turned into a hotel and the new management took charge.
Unlike any other hotel of the world, the management is proud to be unfriendly, unhearted and uncomfortable. The staff is dressed in Soviet uniforms. Expect no welcome but rather cruel shouting officers barking orders in Latvian. You're subjected to humiliation and psychological tortures. The food served is even worse than you can expect - a hunk of rye bread, pickle and a bowl of Russian tea.
The Liepaja prison is becoming increasingly popular among adventurists and the deal doesn't sound costly as you can get the unusual experience for no more than 7 pounds a night.

Dockside Crane Hotel - Dockside Crane Luxury

If you ever had this quirky feeling about how would life be like in a crane, then the Dockside Crane Hotel promises to satisfy all your fantasies. Docked in Harlingen, Holland, this is an original crane that has been turned into a deluxe hideaway. With an interior that could compete any boutique hotel, the hotel is packed with all the five star comforts you could dream of. The machine room has been converted into a bedroom for two provided with latest flat screen and audio equipment to create a fantastic environment. But the real fun resides in the driver's cabin where you can rotate the crane to full 360 degrees for a perfect panoramic view. The Dockside Crane Hotel charges 400$-550$ per night. A stay perfect for those looking for something to brag to their friends and relatives.

Ice Hotel - The 'Coolest' Hotel on Earth

If you prefer to spend your holidays in unusual surroundings then the Ice Hotel can be one of the best places for you. The hotel is located near Kiruna, Sweden and is the first of the ice hotels of the world. The ice hotel is built with solid blocks of ice. One of the most amazing facts about the Ice Hotel is that it only exists between December and April, which means that it melts in summer and has to be constructed each year. The rooms are decorated with ice statues and even wine is served in ice glasses.

Pamukkale - The Cotton Castle of Turkey

The beautiful terraced pools of Pamukkale are one of Turkey's most important highlights. The Turks named the site Pamukkale which means "cotton castle" for its unusual sparkling white castle-like cascades. The warm and mineralized spring water flowing from calcareous white steps create an unmatched landscape. The famous thermal pools of Pamukkale and its rich history attracts tourists from around the globe.

Pamukkale Map

Pamukkale is located in the Turkish city of Denizli. Denizli means "located by the sea", although the city is no where near the coast, it is believed that the name was given due to large underground water resources of the area. Denizli has always been a cradle of civilizations. Its fertile lands have been home to a number of civilizations, Persians, Greeks, Romans and Muslims being the notable.
The formation of this amazing landscape can be attributed to the strong earthquakes that have shook the country for centuries. These earthquakes formed cracks allowing water, rich in calcium carbonate, to come to the surface. As the water evaporated, layers upon layers of calcium carbonate deposited forming the unusual travertine of Pamukkale as we see it today.
Pamukkale has always had a special place among the people of the area. Thus the Greco-Romans built a town above it, called Hierapolis - the "Holy City". It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley. The ancient site of Hierapolis contains temples and baths and add to the importance of the site.

Hierapolis

Pamukkale is not only famous as an unusual travertine, its warm waters are also known to cure a number of diseases and are believed to be specially beneficial to the skin. According to one legend, there was a young girl who was ugly and unmarried. As no one wanted to marry her, she decided to commit suicide and jumped off the travertine. She fell into a natural pool and did not die but was instead turned into a beautiful lady. The Lord of Denizli saw her and fell in love. They were soon married.

--> But the healing power of the water is not only limited to legends. Even scientific research has proved the medical benefits of the Pamukkale waters. The mineral water of Pamukkale helps in high blood pressure, strokes, rheumatism and a number of skin problems. Thus, the amazing site of Pamukalle attracts visitors from around the world, who come here to sooth their bodies with the warm spring water or just their eyes with the breath taking scenery.

The 5 Strange Rituals of the World

Every culture and society has its own customs and rituals. These rituals have their own origins and roots. Some of these rituals are considered, weird, bizarre, insane and totally out of the screws, but not for those who practise them. For them, these strange rituals serve a special purpose. This contradiction in views is what makes the human civilization so diverse and beautiful. Below is my list of the top 5 strange rituals of the world.

Strange Birth Ritual

Sifudu (Africa)

The birth of a baby is an important occasion in all cultures around the world. The occasion is marked by prayers and blessings to welcome the new member in the family. But sometimes, these blessing ceremonies can go to strange limits. Sifudu is an important custom practised in different African tribes. On the third day of birth of the child, relatives gather at the hut, picking leaves from the Sifudu tree. A small fire is made at the centre of the hut and the Sifudu leaves are burnt to produce a thin pall of smoke. The leaves have an extremely pungent aroma that irritates mouth, nose and eyes. Then the baby is carried by a woman with his head downward in the smoke and is passed several times through the smoke and is then handed back to the mother who quickly passes the child under her leg.
It is believed that the ritual ensures that the child is never subjected to fright, timidness or shyness.

Strange Death Ritual

Suttee (India)

There's no place better known than India when it comes to talking about strange beliefs. These strange beliefs give rise some of the worlds strangest rituals. One of them is the infamous custom of Suttee.
Suttee or self cremation involves widows who voluntarily lie by her dead husband's side on his funeral pyre to be burnt alive with the corpse.
Suttee is a very old Hindu custom practised in India for many centuries until it was banned by the British in 1829.
The widow is considered a bad omen in the Hindu society. She is not allowed to attend social gatherings and everything from her touch to her presence is considered extremely impure. Although the core idea behind this strange custom is to reunite the couple in afterlife, most of the outsiders and even many Indians see this as just inhumanity.

Strange Marriage Ritual

Blackening of Bride (Scotland)

Marriage is one of the most joyous occasions in all cultures and countries. An occasion filled with laughter, joy and happiness. But it can become an occasion of craziness in Scotland.
The Scottish people are not like any other European. Their men wear skirts and they can make music out of a bag. But even more bizarre is what they do with their newly wed bride. Instead of throwing rice, the Scots welcome their bride with eggs and sauces on her face. They dub this strange ritual as the "blackening of bride".
"Blackening of bride" is a very old pre-marriage ritual practiced in Scotland. The bride is taken by surprise, or rather by shock, as the friends and family cover her with any gross they can think of. It can be anything from curdled milk, rotten eggs, and molasses to mud and syrups.

Strange Food Ritual

Burping (Egypt)

While burping is considered rude and ill-mannered in the West, the Egyptians have a different point of view. In Egypt, burping is the highest compliment a guest can remark on the quality of food made for them.
So, now you have a nice way to please your Egyptian hosts.

Strange Initiation Ritual

The Bullet Ant Gloves (South America)

Initiation is the ceremony marking the entrance into a group or community. Initiation rites are held in all cultures in order to transform a child into an adult. The most common examples include the Christian ceremony of "baptism" or the Hindu "diksha". While it may not sound like much to many people, many cultures have quite painful ways of initiation. One of the most extreme of these initiation rites are found among the Mawe people of South America. They use intentional Bullet Ant stings as part of their initiation rites. The stings of these Bullet Ants are so painful that they are compared to bullet shots, this is where the name comes from.
First the ants are collected and are rendered unconscious by keeping them in a natural sedative. Then hundreds of them are woven in pair of gloves made out of leaves. The boys are then asked to wear the gloves for at least 10 minutes. The neurotoxic of bullet ants paralysis the hands and cause intense pain, even more than the sting of a tarantula. The boys have to repeat the ritual for 20 times before they become a "warrior".

My Top 11 Strange Yet Awesome USB Drives

I have always felt that there's no easier way to spice up life than to add some spice to your everyday tasks and equipments. I love USB - it's simple, it's straightforward, it's useful and it's AWESOME. Here is my gallery of the world's top 10 strange but awesome USBs.

 Star Wars Fever

 Monster Inc. incorporated in USB

 

Syringe USB Drive

Condom USB Drive

Emily's Strange USB Drive

The Swiss Army USB Drive

Teddy Bear USB

Probably the most irresistible: Doughnut USB

The Zombie Inspired Finger USB

Kitty Crystal USB

The Most Killing Of All

Top 5 Strange Exhibitions Around the World

Take a break from your stressful everyday life and fascinate yourself at one of these strange exhibitions which amaze millions of people around the world.

Body Worlds Exhibit

This is my most favourite and probably the most bizarre in this list of the strange exhibitions. Body worlds exhibit involves real human corpses, preserved by a process called plastination and presented in unique lifelike poses. It was founded by the German anatomist Gunther von Hagens who first presented his strange exhibition in Tokyo in 1995. Gunther's 'Skinless Wonders', as he likes to call them, are a source of great criticism chiefly from religious backgrounds as they are regarded as a disrespect to human remains.

Sublah International Museum of Toilets

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak is the biggest toilet lover in the world. He is so obsessed with toilets that he even has his own toilet exhibition. The Sublah International Toilet Museum the one-of-a-kind toilet museum in the world which features every aspect of toilets. It covers the evolution of toilets with real life models and various toilet designs from around the world. He aims to educate people about the historical trends in the development of toilets and to understand and solve problems related to sanitation.

Museum of Eroticism

Paris is the first choice of exhibitionists from around the world given to its rich history and vibrant culture but no place puts on a show quite like the Musee de l’Erotisme (French for: Museum of Eroticism), the $ex museum showcasing the art and artefacts describing the evolution of $exual awakening. There are five floors and each floor portrays a  unique theme. Not surprisingly, only adults are allowed to enter.

Carsten Holler's Test Site

Carsten Höller’s largely well known sculpture is made up of five different slides that run from the upper floors of the gallery to ground level. The tallest of them being more than 52ft. Carsten Holler describes his work as a platform of interaction. Holler says that sliding down, especially from the higher levels, was an experience that helps combat stress and depression.

Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments

In the middle ages, torture was a common punishment for all kinds of crimes from raping to murder and above all heresy. The museum of Medieval Torture Instruments is dedicated to showcasing the means by which confessions were extracted from alleged criminals in the European criminal justice system 500 years ago. The museum features more than 60 terrible torture devices in a 45 minute tour which is also loaded with tutorials on how to operate each device.

Body Worlds Exhibit: Gunther Von Hagens Turns Dead into Art

The infamous German anatomist Gunther von Hagens is the man who has earned himself a rather weird reputation of 'Mr. Death' by turning corpses alive. He is the developer and promoter of the Body Worlds exhibit. Body Worlds features dead people engaged in a variety of everyday activities from playing chess to dancing. The skin and several layers of body tissues are peeled in order to give the audience a closer look at the secrets of human life and death.


Body Worlds Exhibit gained a huge global gaze through the 2006, James Bond movie 'Casino Royale'. 
First started in 1995, the Body World has received more than 32 million visitors making it the most popular travelling exhibit in the world. Most of the people who have ever witnessed a Body World exhibit end up asking questions about where the heck they get so many human bodies? If you're troubling with the same question then let me tell you that all the bodies at the Body Worlds come from body donors who authorise their bodies to Body World with their own consent.

The bodies at Body Worlds are prepared and preserved by a special process called plastination which was also invented by Gunther von Hagens. Plastination involves the replacement of muscle water and fat by certain plastics yielding specimens which are odourless, decay-proof and rigid allowing them to be posed in lifelike positions. While people around the world are fascinated by Gunther's unusual art, he's not famous among all of them. The Body Worlds is banned in many parts of the world including Paris and Poland. Gunther von Hagens has faced serious criticism especially from religious groups who object the display of human remains. For many religious groups, the practice is like disrespecting a human corpse.

While religious groups object Gunther's display of human forms, some organisations express their concerns over the source of the bodies. But Gunther has put down all such claims, stating that the bodies come entirely from donors. Gunther von Hagens states that the objective of the Body Worlds is to educate common man about the body leading to better health awareness. But whatever the aim be, Gunther's 'Skinless Wonders' continues to fascinate thousands of eyeballs around the world by bridging the taboos of life and death, making it one of the most strange exhibitions in the world.

Further Reading:

A complete catalog of the Body Worlds. Includes articles by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, Dr. Angelina Whalley, Charleen M. Moor & C. Mackenzie Brown, Dr. Franz Josef Wetz, and Bazon Brock. This is a comprehensive book written by people from Body Worlds itself.

Buy it now on Amazon: Body Worlds - The original exhibition of real human bodies