24 Incredible Underground Attractions To Visit In Your Lifetime

Some of the world's most breathtaking travel destinations may be hidden in the ground beneath your feet.
While some are man-made constructions, others are fascinating natural wonders that have been formed over the course of thousands of years.
We've put together a list of 24 subterranean attractions to visit in your lifetime, from a 10,000-year-old cave in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to a town that built a library, church, bar, and homes underground.

Salina Turda, located in Turda, Romania, is home to an underground theme park inside one of the oldest salt mines in the world. Head 400 feet down to reach an amphitheater, bowling alley, mini golf course, ping pong courts, Ferris wheel, and an underground lake with row boats.

Salina Turda

St. Michael's Cave is a network of limestone caves situated in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve of Gibraltar. The cave has been used as a theater since the early '60s and has a seating capacity of 400.

Flickr/Royal Navy Media Archive

Bounce Below is a set of three giant trampolines nestled inside the Llechwedd Slate Caverns — a former Victorian slate mine in Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales. It was created by Zip World, a company specializing in adventure activities.

Courtesy of Bounce Below

The company also built Zip World Caverns, which is also situated in what used to be mines near the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd. Guests are suspended up to 100 feet down into the slate cavern.

Facebook/Zip World

Bluegrass Underground is a monthly concert series inside the Volcano Room of the Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, Tennessee. Taking place more than 333 feet underground, the venue offers top-notch natural acoustics in a breathtaking cave setting.

AP/Mark Humphrey

Take a boat ride through the Waitomo Glowworm Caves of Waitomo, on the North Island of New Zealand. A large population of glowworms causes the cave to glitter.

Flickr/Donnie Ray Jones

The Alux Restaurant Bar & Lounge serves drinks and authentic Mexican cuisine in a 10,000-year-old cave in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Gorgeous stalactites and stalagmites surround private vaults, where guests can enjoy a delicious meal.

Flickr/Curtis & Renee

The Postojna Cave in Postojna, Slovenia, is known for its whimsical web of tunnels, passages, galleries, and halls, all of which have a stunning diversity of karst formations. The cave also has several entertainment options, including a concert hall and a train that operates through part of the cave.

Shutterstock/lapas77

Inside the Formosa Boulevard Station in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, is a 4,500-panel glass artwork by Narcissus Quangliata that is said to be the largest glass-work in the world. Thanks to the stunning kaleidoscope effects of the piece, the area has actually been used as a wedding venue.

Shutterstock/Lau Chun Kit

Hang Son Doong (or the Song Doong Cave) can be found in the Quảng Bình Province of Vietnam. Classified as the largest cave in the world, it has a width of about 300 feet, a height of 330 feet, and a length of more than 6,000 feet. It has huge skylights and caverns that are big enough to hold entire city streets.

Flickr/Nguyen Tan Tin

More than 90 of the subway stations in Stockholm, Sweden, have been decorated with sculptures, mosaics, and paintings. The Kungsträdgården metro station houses the relics of the old Stockholm Makalös palace and has an impressive industrial-looking design.

Shutterstock/Eastfjord Productions

Stretching nearly 800 feet, the Reed Flute Cave, located near Gulin, China, is filled with incredible stalactites, stone pillars, and rock formations that take on a breathtaking look when illuminated with colored lighting.

Flickr/Bernt Rostad

Thanks to temperatures that can reach as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit, almost all of the residents of the South Australian town of Coober Pedy live underground. The town's residents have created a fascinating submerged world, where you'll find everything from an underground bookstore to a subterranean church.

Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

The Puero Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines has an underground river that stretches more than 26,000 feet within a stunning limestone karst cave system. On underground guided raft trips, you’ll enter chambers that are as large as 390 feet in size.

Flickr/shankar s.

Iceland's Thrihnukagigur Volcano has been dormant for 4,000 years, but it has left behind breathtakingly colorful minerals that can be viewed on hikes through lava fields. On tours that take place from May through September, visitors are taken as far as 400 feet to the bottom of the crater in an open cable lift.

Flickr/Darren Mercer

The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, Colombia, sits 590 feet below the surface in the heart of a salt mine. Carved salt sculptures and a 16-foot cross adorn a cathedral that gets some 3,000 visitors each Sunday.

Shutterstock/Fotos593

Hidden beneath Paris, France, are the Catacombes de Paris — an eerie network of caves and tunnels housing the remains of nearly 6 million people. Considered the world's largest grave, the catacombs have attracted thousands of visitors, including King Charles X and Napoleon III.

Shutterstock/Skreidzeleu

The Batu Caves of Selangor, Malaysia, feature stunning temples and paintings that depict Hindu gods. Before entering the caves, marvel at the enormous statue of Lord Morugan in the entrance.

Shutterstock/VenkateshMurthy

The Basilica Cistern in Istanbul, Turkey, was built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. The royal reservoir is said to be able to store up to 24 million gallons of water. Explore its stunning design as you admire its 336 marble columns and its two head of Medusa sculptures.

Shutterstock/S-F

In the deep salt mine of Wieliczka, Poland, altarpieces, chandeliers, and even the ornamented Chapel of St. Kinga were chiseled out of rock salt. According to Travel + Leisure, tours began in the 14th century and have included guests like Copernicus, Goethe, and President George H. W. Bush.

Shutterstock/Kanuman

The mine also hosts an underground sanatorium and curated events, including concerts, theater performances, galas, and fashion shows.

Shutterstock/wjarek

The Cango Caves are found near the town of Oudtshoorn, South Africa, at the head of the picturesque Cango Valley. Dripstone caverns are lined with vast halls and towering formations. Take the adventure tour, where you’ll be led trough hanging crystal gardens adorned with helictites, an active candle-wax column, and incredible cavern chambers.

Flickr/Crystian Cruz

The Dambulla Cave Temple (also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla) is the largest and best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. Inside, there are Buddhist mural paintings covering entire walls and more than 150 statues dating back centuries.

Shutterstock/Jorg Hackemann

In Turkey's Cappadocia region, there's an array of fascinating subterranean safe houses that were carved from rocks of volcanic ash. Several historic underground cities have been discovered many levels below the surface, revealing networks of tunnels, inclined corridors, and stepped pits.

Shutterstock/Pakhnyushchy

Enter the sub-street basement corridors of London’s Cabinet War Rooms (also called the Churchill War Rooms) to see what life was like for Prime Minister Winston Churchill during the tense times of WWII. The rooms have remained exactly as they were in 1945, when Churchill and his War Cabinet would meet here to discuss strategy.

Flickr/Tim Adams

(C)

5 top tips for China first-timers

 

 

Despite the fact that it seems to be in the news almost every day of the week, China - impossibly vast and fascinatingly diverse - remains a travel destination with an unquestionable mystique. As exciting as that sounds, it also makes travelling to China for the first time an incredibly daunting prospect. To help you venture into the unknown, here's our first-timer's guide to the most populated land on the planet.

1. Break the language barrier

The number one hurdle to overcome when travelling around China is the language barrier. Even today, with Chinese children learning English from primary school onwards, it's a barrier that can be almost completely impenetrable at times. It's always advisable to try to learn a few words and phrases before you visit far-flung lands, but in China it's almost essential. Try to enrol in Mandarin classes before you go (Mandarin Chinese is the default language in almost every part of China), or try to teach yourself some of the basics - the BBC website has a decent introduction to learning Chinese.
Then, when you leave for China, be sure to bring with you one or more of the following:

• Mandarin Chinese phrasebook - Lonely Planet does this one.
• English-to-Chinese and Chinese-to-English pocket dictionary - I found the Oxford version very easy to use when I was a beginner.
• Translator apps - Google Translate is free and includes an impressively accurate speak-your-phrase voice translator. The Lonely Planet Chinese Translator app is similar but has the advantage of being entirely offline with a dictionary tailored to the needs of travellers.

Regardless of all of the above, one thing you should always do when travelling around China is carry with you Chinese-language business cards of your hotel or of places you wish to visit so you can show passers-by, taxi drivers, bus conductors and the like.

2. Focus your itinerary

China is massive. Really, it's unbelievably large. It contains the world's highest mountains, some of the world's largest deserts, remote jungles, seemingly endless grasslands, and, of course, many of the world's largest cities. You would need months and months of travelling to even begin to do it justice. So, rather than skimming the surface of the whole country on your first trip, choose one region, or even just one province, and explore it properly. See the new Regions at a Glance section in Lonely Planet's latest China guide to help you decide. Still unsure? Here's my top three:

• Sichuan: One province; three regions. Stay in the centre or the south for steamy bamboo forests and cute Ming-Dynasty villages. Head north for stunning lakes set among alpine-esque mountain scenery. Venture west for remote Tibetan-plateau grasslands.
• Guangxi: Picture-perfect rice terraces and other-worldly karst peaks dominate a lush, almost jungle-like landscape which is perfect for hiking, cycling and river trips.
• Beijing: Don't just fly here, stay here. Beijing packs in more world-class sites than many whole countries are able to offer: The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, ancient hutong alleyways, majestic imperial parks...the list goes on and on.

3. Check the weather

At any time of the year there are places in China that enjoy ideal weather for travel, but almost nowhere is weather-perfect all year round. So to ensure your first trip to China doesn't become a wind-beaten blowout, an energy-sapping sun-scorcher or just a damp squib, get on top of where's hot and where's not in the month you're planning to travel. Generally speaking spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, although not in all provinces, and in many parts of China spring and autumn are no more than a few weeks long. For starters, check out this China weather rundown.

4. Use public transport

Ditch the taxis and the airplanes and hop on buses, bikes and trains to see China how the locals see it. Sure, it's easier flying from city to city, and then taking a taxi around each one once you're there. But where's the fun in it? China's public transport systems are already extensive, and getting bigger and better every year and many towns and cities are well set up for cycling - cycle lanes abound in Beijing, for instance. And don't worry about getting lost. Chinese people in general are extremely friendly, helpful and honest, especially to foreigners who can't speak Chinese, so there will always be a local on hand to put you back on track if you lose your way.

5. Eat, eat and then eat some more

China has many wonderful features but arguably its standout attraction is its food. As this tasty introduction illustrates, cuisine varies tremendously from region to region - even breakfast time can be an assault on the senses - so try as much of it as you can. And don't listen to anyone who tells you to avoid the street food. It's often the best part of a city's culinary experience.

 

One final food tip from my aunt, who recently visited China for the first time: If you're not used to using chopsticks, ditch the white T-shirts and pack more dark-coloured tops. Noodle-slurping stains are an unavoidable nuisance for most China first-timers, and asking for a knife and fork in a restaurant over here...well, that's just cheating.

(C)

What to Eat in China

You may not travel just for the sake of traveling. If you go to China, you will find that the abundant, delicious food gives an almost artistic impression and becomes an integral part of your travel experience. There is a great variety of food to cater to even the fussiest eater.
Chinese cuisine has a very high reputation worldwide and represents the magnificent culture of the nation's almost five-thousand-year old glorious history. The country's very varied cuisine is considered as one of the top three in the world.
The staple food in China is usually rice and wheat. Millet, corn, buckwheat, potato, sweet potato and many kinds of legumes are also common. Apart from rice, wheaten food like steamed bread, noodles, deep-fried twisted dough sticks, steamed stuffed buns, as well as various gruels, cakes and snacks with special local flavors always make the dining table rich and colorful to bring you extraordinary treats.



China is a big country with a vast territory abounding in natural resources, and the people's way of life, customs, economic and cultural development, as well as general local conditions, all vary. The local flavors and superb cooking form the present world-famous Eight Cuisines from the eight provinces of Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan and Anhui, each of which has its own characteristics. Including the typical Beijing Cuisine and Shanghai Cuisine, which are also popular in China, the Chinese food & drink unfolds its refined and peerless delicacies perfectly.



You can enjoy the delicious Chinese food not only in superior restaurants with many facilities and quality service, but also in ordinary eateries that are much cheaper but still serve delicious dishes. Prices vary, based on the different conditions and the environment. Anyway, wherever you go for a meal, health, sanitation and safety are necessities that you should pay much attention to. Some appetizing local snacks are usually sold at the roadside eateries, night markets or street restaurants that are commonly found in the country.
Food in remote areas or cities, like Lhasa, is not as fine as that in large cities. Besides, there are not so many choices and you may not be used to the local taste, especially in the regions of many minority features and special eating habits.
Western-style dishes, which you may crave now and again, can also be found easily in China. Most of the star-rated hotels have a restaurant providing western dishes. In addition, some fast-food outlets, like McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut, are not only popular among Chinese people but also offer much convenience for overseas visitors.

We, TravelChinaGuide.com, are the first on-line travel agency that offers the food service 'A la Carte' especially for you, which will definitely bring you much higher flexibility to select dishes you like from the menu and enjoy authentic Chinese food to your heart's content.

(C)

4 Things to Know about Camping in China

As the sun slowly climbed the horizon, the hanging fog that was disrupting my view finally began to break revealing the beautiful panorama that I had come here to see: China’s Great Wall at sunrise. I had camped on the wall overnight, one of the most incredible experiences of my time here in China. It had been a strenuous climb and a chilly night, but overall it had been completely worth the time and effort. I hadn’t just climbed the Great Wall, I had pitched my tent and camped on it!
Over the years I have received a number of questions from people asking about camping in China. Most people are drawn to the adventure of it all but are scared away by the unknowns. Can it be done? Is it safe? Since there aren’t any official camping grounds in China, how is it possible to set up your tent here?
To the best of my ability, I’d like to answer some of those questions here. I hope that this will answer some of your questions but if there are any others I haven’t covered, please leave a comment below!

Is it Legal to Camp in China?

The first question that always gets asked about camping in China is whether or not it is legal. It’s a good question because the last thing you want is to be pulled into a police station at 2am in the morning.



The short answer to the question is to say that yes, it is legal to camp in China. And at the same time it is illegal.
That’s what’s terrible about the Chinese system of law: contradictions are purposely placed in order to give freedom for the local authorities to decide what they want to do. So while authorities around Beijing have realized the economic benefit of allowing people to camp on the Great Wall, authorities in Tibet may decide that it’s too risky. Both can be right.
Strictly speaking, foreigners in China are supposed to register each night they stay in China. Hotels and hostels automatically do this for you but if you’re camping that’s not possible. The reality is, however, that such rules aren’t – and cannot be – enforced. Let’s say you buy a train ticket in China that goes overnight. Do you register? No. And nobody knows or cares.
The same goes for camping. As long as you stay under the radar and off the beaten path, you won’t draw the ire of any local authorities. Everybody is happy. The key is figuring out where to pitch your tent.

Where Can I Camp in China?

As you probably already know, there are no official camping grounds or KOAs with nice bathrooms and running water in China. In fact, the idea is laughable to most Chinese people.
No, you’re on your own here. In order to successfully camp in China, you have to know where to set up your tent. There are some places like the Great Wall where tour groups set up tent almost every night, but that isn’t the case for the other 99.9% of China. Finding a spot may seem daunting at first but really the rules are the same no matter where you try to camp in the world where there aren’t official camp grounds.
Here are some thoughts on finding a good place to camp:

• Ask a Local: if you can speak Mandarin, ask the people around town or in the village where you want to go if they know of any nice streams or outdoor vistas. At best they’ll be able to point you in a direction and at worst you’ll have some good interaction with the locals!
• Don’t Camp too Near a Big City: this is just asking for the authorities to find you and escort you to the closest hotel.
• Give Yourself Time: I budget at least an hour or more before sundown to find a suitable place to set up tent. You need time to find the place, scout the area and move if necessary.
• Avoid Roads, Open Fields and Lake Shores: at most national parks, the first place that authorities check what they can see from the road or along the shoreline from a boat. All it takes is just a couple extra minutes to hike in to a more secluded place and you’ll be fine.
• Be Camouflaged: having a tent that blends in with the surroundings definitely helps. The idea isn’t that you’re hiding because you’re doing something wrong, you just want to blend in.
• Don’t Run: if for some reason the authorities discover you and decide they don’t want you camping, don’t try to run. Just give the innocent foreigner act and most of the time they’ll just make sure you make it safely to a hotel.

Of course, before you can even set up tent you need to get your gear.

Can I Rent or Purchase Camping Gear in China?

Although the industry is still young, the camping market in China is growing at an unbelievable rate. Whereas 10 years ago it might have been difficult to get a high quality tent or sleeping bag, now the outdoor stores in certain parts of each city are innumerable.
Patagonia, Columbia, Mountainsmith: all of these brands and more are available for purchase in specialty stores all across China.
The best option is to bring your own gear, of course, since the gear you’ll find in China is also quite expensive. But you don’t need to bring everything since items like butane tanks are sold here.
Finally, there are stores that can rent gear at a reasonable price. You can ask around at the different stores to find out where and as a last resort you can contact a travel agency that should be able to provide you with the appropriate gear you need for a price.

Tips for Avoiding Problems While Camping in China

Finally, I want to share with you a few tips that might be important as you consider how you want to camp here in China.
Whether you’re camping on the Great Wall or in the sands of the Taklamakan Desert, the first thing you should consider is whether or not you should hire a guide. The dangers of trying to make it out on your own are real, especially if you’re not an experienced outdoorsman. Don’t be too prideful too admit you need help!
A few other tidbits of advice:

• Be Careful Around Borderlands: while hiking around eastern China is a bit easier to do, places like Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolia are a bit harder, especially when camping close to the borders. Security is tighter and there’s a chance you might accidentally run into a military base, which would be bad.
• Don’t Use a GPS Unit: use your phone if you have to but leave the professional GPS unit at home. A man hiking around the Xinjiang region in 2012 was picked up and charged with espionage because he had a GPS unit in his possession. He wasn’t doing anything wrong but that didn’t matter.
• Bring Everything You Need: like I said before, these aren’t campgrounds. You’re hiking in wilderness that may not have fresh water available. Don’t get caught without the things you need.
• Have Good Travel Insurance: there’s always a risk when you’re hiking and camping and even more so when you’re doing so in a foreign country with less-than-stellar levels of healthcare. Be sure that you have good travel health insurance that can medivac you out if needed. Every year there are reports of hikers – both foreign and local – who fall down a cliff or severely injure themselves in another way.
• Have Fun!! don’t let all these “do’s and don’ts” get to you…camping in China is AWESOME! Have fun, bring your camera and enjoy the ride. You won’t regret it 

(C)

Top 10 Tips for Traveling in Ukraine

Researching a travel destination, especially one as eclectic and inspiring as Ukraine, can set an imagination ablaze, but what about practical travel tips for this emerging travel destination? Sometimes, a set of practical tips are just as useful as a map or a travel website.

Number 1:
Mushrooms and berries are staples of Ukrainian meals, yet, both tend to absorb radiation more than other foods since the Chernobyl disaster. Most mushrooms sold in restaurants are not grown locally, but home-grown berries sold from street vendors are best avoided.

Number 2:
Coffee lovers may shriek with anxiety when traveling in Ukraine. Instant coffee, a throwback from the Soviet system, is largely the brew of choice, though caffeine entrepreneurs have discovered that many travelers and some Ukrainians have palettes rich in lattes. If you are in Odessa, go to Klara Bara; if you are in Kiev, check out Kaffa; and if you are traveling in Sevastopol, go to the Hotel Ukraine for your caffeine hit.



Number 3:
Kiev is considered a con artist’s paradise by some and foreigners are an easy mark. If a “transport inspector” asks to see an ID, ask for your own proof of identification otherwise you may be “fined” for not having the “right” ticket. Pickpockets are considered by some to be an effort at full employment, so watch your wallet, too!

Number 4:
Kiev may be a bustling cosmopolitan area, but people still sometimes drive on the pavements to get around a car. Watch the traffic. Learn to hold your place in queues too, as locals, after years of waiting in grocery lines only to discover that no food remained, can be a bit pushy. Hold your ground.



Number 5:
Don’t ignore the Ukrainian babushkas that wander the streets of major cities. Many are self-taught homeopaths and true believers in herbal remedies to cure what may ail you. Wormwood is a particular favorite, purported to ease toothaches, coughs, fever, kidney and liver distress, and even memory.

Number 6:
Ukrainians are superstitious, and while it may be tempting to sit down on steps or walls to rest your body, don’t be surprised as a woman if someone admonishes you in Ukrainian. Women sitting on concrete risk freezing their ovaries which will make them unable to bear children.
Number 7:
If you are lucky enough to be invited to a Ukrainian family’s house, to better cement relations between your respective cultures, remember these tried and true tips: bring a small gift to your host; inform your host if there is something you cannot eat to avoid offense and only refuse an alcoholic drink for health reasons; take off your shoes when entering a home and don’t shake hands across the threshold as this is bad luck. Finally, if you are not much of a drinker, don’t try and keep up with your hosts. Ukrainians are experts in toast-making and vodka consumption.

Number 8:
If you are traveling by train between western and southern Ukraine, you might be traveling through Moldovia, in which case you need a visa. To avoid being tossed off a train en route, ask the person selling you your ticket or ask someone to ask for you if the train goes through Moldovia.

Number 9:
Hiking in Crimea is better accomplished with a guide. With a lack of English maps or English signs, a guide is imperative.
 

Number 10:
Perhaps the most important tip we can impart to you as you begin your Ukrainian journey is slow down. Don’t rush through cities or landscapes, don’t try and “do Ukraine” in a week. Ukrainians are welcoming and friendly people and to rush through your itinerary means that you miss the best part the country has to offer.

(C)

My 25 Favorite Travel Movies

These are the best travel movies ever (in my opinion). You can watch these films over & over again, and never get sick of them. Which ones are your favorites?

I started to realize I had a travel obsession when all my favorite movies were based on crazy travel adventures.
So here is my personal list of the best travel movies of all time.
Once I’ve finished watching any of these films, I feel the instant urge to pack up everything and head out to explore the world. Great travel movies like these have helped inspire my own personal travel goals over the years.
So if you’re looking for some motivation to push you into a backpacking adventure of your own, sit down and watch a couple of these fantastic flicks with a bowl of popcorn, a glass of wine, and a friend. It’s the next best thing to actually traveling!
Just make sure to get off that couch and experience the real thing once in a while, because no matter how good these movies are, they can never replicate the incredible experiences of actual world travel…

The Motorcycle Diaries

The Motorcycle Diaries is one of my favorite movies of all time. The true story of two medical students embarking on a five month motorcycle trip across South America in order to use their medical training to volunteer for a remote leper colony along the Amazon river. Based on the personal journals of latin American revolutionary Che Guevara, it highlights the freedom, adventure, and personal discovery that is part of the travel experience. A beautiful movie about one of the most influential people to have ever lived, no matter whether you think his influence was positive or negative.

---

 

Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty tells the story of Walter (played by Ben Stiller), an introverted, awkward, and anonymous photo editor at LIFE Magazine who’s real life is pretty boring. However Walter has a very active imagination. When his job is threatened, he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime, traveling the world from Iceland to Afghanistan in search of his hero while taking risks and conquering new challenges along the way. A mix of incredible visual landscapes, a beautiful soundtrack, and some humor is just icing on the cake. The perfect movie to inspire those yearning for something more out of life.

---

 

A Map For Saturday

A Map For Saturday is a travel documentary that follows one man as he quits his cushy job with HBO to travel around the world for a year and live out of his backpack. It shows the different ways people travel, and gives an accurate picture of what it is like to vagabond around the world long term. You get to experience both the ups and downs of his trip at a very personal level. If you ever thought of doing something like this, the movie will show you what the experience is really like. It also shows you that anyone can travel cheaply if they really want to. The only thing stopping you is, well, you.

---

 

180 Degrees South

180 Degrees South is a documentary that follows the adventure of a group of friends as they travel to Patagonia in the spirt of their heroes. They pack their surfboards and climbing gear as they sail and drive along the South American coast, learning about the losing battle against industrialization and the destruction of the natural world. Modern commercial interests fed by the growing human consumption of disposable goods is ruining our planet, and the film shows what some brave people are doing to try and stop it. The movie’s beautiful scenery and fantastic soundtrack mix together with a strong message and travel adventure to create a true work of art.

---

 

The Way

The Way is a beautiful and inspiring tale about a father walking Spain’s Camino de Santiago trail to honor his recently dead son. The experience is an eye-opening an emotional one for him, as he’s forced to make friends with complete strangers and examine his life during the 800km journey. It features a very eclectic mix of characters, all walking the path for their own personal reasons. The movie certainly made me more interested in traveling along the Camino at some point in my life.

---

 

Que Tan Lejos

Que Tan Lejos (How Much Further) is set in Ecuador, as Esperanza and Tristeza try to get from the capital city of Quito to the town of Cuenca. It is normally a 5 hour bus ride. The two women decide to hitchhike when local strikes force their bus to stop. One girl is a local trying to stop the love of her life from getting married, while the other is a tourist from Spain. Along the way, they learn from each other while meeting interesting people who help them re-evaluate the purpose of their journeys. The film is filled with beautiful scenery from Ecuador, and gives an authentic portrayal of life in that country.

---

 

In July

In July (Im Juli) is a movie about a road trip through eastern Europe and all the adventure that goes along with it. Daniel is a shy & boring young school teacher who never really does anything fun & exciting. He decides to break out of his shell while chasing a girl from Germany to Turkey on a crazy road trip that will change his life forever. His travel partner shows him what he’s been missing as they drive, hitchhike, walk, swim, get robbed, steal a car, get in fights, escape from jail, and bribe border guards to get to their ultimate destination. By the end of the adventure, he’s a changed person.

---

 

L’auberge Espagnole

L’auberge Espangnole (The Spanish Apartment) is about a young, slightly uptight Economics student who goes on an exchange program in Barcelona to learn Spanish before he lands a big job. Xavier is not that experienced with the world, and is in for a surprise when he moves into an apartment filled with international students. He has to learn to live with 6 other roommates from different corners of the globe, putting up with their cultural and personal differences. The adventures they have will open his eyes to what life can be. It’s a funny and realistic movie, based on the real life experiences of the director.

---

 

The Darjeeling Limited

The Darjeeling Limited is a wacky film about three wealthy, spoiled brothers taking an overland train trip through India. They haven’t spoken in a year, and the trip is supposed to heal and bond them again. Initially it all goes wrong as they bicker and fight with each other. They are all suffering from depression, and pop pain killers like candy. When it seems like nothing is going right, their crazy experiences along the way finally put things into perspective. The ultimate goal of healing and rejuvenation starts to happen. They finally start to grow up and turn into men. The movie is hilarious, and beautifully shot too. It will make you want to visit India.

---

 

A Good Year

A Good Year is about a high powered London stock broker who’s favorite uncle passes away, leaving him a chateau and vineyard in France. When he visits to quickly prepare the property to be sold for millions, he gets addicted to the laid back, stress-free lifestyle of the French countryside. He falls in love with a local beauty, and has fond flashbacks of his childhood under the care of his womanizing uncle. The whole thing is very funny, and it’s a great date movie! The underlying theme is that there is much more to life than money, plus it will make you long to visit the South of France.

---

 

Lost In Translation

Lost In Translation is based on two separate travelers, Bob & Charlotte, visiting Tokyo at the same time. They meet each other and form a friendship as they experience confusion and hilarity in a strange and curious city. Bob is an aging actor starring in commercials, while Charlotte is the bored wife of a photographer there on business. They are an unlikely pair, experiencing a degree of loneliness in a foreign city filled with millions of people. This is another beautifully shot film that also shows how funny and interesting traveling in a new country can be. The many little random experiences that present themselves while traveling are often the most memorable.

---

 

Lawrence Of Arabia

Lawrence Of Arabia is the classic story of a young, eccentric British army officer who heads into the Arabian desert to gather intelligence about the Arab revolt against Turkey during World War 1. He ends up leading a guerrilla force of them to attack the Turks. The setting of the film is fantastic, and it follows Lawrence as he learns about the people and starts adopting some of their customs. I think this is one of the benefits of travel. You learn from other cultures, and adapt your lifestyle around what you’ve learned. Although the “white man leads a bunch of natives” theme is kind of cheesy, overall the film is great.

---

 

Into The Wild

Into The Wild is the true story of Christopher McCandless, a recent college graduate who gives away his live savings and hitchhikes to Alaska. He meets all kinds of people along the way, each with their own stories. In Alaska, he heads out into the wilderness to live on his own. His life is filled with random adventures and experiences while he makes his way up to “The Last Frontier”. This is what travel is all about to me. Experiences, good and bad, make you who you are. And long term travel is FULL of new experiences. The key is to not completely get in over your head (like Christopher did).

---

 

Seven Years In Tibet

Seven Years In Tibet is about an Austrian mountaineer who heads out to conquer a Himalayan mountain in 1939. After getting captured and sent to a prison camp, he ends up breaking out with another man and sneaking into the holy Tibetan city of Lhasa. He befriends the young Dalai Lama just as the Chinese attempt to invade Tibet by force. Both men are from totally different worlds, yet become great friends and learn from each other. The character starts off as a selfish prick, but slowly changes his outlook on life when confronted with new experiences in a very foreign land. It’s a good movie that shows you how travel adventures can transform your life.

---

 

Y Tu Mama Tambien

Y Tu Mama Tambien is about two best friends who meet an older woman at a family wedding in Mexico City. They convince her to come with them on a road trip to a magical hidden beach that doesn’t exist. She agrees when she finds out her husband has been cheating on her. They head out to find a beach that matches their made-up story. Along the way there is passion, conflict, and jealousy. The film is unrated and has some pretty risqué scenes in it, and may not be for everyone. Their trip reveals the harsh realities of poverty that exist outside their privileged life of the city. It’s an eye opener that all travelers experience at some time in their wandering.

---

 

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is the tale of two friends who take a vacation to Barcelona, where they meet a mysterious painter, Juan Antonio, who asks them to spend the summer with him. Vicky is the more reserved of the two, engaged to be married, while Cristina is more of a free spirit. The relationship between the three is sexually charged, and drama ensues. Things only get more complicated when Juan’s mentally disturbed ex-wife shows up. The movie is quite entertaining, and is set in the beautiful landscapes & cityscapes of Spain. I especially enjoy it because it shows how travel can open you up to new experiences. You learn what you’re really made of on the road.

---

 

Encounters At The End Of The World

Encounters At The End Of The World is an incredibly beautiful and funny movie about the people and animals who live in Antarctica. The film is done by Werner Herzog, one of my favorite directors. The individuals that work at the National Science Foundation research station are full of character, and most are permanent world travelers. Even if you’ve seen Discovery channel shows about Antarctica, this is totally different and fresh. I liked it much more than I thought I would, and it has earned a spot on my best travel movies list because as soon as it was over I wanted to pack up and head down there for a bit!

---

 

UP

UP is about an old man who spent his life dreaming of world travel and adventure with his wife, only for the both of them to grow old without ever taking any action. Then he finally decides to do something about it, and ends up having the adventure of a lifetime! This animated movie had it all, and was definitely not just for kids. Most people spend their whole life pushing travel goals off to the future, when they should be living those dreams right now. Life is short, and you have to fill it with interesting experiences as often as you can. This movie does a good job of emphasizing that theme.

---

 

Indiana Jones Series

The Indiana Jones Series are not particularly accurate travel movies, but they sure are fun! These movies helped plant the seed of adventure in my head many years ago. Who wouldn’t want to go searching for lost artifacts in remote jungles and deserts all over the world? Indy’s wild adventures have inspired many travelers over the years. Sometimes group tours won’t cut it. Heading out by yourself into the unknown is a whole different kind of travel experience, and very rewarding. But the last one, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, sucks monkey balls. 

 

 

 

C 

---